Orchard House Middle School

School Counselor

(Revised 1/28/2026)

General Information:

• A ten month, full-time, salaried employee with all applicable benefits
• Additional key duties: 8th Grade Homeroom/CORE Teacher and High School Coordinator
• Other duties as determined by the Head of School
• Start date August 15, 2026

Reports to:  Head of School      FLSA Status:  Exempt

Mission and Values:

Orchard House Middle School educates and inspires middle school girls in a responsive, academically engaging community that fosters each girl’s intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, emotional integrity, and physical well being. 

Diversity and inclusion are central to OHMS’s mission. As part of our broader effort to ensure that our hiring process and our community reflect that mission, we are actively seeking candidates to help us build a team with diverse backgrounds. All applicants should be enthusiastic about these principles and eager to carry them forward in their curricular and relational work. 

Responsibilities:

The School Counselor plays a vital role in supporting the OHMS mission by helping students navigate the social, emotional, and academic transitions of adolescence. Guided by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, the counselor provides a proactive, comprehensive program that nurtures self-awareness, resilience, and healthy relationships within a caring, inclusive school environment.

Job Description:

The School Counselor is responsible for the following essential duties:

Direct Student Services

• Provide individual and small-group counseling that supports students’ emotional well-being, self-understanding, and growth.
• Design and deliver classroom lessons, morning meetings, and homeroom sessions that promote confidence, empathy, and responsible decision-making.
• Offer short-term counseling and crisis support to students experiencing personal challenges.
• Be a visible, approachable, and trusted presence for students throughout the school day.
• Serve on the school Threat Assessment Team.
• Serve as 8th Grade Homeroom/CORE Teacher, providing optimal development of 8th grade girls during their final year at OHMS.
• Serve as High School Coordinator, helping families and 8th grade girls with high school options, planning, and application process as needed for each 8th grade student.

Indirect Student Services

• Partner with faculty, staff, and parents to support the healthy development of each girl and promote her success both in and beyond the classroom.
• Collaborate with outside professionals and community resources as needed to ensure continuity of care for students.
• Participate in student support and leadership team meetings to identify strategies that best serve individual and community needs.
• Contribute to a school climate that values empathy, inclusivity, and belonging.
  
  

Program Leadership

• In coordination with school leadership, develop and maintain a counseling program that reflects ASCA standards and aligns with OHMS’s values.
• Advocate for equitable access to opportunities and resources for all students.
• Provide professional development and serve as a resource for faculty and families regarding adolescent development, mental health, and social-emotional learning.
• Follow personnel policies as described in the Employee Handbook and support student behaviors as described in the Family Handbook.

Homeroom Teacher: Homeroom teachers serve as each girl’s main advocate and as the chief communication link among all constituencies of the school.  Homeroom teachers are charged with promoting the school’s yearly agenda, cultivating positive and substantive interactions of their group, and with overseeing, advocating, and communicating each girl’s safety, education, and optimal development. See the Employee Handbook for details of Homeroom Teacher essential duties.

CORE:

• Teach CORE one section per week.
• Develop, refine, and share an annual, grade-level CORE curriculum.
• Share a yearly calendar of grade-level CORE activities.
• Work with CORE Co-Coordinators and other CORE teachers to ensure the overall. CORE program is mission aligned, philosophically cohesive, and well-articulated.

The High School Coordinator:

• Meet with seventh grade parents to discuss specific steps to be taken as they begin the high school selection process
• Meet with eighth grade parents to review the process and what will be required of them and their daughters as they choose a high school
• Meet with seventh grade students to explore high school options and begin to prepare them for the process
• Meet with eighth grade students to help them make high school choices, review the process of application for different schools, and narrow their selections
• Provide weekly emails to eighth grade parents reminding them of important application information and deadlines
• Coordinate the distribution, completion, and submission of recommendations
• Support and encourage parents in their efforts to review their daughters’ high school application forms for completeness and accuracy of information
• Submit transcripts for each student to each high school
• Coordinate a rising 8^th grade meeting to provide high school information
• Review high school applications for accuracy

Essential Skills/Qualities:

• Warm, approachable, and genuinely invested in the growth and well-being of girls during this formative stage of life.
• A reflective practitioner who listens deeply, responds thoughtfully, and maintains professionalism and confidentiality.
• Collaborative and flexible, with the ability to work effectively as part of a small, close-knit faculty community.
• Guided by empathy, curiosity, and integrity in supporting students, families, and colleagues.
• Understanding of the development of adolescent girls and a sincere respect for students and their families.
• Ability to balance multiple demands in ways that are well organized, clearly. communicated, and inclusive of a wide range of perspectives within the school.
• Ability to manage difficult decisions with sensitivity and conviction.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with students, families, and colleagues.

Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in School Counseling or a related field from an accredited program.
• State certification/licensure as a School Counselor.
• Demonstrated experience working with adolescent girls in educational or counseling settings.
• Knowledge of ASCA National Model and best practices in counseling middle school students.
• Experience in an independent school setting is preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to belonging and inclusion, and to fostering a safe, supportive environment for all.

Work Environment:

• Classroom and office, in person
• Other (field trip or offsite meeting)

About Orchard House Middle School

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