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Posted: 06-Feb-23
Location: Locust Valley, New York
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Preferred Education:
Description
The Middle School Dean of Student Affairs is a creative, student-centered educator who believes in and helps cultivate the promise in each of our students. Helping to shape and support all areas of student life, including student behavior and student advising, the Dean leads and coaches adults to help students discover a deep sense of meaningful personal responsibility for their actions, learning, and well-being in our Quaker school. By example and in action, the Dean supports our school mission and school policies, communicating expectations and ensuring that students adhere to current rules and policies. In strategic partnership with the Principal and members of the senior leadership team overseeing all aspects of the student experience, the Dean works with students and faculty to shape a healthy, inclusive, and positive student culture that reflects Friends Academy’s Quaker mission.
The Middle School Dean leads a small group of grade-level deans and oversees the advisory program, all of whom work collectively to support the social, emotional, and intellectual well-being of our students. With the Principal, the Dean serves a vital role in creating a dynamic and comprehensive support structure that fosters student agency, belonging, and community membership. The Dean has a working understanding of students at this developmental stage, working actively to develop further understanding of preadolescent cognitive psychology and preadolescent development. Finally, the Dean of Student Affairs helps support all students and adults as they navigate our community rules and expectations for integrity and safety, including restorative and disciplinary responses rooted in the Positive Discipline (Dreikurs) model to promote student growth, accountability, and learning.
Essential duties of the role: Duties can change and others can be assigned
- Actively engaging and listening to student voices and concerns, helping to respond to and shape positive responses to long-term and emerging issues that affect student life and well-being; ? Leading middle school and community-wide efforts to live our mission fully and create a strong community that ensures a sense of integrity, agency, leadership, belonging, inclusion, and respect in all students
- Maintaining and modifying a mission-aligned, relevant, and meaningful advisory curriculum that includes resources, programs, and student activities to support student health, community membership, and wellness, so each student feels continuously known and valued
- Working closely with the Middle School Principal, grade-level deans and the Health and Wellness team, overseeing, tracking, and monitoring the functionality, effectiveness and responsiveness of our student programs;
- Planning and leading, each year, a positive and supportive onboarding and orientation process for new students and returning students;
- Training and supporting grade-level deans and advisors, as appropriate;
- Maintaining and monitoring an academic and student concerns spreadsheet
- Leading the culture of discipline in the MS at FA, which we define as the practice of teaching others rules and norms for a healthy, productive, safe community, by empowering students through the use of personalized strategies
- Serving as a point of contact and support for students impacted by issues such as harassment, bullying, hazing, discrimination, or sexual misconduct, able to respond with care and concern, make wise decisions in complex situations, and partner with other senior leaders, when necessary;
- Collaborating with the the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team to develop programming to support our daily efforts to create a culture of inclusion and best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion at FA;
- Coordinating all communications on students of concern, including email conferences, parent calls, letters to parents, and other;
- Working with Principal, grade-level deans, team leaders, and support staff
- Partnering with the Principal and Assistant Head of School to work with Counsel on any legal issues relating to student life and handbooks, helping lead efforts to comply with all applicable state and federal regulations.
- Working with Student Life Coordinators and Athletic Director/Health teachers to re-design, implement, coordinate and maintain a current, relevant and integrated health/well-being program that enhances student physical, social, and emotional wellbeing;
- Advising and training student leaders, with the help of our Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice, including supporting our student clubs, committees, and interest groups. ? Overseeing and helping expand and support our clubs and activities program, to help build healthy student extracurricular pursuits and passions during and beyond the school day; ? Helping to shape and extend student programming for service learning and community engagement at grade levels and as part of the advisory program.
Other Duties
- Working with faculty and students, helping to coordinate social events and student trips. ? Teaching one course each semester and supervising or leading another co-curricular activity, supporting other program supervision as needed.
- With the Principal, serving as a liaison to partner with Health Services, Counseling Services, Dining Services, Buildings and Grounds and Public Safety to help maintain the health and safety of our students.
- With MS Parent Council reps, serve as liaison for Independent School Exchange (ISE) social events with partner schools.
Qualifications and Competencies
- Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent (required), Master’s preferred
- Demonstrated experience working with preadolescents, especially involvement in teaching, coaching, and student life;
- Experience overseeing an area/department, including supervisory responsibilities of adults and program development and implementation, especially involving an area of student life;
- Demonstrated problem-solving, crisis management, and conflict resolution skills; ? Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication, presentation, and facilitation skills; ? Strong cultural competency and experience implementing and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives;
- Demonstrated success in cultivating collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders, including students, colleagues, parents, family, and community members;
- Ability to maintain effective confidentiality
To be considered for this position, please send the following to the FA recruitment address (recruitment@fa.org):
- A resume and a cover letter expressing interest in and why candidate is qualified for the position and salary requirement;
- A statement of educational philosophy;
- Three to five professional references;
- Optional: Other supporting material (e.g., articles, speeches, writing samples, or letters of recommendations) that would be informative.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to talk and hear; stand and sit for extended periods of time; possibly exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry or otherwise move objects. The ability to move from across and around campus grounds.
Our Commitment to Diversity
Friends Academy is committed to our guiding principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome candidates representing the diversity of the world as we deepen and elevate our educational program.
Friends Academy is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to hiring and retaining exceptional, dedicated people of diverse backgrounds. We consider qualified individuals for employment with the School regardless of age, color, disability status, gender identity or expression, genetics, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. It is Friends Academy’s policy to comply with all applicable laws pertaining to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.
We invite you to read our community welcome letter from our Director of Diversity, Equity, + Inclusion
