Job Summary

Reporting to the Primary School Principal, the Primary School Counselor works closely with the respective administrative team to support the social and emotional well-being of students, parents and faculty.  The PS Counselor, in coordination with Primary School administration, will work to create a safe and welcoming environment for all students and be a resource for short term psycho-emotional counseling, support and education for the WIS community. Utilizing leadership, advocacy and collaboration, the PS Counselor promotes student success, provides preventive services and delivers a comprehensive school counseling program for all students.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Contribute to the WIS Mission and Values.
2. Contribute to a climate of respect and understanding amongst faculty and staff, students, and parents.
3. Create and establish an atmosphere of trust; build rapport with students by being visible and connecting with students in numerous and varied situations. 
4. Provide individual and/or small group counseling as needed. 
5. Participate in meetings to discuss a student’s educational needs and recommend interventions and solutions with the administration, the Student Support Team and faculty. 
6. Conduct classroom observations and guide the development of classroom-based strategies for social/emotional support of students.
7. Oversee and execute distance education support as directed and needed: collaborate with faculty on development and management of online courses and student engagement, communicate with faculty and students on best practices, problem-solve on issues to promote a connected and positive learning environment.
8. Assist students and families in crisis counseling on a short-term basis and make appropriate referrals as necessary. 
9. Communicate with parents in a timely fashion regarding the well-being of the student. 
10. Collaboratively plan and teach lessons which focus on establishing a core of social and emotional competencies. 
11. Coordinate with faculty on lessons concerning student personal and emotional development; work with faculty on managing and fostering students’ social-emotional development. 
12. Present to faculty, parents and/or students on strategies and interventions related to social and emotional growth and development.
13. Communicate with administrative and staff colleagues in other divisions to ensure continuity of student support services.  
14. Manage and monitor social-emotional cases. 
15. Maintain proper and confidential student records. 
16. Maintain an extensive list of professional services to share with the division community as well as to facilitate appropriate referrals.
17. Serve as an ongoing liaison between the School and outside professionals and services.
18. Promote a positive climate among students, staff and community.
19. Perform other duties as may be prescribed by the Head of School from time to time.