The Purpose of Advisory…

Advisory at Bronx Letters is designed explicitly to teach the social and emotional skills students need to become successful young adults and positive members of the BAL community.

I. Learning Leadership - At Bronx Letters, there are many situations where you will be expected to lead and activity or group of students and/or adults.  Learning how to lead is not natural for everyone and also one of life’s most important skills. During advisory, each of you will have the opportunity to lead, learn how to support others, and also define what type of leader you are and want to become.

II. Building Relationships - At Bronx Letters, we expect everyone to learn how to create and sustain positive relationships with adults and fellow students. Therefore, we teach you how to do this. Through peer mediation, conflict-resolution, and active listening workshops, you will learn the skills to help you stay an active positive member of your school community and work well with all those around you.  

III. Self-Awareness - Do you ever start to feel your temper rise and worry how you might act in a stressful situation?  Most people do. There are specific strategies you can learn to control your emotions and understand why you react the way you do to certain events. As you grow older, learning to “control yourself” becomes a critical skill to have.  Through individual and group reflection, you will understand what some of your “triggers” are and how you can avoid and positively respond to them.

THE BRONX ACADEMY OF LETTERS' HOUSE SYSTEM

The house system was created when the school first started and is organized to provide you, the student, with a voice in your student government and the day-to-day operations of your school.

Each house is made up of the following:

• one advisory group from each grade (6-12)
• four to six non-advisor staff members
• a junior or senior Prefect (student leader of the house)
• a House Representative (one representative from the house – any grade)
• a House Leader (staff leader of the house)

Prefects self-nominate or are nominated by staff and are then elected by the students in their house at the end of each year. In addition to their responsibilities to the house, they serve on the House Councils and Prefect Council, the primary student government bodies in the school.

House Representatives are elected in a similar fashion to the Prefect, with the exception that the 6^th and 9^th grade representatives join the House Council in November of the 9^th grade year (after October elections). House Councils convene regularly with their Prefect and/or House Leader.

HOUSE COUNCIL

The six houses are named after significant Bronx or New York “people of the word” and each house works to build a culture around the importance of their particular founder or namesake. Each house also celebrates a Founder’s Day, for which students organize a special all-school assembly to celebrate the person for whom their house is named.

Baker House is named for Ella Baker, the African American Civil Rights and women’s rights activist who dedicated much of her life to the NAACP.

De Burgos House is named for Julia de Burgos, the celebrated Puerto Rican poet whose dedication to women’s rights and Puerto Rican independence has inspired many of the great Caribbean women writers.

Parker House is named for Kris Parker, also known as KRS One, the Bronx rapper and activist widely known for his celebration of Hip Hop as a culture.

Piñero House is named for Miguel Piñero, the Puerto Rican playwright and poet acclaimed as one of the fathers of the Nuyorican movement.

Saddler House is named for Joseph Saddler, also known as Grandmaster Flash, the South Bronx DJ highly regarded for his socially relevant material and often given credit for the development of several fundamental DJ techniques.