Details
Posted: 17-Jun-22
Location: Seattle, Washington
Type: Full Time
Categories:
School Counseling
The Evergreen School is currently accepting applications for Primary Division Counselor.
Our Mission
We inspire highly capable, creative learners to lead with curiosity, compassion, and courage in a diverse and dynamic world.
About the Organization
Located just north of Seattle in Shoreline, Washington, The Evergreen School has been educating highly capable, creative learners for nearly 60 years. Our students love to ask questions, and our teachers use that natural curiosity to craft engaging lessons and spark thought-provoking conversations. Evergreen’s program infuses challenging academics with foundational support for social skills, emotional well-being and empathy for others. Our students think deeply, take intellectual risks, and tackle complex problems. They learn how to self-advocate, collaborate with others and understand differences. Evergreen graduates move on to high school and beyond with confidence, ready to contribute to a diverse and dynamic world.
Community
Our community members at Evergreen value and embrace the dignity and diversity of all people. We actively seek and support students, families, faculty, staff and trustees who bring a diversity of identity into our community. Our mission makes it essential that we skillfully deliver an inclusive educational program that teaches respect for others, empowers students of all backgrounds equitably, encourages social responsibility, and prepares students to be leaders in an interdependent global community. At Evergreen, our goal is to curate a culture where every family feels fully welcomed and encouraged to participate in every aspect of the community.
The Opportunity
The Evergreen School is seeking an enthusiastic, warm, empathetic, culturally competent, and creative counselor to support the mental health and well being of preschool through 3rd grade students. The counselor supports students, teachers, and families with social/emotional learning, cultural awareness, and executive functioning skills. The counselor must have a high degree of cultural competence in order to meet the needs of all students while intentionally meeting the needs of students from historically underrepresented identity groups.
The next primary division counselor will be joining a community committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion work; it is a place where all faculty and staff are required to complete SEED training within the first three years of their employment.
Successful fulfillment of this role requires someone who is collaborative, highly flexible, adaptable, forward thinking, self-directed, creative, and adept at working with multiple teachers, teaching teams, and school faculty. This position will work in collaboration with our upper division school counselor and primary division head to support and adapt existing social and emotional learning curricula and to continue to develop cohesive and developmentally informed social-emotional approaches schoolwide. Responsibilities will include the following:
Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as a resource and advocate for teachers, families, and the individual needs of students using a culturally responsive, multicultural lens;
- Continue to support and develop a school-wide culture of respect and appreciation for others’ differences grounded in the school’s core values;
- Serves as a member of the Student Support Team, working closely with the learning specialists and the division head to support students experiencing academic, behavioral, and/or social-emotional issues
- Collaborate with school administrators and teachers to develop support strategies for students and also provide guidance to parents, teachers, advisors and administrators when SEL concerns arise about a student;
- Develop and deliver curriculum for students, teachers, and families on topics related to early childhood and elementary development, and social-emotional health;
- Responsively provide short-term and solution-focused counseling to individuals and small groups for specific social-emotional growth and crisis situations;
- Partner with teachers to provide preventative direct instruction in response to students developmental needs and growth in self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, and decision making;
- Provide parent/guardian consultation, coaching, and education opportunities;
- Refer, collaborate, and consult with outside professionals as needed;
- Attend grade-level team meetings and advise on best practices for supporting students and families;
- Maintain confidential student records.
Experience and Desirable Skills
- Masters degree in school counseling or related field;
- Experience working as a full-time school counselor for two or more years;
- Experience working with early childhood and/or elementary students;
- High degree of cultural competency and demonstrated success in working with people from diverse backgrounds;
- Strong knowledge of current trends, research, and best practices in child development
- Have a high degree of professional discretion and confidentiality;
- Strong commitment to building relationships with others;
- Ability to remain calm in highly stressful and emotional situations;
- Communicates effectively and professionally, both verbally and in writing;
- Reflects and adjusts practices based on self reflection and feedback from others;
- Has clear boundaries;
- Ability to work independently;
- Experience building and implementing SEL curriculum;
- Experience working within teams in multiple departments of an organization.
This is a salaried, full-time, benefits-eligible position that will begin on August 29, 2022. Compensation will be commensurate with the candidate’s background and experience and will be competitive with similar positions in Seattle area independent schools.
Applicants should submit the following:
All materials should be sent to jobs@evergreenschool.org. Emails should have the position applying for in the subject line. The position is open until filled.
