SJI International Elementary School is seeking an experienced and adaptable Elementary Counsellor and Family Engagement Officer to start in July 2025. The preferred candidates are those who have a strong counselling background and a deep understanding of the cultural and linguistic challenges that our students and their families face, particularly those from a Chinese background. The successful candidate must be fluent in Chinese both orally and in written language and have insights into how to transition new families into the school and develop a sense of belonging. Work will be with both students and parents in this regard. Those applying should have experience of counselling students and their parents from 4 to 12 years of age in an international school setting.
The successful candidate will be someone who is able to collaborate closely with colleagues, manage planning and teaching time effectively and seeks opportunities to grow professionally and personally. The successful candidate should also understand and support the school's identity and values as a Catholic Lasallian school, although they may not be of the same faith themselves.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted during the week of January 6, 2025 and interviews (in person or online) will most likely be scheduled in the week of January 20, 2025.
Job Purpose
- Support the personal, social and emotional development of students to assist their engagement in school and the learning process
- Identify, support and monitor students who require individual social and emotional support
- Provide outreach to parents who may be new to the community and challenged by limited knowledge of English
- Support groups of students with similar key areas of focus by accessing or developing relevant intervention programmes
- Provide classroom wide or grade level wide intervention as required
- Maintain collaborative practices between counsellors, teachers, parents and outside agencies
- Create and maintain relationships with students based on trust and confidentiality regarding any information acquired by them in the course of counselling/assessments/individual sessions.
- Keep accurate confidential records related to the above and complete any other related administrative duties
Key Responsibilities
- Establish a relationship of trust and respect with students
- Establish a relationship of trust and respect with parents who are isolated by language and/or culture
- Identify, document and prioritise student needs and the provision of specialised well-being, social and emotional support to address the needs of both newly enrolled and existing students at the school
- Work with teachers, parents and outside agencies to identify and assess the social and emotional needs of identified students
- Guide and oversee goals for specific students within the counselling programme, sharing these with homeroom teachers, students and their parents
- Monitor, record and review student progress within the counselling programme and work with the team around the child in order to plan next steps
- Provide and deliver training workshops for colleagues and parents around support of the well-being of students and common issues that may be encountered at home and school
- Manage and maintain multilingual resources needed to ensure the successful delivery of the counselling and Well-being Programme
- Share information about well-being, social and emotional issues with parents and the wider community
- Provide Chinese/English language crisis intervention and support when needed
- Translate important information and processes with a pastoral focus between home and school (Chinese-English)
Specific Tasks and Duties
Strategic Leadership
- Manage own counsellor workload and meet regularly with the VP and other members of the Pastoral team in order to share oversight of students’ needs and how these are being addressed
- Set up structures to identify counselling needs for individuals and groups of students and how these can be supported
- Organise and maintain records of students in the counselling programme, interventions, allocation of resources and student data
- Alongside other counsellors, provide induction for new teachers, ensuring that they understand the policies and practices of the Counselling Department and their role in working alongside teachers
- Liaise closely with the AP Student Success and VP, sharing information around identified students, staffing, support programmes, assessments and data, and the provision of resources
- Work alongside the SLT to develop realistic, yet challenging goals for well-being and counselling as part of the Elementary School Improvement Plan (ESIP)
- Establish systems to monitor home background and guardianship of students, making note of changes in circumstances that may affect the well-being and/or safety of the child and being the point of contact for parents, particularly those in the Chinese speaking community.
Curriculum and Pedagogy
- Provide professional development and opportunities for teachers to engage in professional dialogue around supporting student well-being, social and emotional development and needs
- Meet and work collaboratively with grade level teams during the planning of units of work that focus on well-being, social and emotional development and support in the delivery of this.
