Self-awareness – As soon students start Upper Prep (grade 6), they begin to understand what it means to learn effectively, what constitutes good work, and what their own strengths and weaknesses are in regard to learning. By the time they complete Form 2 (grade 8), Kingswood Oxford students know themselves as learners and have developed strategies for capitalizing on their strengths and overcoming their challenges.

Making connections – Middle School students must become familiar with a new school community. They need to form relationships with their peers, teachers, and advisors. The social landscape requires navigation and support, and as they progress, they are asked to lead the younger students in positive ways.

Self-advocacy – By Form 2, students are expected to be able to learn when and how to ask for help. Although this is a lifelong skill reinforced in the Upper School, Middle School students begin by learning to talk with adults, by communicating appropriately (through e-mail or in person), and by being honest with their feelings.

Time management – The schedule of the Middle School encourages students to manage their time by completing their homework on the night it is assigned, using study hall time effectively, and adjusting to more homework by planning ahead and prioritizing. While the ultimate goal is for students to master time management independently, their progress toward the goal is thoughtful and deliberate. Advisors aid and support students as they grow to take ownership of their daily schedules.

Organization – Beginning with learning to keep a locker and use a homework planner, advisors work with Middle School students to devise an organizational plan that works for them. This includes having what is needed for class and keeping track of personal belongings. The use of technology (e-mail, blogs, wikis, and teacher Web pages) is added to the mix as students get older.

At the Upper School, students remain with the same advisor for Forms 3 and 4, then change to a new advisor for Forms 5 and 6.

Self-awareness – Form 3 (grade 9) focuses on finding one’s place within the school community. As freshmen begin to recognize their academic strengths, they set goals for further improvement as they see themselves as members of a team, participants in a class, and citizens of a community. Advisors and students continue conversations about strengths and weaknesses throughout the Upper School.

Questions that arise include:

• What subjects come easiest to me?

• What subjects are more difficult?

• How can I use my strengths in one area to help me with my weaknesses in another?

• How can I use my strengths as I present myself to colleges and future employers?

Making connections – From Forms 3-6 (grade 12), students work to form meaningful relationships with their peers, teachers, and coaches. As they progress through the Upper School, older students mentor and lead younger ones, both formally and informally. Students are encouraged to join clubs, make friends with upperclassmen or underclassmen, and become a team or club leader.

Self-advocacy – The primary goal of the Upper School experience is for students to learn to identify when they need help and to ask for it appropriately. Students are asked to take care of themselves while managing all aspects of their school life; to do so effectively, there are times when students need to ask for help.

Ways that we encourage students to self-advocate include:

• Scheduling extra help sessions

• Discussing and moving deadlines

• Talking about their problems with adults they trust

Time management – In Form 3, students have study halls during free periods, providing them with crucial time management support. As they progress, students are given the freedom to manage their time independently, knowing that adults are available to provide structure when needed. By the time students graduate from Kingswood Oxford, they know how to plan and manage deadlines without being overloaded.

Organization – Organizational requirements increase with each grade. In Form 3, students are asked to keep track of daily assignments, check e-mail regularly, and develop an effective personal organization system. In Form 4, longer assignments are more prevalent, and students are asked to plan weeks, or even months, ahead. Juniors are expected to take responsibility for all deadlines and fine-tune their organizational strategies to account for an increased academic and extracurricular load. Seniors take on leadership roles, which add another layer of personal responsibility and organizational demands.

Self-Awareness

• understand personal strengths and challenges.
• own their actions and choices.
• understand decorum.
• collaborate effectively, knowing their role in the class/group/team setting.
• understand KO’s Principles of Community.

Making Connections

• develop and enjoy relationships with adults in the community.

• find their way socially.

• try new sports/activities.

• understand the mission-driven approach to learning. (Why are we studying this?)

Self-Advocacy

• initiate teacher meetings.
• follow up with teachers after absences.
• are aware of multiple assessment policies and plan ahead with teachers.
• lead the discussions in parent-teacher conferences.

Time Management

• use study halls effectively.

• keep track of commitments and deadlines.

Organization

• keep track of books and personal items.

• develop personal systems of organization for academics

• check e-mail/blogs/reacher websites daily.

Self-Awareness

• know their academic and athletic limitations and strengths.

• know what subjects/sports/clubs they most enjoy.

• implement study habits that work best for them (develop personal systems).

• try out new electives or sports that interest them; take risks.

• begin career exploration (shadowing, volunteering, summer work, etc.).

Making Connections

• form connections with adults (advisors, teachers, or club leaders).
• form connections with friends and classmates.
• begin to make friends with older and younger students through sports, clubs, etc.

Self-Advocacy

• know when and how to ask for help; prepare for extra help sessions.
• ask for help when needed.

Time Management

• select appropriately challenging schedules that illustrate their strengths and interests.

Organization

• can use some form of organization (planner, computer) to document sports, due dates, exams,

  meetings, etc.

• plan weeks or months ahead.

• take responsibility for deadlines and plan ahead when asking for extensions.

Self-Awareness

• should be aware of their own academic, athletic, and social strengths and weaknesses.

• need to develop realistic goals for the semester, for the year, and for beyond high school.

Making Connections

• develop at least one close relationship with an advisor, coach, or college counselor.

• need to enjoy taking responsibility for welcoming and mentoring younger students in certain

  athletic and extracurricular positions.

Self-Advocacy

• balance appropriately increased academic and social independence with the knowledge of

  when and how to ask for help.

• confront the increased stress inherent at the beginning of the college process, whether that

  stress is self-imposed, parental, or perceived.

• learn appropriate coping strategies.

Time Management

• experience a gargantuan increase in the need for time-management skills. (This stems from increased homework load, additional responsibilities on teams and extracurricular activities, and improved social life due to acquiring a driver’s license.)

• get used to the absence of downtime or free time, and learn how to make school time an

  appropriate social experience.

Organization

• deal with extended deadlines; longer projects require finer tuning of time-management skills

  and the ability to look ahead.

• manage the demands of even more work in the spring, in addition to the time it takes to apply

  for leadership positions, fill out the Common Application and fill in for the seniors.

Self-Awareness

• know their academic, extracurricular, and athletic limitations and strengths.

• persevere in accomplishing personal goals.

• demonstrate areas of passion and interest.

• present themselves confidently and honestly to college admissions offices.

• continue to explore professional interests (through internships, Senior Thesis, etc.).

Making Connections

• form meaningful connections with members of the community.

• take on mentoring and leadership roles, both formally and informally, with underclassmen

  through being prefects, senior advisors, captains of sports, club leaders, etc.

Self-Advocacy

• identify when and how to ask for help independently.

• manage their stress level and seek appropriate outlets.

• take the lead in the college application process.

Time Management

• plan on a larger scale; they manage monthly and even semester deadlines.

• manage overload and take on the appropriate amount of challenge/rigor.

Organization

• prioritize and balance the requirements of all aspects of their school life: academics, athletics,

  leadership roles, and social and extracurricular activities.

• take responsibility for meeting deadlines and ask for extensions appropriately.