Our Advisory Program provides the structure for our Middle and Upper School students to become part of a very small “family” group led by a teacher or administrator. The transition from Lower School is smoothly made as each new Middle Schooler meets her small new advisory group at 6th Grade Orientation. The advisory groups are made up of students of the same grade level, and Middle School students stay with the same group and the same advisor for their three years in that division.

Students are assigned a new advisor and a new group when they enter Upper School, and they remain part of that advisory from Freshman Orientation through Graduation. During that period, a strong sense of group identity usually develops as students come to know, to understand, and to appreciate each other.

While one goal of Advisory is to develop a sense of group identity, the other goal is to provide each student with an adult who has responsibility for and a relationship with that student, to ensure that no student “falls through the cracks.” It is the responsibility of the advisor to know the students well, to follow their academic, social and emotional process, to be their advocate and primary contact, to help them make academic and extra-curricular choices, to help them identify their own unique talents, and to give them courage to explore new dimensions of themselves and their world. The advisor guides and supports in difficult times and rejoices with students in times of success.

The advisor is also the primary contact and resource for the parents of each advisee, meeting with them on the day of Advisory Conferences and maintaining written communication through Advisory Reports.