Guidance Counselor - Upper School

About Golda Och Academy

Golda Och Academy, recognized as one of the top Jewish day schools in the country, is a vibrant learning community that focuses on the individual intellectual, social, and spiritual needs of each child. We cultivate in students a lifelong love of learning within the context of Jewish knowledge and heritage. Our school is located on two campuses — one for the Lower School and one for the Upper School — located about two miles apart in West Orange, serving approximately 425 students from more than 60 communities across New Jersey.

Golda Och Academy is accepting applications for a Guidance Counselor at the Upper School campus for the 2023-2024 school year.

Summary

Guidance Counselors manage a multi-grade caseload to counsel students’ educational, individual, and social-emotional development, strong communication skills – both written and verbal - with students, parents, teachers, and administrators, and collaboratively work with the Student Services team to develop programming, case studies, and best practices.  They participate in the evaluation, and placement of all students.  Guidance Counselors act as liaison between student, administration, teacher, and family.  They maintain an ongoing relationship with families to share information and provide support when needed. Guidance counselors are an advocate for student services and students’ best interests.
 
Essential Functions

Work to support students:

• One-on-one counseling
  • Impromptu, “drop-in”
  • Pre-set, regular meetings
• Crisis management
• Monitor students progress to make sure they are on track
• Oversees implementation of any plans for students on academic probation
• Helping students manage their emotions through difficult situations
• Processing issues with students that might be related to teachers, classes or friends
• Placing students in sections for their schedules in conjunction with the department chair
• Managing students when absent and upon their return to school
• Facilitating student groups based on the social-emotional needs of the students

Work to support families:

• Providing regular updates via phone or email for any at-risk students
• Helping families manage their emotions as it relates to student progress in school
• Maintain communication with families/caregivers
• Facilitating student/teacher/parent meetings
• Meeting with families during Parent/Teacher conferences

Collaboration with teachers:

• Give suggestions and advice for how to best work with individual students
• Offer coaching around:
  • Communication
    • Parents/student
  • Promote SEL in the classroom
  • Help writing responsive emails to students and families
  • Arranging groups/partners for projects
  • Classroom management needs

Communication Responsibilities:

• Formal group emails to families and students:
  • Welcomes
  • Updates
  • Reminders, especially about upcoming activities and exams
  • Special program updates
    • Trips
    • Activities
    • Rhythm-of-the-year updates

Communications with students and families:

• Poor grade notifications

Liaison with therapists and tutors:

• Specific services

Other Duties

• Chaperoning trips and prepping the student groups to go on trips
• Planning student and parent orientations

Competencies

• Strong listening skills
• Ability to self-reflect
• Problem-solving skills
• Flexibility

Preferred Education and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Counseling or Social Work
• Two or more years of experience working with children and adolescents