Academy of Holy Angels

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Coordinates: 44°52′57″N 93°16′47″W / 44.88250°N 93.27972°W / 44.88250; -93.27972
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For the school in Demarest, New Jersey, see Academy of the Holy Angels.

Academy of Holy Angels
AdvancED
NewspaperThe AHA Star
Tuition$16,595 + $400 IT fee
Websiteacademyofholyangels.org

Academy of Holy Angels (AHA) is a private,

coeducational high school in Richfield, Minnesota. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
, the nationally recognized college-preparatory school educates more than 600 students each year, with students in grades nine through twelve coming from across the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

History

The Academy of Holy Angels was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet on October 2, 1877, the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.[1] Originally a day school for girls, it was housed in the Merritt House in Minneapolis, but moved several times in its early years (first to the Ankeny home, then the Skyles house, and finally the Bassett property in 1882). The same year, it became a boarding school and day school for girls in grade school and high school. Sister St. John Ireland, CSJ, was the first directress.[2]

It moved to its present-day location at Nicollet and 66th Street on Sept. 15, 1931, amidst a record-breaking heat wave of 104 degrees.

tennis courts, a 9-hole golf course
, and an ice skating rink during the winter. High school tuition (grades 9–12) was $50.

On May 2, 1932, Academy of Holy Angels was formally

accredited
, and has maintained an accreditation ever since. The first graduating class contained just 13 girls. By 1943, Holy Angels had discontinued its grade school but continued to offer Kindergarten until 1946, when St. Peter's Church next door opened its parish elementary school. The 1952–53 school year was the last year for boarders to live at Holy Angels, and 1953 marked the beginning of Holy Angels solely as a day school.

In 1972, the school officially became

coeducational
, opening its doors to 128 new male students; the first four-year, co-ed class graduated in 1976. Because the school was now co-ed, the Angies became the co*Stars and varsity athletics began. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet "turned governance of the school over to a lay board of directors", but continue to own the school for the time being, renting it to AHA at a cost of $1 per year. In 1989, the Holy Angels theater school officially opened; a middle school was also established, but closed just 9 years later.

The first of two StarDomes was built in 1996, adding "a $2 million, year-round athletic facility" to campus (making Holy Angels the first high school in the United States to have a facility of this type). The complex includes

field turf, and features a removable dome to make the field playable during the winter months. Two years later, campus classroom space was expanded by 15% in a substantial renovation project. The 26-acre campus was officially purchased from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 2003; the same year, a 70,000-square-foot addition opened. Both projects were supported by a $5 million fundraising campaign.[2]

In 2000, Holy Angels became the first private school to receive an Ethics in Curriculum Award from the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation. The same year, the St. John the Evangelist Chapel was refurbished and rededicated, and the new greenhouse opened. Athletic programs continued to grow, and in 2005, Holy Angels became the first high school ever in Minnesota to win both girls' (Class A) and boys' (Class AA) hockey state championships the same year.

By 2007, AHA had begun Project Laptop, equipping the 9th grade class with a personal computer for academic use. A version of the program continues today, although technology has been updated and improved substantially over the years. 2011 saw the retirement of former AHA President Jill Reilly, to be succeeded by current President Tom Shipley. The same year, the STEM diploma program opened. In 2019, a second StarDome was completed.

Service day

Service: In addition to yearly service requirements (75 hours to be completed before graduation),[4] students participate in an annual All School Service Day, a yearly family Christmas Basket Drive (a tradition continued since the 1940s), and Campus Ministry Team, among other opportunities. AHA's Faith in Action program also aims to "incorporate service and spirituality into all aspects of AHA life",[4] including sports, activities, and clubs; over 25 teams participate, contributing 2,000+ service hours.

Academics

The Academy of Holy Angels is currently accredited through AdvancedED. 19 AP courses are offered to sophomores, juniors, and seniors; in 2015, 230 students participated in the AP program (81% of senior class, 72% of junior class).[5]

In addition to regular coursework, students can pursue a Theater Diploma and/or a STEM Diploma, and earn language certificates through the Minnesota Department of Education.

