Mr. Murphy: 

Mr. Murphy has been a part of our Hills community since 2013, and has worked at Ramapo for two years prior. Mr. Murphy has had an extensive career, as he worked at the New York Stock Exchange before teaching and has even run his own brokerage firm for several years. Mr. Murphy teaches mainly economics and history, but over the years has also taught finance, law and human rights, and 21st-century issues. While Mr. Murphy taught a diverse number of subjects, his “favorite was US history.” Outside of school, Mr. Murphy enjoys “fishing and the outdoors.”  

Ms. Mendez:

Ms. Mendez has been working at Indian Hills as a bilingual interpreter for ten years and has helped many students and teachers in the classroom. Ms. Mendez offers all kinds of support for students whose first language is not English, and she continues to support students throughout every grade as she believes in “equal learning opportunities for all students.” Additionally, she is the director and committee member of a local food pantry that serves people in Bergen County. For these reasons, Ms. Mendez has been awarded the Education Service Professional of the Year and is a cherished member of the Hills community. 

Mrs. Haas-Wasserman: 

Beginning as a substitute nurse and working her way up to a full-time nurse, Mrs. Hass-Wasserman has been working at Indian Hills for many years. She started her career at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York on the cardiology floor and eventually became head nurse. As her family grew, she left her job to work at Indian Hills, which also became the high school where her children graduated from. Her favorite part about working at Hills is “the students and staff. There are so many wonderful people who have made this job a place I have wanted to come to.” As she leaves Hills this year to go into retirement, she looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren and playing pickleball. 

Mrs. Koons: 

Mrs. Koons has been teaching gym and health at Indian Hills since 2003. Her favorite subjects to teach are yoga, pilates, dance, racket sports, and low ropes. She also enjoys teaching health, but only when students participate. Some of her favorite memories from teaching were “working with an incredible staff” that were helpful and supportive. Outside of Hills, she enjoys a variety of activities, which include but are not limited to walking, doing yoga, socializing with friends and teachers from her elementary school, and traveling. Mrs. Koons is not only an amazing teacher but also an integral part of our Hills community.

Mrs. Wehran:

Mrs. Wehran has been teaching Spanish since March 2000. This year and in the past few years, Mrs. Wehran has taught Spanish 5 AP, Spanish 2 CPE, Spanish 3 CPE, and Spanish 1 CPE. Outside of Hills, Mrs. Wehran enjoys spending time with her family and plans to continue grading AP exams. Buena suerte to Mrs. Wehran and her future endeavors and retirement!