Last Wednesday, the faculty and students at John Glenn Middle School participated in our 2014 Advisory Kickoff Day. This exciting day was the result of the deliberate planning and hard work of our many dedicated faculty members.
The purpose of the Advisory Kickoff Day was to foster a more cohesive, positive JGMS community between students and faculty members alike. The theme of the Advisory Kickoff day was to build "Community with Character". Research has shown that when students make a lasting connection with at least one caring adult, academic and personal outcomes improve. In this light, our students at JGMS are grouped into Advisory classes that meet on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday throughout the school year. This advisory period is an important time for educators and students to develop strong interpersonal bonds. In these advisory groups, a teacher, administrator or other qualified staff member meets with students, and lead group activities that address a broad range of student concerns (Turning Points 2000, page 143).
During our Advisory Opening Ceremonies, students were grouped into cross grade level trios. The groups first participated in social ice-breaking and team building activities. In addition, these advisory trios each selected an outside location at JGMS to care for and improve throughout the school year. The advisory group collaboratively developed team names and themes. In these small communities, students created posters and banners to participate in our opening ceremonies on the Bedford High School track. Following the introduction of each group by Principal Tracey on the track, the games officially began. What followed was a series of advisory group based Kickball games that fostered team spirit and friendly competition. Lastly, a healthy snack was offered to JGMS students as they were dismissed on our 3/4 school day on Wednesday, September 10th.
This Advisory Kickoff Day was the start of our enhanced Advisory curriculum, as students will participate in the following monthly themes throughout the 2014-15 school year here at JGMS:
September is Building Community with Character Month
October is Harvesting Community Month
November is Gratitude Month
December is Positive Attitude Month
January is a Month of Renewal and Resolution
February is Heart Healthy Month
March is Team-building Month
April is Pay it Forward Month
May is Honor Month: Do the right thing!
The September month Advisory Kickoff day was a fun filled event that certainly strengthened our positive culture and created great memories for our students and faculty. Thank you again to the entire Advisory Committee at JGMS which is composed by Mr. Nagle, Ms. d'Entremont, Ms. Noferi, Ms. Berinato, Mr. Donaher, Mr. Harrington, and Ms. McDermott!
Great Job!