VPK Paraprofessional, 2026-27

Diocese of St. Augustine•Jacksonville, FL

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the lead teacher and director, the assistant teacher is responsible for providing a warm, nurturing, stimulating, safe, and loving environment, where each child has the opportunity to develop cognitive, verbal, social, emotional, and physical skills appropriately. This role involves assisting with program planning and implementation, daily routines, and maintaining a stimulating learning environment for children of all developmental levels, including those with special needs. The position also includes responsibilities related to children's health and development, nutrition, family partnerships, and ongoing professional development.

Requirements

A minimum of a high school diploma or GED.
Must be able to successfully complete a criminal background check.
Must complete TB screening and physical within ten (10) days of hire and every two (2) years thereafter.
Must register and complete Infant & Child First Aid and CPR certification within 6 months of hire and renew prior to expiration.
Must be able to complete 35 hours of in-service training each fiscal year.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, vendors, employees, and the general public.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Nice To Haves

Practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church preferred.
DCF 45-hour training preferred, or must be started within 30 days of hire and completed within 6 months.
Prior experience in a child care setting preferred.
Knowledge of child growth and development as well as developmentally appropriate practices for children ages birth to 5 years.
Knowledge of applicable safety and abuse reporting procedures.
Must take a Protecting God's Children class before beginning employment.

Responsibilities

Assists with planning and implementing a culturally sensitive educational program that is developmentally appropriate for each child’s age and language.
Assists in planning and implementing daily lesson plans based on the approved curriculum to promote cognitive, verbal, social, emotional and physical development of children.
Assists in conducting ongoing assessment and individualization documentation in a timely manner.
Assists in planning a balanced daily routine that encourages play, exploration and learning, and which includes teacher-directed and child-directed activities, both inside and outside.
Provides a developmentally appropriate, stimulating learning environment that includes adding new and interesting materials each week, meeting the developmental levels of all children in the group, including children with special needs, over the course of their enrollment.
Conducts daily health checks on each child.
Plans weekly activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.
Follows policies and procedures regarding medical and dental emergencies, short-term exclusion of children, and the administration, handling and storing of medication.
Ensures safe practices are followed to prevent injuries to children or others.
Maintains sanitation and hygienic procedures and participates in the maintenance of the center.
Eats with children, encouraging proper eating habits and conversation.
Serves food in a way that encourages the development and socialization of the children.
Assists in kitchen duties, as assigned.
Follows infants’ individual feeding schedules and holds infants who cannot sit independently while feeding.
Attends parent meetings as assigned.
Assists in informing parents concerning their children’s progress formally and informally, including parent notes, portfolios, and parent conferences.
Assists in planning and implementing family involvement activities.
Participates in on-site and off-site professional development trainings and workshops; completes a minimum of 35 annual in-service training hours.
Maintains confidentiality at all times.