Immaculate Heart Academy

Mission statement

"Immaculate Heart Academy is a college preparatory high school in the Archdiocese of Newark which has as its purpose the complete education of young women. By both cultivating the traditional Christian values of the Roman Catholic Church and by upholding exceptional academic standards, IHA offers a unique educational experience of the young women in our community. Immaculate Heart Academy strives to develop every aspect of the individual by educating the mind and nurturing the spirit. By instilling in its students a sense of responsibility, confidence, justice, peace and compassion, Immaculate Heart Academy prepares its students for life in the twenty-first century."

Consultative board

The Immaculate Heart Academy Consultative Board officially began its duties on July 1, 2009. In prior years, a Finance Committee had been established and was effectively providing financial advice and direction to the school. With the expansion of the board to six committees—Strategic Planning, Building and Grounds/Technology, Institutional Advancement, Finance, Development, and Nominating, wide-ranging advice and counsel is available to the principal.

Technology

Immaculate Heart Academy is noted for its extensive laptop program. Starting with the incoming freshman class in the 2011-2012 academic year, students purchased MacBook Pro laptops. The student owns the laptop and the use of the resource is integrated into the academic programs of the school. In conjunction with IHA's laptop program, all classrooms are outfitted with SmartBoards, DVD players, projectors, iPads and other media devices.

Course offerings

Courses currently available include:

Extracurricular activities

IHA offers about 50 clubs, organizations, extracurricular activities and honors societies. Some of these opportunities include C.A.R.E. (Christian Action Reaching Everyone), Student Council, an award-winning Mock trial team, both a Science League and Math League, Model United Nations, Junior State of America, the National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, French Honor Society/Société Honoraire de Français, Spanish Honor Society/Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, and Tri-M (Modern Music Masters). In addition, art, theater, and music related clubs are available for students to join, including an a cappella group, chorus, orchestra, jazz band and handbell choir.

Student-run publications within Immaculate Heart Academy include Accents (the school newspaper), Halcyon (the school yearbook) and ORB, a literary magazine of students' works.

The communication club, known in school as WIHA, uses the school's in-house television studio to broadcast daily news, announcements and special events directly to each homeroom every morning. GET REEL, the sister club to WIHA, creates video features for the morning show and coordinates the filming of school functions, including school musicals, assemblies, prayer services, concerts, and other school events. During filming, GET REEL students often work in conjunction with the school's Tech Corp, students who work as stage crew, audio-visual technicians and lighting crew for school events.

In the past 10 years, IHA has produced the musicals The Secret Garden, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, Cats, A Chorus Line, Legally Blonde, Seussical, The Boyfriend, and 42nd Street. The student performers in these musicals are of the highest caliber, some with NJ high school theatre awards, such as Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards, Montclair State University Theatre Night Awards, and Metropolitan High School Theatre Awards (formerly Helen Hayes). These musicals are performed in conjunction with students from St. Joseph Regional High School and Don Bosco Preparatory High School.

Christian service and volunteerism

Students at Immaculate Heart Academy put their faith into action by serving their immediate community and ministering to people in need through interactive service opportunities. By participating in the IHA Christian Service program, students will apply their Catholic Christian values by practicing them in projects that expand the students’ awareness of God, others, and themselves.

IHA distinguishes between “Christian Service” and “Volunteering.”

Christian service is described as responding to the Gospel call to minister to those truly in need of love, hope, and compassion. Students engage in this kind of service by directly serving with the poor, sick, elderly, or those with special needs.

Volunteering is defined by performing acts of supportive service to our immediate community. Students learn the value and importance of serving in the places they live, study, and worship. Volunteering would be serving your parish, the IHA community, your town, or a non-profit organization through events and activities that make a difference.

There are many opportunities for both types of serving through Immaculate Heart Academy. Students can take advantage of service and volunteering opportunities throughout the year. CARE is IHA’s largest organization consisting of many service groups. Click here for more information on CARE. In addition, students are supported by a student-led Christian Service Board that helps to keep students on track.

Requirements: Freshmen: six hours of Christian Service; six hours of volunteering Sophomores: eight hours of Christian Service; eight hours of volunteering Juniors: 10 hours of Christian Service; 10 hours of volunteering Seniors: 12 hours of Christian Service; 12 hours of volunteering

Golden Jubilee

The school celebrated its Golden Jubilee during the 2010-11 academic year. Throughout the year, IHA held events celebrating the history of the school, the successes of its alumnae and the tradition it passes on to its students of the present and the future.

