Career Center

Early Childhood School Counselor

Reports to: Director of Counseling and Wellness

Full-time | 10-month Position | Exempt | Monday - Friday (7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

St. George’s Episcopal School is a coeducational, independent school serving approximately 385 students from nursery through eighth grade and employing approximately 100 faculty and staff. Here, each child grows academically, creatively, emotionally and spiritually while developing a sense of self-worth and moral responsibility. This is a family-like atmosphere of care and concern with a highly trained and dedicated faculty. Educational excellence at St. George’s begins with the simple premise that each child is unique—that is, each child’s strengths are worth cultivating and celebrating, and each child’s challenges are worth identifying and embracing, for only then will grit and perseverance accompany growth and development. This is why our graduates develop into lifelong learners and consequently find acceptance and success in the finest high schools in New Orleans. This is also why our parents, grandparents, alumni, friends and students have an enduring love for the school. 

Position Summary

St. George’s is seeking an experienced, dynamic and flexible Early Childhood School Counselor for the 2022-2023 school year. The Early Childhood School Counselor reports to the Director of Counseling and Wellness and is responsible for supporting the school community with a specific focus on students in Early Childhood through 2nd grade. The ideal candidate works effectively as a team within the Counseling Department as well as collaboratively with the Early Childhood Division Director, Lower School Division Director and Resource Director to promote the social-emotional growth and wellness of students and the St. George’s community. The successful candidate will possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrate knowledge of child development and have an understanding of therapeutic theories, approaches and techniques. It is essential that the candidate for the Early Childhood School Counselor position is committed to seeking professional development to enhance their knowledge and skills to benefit the St. George’s community. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supports individuals and groups of students with social, emotional and academic needs.
• Collaborates with teaching teams/grade levels to support the social-emotional needs of their students by attending regular meetings.
• Communicates and collaborates with families to support students' social-emotional growth. 
• Plans and facilitates weekly Kindness Class for 1-year-olds through PreK-4.
• Plans and facilitates weekly Life Skills classes for 1st, 2nd and 4th grade students.
• Supports all St. George’s Counseling and Wellness programs.
• Supports the development and continued guidance of building community culture and commitment to the StG core values of perseverance, integrity, respect and compassion.
• Provides support for challenging behaviors and collaborates with team members to design and implement behavior management plans for students in Early Childhood through 2nd grade.
• Meets regularly with the Director of Counseling and Wellness as well as with student success teams in Early Childhood and Lower School.
• Communicates and consults with outside professionals working with students.
• Contributes to weekly community newsletters to provide information about social-emotional development and mental health support for the school community.
• Collaborates with the Director of Counseling and Wellness to provide social-emotional professional development for faculty and staff.
• Maintains professional documentation of counseling services.
• Maintains professional certifications and memberships by attending conferences and workshops and reading counseling journals and articles. 
• Possesses a commitment to upholding the highest level of confidentiality and ethical decision making. 
• Completes all other responsibilities as assigned by the Director of Counseling and Wellness.

Qualification Requirements

• Master’s degree in counseling or related mental health field.
• Professional licensure in counseling (LPC or LCSW preferred).
• 2 years of counseling experience working with young children.
• 1+ years experience as a school counselor working with students and facilitating classroom lessons in early childhood/elementary school.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Google Apps and technology-based educational tools.
• Ability to work well in a diverse team setting and collaborate; positive attitude and eager to work collaboratively with peers and colleagues 
• Desire to work with children who display a variety of abilities and needs.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to work with parents, children and coworkers.
• Strong interest in pursuing professional development opportunities and a dedication to lifelong learning and a growth mindset.

 Working Conditions / Physical Demands

• Must be physically able to operate computers and office equipment.
• Occasional bending, reaching, squatting, kneeling and twisting; constant walking, speaking and listening; close visual attention to the computer.
• Occasional lifting up to 20lbs.

St. George’s Episcopal School as an Equal Opportunity Employer

St. George’s aims to employ a collaborative, creative, joyful and diverse faculty and staff. We hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other category protected by applicable law. We are committed to an inclusive school culture and to recruiting and hiring faculty of diverse backgrounds and experience.

Please send a resume and cover letter to Tamara Claverie, Director of Counseling and Wellness, at tamara.claverie@stgnola.org