About Us

We work to foster an environment of Positive Youth Development. Specifically, we work to help young people reach their highest potential while working to reduce/prevent them from engaging in risky behaviors. This is done by promoting a school culture that is safe, has structure, and promoting positive social norms. We work to develop strong meaningful supportive relationships with students and their advisors and giving students responsibilities and meaningful challenges through our project based instructional model. We want our students to feel and realize they are a valuable resource to our school. At HLHS, it is important that we foster a sense of belonging and promote ample opportunities to build student’s skills around social/emotional wellness.

Advisory at Health Leadership is the staging area for school culture and academic success. It is our daily Rounds meeting to ensure that students are ready to do their best school work daily. We promote fostering the development of a meaningful and supportive relationship with a caring adult advisor.

Structure:

• The Advisor is the primary contact for parents, families, caregivers, and students as well as the connection for students with the supports throughout the school
• Advisory is the hub of developing school culture
• Advisees stay with their Advisor until graduation. (this may not be the case as the school grows and grades are added)
• School wide Rounds or meetings will be held weekly during a shortened Advisory meeting
• Advisory is a class with Learning Outcomes driving its design and in which students earn credit
• Advisory is a place where developmental relationships are of primary importance, with both the family and the student
• Advisory meets daily
• Advisors conducts bi-weekly progress checks. This is a space for some academic support (i.e. reading, tutorial, organizational support)
• Family meetings are held at least once per trimester between family, student and advisor

• Student Growth, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Asset Development & Decision Making (i.e. dealing with their responsibilities, identifying pressures and accessing supports, reaching their maximum potential, meeting high expectations, learn from breakdowns, celebrate successes, being healthy physically, intellectually, and emotionally)
• School Culture (i.e. mentorship between students and adults, produce plans collaboratively with those who will do the work, reveal and remove constraints on planned tasks as a team, make reliable promises, make connections to and take responsibility for all parts of the school)
• Safety: Physical/Social/Emotional Safety: as a part of school and classroom culture; physical, emotional, and mental health; dress code, drug, alcohol and substance use/issues and support.
• Student Voice (i.e. how students are involved in decision making at the school)
• Transition (i.e. IEP/504/ELL support, HLHS career choice, entering high school, graduation, plan in greater detail as you get closer to doing the work)
• Advocacy (i.e. by the student, with the student, and for the student)
• Support and Preparation (i.e. buddy system, gateway/exhibition support, mentorship)

Advisors are the primary adult responsible for scheduling and facilitating family meetings though other staff may be in attendance. Ideally, students will lead their family meetings, which are held each trimester. These meetings could be held more often, but when scheduled are required for the student and family to attend. The advisor should be present for or followed up with about any meeting related to their advisee. This includes celebration of success, disciplinary issues, social/emotional issues, or academic support discussions.