| School Chaplain Reports to Head of School Status: Salaried, Exempt, 12-month Saint Mary’s Hall (SMH) in San Antonio, Texas, a coeducational school of nearly 800 Pre-K (3-years old) through grade 12 students, seeks a School Chaplain who will be a member of the faculty and serve as Chaplain, pastor, and teacher for this preeminent college preparatory educational institution in South Texas. Saint Mary’s Hall seeks a student-centered, collaborative, and transparent leader responsible for providing pastoral care and spiritual leadership to the students, faculty, staff , and alumni. The Chaplain is to love and serve the people of Saint Mary’s Hall, nourishing and strengthening them for this life and the life to come. They will design and coordinate a weekly Chapel program that engages students, faculty, and staff and works to educate all community members on major religions of the world and help create a sense of belonging and an environment where diverse perspectives help promote respect and open conversation. The Chaplain will also teach one section based on the School’s needs. The Chaplain plays a key role in our students’ character development, in line with the School’s core values. This individual will carry out their responsibilities for all community members, regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious preference, or any other non-merit based factors. With new leadership ushering in a dynamic, ambitious, and innovative new era, SMH aims to educate the whole person with a rich, rigorous, liberal arts curriculum; passionate, expert faculty; extensive fi ne arts; and a competitive athletic program. Primary Responsibilities - Minister in a non-denominational setting in line with
Saint Mary’s Hall’s Statement of Religious Expression and supervise the School’s spiritual life programs. - Design and coordinate a weekly Chapel program
that engages students, faculty, and staff and works to educate all community members on major religions of the world. - Preside and preach at non-denominational Chapel
services once per week for Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions. - Engage students, faculty, and staff in the Chapel
program through their participation as guest speakers, musicians, or other roles. - Recruit and mentor students to serve on the
Spiritual Life Committee as an advisory group to the Chaplain and to represent student viewpoints about spiritual life at SMH. - Organize and officiate the following annual services:
Christmas Lessons & Carols, Ash Wednesday, Veterans Day, and Baccalaureate. - Maintain an annual Chapel schedule for each division,
communicating upcoming events to students, faculty, and staff in a timely manner. - Conduct non-denominational morning, noon,
or after-school prayer for students and faculty on weekdays as appropriate given the school calendar and other duties. - Provide prayers for All-School ceremonies and other
events as needed. - Provide character formation lessons in Chapel or
classroom settings; team-teach character development classes with counselors and other colleagues. - Teach one class section depending upon the School’s
needs, including approximately once per month for multiple class periods in the Upper School Social Studies Department on the Survey of the World’s Religions course. - Support private worship by individuals and small
groups of faculty, staff, and/or students, regardless of their faith/denomination, in line with the Statement of Religious Expression. - Maintain contacts with spiritual leaders who represent
the diversity of the school community to engage guest speakers for religious holidays, celebrations, and to speak on topics relevant to spiritual development. - Visit students, faculty, staff, and other SMH
community members in local hospitals as appropriate. - Minister to pastoral emergencies in the lives of
individual students, in coordination with their parent/guardian as appropriate, and in the lives of faculty/staff, coordinating, as needed, with family clergy or other spiritual advisers. - Working, whenever possible, with the director of
wellness and division counselors, to provide pastoral counseling for individual students and faculty. - Provide leadership and appropriate pastoral response
to school events, including crisis management situations and requests from the school nurse, director of wellness, and division counselors. - Coordinate with division heads and counselors
to ensure Chapel content is age-appropriate and meets the needs of students. - Coordinate with the director of wellness to ensure
Chapel’s integration with whole-school efforts to develop and promote spiritual wellness. - Meet weekly with the Wellness Team, which includes
the director of wellness and division counselors, to coordinate and communicate regarding Chapel planning/programming. - Write a monthly article about Chapel services for
inclusion in the school’s weekly e-newsletter and special articles as required. - Provide Marketing and Communications with
content and updates for the Spiritual Life component of the school website. - Solicit regular feedback from faculty, staff,
students, parents, and administration regarding the quality, content, and efficacy of spiritual life programs. - Fulfill denominational and professional accreditation
requirements for specialized training and professional development. - As appropriate, take part in the local denomination
and interfaith ministerial activities, Region 20 activities, and similar organizations. Dynamic New Leadership Len Miller joined Saint Mary’s Hall as the 25th head of school in July of 2020. Len comes to San Antonio after a 25-year career in independent schools. He served previously at some of our nation’s top schools including The Hill School, The Lawrenceville School, and The Shipley School. His tenure has been hallmarked by a deep commitment to the quality of the academic program, the student experience, and the long-term sustainability and growth of the institution. He has been at the forefront of developing innovative academic programs and recruiting and retaining dynamic teachers. Robust, intentional, student wellness programs are the result of his collaborative leadership. Len’s forward-thinking eff orts in strategic planning, enrollment, advancement, and fiscal matters have underpinned the overall strength and quality of the schools he has served. As a leader, he strives to empower his leadership team to build programs, effect change, and make significant and meaningful impacts on the students, faculty, staff , and School culture. Len is committed to educating the whole student with a deep focus on connection and belonging among the student body. Curriculum Taught by a dedicated, diverse faculty who have deep passion for learning and teaching, students are able to reach their full potential in all subject areas through a vertically aligned curriculum in Lower, Middle, and Upper School. The leadership of the School’s curriculum and instructional programs is provided by the Curriculum Council, composed of the department chairs (SMH department chairs are responsible for Pre K-grade 12 curriculum in their subject area), division heads, chief technology officer, divisional librarians, and the head of school. In place since 2005, this coordinating body does an exceptional job of providing direction and alignment for the curriculum and instruction of the entire academic program. Physical Requirements and Work Environment - Work in a rigorous academic environment dealing with a wide variety
of physical and intellectual challenges, deadlines, and a varied and diverse array of contacts. - Must be able to communicate effectively with a diverse community.
- Regular walking and standing, some light stooping and bending.
- Work is performed in an office and classroom setting with occasional
exposure to outside weather conditions. Qualifications - Pastoral and/or chaplaincy experience, or relevant
equivalent, of three years - Teaching experience (or relevant equivalent)
of two years - Ordained minister or lay member of a
Protestant denomination with whom they maintain ties and are in good standing preferred - Student-centered, collaborative, and transparent
leader who is accessible to students, parents, colleagues, and other key stakeholders and is adept at building relationships - Previous experience with leadership skills
training (preferred) - Graduate professional degree from an
accredited theological school or seminary - Graduate of an accredited college or university
- One or more units of certified Clinical Pastoral
Education (CPE) through the Association of Professional Chaplains, the Spiritual Care Association, or ACPE, Inc. - Demonstrable experience working with children
or adolescents for at least two years - Able to function in an environment that is
religiously and culturally pluralistic - Other skills and qualities necessary for this position:
expert verbal and written communication skills; genuine willingness to work closely with students and colleagues; high energy level, and a good sense of humor - Character above reproach and unparalleled integrity
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required by the employees. Other duties , responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice. If your are interested in joining our dynamic professional and learning environment that encourages innovation , send us a cover letter, resume, and complete our SMH application. Please email your documents to jobs@smhall.org. You can download our employment application by visiting www.smhall.org/about/employment-opportunies. Applications will be processed as received. Len Miller Head of School Saint Mary's Hall 9401 Starcrest Drive San Antonio, Texas 78217 www.smhall.org |