Advisory

When a student joins the Upper School student body, they are assigned an advisor, usually a faculty member or administrator with whom the student is likely to associate either in the classroom or in some other capacity around campus. 

Advisory Mission

The mission of the Advisory Program is to build a community within a supportive advisory group where collaboration, trust, and respect for each individual flourishes.  The Advisory Program will monitor the progress of each student’s pursuit of their academic and personal goals and provide the appropriate support and resources to assist in the attainment of those goals. The Advisory program will also provide opportunities to develop critical life skills to enhance each student’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual functioning and overall quality of life.  

Advisory Overview

Students and parents should view the advisor as their primary point of contact and support for most issues at school. Each advisor works to build a positive relationship with their advisees and to create a supportive climate of trust, active listening, and cooperation within the advisory group. They assist each student in setting academic, personal, and social/emotional goals. They meet regularly to check on their progress toward those goals and help students develop a sense of balance with respect to academics and extracurricular activities. Advisors also connect students with the appropriate on-campus resources to address their expressed needs (e.g. Counseling, College Guidance, Student Life, Wellness, Athletics, etc.). Advisors will communicate regularly with parents and will inform and update them about academic, social, or behavioral concerns. Conversely, parents are encouraged to reach out to their child’s advisor with any concerns or for guidance in the appropriate direction to  resources on campus. Activities and curricula in Advisory will support community strengthening to create a positive school culture and the social emotional health and well being of students.

Advisory Period

Students meet in Advisory/Chapel/Assembly every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Advisory is a program that aims to nurture student growth in areas both academic and social/emotional. Attendance in advisory is required, similar to any other academic class. 

Each year, students are assigned to an advisory group which is a cohort of students from the same grade level. Each advisory group is assigned a Middle School faculty advisor and are most often groups of ten to fourteen students. Advisors get to know their students well and serve as an advocate for their advisees. Parents/guardians should feel comfortable contacting their child’s advisor with questions or concerns.

Advisory and Assembly

Each week on Mondays during the advisory block, all students will either participate in check-in meetings with their advisor or work independently on pending assignments in the subject of their choice. They are also encouraged to bring a book for “rather be reading” time. 

On Tuesdays, students will use the advisory block to attend an assembly session designed to address topics that are pertinent to Middle School students' social-emotional development and which often build upon the topics covered during the weekly advisory lessons. 

On Fridays, advisory lessons will take place during the advisory block. Topics that will be covered in these classes may include but are not limited to: orientation to the Middle School, preparation for high school, healthy relationships, peer pressure, healthy choices, mindfulness, growth mindset, personal development, sensitivity training, the power of words, stereotypes of society, and other topics that are developmentally-appropriate.