Monadnock Regional School District LogoMonadnock Regional School District

School Counselor - Middles School

Swanzey, New HampshireFull-time
About the Job
To Apply: https://www.applitrack.com/mrsd/onlineapp/

Purpose: The role of school counselor for the Monadnock Regional School District is to provide academic, behavioral and social emotional counseling to maximize student success by promoting access and equity for all students. School Counselors reach ALL students through a comprehensive school counseling program. School counselors serve as a member of their school community and are part of the school counseling team of the Monadnock Regional School District.

Supervisor: Building Principal

Minimum Qualifications:
School counselors for the Monadnock Regional School District:
  • Are licensed school counselor educators through the New Hampshire Department of Education.
  • Follow the Ethical Standards for School Counselors as outlined by American School Counseling Association (ASCA) and NH state law.
  • Follow the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies. These standards and competencies outline the mindsets and behaviors MRSD school. counselors need in order to meet the rigorous demands of the school counseling profession and the needs of our pre-K–12 students.
  • Follow all professional standards of the Monadnock Regional School District.
  • Are Familiar with ALMA, IReady, Naviance and Acuity 504 plan management system.

Knowledge: 
  • Stages of child development/behavior.
  • American School Counseling Association National Model.
  • Counseling theory and techniques.
  • Child and adolescent development.
  • Section 504 policies and procedures.
  • State and Federal Regulations.
  • School and local resources.
  • Instructional procedures and practices.
  • Program planning and development.
  • Appropriate students learning activities.

Skills: 
  • Excellent oral and written communication.
  • Proficient with technology, including relevant software applications.
  • Preparing and maintaining accurate records.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of counseling theory and technique, child and adolescent development, and state and federal regulations.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the American School Counseling Association National Model.
  • Ability to create an environment of respect and rapport, manage routines and procedures and contribute to the culture for student behavior.
  • Ability to deliver services and formulate academic, personal/social, and career plans by assessing student needs.
  • Solid communication skills, ability to meet deadlines and willingness to participate in a professional community.
  • The ability to work collaboratively with various school and district staff as well as community resources.

Abilities:
  • Adapting to changing work priorities.
  • Communicating with diverse groups and individuals.
  • Understanding detailed information and data.
  • Collaborating and working as part of a team.
  • Establishing a culture for productive communication.
  • Assisting students and teachers in the formulation of academic, personal/social, and career plans, based on knowledge of student needs.

Essential Functions:
  • Collaborate with the Director of School Counseling and the MRSD school counseling team to design and deliver a comprehensive school counseling program that improves student outcomes.
  • Collaborate with administration and faculty to provide a strong, rigorous academic experience for all students.
  • Lead, advocate, and collaborate to provide access and equity for all students.
  • Ensure all students have equal access to school counseling services.
  • Provide support, promote and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion for all students.
  • Collaborate and communicate with students and parents/guardians regarding academic and social/emotional outcomes.
  • Collaborate with teachers and administration to identify student academic, behavioral and social/emotional barriers and provide interventions to develop skills and behaviors critical for academic development.
  • Reflect, adapt and adjust practice based on student needs, feedback and data collection.
  • Understand and implement the ASCA National Model.
  • Understand and implement the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career- Readiness for Every Student.
  • Maintain license through NHDOE.
  • Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Provide direct services to students through instruction, appraisal and advisement and counseling.
  • Register and orient all new students to teams in the middle school.
  • Work with students and families through the withdrawal process when necessary.
  • Facilitate completion of student schedule including necessary changes.
  • Provide Career inventory exploration to all middle school students..
  • Update and ensure distribution of Program of Studies.
  • Scheduling of classes for all students.
  • Provide instruction in communication, problem solving, decision making, conflict resolution and study skills.
  • Advise and counsel students regarding academic, and short-term personal/social and emotional problems.
  • Monitor academic progress of students on caseload.
  • Monitor attendance of students on caseload.
  • Monitor incident data of students on caseload.
  • Provide redirection and support with social conflict.
  • Provide short term (4-6 week) counseling sessions if/when needed.
  • Create and monitor intervention plans for academic, attendance or behavioral intervention.
  •  Provide individual student planning and responsive services to support students and their families regarding academic, behavioral and personal/social/emotional matters.
  • Attend Parent/Teacher conferences.
  • Participate on a Student Success Teams, identify students who may need targeted or intensive services, and coordinates with behavioral health specialists.
  • Communicates, coordinates, and collaborates with behavioral health specialists on developing and implementing student supports.
  • Provide Individual short term (4-6 week) counseling sessions if/when needed.
  • Facilitate the MRSD Section 504 process and 504 student plans.
  • Coordinate services for families with food insecurity.
  • Provide classes and counseling to students through planned activities in small group or classroom settings to convey educational, social, and important school information, and offers outside support for students and parents/guardians.      
  • Academic and Career planning.
  • Transition planning (6th to 7th grade and 8th - 9th grade).
  • Coordinate IReady, NAEP, TAPS and NHSAS testing.
  • Provide short term (4-6 week) small group skill building sessions if/when needed.
  • Provide information, interventions and support to parents/guardians regarding research based strategies for student's academic and behavioral success.

Maintain professional school and district responsibilities: 
  • Participate in staff meetings.
  • Participate in school and district committees.
  • Engage in appropriate professional development activities.
  • Provide leadership in promoting and maintaining a positive school culture.
  • Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Working Environment:
The usual methods of performing the job of Middle School Counselor may require the following physical demands:  
  • Minimal amount(s) of:   lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling.
  • Moderate amount(s) of:   fine finger dexterity, repetitive motion(s), walking, bending/squatting.
  • Significant amount(s) of:   mental attention/focus, speaking, listening.
    Monadnock Regional School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
MRSD is an EOE

About Monadnock Regional School District
Our Vision

Our vision is to be a model of leadership and collaboration, committing to serve our community of learners through:

Active Stewardship of social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth & well-being
Unfailing Integrity that encourages positive communication, respectful relationships, and moral courage in a diverse environment
Perpetual Innovation by continuously reviewing and updating our programs, technologies, and instructional practices to inspire complex thinking and creative problem-solving
Our Goals and Objectives

Towards Active Stewardship, in the area of Student Growth:

We will foster the belief that learning, participating, and contributing to the community is critical to the social, emotional, physical and intellectual development and overall well being of each child and the community as a whole.
Towards Unfailing Integrity, in the area of Communication:

We will improve external communication systems with the specific goal of creating open communication between the school district and the community.
We will improve internal communication systems with the specific goal of creating open communication between the school district and it's staff and students.
Towards Perpetual Innovation, in the area of Opportunities:

We will support the local community by providing rigorous, relevant and effective learning experiences by embracing and promoting a wide variety of opportunities and credit-earning pathways for all students.