Advising
Course Choices
In the Middle School, curricular and co-curricular schedules are pre-planned to include the range of knowledge and experiences important to young teens' academic and personal growth. Students have flexibility within the schedule, particularly in math. Please visit the Middle School section on this navigation bar for complete information on courses and advising.
In the High School, students make course choices with the advice of their teachers and, for advanced courses, the approval of that teacher. They review their choices with their academic advisors. By junior and senior year, schedules are also reviewed by the Academic Dean. The dean creates the school schedule of classes anew each year to accommodate sophomore and junior students' requests for the next year as completely as possible.
Advisory Groups
Students meet about once a month in small advisory groups. Please visit Middle School/Middle School Life for more information about the Middle School program.
In High School students are assigned in freshman year to an advisor and group (usually 6-9 students). In sophomore year, students choose an advisor and stay with that group throughout High School. Advisory meetings are not primarily for personal academic counseling; instead, they offer an ideal setting to discuss a wide range of issues that affect academic performance but do not pertain to specific classes. They may, for example, talk about "test anxiety" or SAT prep courses, or time management.
Advisors regularly review their group's individual progress reports and grades, and will follow up on concerns. They will serve as advocates in seeking resolution to problems, if the need arises. Advisors also make time for sociability and fun, so that advisees will become comfortable turning quickly to their advisor should a need arise.