Athletics

The Immaculate Heart Academy Blue Eagles play in the Big North Conference, a super conference that includes 40 public and private high schools in Northern New Jersey and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). Before the realignment in 2010, IHA played as a member of the North Jersey Tri-County Conference, an interim conference created to facilitate the realignment. Until the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in Division C of the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, which was made up of high schools located in Bergen County, Essex County and Passaic County, and was separated into three divisions based on NJSIAA size classification.

Immaculate Heart Academy has a longstanding rivalry with Academy of the Holy Angels.

2003-2008 academic years

In 2003, the IHA cross-country team was disqualified from the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) C championship for violating High School Federation Rules limiting the number of runners each team could enter in its varsity race to seven, while the coaches had entered nine runners into the race.

The 2004 basketball team won the North Parochial A state championship, defeating Paramus Catholic High School by 36-21 in the tournament final.

In 2005, the NJSIAA stripped the IHA basketball team of 22 of its victories and eliminated the team from the North Non-Public A girls basketball tournament for the use of an ineligible player. The athlete in question had played high school-level basketball at a New York State high school as an eighth grader, a practice that would allow the student to participate in all four years of high school sports in New York, but is not permitted in New Jersey.

In 2007, the soccer team won the Non-Public North Group A sectional championship with a 3-1 win over Morris Catholic High School in the tournament final, the team's first sectional title in four years.

Immaculate Heart won back-to-back tennis Non-Public A titles in 1995 and 1996, defeating Notre Dame High School both years. In 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 the tennis team won the Non-Public Group A State championship, defeating Holy Spirit High School in three of those four championship seasons, while Red Bank Catholic High School lost in the finals in 2006. IHA is the only team from Bergen County to have won four back-to-back state titles. They also had the most consecutive wins on record in the former NNJIL.

2009-10 academic year

During the 2009-10 academic year, Immaculate Heart Academy won the Non-Public Group A state championship in soccer, swimming, winter track and volleyball, where the team also won the New Jersey State Tournament of Champions, gaining the title of best volleyball team in New Jersey by defeating Bridgewater-Raritan High School 25-14, 25-15 in the tournament final The Blue Eagles also won the Non-Public North A sectional titles in basketball (finishing 2nd overall in the state) and spring track (finishing 3rd overall.)

The IHA bowling team won the New Jersey Tri-County Conference championship and eventually finished 3rd overall in the state.

2010-11 academic year

The soccer team won its fourth straight Bergen County championship, only the second team in the county to win in four consecutive years. In the state tournament, the Blue Eagles defeated The Pingry School for the Non-Public Group A North sectional championship in double overtime by a score of 1-0. The team advanced shared the Non-Public Group A state title with Red Bank Catholic after a 1-1 tie, giving IHA a third straight state title. With this championship, the 2010-11 Blue Eagles Senior Class won 11 out of a possible 12 titles (County, Sectional and State) in their four-year career at IHA.

In volleyball, despite losing in the Bergen County tournament, the Blue Eagles won the Non-Public Group A state championship for the fourth straight year. The team defeated Union Catholic in the state tournament, the third straight year IHA defeated Union Catholic for the state crown. The team advanced to the Tournament of Champions, where they lost in the semifinal round to Ramapo High School.

The IHA basketball team finished the season with a 27-1 record (the most wins in school history), winning the championship at the Joe Poli Tournament and Bergen County Championship and earning the top spot in the final Bergen Record Top 25 poll.

The swimming team scored 386 1/2 points at the Bergen Meet of Champions to win its 12th straight County title by a 177-point margin. Later, the team, seeded #2 in the New Jersey Non-Public Group A Tournament, defeated Holy Spirit High School in the state quarterfinals 118-52, Red Bank Catholic in the state semi-finals 107-63 and top-seeded Bishop Eustace High School 108-62 in the finals to win its fourth straight, and a record 16th, state championship.

By the end of the 2010-11 academic year, Blue Eagles squads were named by the Bergen Record as the North Jersey Team of the Year in Girls Soccer, Bowling, Basketball, and Softball, while The Star-Ledger named the IHA Swimming team the North Jersey Team of the Year.

