Scope: SEL (Social, Emotional Learning), support, activities, leadership, parent engagement

Reporting to: Head of Middle School

To guide the overall wellbeing and pastoral support of our Middle School community, we are seeking a Dean of Students & Pastoral Care (6-8) beginning in the 2024/2025 academic year. This role aligns with our ISL strategic initiatives and will play an instrumental role in continuing our journey of promoting a culture of care and belonging and providing developmentally relevant pastoral care for our students.

As a key member of our Middle School Leadership Team, the Dean of Students and pastoral Care will be responsible for leading the continued development of our MS Community Time program, with an emphasis on establishing a vertically aligned and developmentally appropriate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. Additionally, the Dean of Students & Pastoral Care provides leadership of our response to the intervention system for behavior and collaboration amongst all stakeholders to support overall the well-being and learning of students in Grades 6-8. Key working partners for the Dean of Students and pastoral Care role include the Head of Middle School, MS Counselor, MS Grade Level Team Leads, Head of Inclusion and Student well-being, HS Dean of Students, MS grade level teachers, and Community Time Den Leaders (similar to Advisors).

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, counseling, or similar fields is preferred.
• minimum five years of teaching and/or counseling experience
• preferred experience serving as assistant principal, counselor, or related role in an IB MYP school
• passion, desire, and successful experience in working with MS learners and parents
• strong leadership abilities, including the capacity to lead teams
• ability to work independently and make effective decisions.
• proficient communication skills with students, school staff, and parents, along with a collaborative work ethic.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions. S/he should:
• model and promote the behaviors and values promoted by ISL Qatar
• have a caring, supportive, and understanding nature and act as an advocate for students
• have the ability to manage a diverse and demanding workload
• be accomplished in building relationships with students, parents, and colleagues and establishing strong, supportive, and collaborative partnerships.
• have a high level of understanding of current learning research as to how Middle School-aged children learn and possess the ability to motivate colleagues and students to perform at their best
• have a high awareness and understanding of current developments and best practices related to SEL and response to intervention structures for discipline and pastoral care.
• be resourceful and innovative in developing and implementing the vision, strategy, curriculum and best pedagogical practices across pastoral and transition programs.
• possess excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• be able to lead through a culture of collaboration and belonging.
• have strong technological skills and proficiency in Microsoft Teams, OneNote, and Microsoft 365, or a willingness and ability to learn the necessary skills quickly.
• Responsibilities. S/he is responsible:
• to lead and oversee a response to intervention process for pastoral care and behavior management in the MS.
• to lead and guide the continued development of our MS Community Time program, collaborating with grade level Den Leaders, Grade Level Team Leads, and MS students in building a values-driven and developmentally relevant SEL program.
• to co-lead the student transition process, specifically between Grades 5/6 and Grades 8/9, providing support to students, parents, and grade-level teachers to ensure a smooth transition across divisions of the school.
• to coordinate with grade level teachers, Den Leaders, MS Counselor, and wider Inclusion and Safeguarding team about student well-being needs, interventions, and progress monitoring;
• to act as a point of contact for, and facilitate productive conversations between, students, parents, and/or teachers in order to provide support and guidance in pastoral matters (which includes knowing when to refer matters to other leaders when the issue at hand falls outside the role of MS Dean of Students & Pastoral Care);
• to serve as a valued member of the Middle School Leadership Team and contribute to a culture of collaboration and belonging.
• to attend and contribute to regular Middle School Leadership Team collaborative meetings.
• to collaborate with MSLT members, Head of Inclusion & Wellbeing, and MS teachers in the identification, intervention and monitoring of student behavior and wellbeing.
• to maintain and regularly reviewing student discipline and attendance records in alignment with our education philosophy.
• to actively participate in professional development activities as required
• to communicate clearly, supportively, and in a timely manner to all stakeholders about student wellbeing and pastoral needs.