Advisory

Each student has a trusted advisor who serves as their main point of contact and advocate. Students connect with their advisor and peer support group three times per week for 35–45 minutes.

Weekly Advisory Structure

Seminar Topics (2x per week): Students engage in structured discussions and learning experiences on topics such as:

• Financial literacy
• Digital citizenship
• Other essential life skills

Circle & Badgework (1x per week): All students and advisors participate in Circle, a social-emotional learning space. In Circle, students take turns sharing “badgework”—internal discovery work focused on personal growth.

Examples of badgework include:

• Growth Challenge: Setting and working toward improvement in a specific area

• Balancing Perspectives: Learning to understand and reflect on the perspectives of others

Through Advisory and Circle, students build community, strengthen self-awareness, and develop the skills needed to navigate middle school and beyond.

Z Clubs & Z Teams

After school, students may try out for Z Clubs and Z Teams, which provide advanced levels of the Specialty electives. All Core Specialty electives offer Z Clubs and Z Teams—and we also offer Z Teams for Debate and Robotics.

Z Teams are coached by expert teachers, who prepare students for school-wide events and NYC, regional, and national competitions.