Middle School - School Counselor Grades 5-8

Position Summary

The Middle School - School Counselor will support students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. This role requires a proactive approach to counseling, social-emotional learning (SEL), and collaboration with students, faculty, and families. As a member of the Student Support Services Program, the Middle School Counselor will contribute to a positive school culture by providing direct support to students, offering professional development for faculty, and helping shape school policies that enhance student health and safety. The Middle School Counselor plays a crucial role in nurturing students' overall well-being and development, allowing them to thrive academically and personally.

Position Responsibilities  

Reporting to the Director of Student Support and the Middle School Head of School, the Middle School Counselor is responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing Social-Emotional Initiatives that promote student success in Grades 5 through 8. The School Counselor works closely with faculty, students, and families to ensure all learners receive the necessary resources and support to thrive academically and emotionally.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Student Support & Counseling

• Provide short-term, strengths-based, solution-focused counseling to students navigating academic and social-emotional challenges.
• Facilitate student peer support and lunch groups as needed to address specific student needs.
• Develop and implement a time-limited, developmentally appropriate, and prevention-oriented social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum in collaboration with teachers.
• Mediate conflicts between students and help them develop conflict resolution skills.
• Assist teachers with SEL resources to enhance classroom engagement and relationship-building.
• Maintain timely and open communication with parents/caregivers, participate in meetings as needed, and lead parent education workshops.
• Serve as a liaison between students, families, and external health professionals to coordinate care and provide appropriate referrals when necessary.
• Observe and assess classroom practices to offer insights for improving the teaching of social competencies.
• Provide culturally responsive consultation and support for students and families.
• Interpret neuropsychological evaluations and collaborate with teachers and families to develop Student Success Plans tailored to individual student needs.
• Crisis Intervention: Respond to and manage crises, providing immediate support and referral to appropriate services when necessary.
• Maintain accurate and secure record-keeping by: 
• Documenting parent communication and student counseling sessions in the Student Medical Information Database (MAGNUS).
• Uploading neuropsychological evaluations to MAGNUS for secure storage.
  
  

Administrative & School-Wide Initiatives

• Design and deliver professional development for faculty on developmental, social-emotional, and academic issues.
• Collaborate with the leadership team to create, revise, and implement school policies that promote student well-being.
• Represent the school at events outside of school hours, including curriculum nights, new parent events, and admissions events.
• Attend grade-level team meetings to collaboratively problem-solve around student and teacher needs.

School Community Engagement & Expanded Role

• TAG Planning Team: Participate in the school’s TAG (Targeted Advisory Group) team, focusing on SEL initiatives.
• Wellness & Student Clubs and/or Lunch Groups: Co-lead or lead a student club focused on wellness, SEL, or kindness initiatives 
• Deliver targeted SEL lessons in Wellness Classes, focusing on specific topics aligned with student needs and areas of expertise.
• SEL Assemblies: Organize and lead monthly SEL-themed assemblies to reinforce key social-emotional concepts in a school-wide setting.  
• Homeroom & Student Presence: Increase visibility and engagement with students by being present in homerooms before school and circulating through third-floor common areas during student downtime.
• Middle School Guest Speaker Series and Parent Outreach: Research and coordinate guest speakers to bring in experts on relevant topics to enhance students’ SEL education.

Position Requirements

• Master's, including courses and/or concentrations in school counseling, preferred
• Proven experience as a classroom teacher, special education, and/or learning specialist or in a related role.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to multitask and manage diverse responsibilities in a dynamic school environment.
• Understanding of and respect for the mission of Sacred Heart education.
• Willingness to participate actively in the life of the wider school community by serving as a moderator for a grade level, and a moderator for a co-curricular student activity; participating in weekly community time (announcements, chapel, class meeting); attending occasional evening and weekend events; and other duties as assigned

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

This role requires the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds. It also demands mobility, including standing, sitting, walking, and using extremities for tasks such as reaching, holding, touching, pushing, and lifting. The job typically involves 25% sitting, 25% walking, and 50% standing, performed in a generally hazard-free environment with minimal temperature variations. Depending on the classroom assignment, the role may require relocating between classrooms throughout the day, including ascending and descending stairs. Occasionally, extended hours are necessary, including after school, evenings, and weekends.  Newton Country Day's campus consists of multiple buildings, playing fields, and outdoor learning spaces, connected by external walkways and stairs. This position requires moving between these areas in all weather conditions.

Newton Country Day School is an equal opportunity employer.  MA law requires fingerprint-based and criminal offender record information (CORI) checks for all employees working in public and private schools.

About Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart

Newton Country Day is an academically rigorous school for girls in Grades 5-12, located just outside of Boston. NCDS is a member of the International Network of Sacred Heart Schools, which are located in over 40 countries and in more than 20 locations in the United States.

Connections working at Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart