Job Title: School Counselor (‘25-’26 School Year)
Hours: Fulltime (10 months)
Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt
Reports to: Head of School
Leadership Opportunity:
Harborlight Montessori is seeking a thoughtful, compassionate school counselor for the school year 2025-26. We are looking for a skilled communicator with adults and children, someone who approaches their work with empathy, flexibility, and professionalism. The School Counselor is integral to the daily life and functioning of the school community. The position will serve children and families in our toddler through eighth grades and work collaboratively with a team of passionate educators. Candidates with successful counseling experience with a variety of ages are encouraged to apply.
Salary commensurate with credentials and experience; benefits include ongoing professional development, health and dental insurance, paid time off, holidays and vacation time, and opportunities for career growth and advancement. Possible flexibility to be 4 days a week in-person.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide short-term counseling for students using a short-term, strengths-based, solution-focused model; assist with problem-solving regarding academic and social-emotional issues as they arise.
- Facilitate student peer support and affinity groups as needed (e.g., groups that address the specific needs of students).
- Develop and implement a time-limited, developmentally appropriate, and prevention-oriented social-emotional curriculum in collaboration with teachers.
- Mediate conflict between students.
- Assist teachers with SEL resources to support classroom engagement and relationship building.
- Confer as needed with external health professionals serving students and act as the liaison between them and the School.
- Provide timely and consistent communication with parents/caregivers, participate in parent meetings/communication as needed, and run parent education workshops as/when needed.
- Provide families with referral information when needed, as indicated.
- Observe and assess classroom practices for ways to improve the teaching of social competencies.
- Provide consultation to and education around developmental and social-emotional issues for parents.
- Provide consultation for families in a culturally responsive and aware manner.
Administrative Responsibilities:
- Create, track & continuously revise systems and structures that support student development & learning.
- Create and implement professional development for faculty regarding developmental, social-emotional, and academic issues.
- Create, revise, and review, in collaboration with the leadership team, school practices, protocols, and policies that enhance student health and safety.
- Be available to represent the school at events outside of school day hours (e.g., curriculum nights, new parent events, admissions events, etc.).
Qualification Requirements:
- A Master's Degree in Counseling, School Counseling, Social Work, or a related field
- Demonstrated ability to connect with students and use various counseling techniques specific to school counseling.
- Appreciation for the value of all human relationships, family structures, and human temperaments
- Skills in constructive communication and collaboration with staff and administrators
- Ability to organize, plan and implement tasks independently
- Familiarity/experience with the Montessori educational approach is a plus
Harborlight Montessori: Harborlight is an independent day school currently enrolling 260 students from infant through grade eight. Serving Beverly and its surrounding towns since 1973, Harborlight is a leader in Montessori education and the lab school for Montessori Institute – New England, a Montessori teacher education program. Harborlight is accredited by the American Montessori Society and Association of Independent Schools in New England.
Harborlight welcomes candidates who add to the diversity of our school community and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging in their teaching and learning. We encourage applications from communities that are historically underrepresented in independent schools. Harborlight believes that everyone is entitled to equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, age, gender, religion, national or cultural origin, sexual orientation, family style, political belief, military or veteran status, disability or other characteristics protected under federal or Massachusetts law. Harborlight makes reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. The school’s equal employment opportunity practices extend to recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation and benefits, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
To Apply: Candidates should send a letter, resume, and three written references to: Michael Bowler, Head of School c/o careers@harborlight.net