Advisory

AN ADVOCATE, A SOUNDING BOARD, AND A HOME BASE FOR HUN STUDENTS

While most first-year students wonder who their new friends at their new school will be, there is one important relationship they often overlook that is a tenet of their Hun School experience: their advisor and advisory. All students who enter the Upper School are assigned to an advisory, a group of eight to ten students, overseen by a faculty member. The group remains together until graduation, weighing decisions such as electives, clubs, extracurricular activities, grades, and social opportunities together. But, advisory is just as important for the one-on-one attention as it is for its group dynamic. Whether it’s a way to hold students accountable for their grades, disseminate shared community expectations, or to just be a resource in the Upper School, the advisor is always accessible to their advisees.

Of course, this year has been different in many ways, including impacting advisory. Before the pandemic, advisory groups met once a week. Now, they meet every day — first thing in the morning and at lunch. Advisory meetings range in topics and are equal parts academic and social; one week, advisory may be a time to focus on time management resources, while another meeting may be an activity where students have to collaborate on a creative project. For most students, advisory acts as a home base when they may need a moment of clarity during the hustle and bustle of the school year.

As a ninth grade advisor, Angela Rieder, also a member of the counseling department, is set to have her group of eight students for their entire high school career, and as the years progress, her role will change.

Mrs. Rieder explains that during Freshman year, the role of advisors is to introduce students to the ins and outs of

The Hun School and to make sure students are balanced

both academically and socially. Once the students reach Sophomore year, they are well adjusted to the School and the advisor is there to offer guidance in terms of class selection.

Schedule your virtual interview with one of our Admission counselors at admission@hunschool.org or (609) 921-7600.

By Junior year, the college process begins, and advisors step in to help students assess their transcript thus far and offer feedback on potential electives and courses that might be beneficial. The first half of Senior year is a time spent helping students cope with the bundle of nerves associated with the college process, while the job of the advisor the second semester is to celebrate the students’ successes. their world, and what they are bringing into school every day, or what they are going home to. I’m interested in the little details of their world that might not be very personal, but they are important.”

Similarly, Jamie Staub ’24, one of Mrs. Rieder’s advisory students, explains that the personal connection is what she appreciates most about her advisor: “I was really nervous about starting fresh at a new school but my advisory has been a nice home base for me,” she said. “As a student, it’s nice to not only have a person who is going to help you adjust to a new school, but also have an advocate for you on the big stuff and even on the little stuff too. My advisor is someone who I can check in with whenever I may need it and it’s great to know that my advisor always cares about how and what we are doing.”

Jamie explains that not only is the ongoing support critical to her successes throughout high school, it’s also important for her to use her advisory time as a reset throughout the school week.

SOMETIMES THERE IS A LOT TO KEEP TRACK OF DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, SO IT’S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO HAVE ADVISORY AS A MENTAL RESET AND A WAY TO BREAK UP THE SCHOOL DAY. IF I MISSED AN ANNOUNCEMENT OR AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I WAS BUSY WITH ACADEMICS, MY ADVISOR WILL ALWAYS MAKE SURE I’M ON TOP OF THINGS, WHICH IS REALLY HELPFUL TO ME AS I NAVIGATE FRESHMAN YEAR.”

“We play the role of someone who they can ask anything of,” she said. “Even if we aren’t the ones who have the right answer, we can point them in the right direction. Students can always go to their advisor to talk about both the good and the bad: the classes and courses and experiences that they have really enjoyed, and also what they are struggling with or what issues they may be facing at school or at home.”

Mrs. Rieder explains that while there is structure to the advisory program, most of the time, it can be whatever students want it to be.

“Advisory is sometimes just an opportunity for students to talk about whatever they want to get off their chest and I will be there as a sounding board,” she said. “We could strike up a conversation about a certain life skill and it can be a teaching opportunity, another meeting could consist of students seeking advice on extracurricular activities or scheduling, and then the conversation could pivot to something fun we did last weekend.”

Mrs. Rieder notes that as an advisor, her objective is to serve as a mentor and always provide personal attention to her advisees.

“Four years is a long time to get to know the students in my advisory, so I think it’s really valuable to understand what life looks like for them through an academic lens but also on a personal level,” she said. “I love hearing what’s going on in “Sometimes there is a lot to keep track of during the school year, so it’s always helpful to have advisory as a mental reset and a way to break up the school day,” Jamie said. “If I missed an announcement or an opportunity because I was busy with academics, my advisor will always make sure I’m on top of things, which is really helpful to me as I navigate freshman year.”

Mrs. Rieder notes that while she is meeting with her advisees far more than she ever has to provide an added layer of social and emotional support during this difficult time, she is pleased that she has this foundation with her advisory students as they continue throughout the years together.

“I’m not sure if in the future we will ever meet as much as we are meeting this year, but this has created an excellent foundation for us all moving forward,” she said. “As a Freshman advisor, I always enjoy seeing the students evolve over the years but this year in particular I have gotten to know my students on such a deeper level, so I think that will make for a really productive relationship for the next four years.”