Episcopal School of Jacksonville’s approach to our balanced education (academics, fine arts, athletics and spiritual development) is sustained by the expectation of excellence in all areas of campus life. The school works to develop “leaders and doers of good,” as was stated by its Founders in 1966. The school is located on three campuses and serves students age one through grade 12. Episcopal is a caring community with faculty who are outstanding in their field and dedicated to a student-centered approach to education. Our students develop creative talents, discover their passions, and deepen their faith and commitment to serving others while engaging in the ever-evolving process of life-long learning.
Summary:
Assistants working in our after-school program are expected to help create an environment that nurtures the social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and spiritual development of each child—both before and after school
each day. This requires providing a warm and loving atmosphere for the children and receiving the parents in the same manner. The assistants in each classroom should work together as a team throughout the afternoon
to provide the desired culture of Episcopal Beaches Campus. Assistants in the Extended Day Program, though assigned to a specific schedule, may be asked to flex between ages, hours, and schedules as needed. Assistants working in the extended day must be able to initiate, supervise, and engage in play with children aged one-year-old through sixth-grade students. These assistants must be able to provide a variety of developmentally- and age-appropriate activities for the students they are working with each day.
Education:
A college coursework in early childhood educations and experience within the field is preferred.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Arrive on campus by 12:30 each day to help the children transition into their afternoon routine.
- Prepare the space for the afternoon’s activities (e.g., set out lunches, turn on music, draw blinds, layout mats and blankets, set up cribs)
- Assist children during lunch (e.g., help children unpack and open any lunch items, feed students who may need help eating)
- Assist in cleaning up after lunchtime activities.
- Assist with diapering, pottying, and changing clothes as needed.
- Assist with washing children’s hands and faces and/or wiping noses.
- Facilitate the children napping (e.g., rubbing backs, calming children through movement)
- Prepare daily activities (e.g., crafts, games, other intentional activities)
- Supervise children on playgrounds
- Serve snack each afternoon or help children with snacks brought from home
- Supervise and assist after-school homework for kindergarten through sixth grade
- Administer first-aid (e.g., bandages, ice packs, etc.)
- Assist with the daily organizing, cleaning, and sanitizing procedures
- Engage with the children and redirect them in age-appropriate ways, when needed
Additional Responsibilities:
- Working holiday care, when the school is closed but extended day services are available to families, or other special functions when childcare is provided. The daily schedule may change, causing the employee to change or extend typical working hours on these days.
- Staying beyond 6:00 when a child is picked up late.
- Cleaning and organizing after school spaces on a regular basis, including during Pre- and Post-Planning
Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below 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.
Language Requirements:
- Must be able to patiently and calmly communicate with toddlers
- Must provide positive communication with parents, including feedback about the child’s day
- Must be able to clearly communicate in writing on daily sheets for our Early Learning Program students.
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to effectively communicate with co-workers and maintain a harmonious environment.
- Employee should be comfortable with prolonged standing, sitting, and moving.
- Employee should be able to lift and hold up to 50 pounds.
- Employee should be able to squat to a child’s height and maintain eye contact at child’s level.
- Employee should be able to bend and reach from floor to waist several times throughout the day.
- Employee should be able to crawl around on the floor and interact with the children in their space.
- Employee should be able to do lifting and walking, as needed.
- Employee should be able to go outside with children, weather permitting.
- Employee should be able to greet families in various types of weather (particularly for Early Morning Drop-Off)
- Employee must be able to arrive on time, as scheduled
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but employees should be able to flexibly work indoors and outside with children.
General Requirements:
The following requirements include criteria an after school teaching assistant should be able to meet:
- Understand a toddler’s social/emotional, cognitive, physical, and spiritual developmental needs.
- Demonstrate patience when interacting with children, parents, and coworkers.
- Must provide a loving, healthy, safe environment for the children.
- Must provide consistent guidance for the children that adheres and reinforces the policies of Beaches campus.
- Attend and/or work at certain school functions as required by the school administration (e.g., Open House).
- On occasion, assistants will be invited to attend professional development offerings and events that will enhance the teaching partnerships at the Beaches campus.
- Must be willing to work with all age groups (age 1 through 6th grade).
- Must be willing to change/adjust working hours, as needed. Schedules are determined by staffing needs and can change throughout the year.
- Twelve-month employees are expected to work school holidays and summer camp. Nine-month employees are expected to work in the extended day on half days of school.
- Must arrange for substitute coverage when out for any reason.
- Support the school with words and actions, both on and off-campus
- Confidentiality is required concerning school matters, students, and their families.
- Assistants must be sensitive to events, situations, or conditions regarding students, their families, and our coworkers. Information given in confidence must remain in confidence.
- Specific questions about a child should ALWAYS be deferred to the Director of Extended Day.
Communication with parents should be of a positive nature.
Episcopal is committed to a school culture that is safe and positive for all its members. We work intentionally to create a community composed of people who respect and support each other. We recognize the value of diversity, and we actively seek to welcome and include under-represented groups. Episcopal strongly supports professional development and training opportunities for faculty and staff, ensuring that best practices and innovative, learner-centered teaching methods are continually incorporated into our pedagogy. The academic environment is achievement-oriented with a standard of excellence. The school’s faculty displays outstanding academic backgrounds, exceptional character, and dedication to our approximately 1,200 students from age one through grade 2 across three campuses. Episcopal does not discriminate based on age, gender, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability in its hiring and employment practices. The above information is not a completely comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
Work Remotely
Job Type: Part-time
Schedule:
Experience:
- Childcare: 1 year (Preferred)
License/Certification:
- First Aid Certification (Preferred)
- CPR Certification (Preferred)
Work Location: In person