Middle School Advisory Program

Course Description
Seventh and eighth grade advisories consist of seven to nine students and are gender- and grade- specific. Two advisory groups join together and form a mixed-gender and mixed-grade “House.” The Houses are named after the Channel Islands and vie for the annual House Championship trophy, adding a competitive component to many of the non-academic advisory activities. There will be four House advisory sports seasons: volleyball, dodge ball, kickball, and capture the flag. Other activities include the House spelling bee, geography bee, math bowl, science bowl, and the House Olympics. The academic component of advisory uses group discussions to focus on topics relevant to teenage life. These include digital citizenship, peer bullying, heath issues, student stress, study skills, grade transition, and environmental issues.

The Middle School advisory program revolves around five core goals:
1. Student Support – Advisors know their students academically and on a personal level and are watching out for their wellbeing. Advisors help students with character development, setting goals, transitioning between grade levels, dealing with life issues, and chronicling growth.

2. Conduit for Communication – The Advisor facilitates communication between parents, teachers, and school administration. Advisors are “Academic First Responders” to student struggles. Teachers and administrators will contact the advisor along with parents when an issue looms or has occurred. The advisor helps coordinate a response, when appropriate.

3. Community – Advisory contributes to the community-building values of the Laguna Blanca mission statement. Activities foster a sense of involvement and create an environment where advisees can bond with each other and their advisor. Advisory is a safe space for students to share their struggles/successes and each advisee feels like they are part of a team.

4. Community Service – Advisory-based community service provides a way for students to become active in their communities. Students are required to complete four hours of community service within their advisory each year as a graduation requirement.

5. Global Awareness – Advisory provides a way for students to interact with and gain an understanding of the world around them. Advisory groups are matched with Peace Corps volunteers abroad through a program called World Wise Schools.