Elementary School Counselor

School Description

Wildwood School is currently seeking a dynamic mental health professional who is interested in and responsive to an evolving and innovative educational environment. At the center of learning is a dynamic social/emotional curriculum that anchors our support of all the areas of children's development. Central to our K-12 program is an emphasis on student-centered inquiry that is hands-on, collaborative, discerning, and reflective. Students are expected to think critically in authentic ways about how to think (not what to think) and to develop a sense of intrinsic motivation as lifelong learners. Learning at Wildwood is rigorous and complex. Wildwood students gain an understanding of who they are, how they think, how they feel, what they can do, and why.

Position Description

The current opening for an elementary school counselor calls for a professional who is interested and experienced in working with elementary (K-5) students, families, faculty, and administration. Reporting to the director of the elementary school, the elementary school counselor is part of a collaborative administrative team that consistently works together in service to caring for the whole child and honoring the phase of development that is childhood.

Wildwood School seeks an ambitious, confident, friendly, and highly organized school thought leader with:

• Experience as an elementary school counselor
• Degree(s) in psychology, social work, counseling, and/or related relevant disciplines
• Exceptionally strong organizational, communication, collaboration, time management, and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated commitment to anti-bias education and diversity, equity, and inclusion, and belonging work
• Good intuition, sound judgment, and patience
• Superior skills in project management and systems implementation
• A strong work ethic
• Genuine care for and inclination toward elementary school students
• Expert understanding of child developmental stages
• Proven success working with parents with care, empathy, and a sense of humor
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues and outside consultants

Specific responsibilities of the elementary school counselor include, but are not limited to:

• Applying clinical knowledge and constructs to collaborate with teachers, parents, administrators, and outside professionals to establish developmentally appropriate strategies for supporting students academically, emotionally, socially, and behaviorally. This includes providing expertise regarding SEL curriculum and classroom management.
• Intervening when a student or students require responsive services, including counseling, consultation, referral, and/or information
• Planning and leading parent education that deepens parents' understanding of social/emotional development, decision-making, health and wellness, and parenting
• Maintaining current and relevant crisis information resources and sharing them with parents when needed, as well as providing individual support to families in crises
• Training and coaching faculty and staff in social/emotional curriculum.
• Teaching elementary school components of the health curriculum, including human development and healthy decision-making
• Interfacing as necessary with outside mental health resources, as well as local and state agencies responsible for providing services to children in need
• Supervising and supporting children's recess time on Big Yard as it relates to social skills, including conflict resolution

Core responsibilities of all Wildwood School administrators include:

• Actively participating in and contributing to the daily operation of the school, including some weekend and evening events
• Supporting the work of recruitment, retention, evaluation, and support of faculty
• Actively being a part of and contributing to the K-12 counseling team
• Designing and implementing professional development opportunities
• Understanding and willingness to step into work as needed, even when that work is outside the immediate scope of the role
• Participation in the admission process - namely, interviewing and serving on the admission committee, and participating in Admissions events

School Location

Located on the Westside of Los Angeles, close to the 405 and 10 freeways, the elementary campus has easy access to the coast, a wide array of museums, myriad cultural opportunities, and the Los Angeles International Airport. School employees live as close as a few blocks away or as far away as Long Beach, Pasadena, or areas east of East Los Angeles.

Salary Range: $85,000 to $120,000. The higher end of the range is reserved for those with decades of experience and/or advanced degrees.

Wildwood School is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit. We aim to have the best available talent in every position.

Wildwood School policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, gender identity, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. Wildwood School also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. All such discrimination is unlawful.