Senior School Guidance Counsellor
Reports to: Director of Student Services
Position Group: Faculty
Teaching Accountability: Full-Time 1.0 FTE
Term: Full Time (1.0FTE) continuing after successful probationary period
Overview
STS currently seeks a Senior School Guidance Counsellor to support high-achieving Grade 10-12 students in navigating their social/emotional lives in healthy and productive ways.
Working closely with the Head of the Senior School, the successful candidate collaborates with other Student Support Services team members to develop an innovative health and wellness program that informs, educates, and supports students' emotional health and wellness needs.
The Senior School Guidance Counsellor proactively identifies areas of concern for students and develops strategies to improve student resilience through focused capacity-building. Understanding the essential role that parents play in partnership with the school, the successful candidate cultivates positive relationships with all members of the STS community.
Finally, the Senior School Guidance Counsellor demonstrates a sound knowledge of current and emerging mental health, identity, and social-emotional issues affecting youth and recommends research-based solutions to the Director of Student Services.
Core Areas of Responsibility
- Develop an inviting and safe counselling space for all students;
- Counsel students on emotional, social, academic and family issues, including mental health risk assessments and crisis intervention for students in Grades 10-12;
- Work with faculty to implement and improve universal support for student wellbeing and mental health;
- Communicate when appropriate with faculty and parents to support student wellbeing;
- Ensure compliance with Alberta Education's and other regulatory bodies' regulations regarding counselling protocols, student records and learning accommodations;
- Coordinate with outside agencies as required concerning student services and student support;
- Help to develop a parent information speaker series that focuses on student support and student wellbeing issues;
- Use school-based data to proactively design and implement strategies, social supports and behavioural interventions as warranted;
- Develop, oversee, and ensure appropriate counselling and wellbeing programs that promote positive relation- ships among and between Grade 10-12 students and student groups (e.g. anti-bullying programs, mental health, Diversity Week, Pink Shirt day, Physical Health Education, etc.;
- Other duties as assigned.
Experience, Skills, Technical, and Behavioral Competencies
- Master's degree in Counseling or Social Work or comparable/related experience;
- Minimum five years of counselling experience in a public or independent school.
Professional Development
- Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and reflection to refine teaching practice;
- Engage in ongoing professional learning;
- Keep current on educational research about how students learn and factors that influence students’ learning and achievement;
- Ensure that skill development and technology use by students keeps pace with changing needs at the post-secondary level to ensure that students are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
Applications Instructions
Applications must contain a cover letter, your resume, a Teaching Philosophy Statement (limited to one page), the names and contact information for three work-related references one of which must be a direct supervisor (your references will not be contacted without your prior consent).
Please submit your application via email to careers@sts.ab.ca with the position noted in the subject line. Please do not send documents via OneDrive or other cloud-based services and please do not send letters of reference, evaluations, and/or transcripts unless asked to do so.
Applications will be reviewed as received and interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early as the position may be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is selected.
We thank all those who apply, but only those selected to participate in the next phase of our interview process will be contacted.
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School provides a welcoming environment for all employees and encourages diversity among staff and students as part of our commitment to the Alberta Human Rights Act.
Downloads