Any applicant scheduled for an interview will be asked to submit a 500-word (max) answer to the following question:
- At Evergreen, our mission calls us to “inspire highly capable, creative learners to lead with curiosity, compassion, and courage in a diverse and dynamic world.” Reflecting on your current or previous experiences, describe a time in which you moved diversity and inclusion efforts forward in that role. How did you approach this effort and what did you learn about yourself during this process? (Please limit your response to 500 words or less)
COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
To work at The Evergreen School all employees are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and must show proof of vaccination prior to the start of employment, unless the employee has a documented medical or religious exemption.
Notice of Nondiscrimination
The Evergreen School strives to provide equal opportunity to all employees. The school's policy is not to discriminate in employment based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, creed, age, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status or any other status protected under applicable local, state or federal law. The School is committed to administering employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, compensation benefits, transfers, layoffs, return from layoffs, terminations, training, sabbaticals, tuition assistance and other programs, without regard to an employee's protected status.
Additional School Information:
The Educational Experience
At Evergreen, we believe learning isn’t a one-way path. Our highly capable students delight in exploring ramifications and digressions, gaining strength from setbacks and successes alike. At the same time, Evergreen’s insightful teachers help students uncover and develop their own unique perspectives on every subject. Through “planned exploration,” teachers carefully design the curriculum and lessons, while building in time and resources for students to pursue unexpected discoveries and long standing interests. From preschool through 8th grade, Evergreen’s hands-on curriculum encourages experimentation. In our extensively equipped BIG Lab (Build Imagine Grow), on overnight trips, during Adventure Days, and on the month-long 8th grade Global Studies trip, students expand their curiosity and put their classroom discoveries into practice. Equally important, we intentionally interweave academic subjects with social and emotional learning and an active commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity—so that as students grow intellectually, they also become increasingly self-aware, build ethical relationships with others, and continually strive to improve the wider world.
Head of School
On July 1, 2020, Halsey Bell became Evergreen’s fifth head of school.
Enrollment
Total: 491
Grade Levels: Preschool through 8th grade
Class Size: 14-17 students
Ratio: 7:1 (students to full-time faculty)
Faculty and Staff
132 faculty and staff, including 55 full-time faculty, 5 part-time faculty, and 20 teaching assistants. Faculty includes 2 counselors and 2 learning resource coordinators. Approximately 71% of teaching faculty hold an advanced degree.
Campus
Evergreen occupies four and a half acres that include forested area typical of the Pacific Northwest, as well as distinct wetlands and native vegetation. A recent renovation and addition added significant new classroom and administration buildings, including the BIG Lab, our state-of-the-art makerspace, as well as beautiful outdoor gathering areas and courtyards.
Student Diversity
- Students come to Evergreen from 38 zip codes and a wide variety of schools and daycare programs.
- 52% of Evergreen students identify as students of color, including African American, Asian American, Latino American, Middle Eastern American, Multiracial American, and Native American
Financial Aid
14% of Evergreen families receive need-based financial aid, totaling approximately $1.5 million.
Accreditation & Membership
The Evergreen School is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Puget Sound Independent Schools (PSIS), National Association for Gifted Children, Washington Federation of Independent Schools (WFIS), and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Environmental Certifications
The Evergreen School is proud to be a Platinum-Certified Washington Green School and a Sustaining Green School in the King County Green Schools Program.
For more information about The Evergreen School, please visit our website at www.evergreenschool.org.
Experience and Desirable Skills
- Masters degree in school counseling or related field;
- Experience working as a full-time school counselor for two or more years;
- Experience working with early childhood and/or elementary students;
- High degree of cultural competency and demonstrated success in working with people from diverse backgrounds;
- Strong knowledge of current trends, research, and best practices in child development
- Have a high degree of professional discretion and confidentiality;
- Strong commitment to building relationships with others;
- Ability to remain calm in highly stressful and emotional situations;
- Communicates effectively and professionally, both verbally and in writing;
- Reflects and adjusts practices based on self reflection and feedback from others;
- Has clear boundaries;
- Ability to work independently;
- Experience building and implementing SEL curriculum;
- Experience working within teams in multiple departments of an organization.
This is a salaried, full-time, benefits-eligible position that will begin on August 29, 2022. Compensation will be commensurate with the candidate’s background and experience and will be competitive with similar positions in Seattle area independent schools.