Home Program Middle School Advisory & Consultancy
When you ask Park Day students to describe their Advisory time, “bonding” is the word used most frequently. Each advisory is 11–13 students, and meets two to three times a week with a teacher who mentors each small grade level group for multiple years of Middle School. Advisory is a safe zone where students discuss important issues in their immediate and larger communities, and form relationships with peers. Advisors help students prepare and lead their parent conferences, which take place twice a year. Other aspects of advisory: Service Learning and support for the high school transition in partnership with the High School Transition Counselor.
Advisors help students prepare for Consultancy, which meets one to two times a week. Consultancy is a time period when all academic teachers are available to help students with their work. Students schedule time with specific teachers, or drop in as needed. The goal of Consultancy is to teach students how to seek support with tricky concepts, sharpen their study skills, or take their interest in a particular academic topic area further. The emphasis in Consultancy is on helping students become better self-advocates, teaching them how to ask for help to get the support they need throughout their academic journey.