CJH Advisory Period

2008-2009

Columbia Junior High will culminate two years of preparation, planning, and work with the implementation of its 'Advisory Period',

beginning in the 2008-2009 school year. The creation of this opportunity has involved input from staff, students, and parents.

Details regarding the advisory program include:

Rationale

• The recognized need to create consistent and meaningful connections with a small cohort group of students and a significant adult at CJH, allowing each student the opportunity to connect with at least one adult for her/his time at CJH.
• Address the data from the student survey concerning school safety and overall school climate.  Students in a 2 year school feel less connected to school and a significant adult.
• Continue student-led conferencing, which begins in the elementary schools in the Fife School District, encouraging authentic student involvement in academic and social progress.

Assurance

• The Advisory period preparation and implementation will be smooth, seamless, well organized, and easy for all.
• We will use the Navigation 101 Curriculum, from OSPI, as a basis for our work.
• The Advisory period and Navigation 101 curriculum will be custom fit for CJH and the needs of our students and staff.
• The Advisory period will allow us to remove most non-teaching aspects from classes, ie; school pictures, paperwork collection, spirit day activities, etc.
• The summer staff retreat and portions of the LID day in August will be dedicated to implementation

The work so far

• The suggestion for advisory came from our teachers during the 2006-2007 school year, recognizing the needs of our junior high students, especially in a 2 year school setting.
• The initial work and decision making was carried out through our Learning Improvement Team (LIT).  The LIT consists of CJH department chairs, classified staff, parent representatives, counselor, and administration.
• The advisory concept was studied and finalized at the CJH staff retreat, August, 2007.  An advisory committee was formed to work during the 2007-2008 school year.
• Committee members Ms. Swenson, Mr. Hockman, Mrs. Brownell, Mrs. Choate-Deeds, Mrs. Trippel, Mr. Clergy, Mr. Nelson made a site visits to Washington High School, in the Franklin Pierce School District. Committee members also contacted a variety of other school utilizing advisories and the Navigation 101 Curriculum. Recent staff time added staff members Mrs. Thomas, Mr. Scheidt, Dr. Johnson, Mr. Hannah, Mrs. Waters, and Mr. Alfano to the original committee, and this group spent time compiling ideas, discussing options, debating details and creating common lesson plans.

Logistics

• The current CJH schedule will allow for approximately 72 school days scheduled with the advisory period.  (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
• Advisory period will begin at 7:40 and run for 20 minutes. 
• Groups will consist of approximately 18-20 students.
• The Advisory bell schedule:

Advisory	7:40-8:00
1	8:05-9:00
2	9:05-10:00
3	10:05-11:00
4	11:05-12:00		1st  lunch	11:00-11:30
4	11:35-12:30		2nd lunch	12:00-12:30
5	12:35-1:30
6	1:35-2:30

 

• Lessons will be centered on the following six guiding concepts or themes.
  • Building Community (citizenship)
  • Improving Academically
  • Goal Setting
  • What is Quality Work?
  • Preparing for student-led conferences (spring)
  • Planning for next year
• Lessons will more than likely cover multiple advisory periods
• A collection of 'good work' will be created/compiled by the students to use in their student-led conference.  We anticipate our first student-led conference to take place in the spring of 2009.