Jewish Community High School of the Bay

Infobox_School2 | name = Jewish Community High School of the Bay


established = 2001
type = Private
head_name = Head of School
head = Rabbi Howard Ruben
faculty = 45 [http://www.jchsofthebay.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=131&Itemid=142] [http://www.jchsofthebay.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=37]
students = approximately 140, estimated by administration in June 2007
mascot = Wolves
city = 1835 Ellis Street
San Francisco
state = California
country = United States
website = http://www.jchsofthebay.org

The Jewish Community High School of the Bay (commonly known as JCHS) is a coeducational, college preparatory high school located in San Francisco, California. It is WASC accredited.

Vision statement

According to the JCHS website, the vision of the school is as follows:

"The Jewish Community High School of the Bay (JCHS) is a co-educational day school providing a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum in general and Judaic studies. We are committed to an extensive enrichment program, including the arts and athletics. JCHS serves the San Francisco Bay Community and is open to all Jewish students regardless of prior Jewish educational experience. JCHS is guided by the rhythms of the Jewish calendar, culture and tradition and by an inextricable link to the land of Israel. Our goal is to provide our students with the education necessary to gain acceptance into the finest colleges and universities and to engage in life-long Jewish learning enabling our graduates to employ the skills and lessons taught within our walls to their lives within both the Jewish and the wider community." [http://www.jchsofthebay.org/curriculum.cfm?section=12]

Required Courseload and Curricula

In order to comply with UC 'a-g requirements' and its vision statement, JCHS requires its students to complete over their stay at JCHS 4 years of the humanities (English and the Social Sciences), one year of fine arts, four years of Hebrew (although for the 2006-2007 school years, seniors are given the option of taking Hebrew Literature in English), four years of Tanach and Talmud, as well as three years each of math and science and a fourth year of one of the two. In addition, the school maintains a physical education and health education requirement.

The math curriculum has five levels - Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, and Calculus, while the science curriculum is Physics, followed by Chemistry and Biology.

Beginning in the 2006-2007 school year, juniors and seniors have the option to replace Talmud and Tanach, with Judaic or theological classes such as a course on Zionism or on comparative religion.

Facilities

JCHS held its inaugural school year at a campus in Tiburon, California. In the fall of 2002, JCHS moved into its current permanent facility at 1835 Ellis Street in San Francisco’s Western Addition. The campus was built on the former site of the California College of Podiatric Medicine [http://www.jchsofthebay.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=37] .

The school has an art studio fully equipped with a dark room, a kiln, and a printing press. In 2003, JCHS opened dance and music studios. There are over 16 classrooms and 3 science laboratories. An auditorium is used for school assemblies and lectures. Outside, students enjoy a Jerusalem Stone courtyard and outdoor basketball courts. Students often joke about the blinding sunlight reflected by the Jerusalem Stone on clear days. Indoors, the student commons is where students and faculty eat lunch and hang out. There is also a parking garage for students, faculty and staff. The entire campus is wired for WiFi Internet connections. A 200 seat performing arts theater opened in May 2007. The school owns several homes at the corner of Ellis and pierce streets, and has occasionally considered turning these buildings into student housing. Additionally, JCHS and The Keren Keshet foundation are currently working on a land swap deal with the city of San Francisco to acquire a stretch of land along Scott street. The land is currently undeveloped, and is often frequented by homeless and transients. If the school does acquire this land, it will likely be used to build a science wing. Other future projects include a gymnasium and an underground parking facility.

The campus also features a kosher organic cafeteria.The school houses the Jewish Community Library of San Francisco, which has over 25,000 volumes [http://www.jchsofthebay.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28] .

The school has been described by students as “isolated,” and an “island in the middle of a city” for it is surrounded by imposing iron fences. A high security presence and a strict no off campus lunch policy has drawn ire from students, who would like more freedom to explore the surrounding neighborhood. Despite the criticism, students recognize and appreciate the need for security. Students have even criticized security personnel for being unequipped and unprepared.

AP Program

The Advanced Placement program has expanded over JCHS's five years of existence to cover a number of subject areas, including Studio Art, Art History, U.S. History, English Literature and Composition, Biology, Physics, Environmental Science, Calculus, and Chemistry. The 2006-2007 school year saw the addition of an AP English Language and Composition class, created in response to demand by the incoming junior class.

Tefillah (Prayer)

Students are required to attend 30 minutes of tefillah every morning. Multiple types of tefilah classes are available.

In May, 2008, the school board voted to adorn the JCHS Wolf mascot with a yarmulke, tefilin and payos.

Athletics

The JCHS boys varsity basketball team has been by far the most successful JCHS team, being the only one to win a league championship, as of February 2007. The team has won the Small School Bridge League Championship for 2 consecutive years, in 2006 and 2007. The school also fielded a girls basketball team, a golf team, a baseball team, a soccer team, a volleyball team, and an ultimate disc club.

Notable Alumni

none