Posted: 04-Jun-25
Location: Portland, Oregon
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Salary Details:
Oregon Episcopal School seeks a Lower School Counselor to begin duties in August 2025.
OUR MISSION: Oregon Episcopal School educates students to realize their power for good as engaged citizens of the world.
ABOUT US: Founded in 1869, Oregon Episcopal School today occupies a wooded 59 acre campus where 880 students in Pre-K through 12th Grade share an excellent faculty, an inquiry based curriculum, and a strong sense of community. The Upper School also includes a small boarding program of international and domestic students who live and learn together enhancing the vibrancy of the school community.
The School values employees who seek to continually develop the OES Essential Competencies in themselves and others and are prepared to engage in a vibrant, diverse learning community. Committed to the professional development of our faculty, teachers are guided by the Learning and Teaching at OES faculty growth model.
As an Episcopal school, we are rooted in a rhythm of gathering and reflection that values and respects all beliefs and cultures. As such, we educate toward a larger purpose – toward inclusion and respect, service and justice and commitment beyond ourselves.
JOB SUMMARY: The LS counselor provides counseling support for students and is an integral part of the LS culture. This position works closely with the LS Learning Support Specialist to meet student needs. To that end, the counselor collaborates with the LS Student Support Team, leadership, and faculty/staff, and partners with families. The counselor develops, leads, coordinates, and promotes initiatives and projects that benefit the LS and the larger OES community. A member of the all-school Student Support Team, this position is one of the two links that connect student support across the Upper, Middle, and Lower Schools. The LS counselor is essential in fulfilling the program’s mission.
The all-school OES Student Support Team works alongside teachers, students, and parents to create inclusive, safe, and supportive learning environments where students can grow, learn, and thrive. We emphasize our students’ strengths while empowering them to be capable learners who take risks, self-monitor, self-advocate, and develop resiliency. Operating from a holistic perspective, we recognize that a positive and successful educational experience ensures that a student’s academic, social, and emotional needs are met. Through thoughtful collaboration and planning, the OES Student Support Team honors individual learning styles and differences, embracing a diverse learning community. The OES Student Support Team is composed of the Director of Student Support along with a Learning Support Specialist and a School Counselor for each Division.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
- Promote and facilitate the development of social-emotional competencies through program development, teacher/staff collaboration, and classroom learning opportunities.
- Provide direct counseling services to LS students through small groups and short-term 1:1 support.
- Nurture the development of mindfulness, mental health, and regulation strategies throughout the LS.
- Work in partnership with the LS Student Support Team to develop plans and systems to remove barriers to students’ academic success and to promote personal growth, health, and wellbeing.
- Provide responsive student services, including school-based mental health risk assessments.
- Provide information, consultation, and support for LS faculty and staff.
- Work with LS colleagues to coordinate efforts on behalf of individual students.
- Lead initiatives that support students who represent diversity in our community and foster understanding, inclusion, and acceptance.
- Facilitate smooth transitions for students and their families into the Lower School, between grades, and into the Middle School.
- Provide parents with information, support, and referrals as needed.
- Develop positive working relationships with community-based professionals in order to facilitate referrals, educational planning, and ongoing monitoring of student progress.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master’s degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field with school counseling focus preferred
- Five years’ or more of experience with elementary school-age students in a school setting
- Demonstrated expertise in developing and leading program initiatives
- Demonstrated expertise in facilitating small group counseling and classroom lessons
- Willingness to work the school year schedule plus designated additional calendar days; occasional evening or Saturday events (5 or less per year)
- Intercultural competence, ability to work with sensitivity and effectiveness with students, families, colleagues of diverse backgrounds and identities, demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion for people of all backgrounds and identities
- Digital literacy; intermediate to advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite, Google Docs/Sheets and other web-based applications; database and cloud storage solutions, such as Google Drive, ability to troubleshoot common hardware and software issues, and good understanding of data privacy principles, particularly in safeguarding student data and personal information.
- Video-conferencing experience, as appropriate to job duties; flexibility and willingness to learn as digital tools evolve
- Ability to pass a criminal background check
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Knowledge and experience specific to Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
- Experience leading evidence-based SEL Curricula (particularly the RULER program)
- Experience facilitating mindfulness and yoga practices in a classroom setting
- Experience with developing and implementing behavior support plans, social stories, and other behavioral supports
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Interpersonal skills, ability to connect well with students and partner with faculty/staff, and families, ability to maintain collegial relationships with colleagues
- Verbal and written communication skills, ability to manage confidential information in compliance with the law and best practice
- Ability to consistently apply principles of equity and inclusion in day to day work and in the broader workplace community
- Organizational skills, ability to work well on teams
- Knowledge of legal standards in compliance with state and federal laws, ability to maintain appropriate confidentiality
- Knowledge of educational technology; openness to innovation, flexibility and willingness to learn as digital tools evolve
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to sit at computer and keyboard for moderate periods
- Mobility sufficient to move about the campus, to include climbing stairs
- Sight and hearing adequate to perform the duties of the job, ability to communicate clearly
- Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis