Career Center

Alexander Dawson School Overview: 

Not far from Red Rock Canyon in Southern Nevada sits a mature-for-its-years Early Childhood to Grade 8 independent school with an amazing history behind it and an exciting trajectory in front of it. The Alexander Dawson School is located on 33-acres in the beautiful community of Summerlin—about fifteen minutes west of the Las Vegas airport—and has had the financial and operational support of the Alexander Dawson Foundation since its doors opened in 2000. In the last 20 years, the School has embraced all aspects of student-centered education and modern learning, and it continues to build and improve upon an exceptional core academic program.

Summary: The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain school counseling program preserves the uniqueness of each student by providing education in a safe, supportive environment that promotes positive self-concept and student wellness. The program focuses on the relationships and interactions between students and their school environment with the expressed purpose of reducing the effect of environmental and institutional barriers that impede student success.

 The counselor serves as a leader, as well as an effective team member working with

parents, teachers, administrators, dean, lower school counselor, and community members to help all students in grades fifth through eighth grade develop skills in the areas of personal-social growth and educational planning. The counselor, as a consultant, empowers families to act on behalf of their children by helping parents/guardians identify student needs and shared interests, as well as access to available resources.

 Description: The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain seeks an experienced Substitute for the role of the 5th through 8th-grade school counselor for a position that is expected to begin in August and last into October. You will be reporting to the Director of sixth through eighth grade, and working closely with the Lower School Counselor, the Director of second through fifth grade, and the Dean of Student Life. This role provides social-emotional support to students so they grow personally, socially, academically, and into their true potential.

Philosophy: The School Counselor at the Alexander Dawson School believes:

•     All students have dignity and worth
•     All students have the right to participate in the school counseling program
•     All students’ cultural, racial, religious, sexual differences and individual needs are considered in planning and implementing the school counseling program
•     Students should have access to a masters-degree-level school counselor to deliver the counseling program

The school counselor:

•     Abides by the professional school counseling ethics as advocated by the

American School Counselor Association

•     Participates in and seeks professional development activities essential to maintain a quality school counseling program

Essential Functions:

The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to,

the following:

 Individual Student Counseling: Provides individual counseling services to meet the

developmental, preventive and remedial needs of the students through:

•     Goal setting and decision making
•     Education on an understanding of self, including strengths and weaknesses
•     Development of life skills and social skills

Responsive Services: Response to school crisis and emergency situations, and

provides timely services for students experiencing personal, social, behavioral, or family

problems by:

•     Individual and small-group counseling
•     Individual/family/school crisis intervention
•     Conflict resolution
•     Consultation/collaboration
•     Referrals
•     Covering for lower school counselor when they are off campus

School Guidance Curriculum: Establishes and coordinates the school counseling

program and all counseling services for students by developing activities and resources

to implement and evaluate the program, which includes:

•     Goal setting and decision making
•     Education on understanding self and others; peer relationships, coping strategies

and effective social skills

•     Communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution
•     Multicultural/diversity awareness

System Support: Supports the effective implementation of the school counseling

program, adheres to the ethical standards of the counseling profession, and abides by

the laws, policies, and procedures that govern the schools through:

•     Participation in professional associations and upgrades in professional

knowledge and skills

•     Consultation, collaboration, and teaming
•     Program management and operation

Collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, and students.

Competency:

•     Adaptability – Able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events
•     Attendance/Punctuality – Is consistently at work and on time
•     Confidentiality – Maintains confidential information
•     Customer Service – Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; response

promptly to customer needs

•     Dependability – Keeps commitments
•     Ethics – Treats people with respect; Works with integrity and ethically; upholds

organizational values

•     Excellent editor and writer – Business, technical and creative
•     Judgment – Exhibits sound and accurate judgment
•     Oral Communication – Excellent writing and verbal communication skills, listens

and gets clarification, responds well to questions

•     Organizational Support – Follows policies and procedures
•     Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently
•     Problem Solving – Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics
•     Professionalism – Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of

their status or position

•     Safety and Security – Observes safety and security procedures; reports

potentially unsafe conditions

•     Strategic Thinking – Identifies external threats and opportunities
•     Teamwork - Ability to work independently and in teams; contributes to building a

positive team spirit

•     Ability to listen and communicate effectively with students, staff, parents,

community and outside agencies to better meet the needs of students

•     Knowledge of community referral resources, special programs, human growth

and development, counseling theories and practices

•     Evaluating the interpreting testing data for the purpose of academic and high

school guidance

Work Environment:

•     The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those

an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities

to perform the essential functions.

•     The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

•     The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be

met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities

to perform the essential functions.

•     While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to

stand; walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and

stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up

to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Qualifications:

• BA or BS from an accredited college or university required; Master’s preferable. 
• Knowledge of independent schools and experience as a school counselor in grades fifth through eighth grade is desirable.