26-27 Lower School Learning Support Specialist

POSITION DESCRIPTION

St. Catherine's School is an Episcopal day school in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1890 enrolling roughly 950 girls age 3 through grade 12.  Located on a 16-acre campus in the western part of the city, St. Catherine's core values include pursuing academic excellence, developing character, nurturing spiritual growth, celebrating individuals, and building community. 

St. Catherine's School provides a rigorous education that prepares girls with diverse perspectives for a lifetime of learning, leadership, and service in a global community.

POSITION OVERVIEW

An Academic Services teacher must be able to create a flexible program and a class environment designed to cultivate each student’s learning and personal growth. This teacher needs to establish effective rapport with students and motivate and guide students to develop skills, attitudes and knowledge needed for a foundation for lifelong learning and responsible global citizenship. Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with parents and other faculty/staff members is essential. Lower School Academic Services teachers are expected to collaborate effectively with other faculty/staff members, as well as support the school’s mission and core values.

Supervisor: Head of Lower School and Early Childhood

Position Status: Salaried, exempt, full-time, 9-month schedule

Hours of Work: Standard work week; evening and weekend work may be required. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Developing and teaching a curriculum whose objectives are based on current national standards in elementary education, research and knowledge of developmental skills
• Collaborating in the organization of reading groups in kindergarten through grade 4
• Providing individualized and small group reading and math instruction for students in kindergarten though grade 4 in order to adapt the curriculum to the needs of each student
• Assisting with organizing ERB Milestones testing for grade 3 and grade 4
• Working collaboratively with other faculty/staff members/support personnel (e.g., homeroom teachers, therapists, counselors, etc.) in assessing and helping students in kindergarten through grade 4 with regard to learning and social/emotional/physical health throughout the year 
• Evaluating students’ academic and social/emotional growth, keeping appropriate records and preparing report cards
• Communicating with reading group parents through bi-weekly updates
• Communicating with parents through conferences, narrative report card comments, emails, and/or phone calls as needed to discuss students’ progress
• Selecting and ordering books, instructional aids and materials in coordination with grade level and academic services team members 
• Maintaining an inventory of instructional materials, aids, and equipment 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT 

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to grasp, handle and feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl; talk and hear; engage in moderately strenuous physical activity both indoors and out; and smell. The employee may occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Ability to become CPR and First Aid Certified.

TRAVEL

Travel is not a requirement for this role.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

St. Catherine’s School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its hiring practices. St. Catherine’s School is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment. We actively engage students, families, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our School community respects the differences in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. Consistent with the School’s mission, St. Catherine’s fosters in our students, and experts from all others, respect for the dignity and wholeness of every person. For more information about the school’s Access, Equity and Belonging please follow this link https://www.st.catherines.org/about/access-equity-and-belonging.

CONDITIONAL OFFERS

An offer of employment for this position is contingent upon the applicant’s right to work in the United States, authorization for and completion of successful background checks as may be requested by the school or required by law.

BENEFITS

St. Catherine’s School offers a highly competitive compensation package for this full-time position with benefits to include excellent health plan options, retirement benefits, exhaustive professional development and networking opportunities as well as state-of-the art facilities.

Note: This position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work to be performed by employees within this classification. This position description should not be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities required or assigned to an employee in this position. Nothing contained in this position description restricts St. Catherine’s School’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in related field from accredited university
• Experience working with school age children in a school is preferred but not necessary for hiring
• Adaptability to new and evolving technology, and the ability to show innovation and vision related to the efficient processing of information related to this role 
• Proficiency with oral and written communication
• Knowledge of learning differences and disabilities
• Training in a multi-sensory literacy, phonics and word study curriculum 
• Familiarity with interpreting Educational Evaluation Tests 
• Experience with administering and interpreting standardized reading assessments