Designed to strengthen relationships among middle school students and their teachers across grade levels, Salisbury Academy’s middle school advisory program brings students in grades six through eight together in small groups for weekly meetings and lunches.

In addition to meetings, advisory groups build camaraderie through team-building challenges and the “drafting” of fifth-graders to join advisory groups each spring.

At a typical middle school advisory meeting at Salisbury Academy, advisers and students discuss everything from goal setting to schoolwork and the ups and downs of life in general.

“It’s a time of close-knit community as well as individualized support, and a meeting that both students and their advisers look forward to each week,” says Jessica Goodman, middle school division director.

Each quarter, students begin a new round of goal setting, with advisers serving as check-in points for them as they progress through their goals. Advisers also provide key support for students as they prepare their spring Reflections projects in which they reflect on their growth over the course of the school year.

“The students really shine in these small groups,” says Goodman. “The confidence and relationships that result from advisories have lasting, positive impacts on our middle school and the school community as a whole.”