RAMAPO INDIAN HILLS 

REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 

Maximizing opportunities to meet the needs of all students for a meaningful life

"Progress lies not in enhancing what is,

but in advancing toward what will be." Khalil Gibran

May 1, 2022

Dear Ramapo Indian Hills Community Members,

Our schools are bustling with activity and there is a focus amongst our faculty to ensure we continue to meet the needs of all of our students. I am proud of the meaningful work our dedicated staff, students, community partners, and Board of Education has been engaged in over the past several months. Such commitment demonstrates the level of engagement that is necessary to make progress and achieve the excellence that our students deserve. 

We are excited to provide our community with an overview of extremely important work in the development of a new strategic plan. A robust and thoughtfully developed strategic plan will be the guiding roadmap for our school district to communicate our goals, the actions needed to achieve those goals, along with highlighting the core values and beliefs of our learning community with an articulated mission and vision that will enable us to meet the needs of all of our students so they may achieve their potential. 

This work is critical in order for our school district to become outstanding in every aspect and to demonstrate the achievement we all want and expect. Over the next 8 months, we will engage a steering committee of approximately 20 stakeholders that will include principals, administrators, teachers, and community members. We will extend our reach to collect feedback from students, staff, and parents through focus groups and community surveys so we may capture the perspective of as many voices as possible. Please click here or on the presentation below to watch a brief presentation on the Strategic Planning Process.

The District recently approved Chris Herren for two student assemblies at Ramapo and Indian Hills High Schools on May 25th. Chris Herren is a former professional basketball player and a voice on the topic of substance use prevention and a wellness advocate. Since 2009, Chris has spoken to over one million students, athletes, and community members, sparking honest discussions on the topics of substance use disorder and wellness (Herren Talks). Chris Herren spoke to our students and parents in both high schools several years ago which was extremely well received leaving a lasting impression on our community. Read more below about the Herren Talks presentation.

I would like to thank Franklin Lakes Mayor Bivona, Franklin Lakes Borough Administrator Greg Hart, and Henry Wasserstein who helped coordinate with the FLOW communities for a total donation of $9,000 toward the cost of the Chris Herren May 25th evening presentation. A special thank you to the Oakland Municipal Alliance ($3,000), the Township of Wyckoff ($3,000), and Franklin Lakes REACH ($3,000) which includes a contribution of $1,000 by The Woman's Club of Franklin Lakes. As a result of this generous donation, the District has reserved Chris Herren to provide an evening presentation to parents and community members. This is a outstanding example of what working together looks like to support the progress of our wonderful learning community.

All my best,

Dr. Rui Dionisio

Superintendent of Schools

DECA International Career Development Conference

We are so incredibly proud and continually impressed by all of our participants and winners. We have great confidence that our success will only continue to grow in the future. I would like to extend our appreciation and support for Ms. Gale Fanale, DECA Advisor, and our entire staff and volunteers who provide support, guidance, and leadership. Your dedication to our students and program is greatly valued and admired.

We are excited to report on Ramapo-Indian Hills DECA's success at the 2022 DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 21,000 students, advisors, and chaperones were in attendance from all 50 states, 2 Canadian provinces, and 10 other countries. This year our chapter had 23 students attend and compete at the conference.

Indian Hills seniors Erica Quadrini and Courtney Ficarra finished top 10 in the world in Sports & Entertainment Team Decision Making Event.  Erica and Courtney also received first place on their team performance in the Case Study and were awarded gold medals for their achievement in this instructional area along with their overall top performance.

Indian Hills senior Jennifer Mason finished as a top 10 winner in the Hospitality Career Cluster Exam and she was recognized on the International Stage and presented with a gold achievement medal.

Ramapo seniors Emma Fernandez and Anja Kearney received an excellence award for their participation in the Marketing Team Decision Making Event.

Our two members of the New Jersey DECA State Officer Action Team, Indian Hills Senior Ellen Kim and Indian Hills Junior Ryan LaDuca had the honor of being selected as Voting Delegates to elect the next North Atlantic Region Vice President and Executive President of the DECA Inc. High School Division. 

Additionally, Ramapo-Indian Hills DECA was recognized by DECA Inc. Executive Director Frank Peterson and New Jersey DECA State Advisor Jeffrey Victor as the most involved chapter in New Jersey with over 260 members. Thank you for your support of the DECA program.

In order for us to be able to help our team build upon the incredible success of our schools, we also want to hear from all of our parents and provide you with a forum to share your perspective. At this time, we want to hear from you on the following question:

What are the points of pride in our schools that we should continue to celebrate, and what are some areas we should focus on in order to continue to improve?

We recently began using a software technology platform called Thought Exchange. The purpose of Thought Exchange is to leverage the technology so people can share their perspectives which will enable us to build our strategy and plan for the future.  

In February, we provided the opportunity to hear the perspectives of our faculty and staff. This past March, we heard from nearly 2,000 Ramapo and Indian Hills High School students through Thought Exchange. Parents, now it’s your turn. We look forward to hearing your feedback as we continue to work together to make the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District a great place to learn, a great place to work, and a great place to live. Please select the link below or visit https://tinyurl.com/RIHParentThoughts so you can participate in this Thought Exchange and share your feedback. Thank you for your partnership and we look forward to hearing your insight. Click here for the full message emailed on April 27th about Thought Exchange.

CHRIS HERREN

May 25, 2022

CHRIS HERREN: BIO An extraordinary basketball player, Chris Herren was a celebrated star in his native Fall River, MA before graduating high school. He went on to play at Boston College and Fresno State, two seasons in the NBA – including one with his hometown team, the Boston Celtics – and seven seasons overseas before losing it all to the disease of addiction. With the unwavering support of his family and friends, Chris has been sober since August 1, 2008, and he now shares his story with the goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others. His recovery journey has been documented in the bestselling memoir, “Basketball Junkie,” the Emmy-nominated ESPN Films documentary, “Unguarded” and in countless local, national and international stories by The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Sports Illustrated, among others. Through Herren Talks, Chris has spoken to over 1 million students and community members, sparking honest discussions about substance use disorder and wellness. In 2011, Chris grew his vision of support for others when he founded the nonprofit Herren Project. Through the organization, Chris and his team empower schools and communities to make healthy choices, while also guiding families through recovery. In 2018, Chris also founded Herren Wellness, a residential health and wellness program that helps guests lead healthy, substance-free lives.

Ramapo High School and Indian Hills High School will host Chris Herren on Wednesday, May 25th in two separate student and staff assemblies during the school day. Chris Herren will also present an evening parent and community presentation on May 25th at 7 pm in the Indian Hills High School Auditorium. There is no cost to attend and this special event is open to the public. We look forward to seeing you for this important event.

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.

Welcome to the

Ramapo High School APTS

Association of Parents, Teachers & Students

Welcome to the 

Indian Hills High School PTSO

Parent, Teacher, Student Organization

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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