The Bushwick Leaders’ High School for Academic Excellence Advisory Curriculum is designed to increase the number of college and career ready students. Designed for delivery in 9th – 12th grade, the curriculum provides student advisors with 23 mins each day of instructional tools over the four years.
Mission Statement: The advisory program at BLHS exists so that every student is known really well by at least one person in the school. Advisory is the heart of our school. Advisory program builds trust between students, their peers, and staff. The mission of the BLHS advisory system is to prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in post-secondary and career settings, as well as foster a sense of and appreciation for one’s community.
Advisory Goals in the Domain of Academics
- provide academic and emotional support to students to ensure their academic success;
- facilitate the transition from junior high to senior high school;
- receive appropriate and thorough academic advising;
- guide the development of academic portfolios;
- know what it takes to be successful in school and accept responsibility for the level of their own success;
- identify and use appropriate study skills;
- learn to set goals;
- participate in academic programs that respond to their individual needs and goals;
- mediate between academic and social concerns;
- identify career interests
- skills development, portfolio presentations, SAT Prep, college applications, and financial aid.
9th Grade | Me and Others
The BLHS Advisory Program for the ninth grade develops students’ ability to communicate with and relate to others. The program addresses academic note taking and organization, friendship and relationship issues as well as works to prepare students for a successful four years of advisory. The program also helps students to approach and to interact with their teachers and other adults with confidence and maturity. Finally, the program assists freshman with understanding a transcript, setting goal, developing appropriate steps to achieve them and the importance of reflecting.
10th Grade | BLHS and Me
The BLHS Advisory Program for the tenth grade relies on the traditions and academic expectations of BLHS and the community. This includes discussing and developing many virtues, such as honor, empathy, integrity, compassion, trust, understanding, kindness, and community service. The program helps students to form and articulate their own vision and mission for their remaining years here. Students will also prepare for the ACT and gain a deeper understanding of their growths and monitoring their academic and social progress.
11th Grade | Me and the World
The BLHS Advisory Program for the eleventh grade broadens what the students experienced in the ninth and tenth grades. Rather than focusing on students’ immediate surroundings, though, this year of the program helps students understand and relate to their global community. This includes a college overnight trip, exploring such issues as citizenship, service, and environmental awareness. The program continues to help students develop their role in their community, while also helping students identify the qualities that define effective leadership. The advisory program will assist with conducting research surrounding college majors, resumes, and personal statements.
12th Grade | Being BLHS in the World
This capstone year of the BLHS Advisory Program prepares students to be productive members of the post secondary environment. To achieve this, the program has students draw upon the topics and skills from the previous three years while they address the moral and ethical dilemmas they will face in college and careers once they leave this community. The program will conclude by helping students to form and articulate their own vision and mission for the next four years of their lives at BLHS.