Objective
To build relationships with students by exploring and honoring their identities, reflecting on their progress with the core values, assisting with executive function, and celebrating reading in order to create a community where students are academically and socially successful.
Story of Self
This is a key part of our advisory program derived from Marshall Ganz’ framework of public narrative—story of self us, and now. Story of Self is an opportunity for all of our students to demonstrate our core value of pride in their identities and to reflect on a challenge, a choice, and the outcome in their lives. Staff and students spend the first few months of school crafting, revising, and sharing their story of self; all of this work culminates in a school-wide story of self day where students share their stories science-fair style to members of the community.
Portfolio
At Putnam Avenue, we believe that our students are headed towards the “Good Life.” That is, we believe that our students will become successful and contributing members of society with the best possible quality of life. In order to live the “Good Life,” students will develop a sense of mastery of our core values of passion, pride, and ownership with balance and perseverance.
All students spend daily advisory time reflecting on the core values, identifying and collecting artifacts, and assembling a portfolio that they present at the end of the year: 6th grade in their advisories, 7th grade with families and science-fair style, and 8th grade in individual panel presentations, which must meet or exceed expectations in order to participate in graduation.
School-Wide Organization System
For each class, students are required to have a binder. Each binder contains the following tabs:
- Grade and Assignment Tracking
- Classwork and Notes
- Vocabulary
- 2 additional tabs that teachers customize
In Advisory, teachers check-in with students about grades, warning notices, and help students maintain organized binders.
Independent Reading Program
- 1 day per week in Advisory
- Teachers model reading
- 20 book per student per year goal
- Monitoring progress in ELA classes (logs and book talks)