High School Counselor

Position Title: HS Counselor

Division: High School

Supervisor: Principal/Assistant Principal

Position Summary:

The high school counselor works with a team of counselors to provide a comprehensive counseling program to students in grades 9-12. This includes caring for the social, emotional, academic, and college/career development needs of students under his/her care. (S)he also consults with parents, teachers, and administration to best meet student needs.

In order to meet Concordia schoolwide learning outcomes (SLOs) and grade level expectations, the teacher carries out the following broad and specific responsibilities across the following domains: Planning and Preparation, Classroom Management, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities.

Concordia seeks educators who are familiar with embrace MTSS and UDL, designing lessons that meet diverse learning needs and provide equitable opportunities for every student.

Requirements:Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant subject area.

• Appropriate counselor certification.

• Advanced degree or specialization training that supports the teaching role, preferred.

Experience

• High school counseling experience.

• College counseling experience.

• High school counseling experience in an international setting is preferred.

• Well-established connections with university admissions offices is preferred.

• Working successfully with an ethnically diverse population.

• Working with students with learning differences.

• Working with students who are English Language Learners (ELL).

• Working in an international school setting and familiarity with the American educational system, preferred.

• Creating units of work using Universal by Design (UbD) strategies, preferred.

Skills

• Excellent knowledge of the developmental needs of students in this age group.

• Grounded in knowledge about school counseling and teaching and learning.

• Effective communicator – communicates well with a diverse community, active listener, excellent writing and presentation skills.

• Strong organizational and time management skills, program builder, effective problem solver.

• Reflective, is culturally sensitive and uses diplomacy.

• Effective collaborator, team player.

• Highly skillful at using technology, including experience with College Counseling software (eg. Maia Learning, Cialfo, Unifrog) and SIS and LMS software.

• Skilled with analyzing and using data.

• Crisis counseling.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Collaborate with the High School Counseling team, Grade Level Leads and HS Leadership to deliver a comprehensive counseling program.

• Manage a caseload of approximately one-quarter of students in grades 9–12.

• Partner with parents and teachers to guide and support student growth, wellbeing and pursuit of passions/post-secondary goals.

• Liaise with counselors across divisions to ensure continuity of services.

• Support smooth student transitions (from Middle School, from Admissions, and post-graduation).

• Use data and feedback to develop and deliver responsive and proactive programming for students and other stakeholders.

• Participate in summer communications as needed to assist with final results and university placements.

Comprehensive Counseling Responsibilties:

• Social/Emotional/Academic Counseling

• Serve as the first point of contact for teachers and parents regarding student concerns.

• Provide pastoral care and short-term support for students.

• Refer students requiring long-term or specialized support to external providers (using school defined protocols).

• Maintain resource bank for referal services.

• Track and support at-risk students.

• Provide individual and group counseling.

• Maintain open communication with parents and teachers about student wellbeing and progress.

• Facilitate transition programs for grade 9 students, new students, and departing students.

• Provide crisis counseling as needed.

• Participate in the Care and Concern/Student Study Team; follow up on assigned actions.

• Manage academic scheduling, including course selection and changes, for assigned caseload.

• Collaborate with Learning Support, Intensive Learning Support, English Language Development, and Social-Emotional Counseling departments.

• College and Career Counseling

• Lead college and career planning activities for grades 9–12 (for students and families) providing information and guidance into all phases of the research, preparation and application processes.

• Use and maintain university application management software.

• Guide students and families through application processes for a wide range of systems (e.g., US, UK, Canada, Korea, Hong Kong, and others as needed).

• Maintain updated college admission resources.

• Coordinate and host university visits, fairs, and meetings with admissions representatives (in person and virtual).

• Write recommendations/provide referral statements for students on caseload, and provide supplemental materials as needed.

• Oversee submission of college application materials for grade 12 students.

• Analyze and report data related to academic and college counseling outcomes.

• Build and maintain strong professional networks within higher education and the international counseling community.

• Contribute to student and parent college/career programming, workshops, and information sessions.

• Support communications outside of school days as needed to assist with final results and university placements (summer and Christmas holiday, some communication may be necessary).

• Professional Development & Networking

• Attend local and regional counselor meetings as approved by leadership.

• Maintain active membership in professional organizations.

• Engage in professional learning through courses, workshops, and conferences.

• Professionally represent Concordia at international counseling forums as approved by leadership (generally one per year/summer).

• Support and deliver parent education and presentations across divisions.

• Teaching Assignment

• Deliver counseling seminar lessons (delivering SEL and College and Career counseling curriculum based on the ISCA Model)..

• Collaboration with Grade Level Leaders for delivery of advisory programming (aligned with CASEL).

• Grade level guidance as appropriate.

• Extra-curricular Activities

• Addressing the needs of the whole child is an important part of our ethos and a Concordia teacher embraces opportunities to work with students beyond the classroom.

• Contribute to the school and community by participating in one or more student activities outside of the classroom.

• Participate actively in off-campus educational field-experiences (including a weeklong experiential learning trip each year as well a potentially other day trips and college visits as appropriate).

• Support student activities through attendance at and encouragement of student participation in extra-curricular activities.

Teacher/Faculty Expectations

• As a school grounded in the Christian faith, we hire Christian teachers and administrators. Concordia seeks to hire candidates who are able to model Christ’s teachings through interpersonal skills, respectful relationships and problem solving, are interested in the complex questions of faith and spirituality, and are keen to learn and interact with others of different faith traditions.

• Establish collaborative relationships with all staff, students, and parents.

• Engage parents and students in meaningful discussions about student growth and achievement.

• Commit and contribute to the school community—play an active, positive, and supportive role in addressing the needs of the whole child and the ethos of Concordia beyond the classroom. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Leading extra-curricular activities (ECAs) during the school year

• Leading a student club

• Leading a service project

• Integrate the school curriculum with the Schoolwide Learner Outcomes (SLOs).

• Insightful Learners

• Effective Communicators

• Reflective Spiritual Beings

• Principle-Centered Leaders and Team Members

• Active Global Citizens

• Set continuing professional growth goals and take advantage of opportunities for personal and professional development.

• Additional employment expectations:

• Collaborate with Support Staff in working with or monitoring children and managing clerical tasks. Establish expectations and guidelines for these adults in the learning environment and help them understand their roles/responsibilities.

• Undertake additional duties that may reasonably be assigned or requested by the Supervisor such as leading student trips, serving as chaperon roles as needed.

• Other duties as assigned.