Middle School Counselor

Isidore Newman School, founded in 1903, is a nationally recognized, Pre-k through twelve, college preparatory, day school with over 900 students. Located in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana on an eleven acre campus, Newman enjoys a national reputation for excellence and achievement in academics, athletics, and the arts. Upon graduation Newman students matriculate to selective colleges and universities around the country.

Students, teachers, and coaches at Newman believe strongly in the School and work collaboratively, always striving for excellence in a challenging and supportive academic environment. Across the school and across constituencies there is a focus on building strong relationships and delivering rigorous programs. The core values of the School -honesty, kindness, respect, and responsibility - are visibly integrated into every aspect of school life. A community of high achieving and motivated students and teachers focused on intellectual inquiry and engagement, Newman is committed to best practice in elementary and secondary education. A leading and forward-thinking independent school, Newman is deeply rooted in both tradition and innovation.

Isidore Newman School seeks a talented and dynamic Middle School Counselor for the 2021-2022 academic year. The Middle School Counselor is a full-time position, reporting to the Head of Middle School. The ideal candidate will be a team-oriented, collaborative, and student-centered with a demonstrated interest in and capacity for working with middle school students, their families, faculty, and administrators.  The Counselor works closely with the Lower School and Upper School Counselors and the Health and Wellness Programs Manager to provide robust, comprehensive services to students, faculty, and parents in support of student growth and development.  The Newman Counseling Department seeks to provide an opportunity for students to seek and develop resources and support for their own social and emotional development. Reflecting Newman’s Statement of Purpose, the Counseling Department is particularly committed to the values of compassion and responsibility for others, respect for cultural and personal differences, and the emotional well-being of each member of our community.  Newman counselors, learning specialists, and health professionals make up the student support team, whose purpose is to identify and reduce barriers to learning, within a framework that emphasizes personalization as a means of supporting students' working to their highest potential. The successful candidate will possess excellent speaking, writing, and interpersonal skills; be successful in working with teams; demonstrate relevant and current knowledge of adolescent development and health related topics; have a commitment and ability to work with a diverse community; and genuinely love to work with students, educators, and families at the middle school level.

The most important qualifications include:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; a master’s degree in counseling, social work and/or psychology
• Knowledge of independent schools
• Minimum of five years school counseling experience preferred
• Superior interpersonal and communication skills with students, parents, and faculty/administration
• A sense of humor and the ability to work collaboratively with the academic team
• A student-centered focus
• Understand competing responsibilities to uphold confidentiality in relation to private materials and conversations while providing colleagues and families with the information they need to help the student
• Must meet and maintain any and all federal, state and local requirements to work in an educational setting

Significant responsibilities include:

• Foster and maintain strong relationships and collaborative communication with students, parents, faculty, and administrators
• Work collaboratively with Middle School administrators and grade level teams to support students, families, and faculty
• Provide individual counseling on an as-needed basis to students and families
• Work collaboratively as a member of the student support team in the continued development of a comprehensive student support program that meets the needs of the Newman community
• Work collaboratively with the Upper and Lower School counselor to ensure continuity of care during divisional transitions
• Organize and facilitate small groups for students on various topics of interest and concern for adolescents
• Organize and facilitate parent education groups
• Provide consultation to administration, faculty and parents
• Provide relevant training to faculty, staff, and administration
• Provide referrals to outside agencies or practitioners as appropriate
• Maintain confidential student files
• Provide and assist with crisis intervention and crisis management
• Participate as a full member of the Middle School faculty
• Communicate regularly and effectively with parents regarding trends related to student well-being
• Demonstrate willingness to engage actively in the Newman school community in an appropriate and visible way

Interested applicants should submit cover letter, updated resume, educational philosophy statement and names of three references via the school’s website:  https://newmanschool.applicantpro.com/jobs/