Advisory is…

·      about developing relationships with students

·      a place to get to know students in order to become their advisor, support, and guide

·      a place to get academic support and guidance

·      designed to provide some time for independent study and reading

·      a place to deal with school-wide, and real world, issues and information

·      a connection from school to home

·      a place where information is successfully distributed

·      about creating a positive school climate

·      a place where respect is demonstrated by everyone

·      a place where students and adults form strong relationships with others

·      a safe place to relax, have some fun and be yourself

Advisory Structure: 

Advisory meets at the beginning of school every day except Tuesdays. 

Mondays and Wednesdays are dedicated to teaching the core advisory curriculum based on grade level themes.

Thursdays are set aside for independent study and teacher support of students.  Students are expected to bring textbooks and study materials to class as well as independent reading material.

Fridays are designed for building positive relationships with classmates and schoolmates in a fun and educational manner.  Activities will include team-building challenges, games and competitions as well as cross grade level mentoring.

Grade Level Themes and Lessons:

Grade level themes are monthly umbrella topics chosen by teachers to accomplish the goals of advisory for each grade level.  Lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays are used to promote student learning and achievement within the theme.

The themes for the first semester are:

·      September: Self-Awareness, Establishing Identity

·      October: The Role Model Project: Research and Presentation Skills

·      November: Ethics and Morality Studies

·      December:  Developing a Personal Philosophy

·      January:  Planning for the Future

Themes for the second semester will be decided by the teacher and class based upon the interests and needs of the class.  Service learning requirements will also be addressed in the second semester.           

Grading:

            Grades are determined by class participation on a daily basis.  Each day’s participation is valued at 10 points.

            Consistent and regular attendance is therefore vital to earning the best grades possible.

            A form is provided to students each week to fill-out a record of what they accomplished and learned during the advisory time and to record how many points they feel they deserved for the day.  The form is to be submitted at the end of the week.  A typical advisory will meet four days a week, and therefore a student will typically be able to earn 40 points weekly.

At the end of each grading period, weekly points will be totaled and grades will be determined on a percentage of points earned basis, where:

            90-100% of points earned  =   ‘A’

            80-89.9% of points earned =   ‘B’

            70-79.9% of points earned =   ‘C’

            60-69.9% of points earned =   ‘D’

            Less than 60% of points earned will result in a failing grade.