Advisory

Gray – New Gloucester Middle School

Grades 5 – 8

Advisory Program

Mission Statement

The Advisory Program at Gray-New Gloucester Middle School exists to build a sense of community that fosters positive relationships between students and adults.

Advisory Program Goals 

The goals of our Advisory Program are:

  • Students will have time and opportunity to develop constructive friendships with other students.
  • Students will uncover and explore their personal interests in regard to learning and to life out of school.
  • Advisors will give each student a voice as an active participant in a community of learners.
  • Advisors will ensure that every student is known well by at least one adult in the school.
  • Advisors will help develop and support each student’s expectations for success in school.

Individual Student Goals

Through the Advisory Program students are encouraged to attain the following objectives: 

  • to understand and be able to communicate their needs, interests, and values;
  • to develop social skills that help with building relationships and problem-solving;
  • to participate in academic programs that will challenge them and address their individual needs;
  • to reinforce their values of respect, responsibility, hard work, and integrity.

Student Group Goals 

All grade levels will work towards accomplishing the following objectives:

  • to encourage and assist individual students in developing comprehensive listening and communication skills;
  • to encourage students to increase their awareness of self and others;
  • to encourage students to understand the concept of individuality as well as the value and responsibility of group membership;
  • to encourage students to better understand the concept of responsibility as it relates to both personal and academic growth; and
  • to encourage students to be a positive influence on both school and community.

Advisor Roles and Responsibilities

Major Responsibilities of the Advisor

  • To be aware of advisees’ needs for academic, social and personal growth and to assist them in developing plans to meet these needs.
  • To be aware of advisees’ physical and emotional needs.
  • To develop and maintain honest, open communication among students, parents and staff.
  • To implement specific activities, planned by the advisor and/or advisees, to accomplish overall goals and objectives for their specific grade level.
  • To attend grade-level advisor meetings.
  • To organize and participate in grade-level activities.
  • To provide useful and appropriate input when requested for IEP meetings.
  • To maintain a folder for each advisee.

Advisory Program Format

  • Each Advisory Group will contain 12-14 students (dependent on grade level)
  • Advisory Groups will be assigned by grade level and loop 5-6 and 7-8.
  • Advisory meeting times include:
    1. Daily for 20 minutes
    2. Advisories will meet 40 minutes every Wednesday.
  • Advisory meetings will use restorative practice community building circles that use the following format:
  1. Welcome.
  2. Review ground rules and purpose of the circle.
  3.  Mindfulness activity to focus the group.
  4. Open the circle with a check-in question.
  5. Talk about the topic and the feelings and/or perceptions about the topic.
  6. Close the circle and transition to the next activity.

Advisory Curriculum

The curriculum will be created by the advisory coordinator (Lisa Knedler) the school counselors (Marty Lynch & Andrew O’Connell-Shevenelle). Specific lesson plans will be created for extended advisory periods on Wednesday. These will be posted to grade level Google Classrooms in the week prior. 

   

Updated August 14, 2025