Extracurriculars

Holy Angels currently offers 52 extra-curricular activities. These include Book Club, bowling, Knowledge Bowl, Math Stars, music, National Honor Society, Respect Life, robotics, skeet & trap, Social Justice Club, speech, student newspaper (the Blue & Gold), table tennis, theater (Starlight Productions), and Writers' Club, among others.

Athletics

Holy Angels participates in the

Tri-Metro Conference, which is part of the Minnesota State High School League. Since 2017, AHA has made over 37 state appearances.[6]
The AHA mascot, Shiner the Angel, though retired for some years, was reintroduced recently.

Fall sports: cross country, dance club, football, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

Winter sports: alpine skiing, basketball, dance team, hockey, Nordic ski, and swimming.

Summer sports: baseball, golf, lacrosse, softball, tennis, and track & field.

State Championships
Season Sport Number of Championships Year
Fall Soccer, Girls 1 2003, 2022
Football, Boys 1 2017[7]
Soccer, Boys 1 2019[8]
Winter Hockey, Girls 1 2005
Table tennis 1 2011, 2013
Hockey, Boys 2 2002, 2005
Cheerleading 6 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011
Basketball, Girls 2 1969, 1975, 2016
Spring Golf, Boys 3 1994, 1998, 1999
Softball, Girls 1 2000
Total 19

Theater

Since 1931, Holy Angels has been a sponsor of theatrical arts. Besides offering 15 courses in the acting and design/technical disciplines, students can choose to enroll in the AHA Theater School, working toward a theater diploma in addition to their regular programs of study.

Today, the Holy Angels theater department, Starlight Productions, produces three shows each year: a fall play, a spring musical, and an entry into the MSHSL State One Act competition. Since first participating in 1989, Holy Angels has received a star rating ten times: in 1989, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2015, and 2016. AHA currently participates in the Section 6AA One Act class.[9]

Graduates have gone on to perform and study at the Guthrie Theater, Theatre de la Jeune, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, Webster Conservatory, Tisch School for the Arts, and Broadway.

Notable alumni

Attended, but not alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ "Guardian Angels". Loyola Press. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "History". academyofholyangels.org. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  3. ^ Academy of Holy Angels website, History of Holy Angels Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b "AHA's commitment to service". academyofholyangels.org. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "AHA Leadership". academyofholyangels.org. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Home". academyofholyangels.org. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  7. ^ "Prep Bowl roundup: Holy Angels tops Cloquet for 4A state title". Twin Cities. November 25, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  8. ^ Tribune, DAVID LA VAQUE, Star (October 31, 2019). "Holy Angels wins 1A championship with dramatic overtime goal". MN Soccer Hub | High School Boys' & Girls' Soccer News, Scores & Standings. Retrieved November 1, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Academy of Holy Angels One Act Play | Teams | MSHSL". mshsl.org. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "Parish welcomes head of Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter - TheCatholicSpirit.com". TheCatholicSpirit.com. August 27, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  11. ^ "Troy Bell Profile". Hoops Hype. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
  12. ^ TV Biographies, Kelly Carlson Mini Profile Archived April 27, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Jack Hillen". Minnetonka Boys High School Hockey. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  14. ^ "Erik Johnson's Number Retired by his Former High School". Mile High Sticking. July 22, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2019. ... the Academy of Holy Angels retired another alumnus's, Jack Hillen. Hillen is currently a defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes. He spent his entire high school career at AHA.
  15. WNBA. Archived from the original
    on September 5, 2014.
  16. ^ "Political views stripped Thissen of Holy Angels' honor". Star Tribune. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  17. ^ "John Stocco, Academy of Holy Angels, Pro-Style Quarterback". 247Sports. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  18. ^ "Mike Carman". mapsouth.hockey. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  19. ^ Sommers, Kent (August 3, 2015). "Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald lives in Arizona, but like most transplants, 'home' is somewhere else". The Arizona Republic. Glendale, Arizona – via azcentral.com. Fitzgerald didn't meet NCAA requirements to play as a freshman, so he spent a year at Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania.
  20. ^ NFL Profiles, Larry Fitzgerald Profile Archived December 29, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "Erik Johnson's Number Retired by his Former High School". Mile High Sticking. July 22, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  22. ^ "Mike Reilly - Men's Hockey". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  23. ^ "Paul Westerberg's first encounter with The Replacements". Far Out.

External links

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