Guidance Counselor

JOB DESCRIPTION: Guidance Counselor 

Primary Function:

To serve as a building team member who is professionally trained, through the use of counseling process and classroom instruction, to help students understand their potential with regard to abilities, aptitudes and interests as they relate to present and future opportunities.

To empower students in accessing their right to make choices through development of decision making skills and acceptance of the responsibility that comes with decision making.

To assist other building team members attain school goals for children by specifically contributing their professional knowledge and skills through counseling, consulting, coordinating, and conducting classroom guidance activities.

To, as the school’s trained professional in guidance functions, establish meaningful relationships with individual parents, parent groups, and outside agencies which provide related services.

Qualifications:

• Hold a postgraduate professional certificate with an endorsement as guidance counselor (or have substantially completed a program where such endorsement is pending).

• Five years of successful teaching experience, at least two years of which shall have been at the elementary school level (or related equivalent experience).

• Have demonstrated professional and personal characteristics necessary for working effectively with students, parents, school personnel, and members of the community.

Reports to: Building Principal

Performance Responsibilities:

• provide counseling services for all students, including those with learning, physical, social, and emotional problems, through individual and small group conferences held with students on the basis of parent, teacher, principal or self-referral 

• consult, both internally and externally, with parents, classroom teachers, school principal, visiting teachers, school nurse, and psychologist; and act as liaison with community agencies in matters related to student development and counseling needs

• work closely with the principal and classroom teachers in planning and implementing group guidance sessions based on the developmental needs of all student; including such topics as study skills, thinking skills, communication skills, decision making, conflict resolution, problem solving, and goal setting

• assist in providing planned occupational information programs for the purpose of introducing students to the world of work

• help identify students with counseling needs; including those who exhibit symptoms which label them as drop-out prone

• appropriately assist in interpretation of objective data to classroom teachers, parents, and students

• assist with in-service for teachers related to psychological personnel and services available, both within and outside the division

• consult with the principal in coordinating the efforts of all specialists working on a case and be an active member of the child study committee

• assist teachers and administration in ensuring appropriate management and maintenance of permanent in-school student records

• communicate with staff as needed regarding sending and receiving records

• undertake, in a cooperative endeavor, the continuous evaluation of the nature, scope and effectiveness of those services provided and the functioning of guidance as an integral part of the total educational program

• perform other duties as assigned by the principal

Terms of Employment: Ten month year.  Conditions and salary to be established by the Board.

Evaluation:

Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with school board policy and administrative regulations on evaluation of certificated personnel.