Job Description

Position Responsibilities

Middle School Counselor Responsibilities

Counseling Duties:


Be a champion for a positive student life experience at SAS, working to support students and teachers Provide academic counseling services to a broad range of students, including assisting with class schedule setting, regular monitoring of academic progress, and collaborating with teachers and parents regarding academic progress Provide skilled direct counseling services in the form of individual/group counseling in consultation with parents, teachers and other related professionals Respond to complex social-emotional needs and provide personal counselling to students, including assessing level of severity/threat, plan short-term counseling support (6-8 sessions), triangulate services and support with parents, teachers, administrators, school psychologist, and mental health providers within the community. (While not a long-term/ therapeutic setting, the expectation is that counselors would be able to provide short-term support addressing mental health issues.) Encourage student involvement in extracurricular activities, guiding them towards making healthy extra-curricular choices Review academic files of incoming students, determining course placement and potential learning support(s) Collaborate with School Psychologist on student mental health/academic concerns Organize Orientation sessions for students and parents new to the school Provide support to the parent community through 1:1 consultation and larger-scale parent education programs Be a member of the SAS crisis team and assist during critical incidents Collaborate with teachers in service of students Collaborate with Admissions, Learning Support teachers and Administration Attend PLC meetings and counseling department events Participate in the development and sustainability of Peer Support Programs Create student support groups and activities, as needed
Other Responsibilities:


Promote and ensure effective communication between all administrative team members. Liaise with the Division Principal and Deputy Principals, taking on tasks as assigned, including all school goals.
Personal:


Demonstrate commitment to personal continuous professional growth and development. Continue involvement with students in various capacities. Develop and maintain effective working relationships. Represent SAS with students, parents, staff, and the broader school community in a professional manner. Exhibit a professional attitude toward criticism. Recognize and strengthen personal performance through self-analysis of actions, participating in professional development activities, exploring educational research, participating in professional organizations, and through formal renewal programs.

Position Requirements & Qualifications

Position Qualifications:


Master's (preferred) or Bachelor's Degree Counseling certification required At least 5 years of successful classroom teaching & counseling experience preferred Excellent organizational and communication skills Ability to adapt to flexible working conditions Ability to provide lessons/presentations on topics relating to socio-emotional learning to parents, students and faculty Willingness to provide extracurricular opportunities for students (i.e., clubs, coaching, etc.) Ability to work in a collaborative setting with a diverse team (i.e, admin, counselors, learning support, etc.) Experience working with middle school scheduling systems (ie Powerschool or similar) and strong technological skills (Google Apps, etc) Skilled at supporting students with a variety of learning differences. A strong background working with students in a school setting presenting with a range of mental health issues, including but not limited to: Anxiety, Trauma, Self-Injury, Depression, Suicide Ideation, Eating Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive, Esteem, Organization, Time management, Technology issues, Parenting difficulties (including crisis parenting issues), etc.
Preferred Qualifications:


Experience working with middle school students Experience working in a diverse, multicultural environment Background using positive, proactive behavior interventions and support for students.

Working Requirements

Sponsoring and/or coaching after-school activities are part of the responsibility of the professional educator. Therefore, faculty shall be available to coach and/or sponsor an athletic team or other extracurricular activity. Each faculty member is expected to do a minimum of one Category 1 activity or sport per year. Required attendance at school professional learning days * Chaperone and participate in evening and/or weekend school activities each year, as assigned (including "Back-to-School Night").