Upper Elementary School Counselor

Position Responsibilities
Elementary School Counselor Responsibilities

Student Support & Counseling

• Provide in-class guidance (Second Step Curriculum), individual, and group personal/academic counseling.
• Orient new students and parents, evaluate and place students.
• Work with parents, teachers, and student support staff to develop academic, executive functioning, and/or social-emotional goals for students.
• Serve as a liaison for additional student services.
• Present programs to parents and students as needed.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current Child Safeguarding practices.

Teacher & Program Collaboration

• Support grade-level teachers with student needs, class placement, and morning meeting routines.
• Assist teachers in developing home-school communication systems.
• Collaborate with the School Psychologist on testing programs, interpreting results, and administering standardized tests (Panorama, Tripod).
• Collaborate with Deans of Students, Psychologists, and other Counselors on social-emotional programming initiatives.
• Interpret and evaluate student transcripts and records to ensure accurate and complete information.
• Advise teachers on student needs and abilities.
• Contribute to master schedule development, student registration, and class scheduling.

Professional Development & Administrative

• Stay updated on counseling and elementary topics.
• Ensure effective communication among administrative team members.
• Liaise with Division and Deputy Principals on assigned tasks and school goals.

Other Responsibilities:

• Facilitate effective communication among all administrative team members.
• Act as a liaison with Division and Deputy Principals, completing assigned tasks and supporting school goals.

Personal Attributes:

• Demonstrate leadership through sound professional judgment, integrity, discretion, and accountability when working with students, families, faculty, and administrators.
• Maintain confidentiality and navigate sensitive situations professionally, communicating thoughtfully, managing concerns constructively, and fostering trust and collaboration among stakeholders.
• Serve as a collaborative partner to school leadership and faculty, advocating for the needs of students and families while supporting schoolwide priorities, shared expectations, and a solutions-focused approach to problem-solving.
• Commit to continuous professional growth and development.
• Maintain active involvement with students in various roles.
• Cultivate and sustain effective working relationships.
• Represent SAS professionally to students, parents, staff, and the wider school community.
• Maintain a professional attitude when receiving criticism.
• Enhance personal performance through self-analysis, professional development, educational research, participation in professional organizations, and ongoing renewal programs.

Position Requirements & Qualifications

• Master's (preferred) or Bachelor's Degree
• Counseling certification required
• At least 5 years of successful classroom teaching & counseling experience preferred
• Proven ability to work with teachers, administration, families, and Board of Governors
• Standards-based curriculum experience preferred
• Experience teaching multilingual learners in general classroom settings preferred
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills
• Confident technology skills for teaching and administrative tasks

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.
• Mandatory attendance of school orientation and participation in a minimum of four evening and/or weekend school activities each year, as assigned (including "Back-to-School Night").
• Attend Responsive Classroom professional learning (virtual), specified by the school, in the months before the official start of employment.