4th - 8th Grade School Counselor

Philadelphia School•Philadelphia, PA

29d•$70 - $80

About The Position

4th-8th Grade School Counselor The Philadelphia School (TPS) is a Preschool - Grade 8 progressive, independent school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with an enrollment of approximately 420 students. Since our founding in 1972, The Philadelphia School has grown in size, complexity, and diversity. This growth has been rooted firmly in the progressive values with which our founders began: immersive learning, responsive pedagogy, and meaningful engagement with the world. Position Summary: The Philadelphia School is seeking a warm and dynamic full-time School Counselor to support the social, emotional, and academic development of students in grades 4 through 8. The ideal candidate will have experience working in an elementary or middle school providing counseling services as well as implementing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programming. One unique aspect of this role is that the counselor will co-teach our sexuality curriculum to students in the Junior Unit (4th and 5th grade) and Middle School (6th-8th grade).

Requirements

Master’s degree in school counseling, social work or related field with significant counseling experience required
5-year minimum preferred
Licensure and/or certification in school counseling, social work, or related field required
Knowledge of and experience with developmental, social, emotional and cognitive needs of students in late childhood and early adolescence
Ability to work in a collegial and highly collaborative environment
Ability to work with a variety of stakeholders like teachers, caregivers, administrators, etc. in moving forward a plan for a student or students
Ability to respond to acute emergent situations with calm, ease, and tact
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Strong verbal and written communication skills across a range of audiences
Commitment to a progressive, dynamic, and diverse school community
Sensitivity, cultural competence, and good judgment

Nice To Haves

Familiarity or experience with Responsive Classroom and restorative justice practices preferred

Responsibilities

Provide short term, goal-focused supportive counseling for individuals and groups of students
Plan and deliver Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons within a responsive classroom framework that strengthen students’ intra- and inter-personal skills such as conflict resolution, self-care, and boundary setting
Co-teach sexuality education
Engage in ongoing collaboration and consultation with a multi-disciplinary team including the school psychologist, school counselor, administrators, learning specialists, teachers, and other professionals
Collaborate with teachers to increase student engagement and wellness
Consult with caregivers to strengthen school-home partnerships
Respond professionally and effectively to crisis situations that may involve individual students (e.g. suspected abuse, reports of self-harm) or groups of students (e.g. frightening event in the news, loss of community member)
Document student and parent interactions, meetings, and communications
Provide psycho-education to faculty and families
Engage in professional development to maintain current knowledge