Advisory Program

The purpose of the 6-8th grade Advisory Program at  Riverside is to integrate the diverse elements of our dynamic program by teaching personal responsibility, building relationships with and beyond the class group, and practicing problem solving, leadership, and collaboration. Designated faculty advisors for each grade level also support individual students in navigating and succeeding with our academic program, and facilitate communication with parents and other teachers.



Advisory includes weekly meetings:

  • 6th grade students recognize their transition to middle school and consider study skills and habits of mind
  • 7th grade advisory focuses on critical skills and dispositions for group collaboration
  • 8th graders implement their leadership of the larger school community


From the first day of their 8th grade year, student leaders are asked to lead morning assembly and daily clean-up teams with groups of younger, mixed age students. Leading assembly requires engaging students, making relevant announcements, and speaking about topics that are important and helpful to the student body. Throughout the  fall they revise their plans for those activities, and practice leading spontaneous activities with younger students. Through the winter and early spring, on festival days and during Play Week, they plan and implement specific activities (trivia games on Mythology Day, fort building challenges at Winter Carnival, the sets design and construction for the musical) with the support of Riverside teachers. In the spring, most 8th graders propose, plan, and teach a 9-week elective under the guidance of a faculty member. Some examples have been Cultural Cooking, Ultimate Frisbee, Dungeons and Dragons, or Random Acts of Kindness.

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