The Perks of Advisory!

I have been around DaVinci Academy since it opened in 2004, which is long enough to see many phases of Advisory.  I've seen it combined with lunch, the 30-minute daily Advisory, the 20-minute twice a month Advisory, the 10 minutes combined with 1st period, and a few other schedules.  DaVinci has dabbled in quite a few different schedules, which has affected the length and focus of Advisory as well. I'm happy to report that no matter what schedule we have--the Advisory curriculum for grades 7-12 dealing with career exploration and college prep is here to stay!  This has been our best year yet with Advisory, and I just want to review some of the things we've changed--as well as what to look forward to next year.

• Specific Grade Level Lessons  We have differentiated the lessons by grade so that each grade receives age-appropriate lessons.  For example, 7th grade Advisories deal more with interest exploration, career exploration, and study habits.  10th grade Advisories deal more with scholarship research, building a resume, and researching colleges.  It's been great to see how positively the students are responding to this leveled teaching.
• Guest Speakers  Each month, students hear from a presenter in a whole-grade Advisory.  They have heard from people in various fields, including a Flight Attendant, an Electrician, an Author, and a Home-Decorator.  We are excited to continue to bring in more speakers--so that students are exposed to many different careers and work perspectives.
• Focused Help  Each grade has also had the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Krim in both whole-grade presentations and individual classes to hear more about college and scholarship topics.  The 8th - 11th grades learned how to research and organize scholarships, as well as how to "Be RAD".  These focused lessons are vital for students, allowing them to learn techniques to apply for scholarships as early as possible, and be prepared for the whirlwind of senior year!  

I sometimes hear parents and students say, "What should I be doing for college?  How do I find scholarships?  How can I get better grades?"  These are the topics we cover in Advisory!  We have the resource--every student simply needs to take advantage of these lessons and apply them!  If they apply each month's lessons, they really have all the tools they need for success both here at DaVinci and in College! 

Looking ahead, we'll continue with the class-lessons and whole-grade presentations.  We have some GREAT lessons from this year that are now ready to roll every year!  We'll add some more study habit lessons for 7th grade and 8th grade, and college exploration helps for 9th and 10th grade.  And don't forget the guest speakers!  We'll be hearing more from individuals in various fields, including Engineering, Performing, and Music!

Thanks to all the Teachers for all the support this year with Advisory--it's been our best year yet!