Advisory

Advisory Mission Statement

The advisory program at Grace Episcopal Day School exists to support our middle school students in their growth as respectful, responsible, self-confident and successful students, and to guide them in becoming positive contributors to, and leaders within, the diverse communities of which they are members.

Advisory Information

At 8:10, advisory meetings will begin.  Depending on the day of the week, the length of the meeting will vary from 15 to 45 minutes.  We view the advisory program as an essential piece of the middle school experience.

Advisory Testimonial (Anne Beirne, Middle School Advisor and English Teacher)

I am excited to meet with my advisees each day.  Before they come in, I have a message on the board.  This message is called the daily news.  Students come in expecting it to be on the board.  Routine is very important in advisory.

Each student finds a seat in the circle.  It is most important that we are seated in a circle because we all can be seen and heard.  In a circle, we are all equal.  After we are seated, the students and I greet each other.  The greeting allows everyone to be recognized and feel important.  After the greeting, we spend a short time sharing. 

One activity we do in advisory is discuss goals.  It was determined that students make up an academic goal and a social goal for the trimester.  My role in advisory is that of facilitator, guiding my advisees to have a good school year academically and socially.

After working on goals, I ask the students if they want to play a game.  This is a way for them to interact and get in some fun before the academic day begins.  Enthusiastically they all want to play.  They are so excited over such a simple activity.  I smile, knowing now that I understand why an advisory program is so important.  It gives us all a chance to feel secure, safe and have fun in a small setting.