Director of Student Life (Upper School Grades 9-12)

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Cape Henry Collegiate (CHC) is searching for a new Director of Student Life to work in the Upper School division. The student life program is one of the many great strengths of the Upper School. The ideal candidate is someone who can both honor current traditions and leverage strengths to make meaningful improvements to our student experience. 

• Work closely with the Head of Upper School, Upper School Counselor, and Grade Level Team leaders to support students in their academic and social-emotional growth.
• Work with the Athletic Director and co-curricular teacher leaders to set expectations around behavior and participation in the Upper School co-curricular and athletic programs and be the primary point of contact in management of those expectations.
• Lead the first tier of disciplinary matters, working alongside the Head of Upper School in focusing on a restorative approach towards working with and helping students grow through their mistakes.
• Collaborate with the Middle School Director of Student Life and Assistant Head of Lower School to promote the idea of a single school community and create cross-divisional student activities and events.

• Ensure the students of the Upper School are given an opportunity to learn and live in a healthy school community, aligned to our Mission Statement and Core Values.
• Be a visible and active participant in student life, including events, activities, and athletics. The Director of Student Life will lead the planning and execution of many key student events such as prom, homecoming, fall festival, and the Cape Henry Royalty Pageant. The expectation will be that this person will nurture current traditions and also look for ways to create new traditions.
• Serve on the Upper School leadership team to guide the strategic direction of the division and contribute to making decisions with a student-centered perspective.
• Develop and manage systems of restorative behavioral management and positive behavior interventions for students; provide support to faculty around those systems.
• Lead the first-tier response of our behavior management practices.
• Continue to solidify and improve the systems of communication and data collection related to behavior management; provide support to faculty around those systems.
• Work with the Upper School Counselor and Advisors to grow and enhance the Upper School advisory program.
• Maintain and grow our student club program by identifying opportunities for students to engage with service learning and develop leadership experience.
• Design and implement assembly programming based on monthly advisory themes as well as other areas of interest and/or importance.
• Collaborate with grade level team leaders, the Upper School counselor, and the head of Upper School to support the social, emotional and academic growth of students in Grades 9-12.
• Serve in concert with the Head of Upper School as the point person/liaison between Upper School and Director of Diversity and Inclusion.
• Work with the Assistant Head of Lower School and the Middle School Director of Student Life to create consistent grade appropriate programming that reinforces the student responsibilities and enhances the empathy and level of kindness on campus.
• Lead Community Time, including the Common Experience, Assemblies, Advisory and related SEL curricular activities.
• Support the head of Upper School and director of enrollment in the admission and onboarding of new students into the school.
• Serve as a parent liaison for the upper school, partnering with our parent association for support on key events throughout the year.
• Partake in regular professional development and connect with practitioners from other schools/organizations in order to remain current in best student life practices.
• Other duties as needed or determined by the head of Upper School.

Our Mission

We know, value, and challenge each student. 

We commit to building a diverse and inclusive community.

We graduate independent thinkers and globally aware citizens.

Our Core Values

Community, Opportunity, Scholarship, and Integrity

Cape Henry Collegiate is a prekindergarten through 12th grade day school located in the Great Neck corridor of Virginia Beach, VA. Founded in 1924, CHC is home to 1050 students and 150 faculty. The school has approximately 90 students in each grade level and is divided into three divisions (Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School).

The hallmark of CHC is its strong and supportive community. There is a strong sense of pride among staff, students, and families. We are a collegiate school in nature and consistently have 100% of students go on to a four-year college or university after graduation.

Commitment to Diversity

We are committed to hiring the most suitable candidate for this role. We understand that in working to fulfill our mission of building a diverse and inclusive community, we must also prioritize searching for candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and with a wide range of experiences without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. 

To Apply

As part of the application, please be sure to submit:

• A single PDF as part of their application that includes a cover letter, CV, 3 references (including at least one from your current employer), and a 1-page philosophy of student life. Please name this file “FIRST INITIAL-LASTNAME-DOSL-2022.pdf” (example C-HENRY-DOSL-2022.pdf)

• A link to a 60-90 second video where you explain your interest in the position and why you are the most suitable candidate to lead our student life program.

Applications should be submitted by Friday, February 03, 2023. Cape Henry reserves the right to close the application window without notice if a suitable candidate is found before the application deadline.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Significant standing, walking, moving, climbing, carrying, bending, kneeling, crawling, reaching, handling, pushing, and pulling. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential tasks.