Advising

The relationship between the faculty adviser and the student is a most important one; the responsibility of the advisers, students, and families to maintain and nurture this relationship is vital to our school’s overall mission. Advisers are the adults most responsible for a student and should be the first contact a parent has with the School if there is any concern or question regarding his or her daughter. The adviser serves as the primary liaison between student, parent, and teacher. Faculty advisers are accessible and genuinely interested in the students.

The term in loco parentis aptly describes the role and responsibility of the adviser at St. Timothy’s School, and this is one of the most important roles a faculty member assumes here. Developing close personal bonds with each advisee, and maintaining an awareness of what is happening in each of their lives on a day-to-day basis, is the essence of what it means to be a faculty adviser.

When a student needs help, the adviser either provides it or finds the necessary assistance. Faculty advisers strive to cultivate an atmosphere of trust in which students can openly discuss personal issues. In addition to offering a listening ear and practical assistance, the adviser is a source of reliable information regarding policy and procedures and opportunities in the School, as well as in the surrounding community.

Faculty advisers and all of their advisees meet for a personal get-together over lunch or dinner once a semester. Informally, meals, teas, birthday parties, and other activities are shared among adviser groups as well. Advisers call or write parents at the start of each year and communicate formally several times a year, and informally as often as necessary. Phone calls, letters, and meetings when parents are visiting the School are an essential part of this responsibility. The School encourages a healthy partnership between the adviser and parents of his or her advisee, thus providing the support each student needs to learn and grow.