Lower School Counselor
Lower School Counselor Beginning August 2025
St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School (SSSAS) of Alexandria, VA is looking to hire a dynamic Lower School Counselor beginning in late August 2025 who wants to make a real difference in the lives of students. Are you passionate about supporting young children’s social and emotional development? Do you have expertise in child development and experience in providing counseling services, developing social-emotional learning programs, and collaborating with teachers and families? Would you like to be a part of a supportive and amazing faculty in a positive, inclusive environment? If so, please read on!
The counseling program at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School is an integral part of our commitment to nurturing the whole child. The program provides social-emotional support to students through individual and small group support, classroom lessons, and school-wide programming. The counselor collaborates closely with teachers, administrators and families to promote student well-being and success, as well as to respond to any challenges that arise.
In addition to supporting students, the Lower School Counselor provides guidance and resources to parents and faculty members, helping them to navigate the complexities of childhood development and foster positive relationships within the school community. Building trust is a cornerstone of this role, and the counselor must embody professionalism, confidentiality and discretion to ensure that all members of the community feel safe and supported.
The Lower School counselor will foster a warm, inclusive and supportive environment where all students feel seen, valued and heard. They will also play a vital role in building students’
self-awareness, resilience and interpersonal skills. The counselor is a part of the Lower School student support team and collaborates frequently with the Middle and Upper School counselors, classroom and specials teachers and the academic support team.
The ideal candidate will:
- Have previous experience providing counseling services to young students in a school setting.
- Possess a deep knowledge of child development and expertise in social-emotional learning strategies.
- Demonstrate the ability to implement evidence-based counseling practices and interventions that support students’ emotional, social and academic growth.
- Be skilled in delivering engaging classroom lessons on social-emotional topics and character education.
- Show a commitment to collaboration with teachers, administrators, and families to promote student well-being.
- Exhibit flexibility, patience, empathy, and a nurturing demeanor.
- Demonstrate cultural competency and a commitment to equity and inclusion and racial justice
- Possess a desire for ongoing professional growth and development.
The primary responsibilities include:
- Using the Responsive Classroom approach, create a structured, supportive and inclusive environment that fosters students’ emotional, social and academic growth.
- Provide individual and small group support for students’ social, emotional and academic needs.
- Deliver classroom lessons on social-emotional learning, character development, conflict resolution and mental health topics.
- Collaborate with teachers to integrate social-emotional learning strategies into the curriculum and daily practices.
- Develop and implement intervention plans for students with identified social, emotional or behavioral challenges, working closely with teachers and parents.
- Provide crisis intervention and emotional support during emergencies or difficult situations.
- Develop education events and workshops to build understanding of child development and strategies to support students.
- Serve on the student support team to identify and support students with social-emotional or academic needs.
- Serve as a liaison between the school and outside mental health professionals or community resources when referrals are needed.
- Observe and assess student behavior to help develop individualized support strategies and track progress.
- Maintain appropriate and confidential records of counseling sessions and communications with families and faculty.
- Participate actively in division-wide initiatives and faculty discussions.
- Monitor and support students in various settings (e.g. playground, lunch, carpool) to provide a safe and positive learning environment.
- Communicate promptly and professionally with families, teachers and administrators about student concerns and progress.
- Participate in faculty meetings, interdisciplinary collaborations and committee work.
- Perform additional duties, such as supporting arrival/dismissal or supervision as assigned.
All members of the faculty instill our school's mission by helping their students to become responsible, honest, compassionate, respectful citizens. The successful candidate will be required to exercise professional judgment and responsibility in keeping with the expectations of the School's faculty.
The School accepts candidates with the following minimal qualifications:
- Master’s degree in School Counseling, Social Work, Psychology or related field.
- Relevant licensure or certification preferred.
- Minimum of three years of experience working with children in an educational or counseling setting.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skill
- Ability to collaborate effectively with students, parents and staff.
- Experience with SEL programming and curriculum development preferred
Overview
St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School is an affirming and collegial community committed to our mission to “pursue goodness as well as knowledge and to honor the unique value of each of our members as a child of God in a caring community.” SSSAS is an age 3 to Grade 12 Episcopal day school located on three campuses six miles from Washington, D.C., in beautiful and historic Alexandria, Va. We believe that educating the whole child by tending to their individual academic, social/emotional, cultural, and physical needs, prepares them to be knowledgeable, kind, and empathetic citizens in a complex world. Combining a rigorous academic program with outstanding opportunities in the arts, athletics, and service learning for our students, SSSAS is a community that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and we seek candidates who share these same values.
Our culture promotes lifelong learning, and employees have a wealth of opportunities available to them to continue expanding their knowledge of both their disciplines and in their field of education. Cultural competency workshops for all faculty and staff, regular, small-group DEIB exploration/workshops, support for graduate studies, summer study grants, and conferences (e.g., People of Color Conference, the National Association of Independent School Annual Conference, and CASE-NAIS) are just a few of the ways in which we support and encourage our Saints faculty and staff to continue to develop and learn in their field and as part of our community.
READY TO JOIN OUR COMMUNITY?
We understand your time is valuable, and that is why we have a very quick and easy application process. If you feel that you would be right for this teaching job, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application. We look forward to meeting you!
Interested applicants should apply through the SSSAS website at https://www.sssas.org/about-us/employment
For more information about St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, we invite you to visit our website at www.sssas.org