Advisory

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.
C.S. Lewis

Every Montgomery student has a team; no one travels here alone. A community of educators who know when to ask if everything is OK, how the test went, how the new dog is doing, if a friendship needs nurturing—is the foundation of a built-in support system based on knowing students well and mutual respect.

In Prek and lower school, students rely on their classroom teachers to oversee academic and social & emotional progress. The close relationships that develop over the course of each year help teachers recognize individual shifts in learning and behavior, while also acknowledging milestones of achievement. Because teachers are so closely connected to each student, they can anticipate and/or respond to individual needs—as instructor, mentor, guide, coach, cheerleader, and friend.

In middle school, students meet daily with advisors—faculty members who have the biggest picture view of individual success. Because advisors know their advisees well—in and out of the classroom—they know just how to help create and support custom-made action plans. Their daily interactions, along with regular teacher feedback, help inform a roadmap for each student’s experience. Advisors are also the primary liaison between the School and home and the initial point of contact for middle school parents. In this way, advisors also build relationships with parents and guardians—making communication consistent and clear.

A rotating schedule of topics during group advisory meetings, as well as morning and end-of-the-day routines, ensure that advisory time is relaxed and also meaningful and purposeful.