Position Title: Middle School Guidance Counselors\xe2\x80\x99 Secretary
Immediate Supervisor: Building Principal

Summary:
Provides administrative/secretarial services necessary to assist the Guidance Counselors. Promotes a positive image of the school through interactions with parents, students, staff, and community members.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Greet students, parents, visitors. Schedule appointments with counselors; schedule parent conferences when needed.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and project a professional image when handling sensitive and confidential situations and information.
• Answer telephone and provide information to callers, screen and route calls to appropriate person.
• Compose a wide variety of documents (e.g. correspondence, agendas, reports, etc.) to communicate information to school and district personnel, the public, state officials, etc.
• Update student records, enter historical data for new students.
• Create and maintain manual and electronic documents, file and record data (e.g. student records, cumulative folders, etc.) to provide up-to-date reference and audit trail.
• Assist principals, teachers, school nurse, or parents in locating students.
• Supervise students in the guidance office. Assess their needs, answer questions and assist with issues.
• Participate in meetings, workshops and seminars as assigned.
• Maintain a file of forms used by the department; retrieve student schedules, report cards, and pertinent information for students, counselors, teachers, parents, etc.
• File documents and correspondence alphabetically, numerically, or by other classification; gather data from files and prepare reports of a routine nature; prepare form and routine letters relative to information contained in files and records.
• Respond to inquiries from a variety of internal and external parties (staff, parents, students and public) to provide information and facilitate effective communication.
• Screen and route materials according to content of communications.
• Prepare and distribute progress reports.
• Prepare and distribute report cards.
• Compile information for Honor Roll for each quarter/trimester/semester and distribute.
• Process work orders, requisitions and order supplies as needed.
• Under the direction of the guidance counselor, prepare and disseminate school and student information such as class schedules, course offerings, etc. Assist in guidance related activities or events.
• Assist in the enrolling and orientation of new students, provide the student and parents with appropriate information and documents; send for student records, add students to class lists; enter past grade history in computer.
• Assist in the withdrawal of students, collection of grades from the teachers and preparation of information for the receiving school.
• Disseminate behavior Checklists to teachers and mental health professionals.
• Transfer records.
• Approve e-Registrations.
• Communicate with Transportation and District offices regarding new or changing student status.
• Assign lockers and maintain locker assignment records.
• Use technology to efficiently complete secretarial and/or clerical tasks.
• Assist with registration days, open houses and parent-teacher conferences.
• Serve as backup to other office support staff as needed.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Professional Standards:
1. Quality of Work (Work is correct, precise, and neat; confidentiality is maintained, as job requires; work product presents positive/professional appearance.)
2. Quantity of work (The amount of work performed is evidence of high productivity; industrious; carries fair share of work load; seeks additional tasks.)
3. Knowledge of job (The job and job-related responsibilities are well understood and reflected in job performance; exhibits continuous improvement and ongoing learning.)
4. Creativity/Problem Solving (Offers new ideas; suggests innovative and better ways of performing necessary tasks.)
5. Interpersonal Skills (Works collaboratively with others; courteous; polite; pleasant; promotes positive image in contacts with co-workers and district\'s customers.)
6. Dependability (Completes work in a timely fashion; reliable; punctual; consistent attendance; stable and calm in a crisis or an emergency; works independently.)
7. Professional Appearance (Dress is acceptable for the job; appears clean, well-groomed and \xe2\x80\x9cprofessional.")
8. Organizational Skills (Exhibits ability to prioritize work; organizational skills enhance job productivity.)
9. Technical Skills (Exhibits proficiency in and uses required computer applications to maximize efficiency.)
10. Written/Verbal Communication (Convey information and ideas accurately and clearly to meet the needs of the reader, transfers thoughts and ideas into speech and presents clearly.)
11. Managing Change/ Adaptability (Demonstrates good understanding of organizational changes and communicates support for such change.)
12. Professional Approach (Professional, positive, and helpful approach with customers. Displays loyalty toward the organization. Demonstrates a capacity to understand customer (internal and external) requirements and produces a professional level of service that is satisfactory.)
13. Flexibility (Demonstrates openness to new organizational structures, procedures, technology. Willingly takes direction and will modify one\xe2\x80\x99s preferred way of doing things.)
14. Safety (Exhibits knowledge of health, safety and emergency procedures of the learning environment and follows such procedures.)

Supervisory Responsibilities:
N/A

Minimum Education or Experience:
High school diploma required.
Successful secretarial and clerical experience required.

Licensure or Certification:
N/A

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (To perform this job successfully, and individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed here are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

• Cooperative and collaborative approach.
• Effective and professional interpersonal skills.
• Poise, tact and diplomacy.
• Productive, appropriate and independent use of time.
• Patience as to not get easily discouraged.
• Complete assigned responsibilities in a timely and effective manner.
• Knowledge of and adherence to District policies.
• Working knowledge of a variety of computer software applications in work processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software (MS Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.).
• Professional standards, methods and procedures, including business letter writing and report preparation.
• Modern office methods, practices, procedures, including filing systems, telephone techniques, business forms, letter and report writing, proofreading and office equipment usage.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in daily operations.
• Establish effective office procedures and systems.
• Create and maintain complex recordkeeping procedures.
• High level of organization and ability to prioritize.
• Understand the organization and operation of the District and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Commitment to customer service.
• Work effectively in a team environment.
• Positive and professional interpersonal skills in dealing with students, staff, parents and the community.
• Effectively adapt to changing situations within the workplace.
• Desire and ability to engage in continuing education and professional development.
• Accept, understand and follow directions and instructions.

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.)
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to see, stand, walk, sit, climb stairs (if relevant), and hear. The employee is regularly required to make keyboard entries in a computer. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
Employee must be able to frequently work with interruptions during a work shift.
Employee must be capable of frequently working with co-workers with different personalities.
Employee must be willing to come into contact with body fluids such as urine, blood and nasal secretions and contagious diseases such as flu and the common cold. Employee must be capable of working in a broad range of temperatures, humidity and other winter and summer environments.

Work Environment: (The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)
The noise level in this environment is moderate, however due to the number of persons working in a limited amount of space, there can be distractions. The environment is smoke-free and asbestos free. There is air conditioning, though the distribution of heat and air conditioning is not always uniform in the work area.


The statements in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel in this position. These statements are not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his or her supervision.

The Linn-Mar Community School District shall provide equal opportunity to employees and applicants for employment in accordance with applicable equal employment opportunity and affirmative action laws, directives, and regulations of federal, state, and local governing bodies. In employing individuals, the District will consider the qualifications, credentials, and records of the applicants without regard to age, color creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical attributes, genetic information, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, military status, socioeconomic status, pregnancy, or familial status.