School Counselor & Social-Emotional Learning Coordinator

START DATE                August 2023

REPORTS TO               Director of Learning Services

ROLE                           Faculty

FLSA DESIGNATION    Exempt- Salaried

SCHEDULE                   10-month position, full-time

COMPENSATION        $75,000-$120,000 based upon various factors, including education, credentials, and experience.

The Position

Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School, an independent school in Saratoga, CA, is seeking a full-time School Counselor & Social-Emotional Learning Coordinator beginning in August 2023 to develop programs and implement best practices for school counseling services and social-emotional learning. The school counselor will collaborate closely with the Lower and Middle School Heads, Chaplains, and the Director of Learning Services to provide guidance to individual students and consult with parents, teachers, and administrators regarding student social/emotional needs.

About the School

Located in Saratoga, CA Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School is an independent school for Pre K (4 years old) through 8th grade students. Saint Andrew’s is a wholehearted community of learners with a wholehearted commitment to cultivating student happiness, academic achievement and character. The school’s complete, balanced and inspiring approach to education ensures that graduates are exceptionally good people who are exceptionally well-prepared to thrive in high school, college, and life. Founded by Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in September 1961, the school opened with single sections of Kindergarten and First Grade, then subsequent grades were added each year to Grade 8. Today, the school has 398 students from over 15 communities in the San Jose/South Bay and Peninsula Area.

Saint Andrew’s sits alongside Big Basin Road which leads in and out of Saratoga, CA. The view from the road belies the depth of the campus which stretches back many acres and well along the path of the Saratoga Creek.

School Mission – A wholehearted education in the ❤️ of Silicon Valley.

The mission of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School is to offer an enriched curriculum within the tradition and values of the Episcopal Church. We aim to educate the whole student, developing as fully as possible the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social capacities of each student.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

By embracing diversity, we are a stronger community.

Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School is a community rooted in kindness. We believe that learning happens best when we bring our whole self to school. We support every person’s right to define, express, and live comfortably within their own evolving identity. We are committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that recognizes the worth of each individual.

Our Episcopal faith is anchored in inclusivity and love as guided by the National Association of Episcopal Schools. One of its hallmarks is to celebrate the diversity of beliefs and perspectives around life’s questions, no matter one’s traditions. Human reason and critical thinking in the pursuit of knowledge are valued as a means to grow deeper in our spiritual journey. Episcopal schools cultivate a strong sense of ethics and develop agents of change through all aspects of the student experience.

Essential Functions:

The duties of the School Counselor & Social-Emotional Learning Coordinator include but are not limited to the following:

• Serve as a resource to the community on early childhood through adolescent issues
• Work with the Lower and Middle School faculty to promote a positive emotional climate and cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that recognizes the worth of each individual
• Provide leadership in the overall development, implementation and ongoing evaluation of the social-emotional learning program with a focus on embracing all kinds of diversity
• Plan and teach developmentally appropriate and prevention-oriented social-emotional lessons and activities to meet student needs
• Manage student cases, maintain communication with parents, teachers, and outside providers regarding the social/emotional needs of students
• Assist students, individually or in groups, with developing emotional/social skills, embracing their evolving identity, and recognizing their individual worth
• Provide short term individual counseling to students with identified concerns and needs
• Make recommendations for acute and long-term care as well as follow-up actions, and refer students to outside mental health professionals
• Follow up on referrals from teachers as assigned by the Division Heads
• Accurately and appropriately use assessment procedures for determining and structuring individual and group counseling services
• Keep careful clinical notes and records of all student cases
• Serve as a member of the Learning Services Department (reporting to the Director of Learning Services) and on the Lower and Middle School Student Support Teams as needed
• Partner with learning services team and faculty to design and implement behavior plans to support student success in and out of the classroom
• Participate in parent-teacher conferences as needed
• Develop strong relationships with faculty and staff to support student success
• Participate in, and help support, Back to School Nights, student conferences, graduation and admissions events as appropriate
• Leading professional development and parent education sessions
• Engage in ongoing professional development experiences, including out of the area opportunities, throughout the calendar year (including summer) as directed and supported by the administration
• Lifting up to 25 lbs.
• Mobility to move around campus and participate in student field trips, including overnight trips

Preferred Background & Characteristics:

• MA, MEd, or MS in School Counseling, psychology, or social work
• Active license as a clinician (LMHC, LCSW, LICSW, School Social Worker, School Guidance Counselor or School Psychologist, or a doctoral level degree in the field of psychology)
• Experience working with elementary and middle school students and families; school-based mental health counseling experience
• Excellent knowledge of child development, latest education theories and practices, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), social thinking, and current trends in education and professional development
• Strong interpersonal and clinical skills
• An enthusiastic and strong work ethic
• Be a team player and self-starter
• Planning and organizing skills
• Commitment to lifelong learning
• Independent school experience

Contact Information