Position Title: Elementary School Counselor
Supervisor: Vice Principal
School Overview:
American International School in Cyprus (AISC) is a K – 12 college preparatory school offering a holistic American education taught by qualified North American, other international, and host-country Cypriot teachers who inspire, motivate and challenge students to achieve excellence.
AISC is operated by Esol Education, a premium international education organization, with 45 years of expertise in establishing and operating international American and British schools worldwide. Currently, 11,000 students attend Esol’s ten schools across three continents.
Similar to all other Esol schools, AISC has gained accreditation from The Middle States Association (MSA), Council of International Schools, and with the International Baccalaureate (IB). In Cyprus, AISC is regarded as a private school approved and licensed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, and Youth (MOECSY) in Cyprus under the Private Schools Law of 2019.
AISC has been educating students since 1987. The school enrollment is approximately 400 students. AISC has a vast international community serving Embassies and Consulates, as well as multinational companies and private, international, and local host country citizens. Over 40 nationalities are represented, with the top five being Israel, Cyprus, USA, Russia, and Lebanon.
At AISC, our mantra is focused on high expectations of ourselves and high expectations for the students who enter our school community. The combination of a welcoming and safe environment, skilled and inspirational teachers, and supportive parents, makes for great learning and a rich, rewarding atmosphere. We are committed to building a learning community where care and respect for one another is of paramount importance. We are committed to providing a balanced and holistic program with equal emphasis on the intellectual, social, creative, and physical domains.
Curriculum:
English is the language of instruction and communication at the school. The US Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards, and other aAmerican and best practice international standards provide the framework for learning. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB DP) is available as an option for students in Grades 11 and 12
Our Mission:
The mission of the American International School in Cyprus is to develop lifelong learners empowered to achieve educational excellence, nurture personal well-being, and become responsible global citizens who positively impact the world.
Our Vision:
Our vision is to be a global community that accepts and respects everyone and provides an outstanding, progressive KG-12 education through high-quality teaching and learning.
Counselor Job Description/Duties:
Student Support Responsibilities
· Provide individual and small group advice for personal, academic, or behavioral issues.
· Help students develop realistic personal growth, academic, and career options.
· Help students understand their abilities, interests, talents, and personality characteristics and provide them with life skills to enhance personal, social, and academic growth.
· Provide a safe and comfortable place where students may come to talk about a problem, consult on a special topic, and make recommendations on elements of the school which might negatively affect their personal or academic development or simply have a place to reflect.
· Communicate with families on students' personal, academic, and behavior issues.
· Support the processes of placing students in classes.
· Monitor new students and assist in the transition process to their new school.
· Co-chair the student study team that meets regularly to review and provide direct intervention strategies to meet the learning, behavioral, and social needs of referral students.
· Support the teachers and learning support team on documented intervention strategies.
· Work collaboratively with the School Nurse, classroom teachers, and Administration to support student and family well-being.
Instructional Responsibilities
· Teach Social Emotional and Character Development lessons in grades KG5-Grade5 and helping students to accept themselves and increase their level of responsibility through the teaching of topics including, but not limited to, goal setting, study skills, stress management, conflict resolution, etc.
· Support teachers in classroom management, parent communication, and building strong relationships with students aligned with the Positive Discipline approach.
Community Building Responsibilities
· Serve as advisor to Elementary School Student Council.
· Support transition activities from Elementary to Middle School.
· Contribute to Parent Coffee mornings on topics related to positive discipline, social emotional wellbeing, and other topics as needed.
· Contribute articles to the Islander as part of the counseling/advisory rotation.
· Work with colleagues in the Counseling/Advisory Department.
Child Protection:
The American International School in Cyprus (AISC) is strongly committed to all aspects of child protection and safeguarding. Therefore, our hiring process will include the following considerations:
· AISC will thoroughly and rigorously screen all applications.
· AISC reserves the right to withdraw an applicant’s candidacy if supervisory referees are not provided.
· AISC reserves the right to withdraw an applicant’s candidacy at any time should the information be forthcoming that may suggest the candidate is not suitable to progress in the process.
· Hiring is contingent upon a successful background check.
Safeguarding:
Safeguarding children from harm is a key responsibility for this role.
· It is your responsibility to provide children with an environment safe from physical harm, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.
· You are responsible for reporting any abuse or neglect incidents to the counselor or direct supervisor within 24 hours. If the counselor and direct supervisor are unavailable, you must report incidents to the principal. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information arrives to the counselor. If the child is in immediate danger, keep the child safe until you reach the counselor, principal, or director.
· It is a condition of your employment at the school that if any criminal charges or convictions arise against your name related to children that you report this to the director.
Community Expectations:
At AISC each member of staff is accountable for implementing the AISC Guiding Statements every day, including our Mission Statement, Code of Conduct, Human Rights Policy, and Constructive Communication Policy.
Required and Preferred Qualifications and Experiences:
· Bachelor’s degree at minimum and teaching qualification/appropriate certification.
· Previous teaching experience (preferably at an international school) demonstrated strong organizational, administrative, and interpersonal skills.
· Experience conducting personal or academic counseling.
· Fluency in English and excellent communication and presentation skills.
· A positive, caring, community-minded team player with a passion for teaching.
Compensation and Benefits:
For overseas hires, American International School in Cyprus offers an initial contract term of two years (renewable). Benefits include housing or a housing allowance as preferred, relocation allowance, medical insurance, and tuition subsidy for dependent children.
Application Procedure:
The following application materials are required:
· Expression of interest.
· A current CV with photograph and the contact details of 3 professional referees (at least one from a supervisor at your current school).
· One-page statement of educational philosophy and/or approach to teaching and learning.
Include all documents in a single PDF file and forward by email to: employment@aisc.ac.cy
Interested candidates are kindly requested to send their CV to the HR Manager at employment@aisc.ac.cy.
