Position Title: Guidance Counsellor (Grade 7–10)
Department: Student Services
Reports To: Head of Guidance
Job Type: Full-Time
Start Date: September 2026
About Us
Hudson College is a JK–12 coed private school in Toronto dedicated to fostering academic excellence, character development, and holistic student growth. We pride ourselves on our tight-knit community, small class sizes, and a supportive learning environment where every student is known and valued as their authentic self. Our Guidance Counsellors are embedded in the daily academic life of the school — they design career-focussed lessons in classrooms, attend assemblies, accompany students on field trips, and work shoulder-to-shoulder with our teaching faculty.
Position Overview
The Guidance Counsellor for Grades 7–10 is a school-based educator first and foremost. This role supports students through their early-adolescent transition into and through Hudson's high school program, with academic advising, course planning, and developmentally focused student support at its core.
Key Responsibilities
Academic Advising & School Life
- Guide Grade 7 and 8 students through the academic and organizational transition into Hudson's high school program, building self-advocacy, executive functioning, and study skills
- Lead Grade 9 and 10 course selection, helping students understand Ontario curriculum pathways, OSSD requirements, and the implications of subject choices for postsecondary options
- Provide proactive, personalized guidance to families navigating key transition points at Hudson — particularly Grade 6 into 7, and Grade 8 into 9
- Monitor academic progress in partnership with classroom teachers and learning resource specialists, identifying students who may benefit from accommodations or an IEP
- Design and deliver classroom-based workshops and parent programming on topics like study skills, digital citizenship, and early postsecondary exploration
- Attend school field trips and overnight excursions with Grades 7–10
- Support extracurricular events to enhance student life
- Represent the Guidance department at Open House events and prospective family interviews
School-Based Student Support
- Provide short-term, developmentally-focused individual and small-group support for everyday adolescent challenges — peer conflict, academic stress, self-esteem, family changes, transitions
- Recognize when a student's needs exceed the scope of school-based guidance, and make warm, well-supported referrals to external clinical providers, maintaining appropriate collaboration thereafter
- Implement schoolwide preventative wellness programming (anti-bullying initiatives, mental health literacy, healthy relationships, digital wellbeing) aligned with our core values
Family & Faculty Collaboration
- Maintain proactive, ongoing communication with parents about academic progress and wellbeing — not only when concerns arise
- Lead parent education evenings on topics relevant to early adolescence (puberty, social media, resilience, supporting a high school student)
- Partner closely with classroom teachers, advisors, and the broader Student Services team to cultivate a positive, inclusive school culture
- Contribute to the co-curricular life of the school — coaching, advising clubs, supporting special events and trips — as a member of the faculty community
Qualifications & Requirements
- Education: Undergraduate degree; Master’s Degree in School Counselling or Educational Psychology (preferred)
- Certification: Valid OCT certification and Guidance qualification (OSCA Guidance Specialist or the three-part Guidance AQ) — both required by the start date
- Experience: Minimum 3 years as a guidance counsellor in a school setting (Grades 7–12). Independent or private school experience is a strong asset.
- Curriculum knowledge: Strong working knowledge of the Ontario secondary curriculum and OSSD requirements
Other Key Skills
- An educator's understanding of the developmental needs of 12- to 16-year-olds in a school context
- Comfort teaching in classrooms and leading small-group lessons
- Strong collaboration skills with teachers, administrators, and parents
- Sound judgment about the scope of practice
What We Offer
- Placement on the Hudson College faculty salary grid based on experience, qualifications, and Additional Qualifications
- Comprehensive health benefits package after probationary period
- Generous professional development budget and opportunities for continuous learning
- A collaborative, supportive, and well-resourced working environment with exceptional work-life balance
Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Successful applicants will be required to provide a vulnerable sector/criminal background check.
Pay: $65,000.00-$85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Extended health care
- RRSP match
Work Location: In person
