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RAMAPO INDIAN HILLS
REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Maximizing opportunities to meet the needs of all students for a meaningful life
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“Success is ... knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” John C. Maxwell
We are all here for one reason and one reason only - to advocate for the best interests of every single child. In my transition, I am working on gaining the trust of the community by meeting with our stakeholders - and that begins with our students. I have also had the opportunity to meet with many of our remarkably talented staff and from our dialogue, they are committed to and hopeful for what the future holds for our learning community.
Our collective effort begins by working together with a laser focus toward one singular vision: maximizing opportunities to meet the needs of all students for a meaningful life. We will assess the current state of our schools, engage important stakeholders, effectively communicate with our community, and take action through sensible and long-term planning with a commitment to accountability.
Ramapo Indian Hills has been successful in achieving progress but we have much work ahead of us. Our community has all of the requisite ingredients to become a lighthouse district that others will aspire to follow. Ramapo Indian Hills and the FLOW community is a great place to learn, a great place to work, and a great place to live. We will continue to preserve and further amplify the outstanding reputation we have worked so hard to build and one our community has come to expect.
It takes a village to raise a child. With a highly committed school district and community, we can ensure that all students become successful. When we do all of this well in a constructive and productive fashion, the results speak for themselves.
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District Goals and Objectives This year three goals exist focused on the following areas: the implementation of the new Superintendent Entry Plan, a review of the academic progress of the District, and commencing the implementation of the Strategic Plan process.
As I have previously stated, the work we have begun engaging staff, students, and community stakeholders - and the work we will spearhead with the Strategic Plan - will allow the District to receive feedback on important topics such as curriculum, instruction, assessment, special education, culture and climate, facilities, and finance, to name a few. I will provide updates accordingly to the Board through my weekly superintendent update and through Board committees.
The process of carrying out these steps will be deliberate, intentional, and inclusive to account for as many stakeholder voices as possible. Our approach will engage the community and inform the prioritization of goals. There will be communications in the coming weeks for opportunities to engage our students, parents, and staff in feedback sessions.
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Resolving Questions or Concerns The chain of command in schools exists to most appropriately and effectively address parent concerns that may arise.
The first point of contact for a parent should be directed to the child’s teacher, counselor, case manager, advisor, or coach. The majority of questions or concerns can be resolved at this level. If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved, the parent should then contact the department supervisor, assistant principal, or building principal to address the concern.
The next level of escalation would be to directors and the school business administrator - and ultimately to the Superintendent of Schools if a resolution is still necessary.
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We have many talented and dedicated educators who work very hard to support our students. These staff members are the experts who can provide an incredible amount of insight and resolve issues early on. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. | |
Enhancing Programs and Support Services As a District, we are pleased to share a new collaboration with Care Plus New Jersey. In an effort to enhance the social-emotional services and counseling for our students, we are excited to partner with Maura Donnelly who is joining our staff as an additional licensed professional counselor. The District is utilizing ESSER funds from the federal government pandemic response to provide these additional supports. Mrs. Donnelly has experience providing mental health services for adolescents and their families in an outpatient group practice, hospital, and school settings. She believes in a systemic and humanistic approach tailored to each student’s individual needs. The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District already provides a wide range of services available to our students. To further build upon our foundation, this new enhancement to our program will allow us to further strengthen our services for students at each high school. Mrs. Donnelly will be available for counseling, skills development groups, drop-in support, and school clearance assessments. She will also facilitate professional development workshops with our staff and parent engagement sessions. Student referrals to meet with Mrs. Donnelly will be coordinated through the Supervisor of School Counseling for each high school, Mrs. Robinson at Indian Hills and Mrs. Perry at Ramapo High School. Please join me with a warm welcome for Mrs. Donnelly to Rampo Indian Hills. | | | |
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Blood Drive The Association of Parents, Teachers, and Students (APTS) hosted a successful event on Friday, February 12th, at Ramapo High School in partnership with New Jersey Blood Services in memory of Coach Drew Gibbs. As a result of the community coming together and outpouring of support, over 113 units of blood were donated which will be able to support several hundred patients. Thank you to Beth Asgarian for your vision, to the APTS for your dedication and efforts in coordination, and to the FLOW community for supporting this incredible event to honor Coach Gibbs and help give back to those in need.
| School Calendar The 2022 - 2023 School Calendar has been Board approved and is posted on the District website. The School Calendar may be accessed below or by clicking here. | |
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Since 1986, FLOW Follies has been a unique example of volunteerism in the communities of Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff. We are a parent-led volunteer organization that brings people together from three towns for a common goal: to raise scholarship funds for graduating seniors of Ramapo Indian Hills Regional School District, and we have a lot of fun in the process! You will meet new people, make new friends, and gain lasting memories as we put together the production and fundraising events.
Our success is made possible by the dedication of parents who generously contribute their time and talents to the writing, creation, production, and performance of an original musical comedy. We give everyone opportunities to act, dance, sing, or help behind the scenes. However, we expect all volunteers to participate in our fundraising activities. After all, our ULTIMATE objective is to put on a great show whose net proceeds are scholarship funds for graduating seniors of the RIH High School District & community.
FLOW Follies has raised over $800,000 which has been distributed to hundreds of students making us the single largest scholarship fundraiser for our two high schools. We are a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization under the parent organizations of the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Read more here.
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Mask Optional & Contact Tracing / Quarantine On February 7th, the District communicated our position regarding the mask mandate to shift to mask optional effective March 7th. This decision comes after a review of several factors: an increase in vaccinations, a reduction in the community spread indicated by CALI scores, and a decrease in COVID positivity rate to our students and staff.
Our District has reported weekly single-digit cases for several consecutive weeks and the current infection rate in New Jersey is in rapid decline. It is time to consider some practical steps and relaxation of protocols based on the current and improving conditions of the public health crisis. Discussions regarding decisions related to close contacts, contact tracing, and quarantining have taken place with the leadership team. We are discussing a variety of measures and possible determinations that we can take to help our schools, students, and teachers continue in-person learning with fewer disruptions. We will rely on a local assessment of the pandemic’s trajectory in regard to the implementation of any communicable disease control guidelines.
At this time, no decision has yet been made as we await updated guidelines from the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH). I am prepared to provide the Board, staff, students, and parents an update once we have reviewed the released NJDOH guidance. In the meantime, we all continue to have a personal responsibility to ensure we maintain a safe environment for all community members.
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Welcome to the
Ramapo High School APTS
Association of Parents, Teachers & Students
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Welcome to the
Indian Hills High School PTSO
Parent, Teacher, Student Organization
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The Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education implemented a new video streaming platform on our District webpage. RIH Board of Education meetings may be viewed directly on our District website by clicking here or at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/RIHBOELivestream
Archived Board of Education videos may be accessed at the following link. Additional information is available on the District webpage under the Board of Ed tab at the top of the page.
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