This full-time position serves as the Guidance Counselor/SEL Specialist for Peabody School, a PreK-8th grade independent school that serves academically advanced students in Charlottesville, Virginia. The overriding responsibility of the position is to help ensure the social and emotional well-being of the Peabody student body.

The Guidance Counselor/SEL Specialist will spearhead a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program, resulting in and maintaining an inclusive, safe, nurturing, and supportive climate in which students with various learning styles are empowered to engage in academic risk-taking and to achieve social success as they reach their true potential as successful learners; educationally, socially, and personally.   The School Guidance Counselor/SEL Specialist collaborates with the Leadership Team and faculty to promote student success, provide preventive services, and respond to identified student needs.

The School Guidance Counselor/SEL Learning Specialist also will serve as a resource for our community, including faculty and parents, to prioritize the quality of the student experience.  This individual will collaborate with all stakeholders to facilitate, deliver, and support SEL programming and student wellness for our PreK-8 students while maintaining professional and confidentiality practices.

Specifically, the Guidance Counselor/SEL Specialist will work with the Head of School and Leadership Team to:

• Create and support the implementation of SEL curriculum
• Conduct school climate assessments and analyze data to support the SEL curriculum
• Lead SEL professional development for faculty and provide parent education and training to members of the community
• Communicate and collaborate closely with families to coordinate support and to provide resources
• Develop and maintain relationships with a range of community members, including non-profits and mental health agencies
• Assist school efforts to skillfully balance learning needs across the student body
• Act as a resource for faculty and staff in providing emotional and social support for students/families of diverse backgrounds
• Support students’ social-emotional development through one-on-one, small-group and whole group instruction
• Develop and manage an intentional, PreK-8 approach to social-emotional learning that produces data driven results