October 2, 2026

A Message from the Superintendent

Dear Ramapo Indian Hills Families,

Happy October! As the autumn air sets in, our district continues to buzz with high energy, enthusiasm, and remarkable achievement across all our schools. From the field to the classroom, our students and staff have spent the past few weeks demonstrating what makes our community so special.

We have so much to celebrate across the district as our sports teams continue to shine through thrilling victories and remarkable milestones. Off the field, our school community remains deeply committed to connection and academic excellence. Programs like Teens Need Teens and Freshman Outreach are helping new transfer students and incoming freshmen feel at home, while several outstanding students were recently recognized as Commended Students in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Looking ahead, we are excited for upcoming district events, including our high school Open Houses and autumn testing dates. Thank you for your continued partnership, support, and vibrant community spirit as we navigate a fantastic school year together.

With gratitude,

Shauna DeMarco

Superintendent, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District

Fall Sports Roundup

It was an action-packed week for Ramapo Athletics despite some really challenging windy and rainy weather!

Highlights included Girls Tennis capping off a grueling match schedule with a Senior Day victory, while Varsity Football rallied from a 14–0 halftime deficit against PCTI to secure a dramatic 17–14 double-overtime win powered by two Luke Magerko touchdowns and a 36-yard field goal from Philip Kay.

The Freshman Football team also pushed past PCTI in a wet Saturday morning matchup, and Boys Soccer delivered a dominant 4–1 night win against Mahwah—marking career victory No. 697 for Coach Baumgarten as he approaches the historic 700-win milestone.

Our Braves Athletics performed beautifully across the board! Girls Soccer extended their winning streak to four games with a dramatic 2–1 comeback victory over Wayne Valley thanks to second-half goals from Gabriella Kant and Jane Coppa, while Boys Soccer earned a convincing 5–3 win against Paramus Catholic powered by a four-goal performance from senior Luke Burgess. On the gridiron, Football staged a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against Kittatinny to capture a 17–13 win, led by senior QB Aiden Trainor’s two late touchdown passes to Vincent Gribbon and JD Ferrary. Over at the Garret Invitational, Cross Country dominated after a last-minute schedule pivot, with the Varsity Boys taking first place overall behind individual champion Frank Coppa (16:49) and top-five finishes from Chris Vigeant, Ethan Gray, and Lukas Kertesz.

Breakfast with Transfer Students

Last week, the Teens Need Teens (TNT) program held its annual breakfast to welcome transfer students.

This school year, 38 students, new to Indian Hills, enjoyed a yummy breakfast spread.

During the event, they had time to get to know our senior TNT leaders. They played a few rounds of Indian Hills Jeopardy and were welcomed to the school by Ms. Klingner, Ms. Saladino, and Dr. Vacca.

The TNT centered its message to all new transfers on the idea that "You are home here".

PSAT Commended Students

We celebrate our Ramapo students who make up the Class of 2027 PSAT Commended Students. They are Lucy Carr, Jennah Ghoujal, Sebastian Hendrawan, Annalise Klecha, Aubrey Kwon, Kyle Luc, Grace Scrivanich, Kiera Stankard, and Ethan Zhang pictured with Assistant Principal, Luke Miller, and Principal, Claudia Dargento.

National Merit Scholar Recognition

Dr. Gregory Vacca is pleased to celebrate three scholastically talented seniors who have been named as Commended Students in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. These students demonstrate academic success and achievement in their work at Indian Hills, and we are confident that they will continue to meet with success in the future. The students are Paul D’Alessandro, Andrew Lounsbury, and Matthew Mazur.

These students are among 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation who are recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers who entered the 2027 competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

Congratulations!

Building Connection & Confidence

Transitioning to high school is an exciting milestone, and the Indian Hills Freshman Outreach Program is working to ensure each incoming student feels supported. Led by fellow students from the senior class, "ambassadors" provide practical "been-there" tips on navigating high school.

The program began over the summer and meets periodically throughout the first part of the school year to keep freshmen connected, offer opportunities to check in, and settle into their high school routine.

A similar program is also in place at Ramapo; we'll cover it in our next newsletter.