We are a community that teaches, models and supports:
- Individual self-awareness
- Trust
- Motivation
- Personal responsibility
- Empathy
- Effective social skills
The Middle School Advisory Program can be defined as "an organizational structure in which one small group of students identifies with and belongs to one educator, who nurtures, advocates for, and shepherds through school the individuals in that group" (Claire Cole, 1996). The students are grouped according to grade level and meet with their advisors four times per week. Two of the periods focus on lessons to promote trust and group cohesion, social and emotional learning skills, and self reflection. The other two periods are devoted to Study Hall, a thirty minute period during which students may work on current assignments, consult with teachers for extra help, or conference with their advisor about their organization and time management skills.
The scope and sequence of the Advisory Program is a revolving, vertical spiral of strands. The first is Building Trust and Group Cohesion. The second addresses the development of successful Academic Strategies. The third describes the concepts and skills centering around Social and Emotional Learning. The fourth, and last, focuses attention on Self-Assessment and promotes the students' self-reflection and metacognition.
Specific activities and suggested lessons for each month of the Advisory Program are provided to the advisors. They include specific goals and objectives to meet the curriculum's scope and sequence. The curriculum addresses the various learning styles as described by Howard Gardner's paradigm of multiple intelligences.
