The middle school at Wilmington Friends has a long-standing and much admired program of structured advising to assure the transition to independent learning and to support the social adjustment of maturing adolescents.
Students meet regularly with their faculty advisor in individual or small group settings.
At these meetings, students plan their education, learn and apply conflict resolution strategies, express opinions or simply share enthusiasms. The rapport established between teacher and student creates a secure, supportive relationship in which academic and social concerns can be addressed. In addition to being an advocate for each student, the advisor also serves as the primary contact for parents who have questions, concerns, or advice about a student's performance. The advisor also gathers and shares information about students at weekly meetings with the other advisors in that grade. Those meetings are clerked by a grade dean, who is another good contact for parents who wish to discuss student issues.