Academy Counselor

General Description of Position:

The Academy Counselor is responsible for enthusiastically supporting new and returning Academy (grades 6-12) students’ academic, college-career, and social-emotional development through collaborative partnership with students, parents, and LSS faculty and staff. A successful candidate will have wide exposure and experience in best practices for college and school counseling, proven proficiency in building strong relationships through online tools, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to tailor support to meet individual student and family needs while balancing these needs with those of the organization.

Job Duties:

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Support programs known in the educational arena to accommodate circumstances that are unique to the diverse school population while ensuring ethical review and documentation of student requirements on an official transcript.
• In collaboration with Enrollment Advisors, review transcripts of incoming students, including international student transcripts and support with course schedule creation as needed upon admission. 
• Ensure that students are meeting academic standards and requirements for grade level promotion, graduation, and college acceptance.
• Monitor student pacing and progress in accordance with Laurel Springs’ policies and expectations.
• Facilitate grade-level seminar courses for students and provide authentic and meaningful feedback on all assignments.
• Provide frequent and high-touch support to ensure each student reaches their individual post-secondary goals. Support varies from student to student and may involve career exploration, college list development, identification of opportunities related to the student’s pathway of interest, etc.
• Write meaningful and effective letters of recommendation for student applications as needed and requested
• Lead live and recorded Counseling Department webinar sessions, events, and activities which focus on supporting students’ academic, college-career, and social-emotional development.
• Organize and support in the facilitation of Academy exclusive Counseling opportunities (including Peer Mentoring, Seminar Workshop, Middle School Hangouts, Drop-In support, Admissions case studies event, etc.)
• Communicate proactively and responsively with students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators via email, phone, video conference, and any other communication tools provided by LSS.
• Collaborate closely with middle and high school faculty and other staff regarding individual student support and to aid in the development of comprehensive programming that provides the highest level of support, playing a critical role in student success and retention.
• Support individual student academic, social/emotional, and college/career needs through frequent one-on-one meetings; building meaningful relationships to support engagement and success.
• Support and encourage student enrollment through active participation in virtual open houses, enrollment/re-enrollment conversations, and other similar admissions or marketing events (including Academy exclusive events).
• Regularly contribute to newsletters and other similar school communications as assigned.
• Participate collaboratively and professionally in school-wide meetings, events, communications, and activities, both online and in person, with some required evening virtual events.
• Engage in ongoing professional development (internal and external), practice self-assessment, and strive for continuous improvement.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding students, families, and staff as well as LSS management and operations.
• Perform other counseling related duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree or higher in School Counseling

• Active School Counseling certification and commitment to ongoing compliance with state and local regulations relating to background checks and credentials.

• 5+ years of experience counseling or working in a school setting specifically supporting high school students (previous experience working with middle school students preferred).

• Extensive experience supporting students through the college application process.

• Experience with developing student schedules and academic plans.

• Excellent skills with word processing, productivity, communication, and educational technology tools; expertise with G-Suite, Learning Management Systems, and Student Information Systems strongly preferred.

• Strong analytical, interpretive, evaluative, and constructive thinking, and organizational skills.

• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

• Access to dependable and high-quality internet and a quiet workspace that allows the counselor to be fully present and available to students, parents, and colleagues as needed during typical work hours (Monday through Friday from 8:30am - 5pm ET) and during periodic evening events as assigned.

• Flexibility with schedule when needed to support international students or students who require communication outside office hours.

• Ability to travel to attend in-person events, meetings, and training opportunities at least once or twice per year.