The Upper School Advisory Program
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Studies clearly show that students who are well known by at least one adult at their school perform better academically and socially. To this end, the Upper School advisory program is designed to fulfill the following five functions:
- Academic Advising - monitor student progress, discuss performance with students and parents, and build upon habits of effective learning
- Advocacy - facilitate home-school and student-teacher communication
- Community Service - design and implement community projects
- Community Conversation - school-wide conversation about community issues
- Recreation - enhance social relationships with peers and adults
Advisory groups comprise 12 to 15 students and one teacher advisor. Upper School advisory groups meet one period per week and in homeroom every day. Students in grades 9 through 12 remain with their advisors for a two-year period to provide a continuous relationship with the students and their parents or guardians. The Upper School advisory program is centered on an essential question each year to give coherence to the program. That question most often emerges from the all-school summer reading book and is used as a touchstone for community conversations and current events discussions as well.