School Counselor - Elementary

School Counselor – Elementary

Under the supervision of the building administrator, this position assists students in understanding their abilities, aptitudes and interests in light of the opportunities and demands they experience presently or may experience in the future.

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities

Provides support to students

• Provides counsel to students with learning, physical, social, and emotional concerns through conferences held with students on the basis of teacher, parents, principal, or self-referral.
• Provides planned pre-vocational and career awareness programs for the purpose of introducing the student to the world of work.
• Consults and arranges a conference with appropriate school personnel, community agencies, and parents relative to students and their concerns.
• Maintains current information regarding community services for information and referral purposes.
• Coordinates programs and special events related to the counseling program.
• Provides for a smooth transition of transferring students into the school and rising 6th graders into middle school.
• Undertakes, in a cooperative endeavor, the continuous evaluation of the ongoing effectiveness of the guidance and counseling program.
• Provides parent education opportunities.

Provides support to administration and teachers

• Participates on the school's child study committee, as needed.
• Works closely with administration and teachers in planning and implementing classroom guidance and group counseling sessions based on the developmental needs of all students.
• Interprets objective data to classroom teachers, parents, and students.
• Assists in the administration of mandated testing programs, as needed.
• Participates on the school crisis team.

Support and demonstrate core values of Stafford County Public Schools

• Engage in ongoing professional development relevant to position.
• Respond promptly and thoroughly to written and oral requests for information.
• Maintain a clean, neat appearance, appropriate to position.
• Maintain a record of appropriate attendance and punctuality.
• Serve as a role model for students, colleagues, and the general public.
• Work in close harmony with colleagues, supervisors, and co-workers.
• Comply with all District and School policies and regulations, including but not limited to guidelines for confidentiality.
• Perform other related duties as required/assigned.

Education and Experience

• Master's Degree from an accredited college or university and completion of an approved school guidance and counseling program.
• Two (2) years of successful full-time teaching experience or two years of successful experience in guidance and counseling.
• Completed specialized studies in elementary school counseling.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge
  • Child development and growth stages
  • English grammar and usage
  • Individual and group counseling techniques and subject matter pertaining to classroom guidance
  • Adherence to American Counseling Association ethical standards and guidelines
• Skills
  • Appropriate use of written and verbal communication
  • Relate positively to students, parents, and community representatives
• Abilities
  • Assess student needs and develop appropriate strategies for intervention
  • Work cooperatively in a team environment to meet goals
  • Organize and perform work independently
  • Meet deadlines for all work even when working on multiple projects
  • Show sustained effort and enthusiasm in quality and quantity of work

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Work environment is inside an office, with moderate noise, temperatures that are controlled, and no exposure to chemicals or other negative air quality elements.
• The work is light work, requiring exertion of up to 20 pounds of force to move or lift objects.
• The following physical and mental abilities are representative of those expected to complete the essential functions of the job: standing for prolonged periods; sitting for prolonged periods; moving the hands, wrists, or fingers repetitively; moving with force on the back or lower body repetitively; feeling, grasping, or holding objects by hand; identifying colors visually; identifying objects in low light or distant conditions; communicating via spoken language; communicating via written language; perceiving sounds; making decisions using logic and rational thinking.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations shall be made, as required by law, to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.

Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties, just as though they were actually written out in this job description.