SCHOOL NEWS

DEMARESTAHA students visit Southern border for closer look at immigration issues

A group of rising juniors and seniors from the Academy of the Holy Angels recently spent time with children in South Texas; but this was more than a holiday: These Angels were part of a Mission Awareness Process trip that allowed them to learn how the School Sisters of Notre Dame (AHAʼs foundresses and sponsors) offer support to migrants near the Texas-Mexico border.

AHAʼs volunteers interacted with migrant families and children, and spoke with an immigration attorney.

Grace Cuttita of Glen Rock, Breanna Hetzer of Nutley, Jackie LaMastra of Tenafly, Raffaela Manoy of New Milford, Marina Poire of Dumont, Sydney Ponti of Secaucus, Ava Santoro of Old Tappan, and Ava Tripodi of Emerson spent the week of June 13 in San Antonio and McAllen.

There, they worked with Sister Regina Palacios from the SSND Central Pacific Province, AHA Campus Ministry Director/SSND Associate Kathleen Sylvester, and AHA Social Studies Department Chair Gail Fair.

Sylvester said the group gained an awareness of the complexities of the situation at the border. “I know they were frustrated that there was not enough clothing, and especially there were not enough shoes, to give to those who needed them.I also know they were talking about finding ways to bring this need back to the larger AHA community in the fall.”

Poire, who served as the groupʼs English/Spanish translator, said there were times she was so surprised by the migrantsʼstories that she would forget to translate.

The Angels kept a travelogue, beginning in San Antonio, where they stopped at an outdoor marketplace, an authentic Mexican restaurant, and the Alamo. They later visited the SSNDs who live in the area.

“The time spent with the sisters was something that really stood out to all of us,” Ponti wrote. “We learned about Sister Peggy (McGaffney, former campus minister at AHA), who left a legacy of kindness and service on the SSND and our school community.”

She said, “Hearing about the sistersʼindividual experiences was something that was also influential for all of us.”

Ponti said the sistersʼlife stories encouraged Ponti and her peers to serve others.

The students met three groups of young migrant boys at Saint Peter and Saint Joseph Childrenʼs Home. The boys discussed their journeys to the United States and their goals. The Angels saw the childrenʼs living

Volunteers included Grace Cuttita of Glen Rock,Breanna Hetzer of Nutley,Jackie LaMastra of Tenafly, Raffaela Manoy of New Milford, Marina Poire of Dumont,Sydney Ponti of Secaucus,Ava Santoro of Old Tappan,and Ava Tripodi of Emerson.They worked with Sister Regina Palacios from the SSND Central Pacific Province,AHA Campus Ministry Director/SSND Associate Kathleen Sylvester,and AHA Social Studies Department Chair Gail Fair.(AHA photo)

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AHA: Students visit border for a look at issues

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conditions and classrooms, and played volleyball. Later, the group traveled to McAllen.

“Before going to bed, we joined with Sister Regina and Sister Bridget to reflect on our day,” Ava Tripodi wrote. “We prayed and shared how much of an impact this trip has already had on us. It is inspiring to see migrantsʼstrength, determination, and courage when dealing with these dangerous conditions with no guarantee of staying.”

Poire added, “Some kids explained how they were lost, and how many days they went without food. Some of them were kidnapped and some of them had to run from kidnappers. Their stories were sad, but their hopes were high, and it gave us hope for them as well.”

Santoro detailed the groupʼs volunteer work at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen: “We made sandwiches, did laundry, colored with the migrant children, and packed clothing bags with items they needed,” Santoro said. “Despite the difficult journey, the migrants still have a smile on their face. That smile radiates throughout the room.”

LaMastra said the group brought a guitar to the center so they could sing and dance with the children. “It was a very memorable experience bonding with the kids —It was incredible to us how joyful the kids were even after the hardships they endured coming here.”

The volunteers helped fill clothing requests at the center. Toward the end of their trip, the group toured the border wall and the Rio Grande.

According to Fair, “This was a life-changing experience for our students as well as for me. Seeing and hearing the experiences of the young, unaccompanied boys at St. Peter & St. Joseph Children's Home was our first encounter with the dire conditions and reasons why the refugee movement is so large…While it was both physically and emotionally difficult for us, and we knew we would never know what happens to these refugees, I was so proud of our students. They learned so much and opened their hearts to the needs of others.”

Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girlsʼschool in Bergen County. While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious school serves young women from many cultural and religious backgrounds.

Hire: Hoffmann takes charge

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zweig said.

The vote to hire was 3-2, with Charles Cobb and Wayne Hamer voting no over concerns related to transparency in the process. Hamer claimed that the council had not yet “full discussion” of the resolution approving Hoffmannʼs employment agreement.

Mayor Michael Wildes noted that interim manager Matthew Watkins “enthusiastically supported” Hoffmann for the job. Moreover, Wildes said, the city without a manager was “rudderless” and that he “defers to the judgment” of the council.

Watkins said at the meeting, “We have been through a few managers, and hopefully this will be the turning of the corner.”

Hoffmannʼs résumé also shows he was proud of his tenure as Westwoodʼs borough administrator, a job he started in 2007 following a nationwide search. Prior to that he was the BA for Franklin Lakes, having served that community for 8 1⁄2 years.

Hoffmann was director of finance for the Town of Clarkstown, in Rockland County, New York, for approximately three years in the early 1980s.

During his tenure with the Borough of Emerson, he helped secure an ambitious mixed-use redevelopment project on Kinderkamack Road, between Linwood Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard. The project is under construction.

Hoffmann also had a hand in a major Kinderkamack Road widening project.

His résumé says he also was an officer in the United States Naval Reserve.