Fishburne Military School (FMS), the oldest and smallest all-male military boarding school in Virginia, seeks a credentialed counselor to serve as its next School Counselor. FMS serves young men in grades 6 – 12 with an optimal enrollment between 150 – 175 cadets. Day students typically comprise one quarter of the student body. This is an opportunity to serve in a timeless and effective setting for the development of young men, yet one that is increasingly unique in American society.
Responsibilities
Major duties and responsibilities of this position involve leading Fishburne’s counseling efforts schoolwide to support a healthy supportive cadet climate. This includes developing and implementing in conjunction with administration/faculty a guidance curriculum addressing among other things, bullying, substance prevention, and social media use. Convening a weekly guidance meeting of administrators to address “cadets of concern” and formulate strategies in response. Counsel cadets individually based on self-referral or referral by administrators. This is a full-time or part-time on campus position which reports to the Commandant. As a boarding school, participation in week night and weekend duty is an expectation as is participating in the wider life of the school by attending cadet extracurricular activities. Assignment as an advisor and/or coach is negotiable. Other duties include:
respond to any cadet in crisis or those who self-refer or are referred by faculty
work with students to address concerns about academic, emotional, or social problems
provide individual and small group counseling to address a variety of cadet needs
assist students in conflict resolution and guide students through the process to create resulting goals and action plans
refer students to psychologists and other mental health resources when necessary
assist in the planning and execution of the school advisory program.
assist Admission Office in screening applicants when appropriate
The ideal candidate possesses a master’s degree in school counseling or social work with an active license and three to five years of experience counseling adolescents (boys preferred). Pastoral counselors will be considered. Experience implementing social and emotional learning curricula is desirable as well as experience working with students with diagnosed learning differences. Experience using leading technologies such as Google Suite and Blackbaud education software is a plus. Military experience is not essential. Compensation and benefits are consistent with other small boarding schools. Interested persons should send a letter of interest and resume to Colonel Randal E. Brown (VA), President at rbrown@fishburne.org
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About Fishburne Military School
Located in downtown Waynesboro, Virginia, in the bucolic Shenandoah Valley 30 minutes from Charlottesville, Fishburne Military School is a private non-profit non-sectarian boarding school for boys in grades 7 – 12. Ideal enrollment is between 150 – 175 cadets comprised mostly of domestic boarders but also including day and international students. It is governed by an independent board of trustees comprised of alumni and past parents. Fishburne is the oldest military boarding school in Virginia (1879) and the board is committed to its small scale and all male mission. When founded, FMS was modeled after nearby Virginia Military Institute and Fishburne’s iconic barracks quadrangle reflects this. The relationship between the two schools remains close. As a non-sectarian school, the FMS Army JROTC program is part of US Army Cadet Command and rated an honor school of distinction. FMS is accredited by VAIS and is a member of NAIS, TABS, & CASE.. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************* Fishburne embraces its new brand … We see wh...at’s great in you. The student body is comprised of a core of young men with an affinity for the military and a desire to get an early start on this career. Along with this group are many other boys who were overlooked in their previous settings and not growing to their potential. With its small scale and structure, individual attention, and dedicated faculty and military staff, all of whom understand leveraging relationships to develop young men; Fishburne excels at enabling its cadets to reach their full potential. FMS has a conventional college prep curriculum, but one which is evolving in new and exciting ways with community partners and to develop life skills in our boys. Required athletics and physical training produce not just resilient young men but several each year who go on to play collegiate sports. The vast majority of FMS graduates will go on to civilian higher education. A significant number each year do matriculate to one of the US Service Academies or military colleges. Several each year earn valuable ROTC scholarships. Some boys will elect military enlistment to obtain GI Bill benefits before going to college and still others may pursue specialized technical training. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************* FMS is a small close-knit community that feels like family and this is certainly true of the employees. Most FMS administrators, faculty, and staff are dedicated educators without military experience. The personnel of the Army JROTC Department and Commandant’s Office all possess military backgrounds and direct the Corps of Cadets. In the spirit of “bricks & mortar do not a school make”, our professionals are a great strength.