Founded in 1961, Sandy Spring Friends School is a progressive, coed, academically-rigorous day and boarding school serving approximately 600 students from age three through 12th grade. The campus is located on 140 acres in the historic Sandy Spring area of Montgomery County, Maryland, and the School is approved by the Maryland State Board of Education and accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools.
Our school’s culture, rooted in the idea that collaboration engenders achievement, can be traced to our Quaker heritage and abiding belief in the Quaker values of simplicity, equality, honesty, stewardship of the environment, and peaceful resolution of conflict.
Summary: Under direct supervision of the Assistant Head of School, the direction of the Head of Lower School, and collaboration with the Assistant Head of Lower School, the Lower School Counselor is responsible for leading efforts around social-emotional learning and mental health within the Lower School at Sandy Spring Friends School. This is an interim position for the 2023-2024 school year.
Responsibilities:
Serves as a member of the Lower School Student Resource Team as a collaborator with administration and faculty in service of the students and families
Provides social and emotional support to PK3 - 5 students
Serves as family-school liaison in respect to life and change events
Provides parent education and resources for relevant social emotional learning topics
Develops, implements, and teaches PK3 - Grade 5 social emotional learning curriculum
Supports teacher development, implementation, and delivery of social emotional learning for students
Collaborates with the Counseling Department to assure cross-divisional and all school congruence
Collaborates with the Office of Institutional Equity, Justice, and Belonging to align our wellness and mental health initiatives with positive identity development and culturally responsive pedagogy
Assists with Admissions responsibilities which may include Open Houses, tours, observing and assessing applicants, and reviewing applicant files as needed
Requirements:
Masters in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or related field with a focus on child development
Two to 5 years of counseling experience
Licensed or license eligible in MD preferred (Counseling, Psychology, Social Work)
Demonstrated successful experience working with elementary-aged children
Experience in fostering partnerships with adults and children
An advocate for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in early childhood and elementary education
Please note that the School has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination, including documentation of a booster shot given five months or more since you completed the final dose in the primary series.
Physical Requirements: Daily desk work including computer time; as part of daily routines, mobility around a large campus with uneven pavement and managing stairs; bending and squatting as required to participate in classroom activities; shifting furniture as needed, lift/carry boxes up to 25 pounds; the ability to maneuver as necessary within a classroom setting; frequent walking inside and outside as part of general job duties and responding to students and/or incidents.
Commitment to Diversity: Sandy Spring Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or a person's status as a qualified candidate with a disability in administration of its educational program, admission policies, financial aid program, staff hiring, and other school-administered programs.
Please submit a cover letter, resume, completed application, and three professional references by selecting the link.
Founded in 1961, Sandy Spring Friends School is a progressive, coed, academically-rigorous day and boarding school serving approximately 600 students from age three through 12th grade. The campus is located on 140 acres in the historic Sandy Spring area of Montgomery County, Maryland, and the School is approved by the Maryland State Board of Education and accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools.
SSFS offers an inquiry-based college preparatory program that emphasizes deep understanding throughout the curriculum while encouraging collaboration, instilling confidence, fostering practical experience, and cultivating respect for others. The School's teachers help students internalize a process we call "QRA” —Question, Reflection, Action—which ensures that they think critically, integrate new knowledge, and apply what they learn. We help students develop their individual sense of purpose as they become caring citizens of the world.
Our school’s culture, rooted in the idea that collaboration engenders achievement, can be traced to our Quaker heritage and abiding belief in the Quaker values of simplicity, equality, honesty, stewardship of the environment, and peac...eful resolution of conflict. Our teachers are lifelong mentors and strive to identify and cultivate each student’s intellectual, extracurricular, and social passions. In doing so, we help shape students whose actions speak volumes and whose lives become exemplars—not only among their peers and families today but also in their personal, educational, and professional communities long after high school. Sandy Spring Friends School students are taught to act upon what they learn. This call to action propels their accomplishments as graduates, in college, and beyond.
