FreshSem

Supporting Students from Day One 

JCHS is committed to fostering our students’ growth and education as individuals throughout their high school experience. Freshman Seminar plays a central role in fulfilling this commitment, providing ninth-grade students with the tools, support, and relationships they need to thrive from their very first year.

Offered as a regularly scheduled class, FreshSem is team-taught by key members of our Student Support team:

  • Julie Beck, School Counselor & Director of Advising
  • Michelle Matz, Dean of Students for Ninth & Tenth Grades
  • Roni Ben-David, Director of Social Justice & Inclusion
  • David Neufeld, Dean of Learning Support

Beyond skill-building, the FreshSem is designed to help students form strong, lasting relationships with trusted adults on campus. These connections ensure that every ninth-grader is known, supported, and empowered to ask for help whenever they need it—setting the tone for a successful high school experience at JCHS.

FresHSem offer new students support in four key areas

Students meet one-on-one with the Dean of Students Michelle Matz each week for a check in about any issues or concerns they may wish to discuss, academic or otherwise. 

Led by School Counselor Julie Beck, this part of the course covers topics such as healthy sleep habits, stress management, emotional awareness, mindful use of technology, sex education, and mental health education–important life skills that will continue to serve students throughout their JCHS years and well beyond.

With Director of Social Justice & Inclusion Roni Ben-David, students engage in conversations about what it means to be a citizen in a diverse world. Students reflect on their own identities in order to gain a greater level of self-awareness: their values, beliefs, biases, etc. Topics covered include stereotypes and stereotype threat, racial stress, implicit bias, systemic inequities, and how to respond to microaggressions.

David Neufeld, Director of Educational Support, works with students to add to their arsenal of study skills, teaching techniques for time management, organization, and note taking. The class collaborates with other classes to help students develop their reading, writing, and research skills, while building awareness of academic integrity. 

Julie Beck, LCSW
School Counselor & Director of Advising
415.694.5772 x107
jbeck@jchsofthebay.org

Roni Ben-David
Director of Social Justice & Inclusion
415.694.5772 x175
rbendavid@jchsofthebay.org

Michelle Matz
Dean of Students for Ninth & Tenth Grades
415.694.5772 x160
mmatz@jchsofthebay.org

Dr. David Neufeld
Dean of Learning Support
415.694.5772 x110
dneufeld@jchsofthebay.org