Student-athletes have were named Athletes of the Year by The Record in Soccer, Basketball, Golf, and Track and Field, and by The Star-Ledger in Bowling. Both The Record and The Star-Ledger named IHA senior Danielle Romain as their Swimmer of the Year.

Overall, IHA teams won the following championships during the 2010-11 academic year:

2011-12 academic year

In cross country, IHA won the Big North Conference United Division championship, finished third in the Bergen County Championships, third in the North Non-Public Group A sectional meet, and fifth in the Non-Public Group A state meet to champion Mount Saint Dominic Academy.

The soccer team finished the season 15-3-2 with losses to Ramapo High School in the BCWCA Girls' Soccer Championship semifinals, and to The Pingry School in the North Non-Public Group A sectional championship game.

In volleyball, IHA won the BCWCA Bergen County tournament by defeating Bogota High School and also won the Non-Public Group A state championship for the fifth straight year, defeating Union Catholic in the state tournament for the fourth straight year. The team later won the school's fourth Tournament of Champions title by defeating River Dell High School in the semifinals and Demarest High School in the championship round.

In tennis, the team finished with an overall record of 10-8-1. In the Big North League competition, the team finished 4-2, placing second in the United Division. During the NJSIAA State Tournament, the team defeated St. Dominic Academy before falling to AHA in the semifinals.

The basketball team finished with an overall record of 24-4, clinching the Big North League Championship for the second consecutive season. During the BCWCA Tournament, the team defeated Dwight Morrow, Cresskill, and Holy Angels to advance to the semifinals. During the NJSIAA Tournament, the team defeated De Paul High School to capture the North Sectional Championship.

The indoor track team clinched the Big North League Championship with an impressive performance at the league meet. At the Bergen County Relays, the team finished a close second behind Ridgewood. At the NJSIAA State Championship, the team finished fifth overall.

The varsity swim team finished with an overall record of 11-1, clinching the Big North League Championship. at the BCWCA Meet of Champions, the team won the Bergen County title. This marked the team's 22nd consecutive league title and 13th consecutive county title. During the NJSIAA Team Tournament, IHA defeated Paramus Catholic, Bishop Ahr, and Bishop Eustace to win its fifth straight title.

The bowling team finished with an overall record of 72-26 and placed second in the Big North. During the BCWCA County Tournament, the team advanced to quarterfinals. At the NJSIAA State Tournament, the team finished second in the sectional tournament, qualifying them for the state finals.

The ski team finished with an overall record of 29-1, clinching the league title. at the NJISRA State Meet, the team finished third.

The varsity golf team finished 19-3 overall and 18-2 in league play, capturing the Big North League title. They also won the Arcola Invitational and the prestigious Fairleigh Dickinson North Jersey Open. On the county level, the team won its fourth consecutive BCWCA county title. During the state tournament, the team finished third at the NJSIAA North State Sectional Championship and sixth overall at the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions.

For IHA varsity softball, it was the best season in the history of the program. The team became the first IHA softball team to finish a season undefeated with a perfect 32-0, clinching the Big North League title and the BCWCA County Championship. During the NJSIAA State Tournament, the team defeated DePaul Catholic to capture the NJSIAA North State Sectional Championship. At the state finals, the team won over St. John Vianney to clinch the NJSIAA State Championship.

The spring track team finished with a perfect 5-0 record, including a 3-0 record in league competition. At the Big North League Championship meet, the team finished second overall. At the BCWCA Championship, the team earned a top ten finish and at the NJSIAA North Sectional Championship, the team finished fourth overall.

The lacrosse team finished the season 8-12. During the BCWCA County Tournament, the team defeated Dwight Englewood, Indian Hills, and Northern Highlands to advance to the county finals for the fifth consecutive season. During the NJSIAA State Tournament, the team defeated Hunterdon Central before losing to Ridge High School in the second round.

