School Support Specialist

City Garden Montessori•St. Louis, MO

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The City Garden Montessori School Support Specialist understands and promotes the school’s mission, vision, objectives, and policies both within and outside the school community. They are responsible for supporting our teaching and administrative staff in providing an instructional program delivered with both Montessori and an anti-bias/anti racist pedagogy. At City Garden, we pride ourselves on giving students a vibrant learning experience in a welcoming environment. Our teachers count on our school support staff to bring their best every day. They will build on a student-centered environment which fosters relationships and promotes continual growth for students and staff.

Requirements

High School graduate with at least 12 hours of post-secondary education, Associate’s degree preferred -- OR -- High school graduate with substitute teaching certification from the Missouri DESE
Have at least two years of experience working with young students in a school or other supervised setting (YMCA, community center, day camp, etc.)
Be flexible to adapt to the changing nature of the work
Be resourceful and a good problem-solver
Be committed to whole-child education and meeting children’s needs holistically
Effective communication skills with adults and children
Understanding of basic principles of childhood development
Current First Aid and CPR certification
Demonstrated success working with a diverse student population
Deeply grounded in racial equity and have strong alignment with anti-bias, anti-racism values

Responsibilities

Provide classroom support on a daily basis to lead teachers as directed by the Principal and the Building Operations Manager
Provide behavior and physical support to students as needed (this may include bathroom assistance to preschool and/or special needs students)
In-house substitute for Assistant Teacher in classrooms as needed
Act as a “utility player” throughout the building, providing support as determined by the Building Operations Manager and school administration. Some examples of this: o A student who needs supervision o Traffic support during daily pick-up o Front desk support o Providing help in preparing for a school event
Serve as a positive, nurturing role model for students
Model professional and ethical standards when dealing with students, parents, staff, and community, following and upholding school rules and standards
Safely supervise students in both instructional and assessment activities in and out of the classroom
Assist the Food Service Coordinator with preparation/cleanup of food service areas (no cooking required)
Accepts delivery of food at specified location
Prepare plates of food for students and staff
Delivers lunch to classrooms
Maintains kitchen sanitation
Follows and adheres to the food service guidelines set forth by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
Obeys state health code regulations for food service
Meets schedules and timelines
Facilitate activities for students in after-care
Keep accurate attendance records following check-in and check-out procedures
Safely supervise students indoors and outside, using good judgment in dealing with situations – behavioral, safety, instructional, etc.
Communicate with parents/guardians about their student(s)
Keep track of all equipment and materials used in after-care; ensure that all equipment and materials that are used are accounted for and put away in designated areas
Communicate with school leadership about issues that may occur
Ensure that the building is locked and secure upon your departure
Actively participates in a regular evaluation process including feedback conferences and an annual self-evaluation toward yearly goals which are established with their supervisor
Participates in professional development activities (both within the school community and attendance at conferences, workshops, etc.)
Participates in collegial activities designed to make the entire school a productive learning environment, for example, age level meetings, curriculum discussion groups, working committees, mentoring, etc.
Attends all scheduled meetings and professional days as appropriate
Responsible for reading and adhering to the guidelines and school policies as established in the employee handbook