ABOUT US
Highland Falls Intermediate School is located in the heart of the scenic Hudson River Valley. It serves roughly 350 students in grades 3-8 who come from the idyllic towns of Highland Falls and Fort Montgomery. The Highland Falls School District - nestled along the banks of the Hudson River and nearly under the shadow of the majestic Bear Mountain Bridge amid the bucolic setting the valley has to offer - is adjacent to the United States Military Academy at West Point and 50 miles from New York City.
We are fortunate to have amazing students and families who are extremely supportive of our school. We also have wonderful, immensely talented teachers and staff who are tirelessly dedicated to the betterment of our students. Our school and district are charmed to have multiple valuable community partnerships which afford our students myriad opportunities to enhance not their instruction but their social and emotional well being, as well.
About Our Principal
Charles Femia began his professional career in the business sector and transitioned into the educational field as a Science teacher in New Jersey. He has taught at multiple grade levels ranging from 5-12 grade, but primarily was a Biology teacher at the high school level. Mr. Femia coached football and basketball for many years on multiple levels.
Eventually, Mr. Femia accepted an assistant principal position at a 7-12 school in New Hampshire where he spent four years. He also served as the Boys’ Varsity Basketball Head Coach for two years.
In July of 2025, Mr. Femia became the principal of the Highland Falls Intermediate School. Mr. Femia earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and went on to earn his Masters in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University.
The main highlights of Mr. Femia’s educational philosophy is that every student should be afforded every opportunity to succeed and maximize on their full potential. Additionally, students should be accountable for their own learning. In an ideal world, we are not solely teaching students about content but how to access learning, navigate through all of the information, and think both critically and analytically about what they discover.
CHARLES FEMIA
Principal
Highland Falls Intermediate School
charles.femia@hffmcsd.org
845-446-9575 ext. 3510
MARY PAPA &
COURTNEY POLKOWSKI
School Secretaries
mary.papa@hffmcsd.org
courtney.polkowski@hffmcsd.org
845-446-9575
Mrs. Papa - Ext 3500
Ms. Polkowski - Ext 3502