The 2011-2012 school year proved to be another successful one for IHA athletics! The athletic program continued to solidify its status as one of the best in the state by amassing a total of three state championships, two state sectional championships, four county championships, and ten league championships. The IHA volleyball team acquired the prestigious Tournament of Champions title for the fourth year in a row—a state record! To add to an already impressive track record, IHA athletes acquired four Team of the Year titles, four Athlete of the Year titles, five All-American titles, and one Gatorade® Player of the Year, given to Nia Reed’14. Yet again, IHA athletes prove that anything is possible with hard work, great coaches, dedication, and interminable commitment!

2012-13 academic year

The varsity volleyball team finished with an overall record of 34-4 including a perfect 6-0 divisional record. The team captured the Big North League title for the seventh consecutive season and also won the Jersey Classic Volleyball Tournament. During the NJSIAA Tournament, the team defeated the Academy of the Holy Angels to clinch a sixth consecutive Non-Public A State title. IHA then went on to defeat Bogota High School to capture the Tournament of Champions crown for the fifth time, the most i the history of the tournament.

In soccer, the team finished with an overall record of 16-6-1. In league competition, IHA finished with a perfect 6-0 to clinch the Big North United Division crown. During the NJSIAA State Tournament, the team defeated Pope John High School in penalty kicks to win the Non-Public A Sectional title.

The varsity tennis team finished with an overall record of 15-6 and in league play, the team finished 5-1 and tied for the league championship. On the state level, the team defeated Paramus Catholic to advance to the semi-final round of the NJSIAA State Tournament.

The cross country team finished with an overall record of 4-2 and a league record of 2-1. At the Big North League Championship Meet, the team finished second. On the county level, the team ran their way to second place at the BCWCA County Group Championship and third place as the County Championship.

The swim team finished the season with an overall record of 9-1 and clinched the Big North League Championship. This marked the twenty-fourth consecutive league title for the team. At the Bergen County Women’s Coaches Association Meet of Champions, the team swam its way to its fifteenth consecutive title. During the NJSIAA State Tournament, the team defeated Pope John to achieve the North Sectional title. The team then went on to clinch its sixth consecutive state title, and eighteenth title overall, with a win over Red Bank Catholic.

The bowling team finished third in the Big North and during the BCWCA County Tournament, the girls advanced to the semifinals. At the NJSIAA State Tournament, the team finished third in the sectional tournament.

The varsity basketball team set a new program record with 28 wins for the season. The team finished the season with an overall record of 28-3 and was named Big North League Champions for the third consecutive season. The varsity team also went on to win the BCWCA County Tournament and Non-Public North A Sectional Championship.

The ski team finished with a program high of 40 wins. The team finished with an overall record of 40-4, capturing the league title. At the NJISRA State Meet, the team finished second overall.

The ShopRite Cup

Immaculate Heart Academy received the NJSIAA Group A ShopRite Cup for the 2007-08 athletics season, which is awarded annually to the school with the top athletics program in each statewide grouping. The school received this honor for the second consecutive year for its 2008-09 athletics season, and again for the 2009-10 season.

Renovations

The main building was completed 1961 to the designs of architect Anthony J. DePace of New York City.

A FieldTurf artificial surface was installed on the soccer/softball field and was completed in the fall of 2004. Landscaping and grounds maintenance have been significantly upgraded. A major renovation of the existing library space into an Information Commons was completed in the fall of 2006. The Information Commons provides the resources of a traditional library with advanced information management and retrieval capabilities including multiple desktops, two scanners, printers, etc. The Information Commons also provides small meeting rooms, a conference room, a school archive section, and comfortable workspaces for students using laptops.

A new gymnasium floor was installed in the summer of 2008.

A TV studio, as well as a chapel in honor of the members of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Franciscan Sisters of Peace who served at Immaculate Heart Academy, was installed in the early spring of 2009.

In April 2011, IHA began the building of a small addition to the school to be located on the southern end of the building (left side when looking at the main entrance from Van Emburgh Avenue.) The addition consisted of four new classrooms at the end of the first (ground) and second levels, as well as a new art studio located on the lowest level of the school, where the school's cafeteria is located. The Vincent Herold Fitness Center was also completed, replacing where the old school store was located, on the cafeteria level. The school's former art room, located on the main floor across from the Sisters' Chapel, was renovated into office space for the school staff and administration.

In collaboration with the Archdiocese of Newark, IHA has also entered into a solar energy program, in which panels have been added to the roof, estimated to generate about 40% of electricity used, saving the school energy costs.

Notable alumnae