Dayton, Ohio Director of College Counseling
The Position
MVS is seeking a dynamic and innovative Director of College Counseling. This new community member will have the opportunity to help shape the department through the strengths and interests they bring to the table. The ideal candidate will possess the following: a sense of humor, an unassailable work ethic, superior organizational skills, an ardent desire to work with and support teenagers and their families in identifying “best fit” colleges, excellent written and verbal communication skills, familiarity with experiential and progressive models of education, experience with Naviance/Family Connection software, and 5+ years of counseling and/or admissions experience. The appropriate candidate will have an opportunity to contribute to the Immersion program, designing and leading programs that fit their passions and the needs of the school community.
Mission y The Miami V The Miami Valley School challenges young people of promise to become self-sustaining learners and compassionate global citizens.
Vision For half a century, MVS has provided a unique learning option for families in the Dayton region. Today, MVS has established a truly differentiated educational opportunity and has become a nationally recognized leader in academically rigorous, experience-based learning. Our vision includes: • • • • • •
Providing Tools for Self-Navigation Advancing The Miami Valley School Immersion Method Expanding Opportunities in Applied Math and Science Forming Healthy Relationships Embracing our Community and World Aligning Resources, Organizational Structures, and Systems
Full vision statement: Imagining the Future of MVS Core Values We practice INTEGRITY in all that we do to build an environment of honesty, honor, and trust that affirms the dignity of our work and of our fellow human beings. We CELEBRATE individuality and encourage acceptance and open-mindedness, nurture diversity, and ensure equality for all. We demonstrate GRIT, both in and out of the classroom, as we persevere, move forward, and pursue our goals. We practice KINDNESS, and treat ourselves and others with empathy and compassion.
School History
The Miami Valley School was founded over fifty years ago and remains the only independent school in the Dayton region accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). Members of the Mead family were among the first founders of the school and donated the land now occupied by the school’s campus. The school has a heritage of academic excellence balanced with attention to the social and emotional needs of each student. Students and teachers work closely as co-learners in an environment that fosters innovation and self-discovery. Alumni often speak about the way teachers helped them explore new ideas and discover personal interests and passions that have been formative in their development as self-sustaining learners and compassionate global citizens. The close relationship between teachers and students is at the heart of the school’s heritage. The “Immersion Program” in the upper school is unique nationwide. The program creates opportunities for all upper school students to spend an entire month focused on studying one topic in-depth, often in far-flung places around the globe. MVS is one of the few schools in the nation to devote this amount of time and resources toward student experiential learning. Lower school students also travel outside the boundaries of the campus, and last year the lower school faculty launched a new interdisciplinary, project-based program of “mini-immersions” that occur twice during the school year.
Fast facts Campus: picturesque 24-acre campus Total enrollment: 462 Early childhood: 26 Lower school: 146 Middle school: 103 Upper school: 187 Student diversity: 38% students of color 3500+ hours of community service a year 3 languages studied starting in Early Childhood Voted #1 high school in Dayton
(niche.com)
The School Today
This small school in Dayton is quickly emerging as one of the most innovative schools in the nation. The school’s vision statement, Imagining the Future of MVS, has gained national attention at the NAIS annual conference and through social media. Building on this foundational document, a team of teachers, parents, and students spent a year in collaboration designing a philosophy of teaching and learning called the “Immersion Method.” This statement is unique in the way it was allowed to grow from the bottom up, rather than top down, and in the way that it provides a framework for teaching and learning that doesn’t limit or restrict teacher freedom or autonomy but rather encourages greater teacher innovation and risk-taking. Building on the school’s historic commitment to immersive learning, this document now helps to provide critical direction to efforts to empower students to take greater ownership of their own learning, from Early Childhood through twelfth grade.
02
The Upper School
The MVS upper school fosters a lifelong habit of learning and prepares students for success at the finest colleges and universities. Through the immersive learning approach, which we call the Immersion Method, students have ownership over their studies, creating an even more authentic learning experience. Small class sizes allow teachers the opportunity to fully observe, instruct, and respond to the needs and achievements of students. The classroom environment is interactive, fostering an atmosphere of intellectual give-and-take committed to growth and learning that allows each student to realize his or her potential. Each student brings a laptop to school every day as an additional resource. One of the ways we best illustrate the Immersion Method is through Immersion, our nationally-recognized program in the upper school where students travel all over the state, country and world to dig deep in a particular area of study. Immersion is a four-week experience focusing on a single, elected field of study. Students learn in a manner and context that would not otherwise fit into the regular curriculum. Immersion enriches students and refreshes teachers with a wellspring of new ideas that benefit the entire school community. While Immersion is an important component of the upper school, developed community service, diverse student body, competitive athletics, morning announcements, student-led clubs, and robust electives are just as integral to the MVS experience and culture. The strong, traditional, college-preparatory curriculum prepares students for the rigors of college and creates a solid base upon which to foster lifelong education. Co-curricular offerings also afford students opportunities for self-expression and growth. By the time students leave MVS, they have the tenacity, grit and desire to face challenges, take advantage of opportunities and manage ambiguity with the knowledge that they have the tools and personal resilience to deal with life beyond MVS.
