Students Treated Like Children During Cringe-Fest Advisory. North Middlesex Regional High School—what are we even doing anymore?

By The ClearScope Network | @ClearScopeNet

September 5, 2025

Welcome back, North Middlesex students! And in case you forgot you were in high school, your first two weeks of Advisory made absolutely sure to remind you… that you’re apparently still in third grade.

In what many students are calling "cringey," and "awkward," North Middlesex Regional High School kicked off what used to be FLEX Block with a painfully outdated video on bullying titled “It Only Takes One.” Spoiler alert: it only took one minute to realize this was going to be a waste of time.

The short film features painfully stereotypical characters — the Mean Girls trio, the Awkward Target, and a final scene that tries (and fails) to tug at heartstrings with a dramatic handshake. Yes, really. The acting? Wooden. The message? Fine in theory. The execution? Pure elementary school energy and an embarrassment for the school.

Pop Quiz, Kids!

Because nothing says “we trust our young adults” like a worksheet, students were then told to open their Advisory Journals™ (yes, this is real) and reflect on deep questions such as:

1. What do you think happened before the video?

2. What is the red-haired girl thinking?

3. What about the mean girls?

4. Why did other students get out their phones?

5. Would you have shaken hands?

6. What happened after the video?

7. What is a bully, and why do people bully?

Let’s be clear: these are questions that would feel more at home in a second-grade circle time than in a room full of teenagers, some of whom are a semester away from voting or already eligible to vote.

The Death of FLEX Block

Here’s what makes this worse: until this year, that same time period was FLEX Block—an effective part of the school day where students could pick which teacher to visit, collaborate with friends, or get the academic support they actually needed. It was student-driven, useful, and respected by the people who needed it most: the students themselves.

But FLEX is gone. Why? Because, according to administration, too many students were “wandering the school" and "not using the time wisely." So instead of cracking down on those skipping or misusing it, they scrapped it entirely—punishing everyone.

Now, everyone is locked into Advisory. No movement, no freedom to seek help from the teachers they actually need. Just pre-packaged "community building" fluff.

Juice Box Logic

The problem isn’t that students don’t want structure. The problem is that this structure feels detached from reality, like someone in a boardroom googled “fun classroom activities” without realizing they’re in a high school. High schoolers don’t need to pretend they’re in the third grade. They need time to catch up on work, decompress, and actually talk to the people they already trust—like their teachers or classmates.

It’s been said that Advisory will eventually evolve into something more FLEX-like. But so far, all students have seen is community building games, forced convos, and activities better suited for a 3rd grade morning meeting. If that evolution is coming, where is it?

Students Deserve Better

Let’s be clear: North Middlesex students aren’t asking for a free-for-all. They’re asking for respect, autonomy, and a space that recognizes they’re young adults—not toddlers.

If the administration truly believes in student growth, it’s time to start treating students like they can handle it. Give Advisory a purpose. Let students use that time meaningfully—even if it’s just a modified FLEX system where students stay in their assigned rooms but work on what they need.

By assigning performative empathy exercises and scripted interactions, the administration may be missing the bigger picture: Teenagers know when something is inauthentic. And when they feel talked down to, they tune out — fast.

 Let’s Talk Respect (For Students)

Nobody is denying that bullying is a serious issue. And yes, real conversations about empathy and behavior matter. But turning a room full of juniors and seniors into passive viewers of a low-budget drama and then having them journal about hypothetical handshakes?

It’s not just ineffective — it’s condescending.

Message to Admin: Trust Your Students

North Middlesex is filled with smart, capable, thoughtful students. Many are juggling AP classes, jobs, and leadership roles. They deserve programming that challenges them, that treats them like the near-adults they are — not like kids who need a moral-of-the-story video to figure out that bullying is bad.

Until then, Advisory risks becoming little more than a weekly exercise in forced cringery and quiet rebellion — a time slot better spent doing literally anything else.

But hey… it only takes one, right?

Stay sharp. Stay clear. Stay informed.