- Incorporate the core values of SJI International as a Catholic Lasallian school and the Virtues Programme when working with individual or groups of students
- Monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice with regard to well-being, social and emotional development and provide support for teachers in these aspects of teaching
- Develop, review and share well-being and counselling goals with homeroom and specialist teachers on a regular basis and how these can be supported in regular classes
- As part of the counselling team, oversee the transition of students out of the counselling programme and the handover of students going into the High School
Assessment and Reporting
- Observe and assess identified students in order to evaluate specific needs, and develop appropriate support programmes
- Observe and assess students during the enrollment process when they present particular needs
- Ensure that student assessments and evaluations are recorded, analysed and used to guide future support, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the counselling programme
- Report on student progress for those receiving small group or individual support
- Assist teachers and parents to interpret assessment data related to an identified student’s learning behaviours and/or social and emotional needs.
Collaboration and Relationship Management
- Work collaboratively with - staff in the Counselling and Student Success Departments to discuss caseloads and the programmes provided to support students
- Support Teaching Assistants to develop an improved knowledge and understanding of student best practice in well-being and how to support the social and emotional development of students
- Lead, or work alongside teachers through induction, INSET, planning meetings and workshops to provide knowledge and understanding of their role in promoting student well-being and their social and emotional development
- Use classroom visits and observations throughout the school day to support teachers as they assess the learning, emotional and behavioural needs of students
- Support transitions within the school and liaise with others involved in this process e.g. Admissions, High School Counsellor and High School VP Well-being
- Work collaboratively with the AP Student Success and VP to develop an effective school wide approach to counselling and the development of a student Well-being programme
- Assisting parents to liaise with external agencies for follow-up or assistance as appropriate
- Maintain a level of confidentiality around information, documents, notes, photographs or other materials that contain student information and know when and to whom this information can be shared with others including parents, guardians, legal agencies, outside providers etc.
Resource Management
- Manage assigned budgets, showing fiscal responsibility based on priorities for expenditure for areas of responsibility
- Ensure that the range, quality and use of all available resources is monitored, evaluated and reviewed to improve teaching and learning
- Ensure that resources are organised and managed to provide an efficient, effective and safe learning environment
- Look for resources that may be available beyond the school that either support teaching and learning or provide professional development opportunities for the Counselling Department
Communication
- Communicate with teachers, effectively and in a timely manner, about matters pertaining to students with identified counselling needs
- Ensure positive and effective partnerships with parents through regular and clear communication about the student, in particular our Chinese speaking parents.
- Communicate with staff and parents when an identified student has been registered with, and is under the care of, the Counselling Department and the actions to be taken
- Communicate and explain to parents observations, assessments, IEPs and evaluations regarding a student’s social and emotional needs and the support provided in response to these
- Report to SLT any matters related to the Counselling Department
- Immediately communicate any safeguarding concerns to the Vice Principal and/or Safeguarding Lead Teacher
Self-Evaluation and Quality Assurance
- Participate in the PRD and performance management process to develop goals and improve professional effectiveness
- Seek opportunities for professional development through a range of opportunities such as professional reading, counselling supervision, network groups, in-school or external workshops
General Areas of Responsibility
- Be an advocate of the school and its decisions during interactions with students, staff and the community.
- Lead in nurturing a Lasallian Catholic ethos by building upon the legacy and tradition of the school firmly anchored in Faith, Service and Community
- Maintain good working relationships with colleagues and students
- Be a role model within the school in terms of professional expertise and conduct and lead by example
- Treat others fairly and with respect in order to create and maintain a positive school culture
- Build a collaborative learning culture within the school and manage innovation and change
- Inform and support the SLT as needed
- Take on specific tasks related to the day-to-day administration and organisation of the school as requested by the Principal or SLT
- Create and maintain relationships with students based on trust and confidentiality regarding any information acquired by them in the course of counselling/assessments/individual sessions.
Job Requirements
- Minimum Bachelor Degree and Certified Counsellor
- Minimum 5 years of experience
- Native level Chinese for spoken and written language, and culture
- Proven experience of counselling in an international setting
Application Process
All applications for this position strictly to be submitted through Schrole/APLi only. The link to our Schrole/APLi page can be found on our Employment Page (https://www.sji-international.com.sg/about/employment)
We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