The Dayton Community
Metropolitan Dayton is home to more than 840,000 people. The primary drivers of the area’s economy are healthcare, education, defense, and aerospace. Research and development in Dayton has led to significant technological innovations, primarily in association with Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the largest military research facility in the U.S. With a reasonable cost of living and a “can-do” attitude, Dayton is truly a community of entrepreneurship and optimism. Dayton is also known for its arts and culture. The rich cultural scene is exemplified in the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Opera, Dayton Playhouse, and Dayton Ballet. Dayton is also home to two major universities: The University of Dayton and Wright State University. More than 35,000 acres of parks, nature preserves, bike paths, and river corridors are available for outdoor activities. In addition, Dayton is uniquely situated in the Midwest with an easy drive to three other major cities: Cincinnati, Columbus, and Indianapolis.
The Physical Campus The Miami Valley School is located south of Dayton in an area known for beautiful neighborhoods, high-achieving public schools, and attractive shopping options. The school campus is nestled by trees and attractive neighborhoods in a quiet suburban setting. The 24-acre campus provides ample space for athletic fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, and areas designed for outdoor education, including a natural pond environment. A unique aspect of the campus is several beautiful outdoor courtyards as well as a state-of-theart greenhouse and gardens, known as the Z-Lab. The school’s most ambitious building project was completed this past summer, resulting in new facilities that are architecturally stunning and significantly improve school programs. The new facilities added this summer include the Soin Early Childhood School, Cleary Gallery, Schear Library, Rose Theater, and Zorniger Colonnade. School facilities also include updated science labs in all divisions and two full-size gymnasiums.
02
02
Primary Responsibilities for Director of College Counseling • Direct all aspects of the college counseling program at The Miami Valley School • Counsel approximate 50 seniors students and their families through college search, application, and selection process • Organize and present at evening programs specific to each grade level, financial aid, and other admissions topics • Teach a senior college counseling (non-credit) course in the fall and a junior college counseling course (non-credit) in the spring • Assist students in identifying strengths, abilities, and interests and connecting these qualities to future goals and college plans • Host college admissions visitors on The Miami Valley School campus each fall • Write comprehensive letters of recommendation for graduating seniors (beginning fall 2018) • Serve as the College Board testing coordinator (for the PSAT/NMSQT and AP exams) • Maintain an awareness and understanding of trends in college admissions by participating in professional development experiences • Engage with professional membership organizations (OACAC, NACAC, ACCIS, The College Board)
The Immersion Method The MVS Immersion Method reflects our shared beliefs of how all students learn best. It is our articulation of the best practices of the Progressive Era of education, founded on the principles of deep student experience and tailored to meet the needs of the individual learner. It dispels the notion that the principal role of a teacher is to provide information and it confidently proclaims that students learn more thoroughly via actual experience than throughteacher-centric content delivery. Building upon a positive learning environment, the driving forces of the Immersion Method require that we create opportunities to: EXPLORE: mentally, physically, and virtually venture from where students and teachers are today, to expand the footprint of their collective experience and comfort zone; to connect to those big ideas and themes that really matter in the world today
CONNECT: link frequently, closely, and authentically to the past and future, to one’s own background, perspective, and goals; collaborate in learning with and from a wide range of other people, places, backgrounds, and experiences
SHARE: design, create, build, make, comment on, publish, present and otherwise contribute original and derivative work in real time to the collective body of human knowledge and experience
REFLECT: make a point of frequently stepping away from the everyday habits at school; seek understanding about the WHY, HOW, and WHAT IF of the learning process and our positions within it
College Enrollment Following are some of the colleges and universities at which The Miami Valley School graduates were recently accepted: • • • • •
How to apply Interested candidates should submit a completed MVS Employment Application and their credentials, including a letter of interest, resume, list of references, and a philosophy of education to Director of Upper School Dan Cummings at dan.cummings@mvschool.com.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Baylor University Boston College Brandeis University Brown University Case Western Reserve University College of William and Mary Centre College Columbia University Connecticut College Dartmouth College Davidson College Denison University Dickinson College Georgia Institute of Technology Georgetown University Grinnell College Hampton University Harvard University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Kenyon College Macalester College Northeast Ohio Medical University Northwestern University Oberlin College Occidental College Miami University, Oxford Middlebury College New York University Rochester Institute of Technology Santa Clara University Simmons College Skidmore College Tulane University University of Rochester Worcester Polytechnic Institute
.
.
5151 Denise Drive Dayton, Ohio 45429
. 937-434-4444 . mvschool.com