Elementary School Counselor

Join our World Class Learning Community

Start Date: August 1, 2024

Location: Wassenaar, on the north side of The Hague
Language Skills: Fluent English is Essential

You believe that school is preparation for life, more than simply the next level of school. You are passionate about elementary school. It has its own unique character and personality and that’s what draws you to elementary school teaching. You love teaching and supporting students through these years of growth and change and enjoy contributing to their academic, social and emotional development. An advocate, a guide and a strong supporter of your students - that’s you. Just as in life outside the classroom, you believe that students with different backgrounds, gender identities, and learning abilities benefit from working together. Supporting your students energizes you. You love coming to school to work with them. You are solution oriented and like to contribute to a positive, enjoyable working environment.

As a lifelong learner, you are excited by new ideas, professional learning and you enjoy sharing your learning with your colleagues. You understand team dynamics and work well with teams of other educators and with administrators. You are an excellent communicator and see parents as your partners in their child's education. When making decisions, you focus on how we can best serve our students and parents, always looking for a way in which we can make ASH just that extra bit better for them. You recognize that learning is not confined to a timetable. You are independent and confident, having an open mind and being able to give and receive constructive feedback is something you pride yourself on.

You are a certified Elementary School Counselor with a Master's degree or equivalent in Counseling. With at least five years Elementary School experience in an American, Canadian, or international school, implementing a developmentally appropriate school counseling program based on the ISCA model.

In addition you;
Have experience working with students in Early Childhood,
Have proven the ability to successfully work within a diverse, multicultural community,
Have strong organizational skills and the ability to collaborate and take initiative, a clear communication style and excellent interpersonal skills,
Have the ability to understand and connect with a range of student and adult learning styles and needs,
Have recent professional development in the field of counseling and a growth mindset about personal learning,
Have experience using a web based student information platform.

The Role: The Elementary School supports over 165 international students. Your role is supervised by the Student Support Director. As an Elementary School Counselor, you will collaborate on a comprehensive counseling program for all students on the ECC campus. You will work closely with teachers, parents and staff, promote a safe and respectful learning environment and support the four areas of international school counseling - Academic, Career, Personal/Social and Global Perspective. You will serve as a change agent to provide equity, access and opportunity for all students.

The Work : As an Elementary School Counselor, your daily activities involve planning and implementing classroom instruction and activities that support the four domains of international school counseling. You will consult with and/or provide staff with resources to facilitate the teaching of the guidance curriculum. You integrate PSE and Child Protection content, when appropriate, into the curriculum. You will participate collaboratively with the Elementary School staff and Elementary School teams and work with students to acquire knowledge of developmentally appropriate skills for school success. You conduct structured, goal-oriented counseling sessions and plan systematic responses to the identified needs of individual students and groups of students. You serve as an advocate for students. You coordinate the new student orientation and placement and design and lead in-service workshops for faculty and parents in consultation with Elementary School administration. In addition, you assist families with school-related questions and consult and coordinate with external community-based specialists (psychologists, therapists, etc.) if needed. 

You work with the Student Support Team and assume an active role in contributing to educational plans for individual students. You provide appropriate counseling support to students and parents as needs are identified and interventions are determined. You will also support students during times of transitions (i.e. new and departing students; Early Childhood to Elementary School transition). Furthermore, you document and participate in Child Protection cases and support Crisis Intervention. You regularly review the counseling program with teams and administrators and evaluate programs and learning activities as they are implemented. You identify areas of growth and improvement and implement actions accordingly. In addition, you will perform other duties as assigned by the Student Support Director.

Strong, open communications are your hallmark. Regular communications with parents is essential as you provide and explain information regarding students’ social, academic, and behavioral progress. Your voice matters in the conversation as to how we can all best serve the needs of our students. If you have talents or interests outside of school in the areas of music, athletics, the arts or other such interests, bring them with you as you’ll be participating in after school activities in support of our students. You will be fully involved in daily life at ASH. Your “can do” attitude will be essential for your success in your daily school life.

Child Protection and Safety
The American School of The Hague is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Aligned with the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection.