What is the new Freshman Seminar Class?

Gianna Hodapp, Staff Writer

The Freshman Seminar Class was introduced this school year. Under the category of Interdisciplinary Studies, this is a 2.5 credit class designed to support the 9th grade students’ transition into high school. The class covers topics such as academic success skills, character development, and career exploration. This class is taught by teachers such as Ms. Ramirez, Ms. Bean, Mr. Farrell, and Mrs. Paturzo.

An interview with Ms. Ramirez gave an insight of her experience teaching this class. 

Q: How did you enjoy teaching this class?

A: I very much LOVED teaching Freshman Seminar. I believe that a class that teaches skills for school and life will help students in all aspects of their lives.

Q: How do you think this class will benefit the freshman in the future?

A: I feel as though this class should have been implemented a while back to help students better prepare for the “adult” world. Transitioning from middle school, where people are still coddled, and moving into high school, where responsibility falls on the student, is super overwhelming. This class seemed helpful for those students who needed a little more time to adjust while still acquiring skills that can only benefit them. I hope to see more success come out of this class. 

 To get a better understanding of this class from a different teaching perspective, an interview with Ms. Bean was set up to hear her experiences throughout teaching this class.

Q: How do you think this class will benefit the freshman as they progress through the rest of their high school career?

A: I think the Freshman Seminar class will benefit the freshmen as they progress through the rest of their high school career by providing them with a special kind of support. These students will receive direct instruction about how to be successful in high school and build an important relationship with their teachers in that course. These students will have at least one adult they know they can turn to in the building, and that determines success as much as any other factor.

Q: How did you enjoy teaching this class?

A: I enjoy teaching the class because the curriculum is flexible which helps build strong relationships with the students. We can discuss issues that matter to the students and complete fun and creative projects.

This class is set to be reintroduced for freshmen in the 2023-2024 school year.