Explaining Your School's Advisory Period to

Explaining Your School's Advisory Period to Families

By Adi Ackerman·August 8, 2026·5 min read

Advisory is one of the most misunderstood parts of a middle or high school schedule. Families often see it as unused time or a vague check-in period. In schools that do it well, advisory is where the relationships that prevent students from falling through the cracks are built and maintained.

The newsletter is where you explain that value before a family asks why their child is spending twenty minutes a day with a small group instead of in class.

Introduce Advisory in the First Newsletter

The September newsletter should include a brief explanation of the advisory program. Describe the structure, how long it meets, what the goal is, and who each student's advisor is or how families can find that information.

"Every student at our school has an advisor, an adult who meets with a group of 12 to 15 students every morning for 20 minutes. Your child's advisor is their first contact when they need support, the person who monitors their attendance and grades, and the adult who knows them best in this building." That is a compelling introduction.

Describe What Advisory Actually Does

Monthly updates on the advisory curriculum show families that advisory has intentional content, not just unstructured conversation. Keep these updates brief. A sentence or two on the current focus is enough.

"This month advisory groups are working on goal-setting for the second semester. Students are identifying one academic goal and one personal goal and putting a specific action plan behind each. You can ask your child about their goals." That is a useful monthly update and a home prompt in one paragraph.

Make the Advisor Connection Clear

Publish a clear statement in the newsletter about the advisor's role in supporting families. Many families do not know they can and should contact the advisor rather than a counselor or administrator for everyday concerns.

"Your child's advisor is your first contact for academic concerns, attendance questions, and anything affecting your child's day-to-day school experience. Advisors respond to emails within one business day. You can find your child's advisor name and contact information on the parent portal."

Share Advisory Outcomes

At the end of each semester, include a brief note on what advisory accomplished: what students worked on, what changed as a result, and what the advisory program will focus on in the next term. This kind of accountability communication keeps the program credible to families who might otherwise question the time investment.

"This semester's advisory focus on academic advocacy, where students learned how to ask teachers for help and track their own progress, correlated with a measurable increase in students seeking teacher support before tests. That connection is not accidental."

Invite Family Feedback on Advisory

Once per year, ask families in the newsletter whether they find the advisory program valuable and what they wish it covered. The feedback informs the program and signals to families that their opinion shapes how advisory evolves.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the advisory period and how do you explain it to families?

Advisory is a regularly scheduled period where a small group of students meets with the same adult throughout the school year. Its purpose is to ensure every student has at least one adult at school who knows them well, monitors their progress, and advocates for them. Explain it this way in the newsletter: plain, direct, and connected to the outcome families care about.

What activities happen during advisory and should the newsletter describe them?

Advisory activities typically include community building, academic check-ins, goal setting, SEL skill practice, current events discussions, and college and career exploration at higher grades. A brief description of the current advisory focus each month helps families understand what their child is doing and why. Not every activity needs coverage, but a monthly theme or focus is useful.

How do you explain advisory to families who see it as time away from instruction?

Address the concern directly. Advisory is not a break from instruction. It is a structured time for the relationship building that makes instruction more effective. Students who have a trusted adult advocate at school attend more consistently, take more risks academically, and report higher engagement. That case is worth making explicitly in the newsletter.

How does the newsletter involve families in the advisory relationship?

By telling families who their child's advisor is, how to contact them, and what role the advisor plays in supporting their child. When families understand the advisory relationship, they are more likely to reach out to the advisor first when something is wrong rather than escalating directly to an administrator.

How does Daystage support advisory period communication?

Daystage helps schools include consistent advisory-focused content in newsletters without requiring each advisor or administrator to write that section independently. Schools use it to keep families connected to the advisory program throughout the year.

Adi Ackerman

Author

Adi Ackerman is a former classroom teacher and curriculum writer with 8 years in K-8 schools. She writes about school communication, parent engagement, and what actually works in real classrooms.

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