1. Advisory Mrs. Kristina Smethers Kristina.smethers@highlineschools.org 206.631.7094 Highlineschools.org/smethers

2. Our Vision Advisory is something that is so important to your child’s development as a young adult that HSD has made it mandatory for all secondary students. This is because we know there are many things that the world requires students to know and be able to do that can’t be taught in academic classes, which are already packed with content information. It is our vision that Advisory is a class where students are known well by their advisor and by their advisory peers. In Advisory, students should feel important and be able to work on pursuing their goals at MRHS and beyond. More so than perhaps their other classes, they should feel Advisory is about THEM and helping to do the work it takes to succeed. Their Advisory group should become their school family.

3. Advisor’s Role  At school “mom”  Liaison between school & parents  Advocate for students  Know my students by name, strength and need.

4. Advisory: District Goals  Academic  Social needs  Personal needs  College/Career

5. Advisory Schedule TuesdaysWednesdaysThursdays Outcome to focus on: College and Career Preparation Academic Support Personal & Social Development This could look like: (Advisory is designed around the needs of my students)  SAT/ACT prep  college/scholarship exploration  HS & Beyond Plan  Discover U  career/college awareness  Interview skills  Resumes  Critical thinking ***Much of our work this semester is around the transition to high school and academic success.  tutorial/study hall  academic conferencing with students  grade checks  Community building circles  Goal Setting  Habits of Mind work Schedule: We will have Advisory for 30 minutes every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after 3 rd period. This year, our basic school schedule for Advisory will be:

7. 9 th Grade Advisory  District focus on making sure our 9 th graders are successful  Advisor’s role is to help intervene when students aren’t successful  Advisor is the liaison between teachers and students/parents (of course you can contact a teacher anytime with a concern if you wish!)  Ignite Mentors to help guide and support students

8. MRHS has connected with a Mentor Leadership program – IGNITE  Each advisory has three older mentors  Getting to know mentees strengths and needs  Helping with transition to high school  Providing academic support and encouragement  Leading specific lessons; example M2M STAAR Learner  Leading community building circles  Lead and participate in advisory routines  Be a positive role model  All mentors enrolled in a Mentor Leadership class  Mentors are provided additional training throughout the year by Ignite

9. Grading  Advisory is a.25 credit/year class that appears on your transcript. It is a Pass/fail class. This year, all MRHS advisory classes will be using the same standards to grade students in advisory. The things that will be considered when assigning a grade will be: work toward Advisory outcomes (personal, social, academic, college/career)  Advisory and SLC attendance  Participation in Advisory community and activities  Advisors will be using a common rubric to assess your learning in Advisory. Students have these in their folders and we’ll be checking in on progress often!

12. Save the Date!!  Student Led Conferences  November 25 th (evening appointments) and 26 th (morning appointments)  Usually about 10-15 minutes long  REQUIRED in order for students to pass Advisory