Middle School Counselor

Sidwell Friends School, a co-educational Quaker day school, seeks a full time, 11-month School Counselor for our Middle School division in all subjects for (grades 5 – 8). Qualified applicants should have relevant college and graduate degrees, experience working with children, preferably adolescents. The ideal candidate should have previous experience in a school setting and comfort working with faculty, students, and parents.

Job Responsibilities:

• Meets with students individually and in groups as needed
• Organizes and facilitates special groups of students as needed
• Is knowledgeable about, organizes, and facilitates appropriate counseling strategies for the age group.
• Initiates referrals as needed in consultation with families
• Communicates as needed with students’ outside therapists
• Attends meetings of the Student Support Team
• Creates an atmosphere of trust with the student body
• Provides parent educational programs on the developmental stages of adolescents and supporting student wellness
• Participates in decisions about re-enrollment, staffing, and placement with the faculty and administration as needed
• Is trained to handle crisis situations as they arise in the School community
• Helps plan and organize Advisory lessons and collaborates with Health and Wellness teachers as needed
• Keeps an orderly office and maintains student records as required by law in the work of counseling Middle School students.
• Serves as a 7-8 Advisor as needed
• As an 11-month employee, works for two weeks preceding the weeks when all faculty return in August and two weeks after the final day of teaching for faculty in June, including participating in the Middle School transition program for new students in August
• Participates in all other activities required of full time employees

Qualifications:

• At least five years of experience in a counseling role
• Relevant training, including graduate degree and/or license in counseling or social work
• Experience working with Middle School aged children
• Experience in a school setting
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Understanding of and adherence to appropriate confidentiality, including limits thereof in a school setting
• Comfort working with both children and adults
• Patience, flexibility, and adaptability to respond to the changing needs of students

Work Schedule:

• Must be available during school hours, which are 7:45 am – 4:00pm.
• Some night events will be required based on Middle School family programming, including four transition meetings, one per grade, in the beginning of the year and Back to School Night
• Counseling positions at Sidwell Friends School are campus-based, and this position requires being on campus in person.

Salary

Salary $100,000-$130,000. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

To Apply

To be considered, qualified candidates must upload a cover letter, resume, and three references through our online application system (ClearCo). To learn more about our school, please visit https://www.sidwell.edu.

Diversity Statement

Sidwell Friends School affirms the centrality of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of academic and campus life. Honoring a multiplicity of voices, we celebrate shared joys and address tensions productively. Together, we are guided by Quaker testimonies and seek to answer the question, “How do we nurture a sense of belonging in our community and demonstrate our commitment to a just world.”

Salary : $100,000 - $130,000