Advisory

At Harlem Academy, teachers are hired and assessed not just for their effectiveness in teaching, but also for their ability to connect with and support students. In the middle school, student advisors hold primary responsibility for students’ academic performance and holistic interaction with the community.

In middle school, students and advisors meet informally every day, in an advisory group several times per week, and individually every two weeks and as needed. The main goal of an advisor is to help each student live up to Harlem Academy’s school creed. Some of this work is integrated into the program through the advisory period and within the core curriculum, but support is also differentiated based on each child’s individual needs.

Advisory periods provide students with an open environment that allows for relaxed seating, a semi-formal lesson, or an activity and offers a safe space for students to express their concerns about teachers, peers, or the school community. Advisors serve as the primary means of communication between a student’s family and the school community, including meeting with families twice a year for parent-teacher conferences.