Elementary Guidance Counselor

Guidance Counselor
- Elementary

Watson Chapel School District

Department:
Secondary
- Job Status:
Full Time

FLSA Status:
Exempt

- Reports To:

Building Administrator

Grade/Level: Certified
- Amount of

Travel Required:

Varies

Job Type: Regular
- Positions Supervised:
None

Work Schedule:

200-day contract. Counselors are on duty for 8 hrs., 40 minutes per day but may periodically be required to attend after-school or evening events as a normal expectation of their position.

Position Summary

Counsel students to help them achieve academic, personal/social/emotional, and career success.

Essential Functions

• Counsel individuals to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.

• Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at school.

• Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by law, district policies, and administrative regulations.

• Evaluate students' or individuals' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics using tests, records, interviews, or professional sources.

• Report cases of suspected domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.

• Counsel students and parents regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.

• Collaborate with department chairs to assist administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of school programs and in the preparation of master schedules for curriculum offerings.

• Assess needs for assistance such as rehabilitation, financial aid, or additional vocational training, and refer students to the appropriate services.

• Prepare reports on students and activities as required by the administration.

• Teach classes and present self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.

• Plan and conduct orientation programs and group conferences to promote the adjustment of individuals to new life experiences such as starting college.

• Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops and serve on committees.

• Address community groups, faculty, and staff members to explain available counseling services.

• Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements and write letters of recommendation.

• Provide students with information on such topics as college degree programs and admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, trade and technical schools, and apprenticeship programs.

• Compile and study occupational, educational, and economic information to assist counselees in determining and carrying out vocational and educational objectives.

• Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.

• Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.

• Sponsor extracurricular activities such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.

• Promote an understanding and appreciation of diverse populations and cultures.

• Monitor and advise students and their parents as to progress toward promotion/graduation.

• Assist in the transition from middle school to high school and to post-secondary high school options. as well as student success plans.

• Interpret tests, student data, and other assessment results for students, parents, and staff.

• Produce, maintain, and adjust individual student schedules.

• Create evening events for parents to receive information on academic, graduation, and career opportunities for students.

• Demonstrate knowledge of child and adolescent development.

• Demonstrate knowledge of counseling theory and techniques.

• Establish goals for the counseling program according to the setting and the students served.

• Demonstrate knowledge of state and federal regulations and of resources both within and beyond the school and district.

• Plan the counseling program integrated with the regular school program.

• Develop a plan to assess the counseling program.

• Create an environment of respect and…