Classroom Assistant

Job Title

With supervision, assist teaching staff in planning and implementing routines for infants and toddlers; assist with food service in the center; assist in communication with non-English-speaking families, as guided by Head Start Performance Standards, Service Area Written Plans, Procedures, and Policies, and California State Community Care Licensing regulations. Carry out responsibilities in accordance with the Agency's policies and applicable federal and state laws.

The pay for this position ranges from $18.75 to $22.25 per hour, depending on experience. Sonoma CAN offers a generous benefits package available on the first day of the month after your date of hire that includes:

• Medical insurance through Kaiser or Sutter is 80-95% paid by the employer for employee premiums, plus 50% paid by the employer for dependent coverage
• Elective dental, vision insurance, FSA, and Accident insurance.
• Employer-paid $10k of life insurance with expandable options
• Employer-paid Long-term Disability Insurance
• 401(K) plan with a 2% contribution and an additional 1% matched contribution after one year of service
• Employee assistance program, CalPerks
• 3 weeks paid time off (winter and spring breaks)
• 96 hours of sick time per year (4 hours accrued per pay period) based on full-time work
• 1 floating personal day
• 16 paid holidays

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• With direction, implement meal service and clean-up for Early Head Start classes
• Follow instructions for finishing, holding, and storing foods to assure optimal safety and quality of meals at the center
• Actively participate in the distance learning model of instruction when required
• Assist Lead and primary caregivers in implementing routines for infants and toddlers; assist in diapering routines
• Assist with special and ongoing projects relevant to classroom activities
• Assist in communications with non-English speaking families, including but not limited to, classroom activities and home visits
• Has meaningful, respectful conversations with children throughout each day
• Encourages language development in children in the primary and secondary languages
• Serve as a classroom substitute on an emergency basis and cover breaks for other staff as needed
• Promote good health and nutrition and provide an environment that contributes to the prevention of illness; share in daily cleaning and sanitizing procedures
• Follow the regular cleaning schedule of food service equipment and area to maintain a clean, safe, and sanitary area, as approved by the Food Service Supervisor and/or Nutrition Manager
• Ensures food service supplies are ordered in a timely manner
• Maintains warm, friendly, and professional working relationships with children, parents, and coworkers
• Assist in the maintenance of appropriate records for food service activities
• Ensure confidentiality of client information and records
• Assists in the screenings and observations of children
• Assume specific assignments, as required by the supervisor
• Participate in trainings and meetings, as required
• Participate in the team-building process within the program by using established communication channels in a constructive and productive manner that enhances the team effort
• The health, safety, and supervision of children in the program is essential; therefore, every employee is responsible for the care and supervision of children while they are present at the center
• Other relevant duties as assigned

Qualification requirements:

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.

Education:

a. 6 units of Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the general areas of child/human growth and development, child, family, and community, and program curriculum, OR

b. A California Children's Center Permit/Child Development Associate Teacher Permit.

In addition to A or B:

• Six months of teaching experience in an infant/toddler/pre-school classroom
• High School diploma or GED or equivalent
• Prior to beginning work, must be able to pass the Community Care Licensing criminal record clearance, must be up to date on immunizations, and have a current (within one year) TB clearance and Health Screening Report.
• Willingness to complete Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and Health and Safety Course
• Bilingual in English & Spanish is highly preferred.

Knowledge and skills:

• Working knowledge of the principles and practices of child development
• Understanding of the principles of bilingual and multicultural education
• Basic personal computer skills with word processing and email experience
• Basic oral and written communication skills
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to culturally diverse groups and persons from low-income families
• Basic skills in reading, analyzing, and interpreting procedures and governmental regulations
• Basic ability to write reports and correspondence. Basic ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from parents, children, and staff
• Basic ability to add, subtract, multiply & divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions & decimals
• Basic ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of situations with good judgment
• Basic ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form

Personal characteristics:

• Highly dependable, takes initiative, has good judgment, and is able to function with minimal supervision
• A sincere interest in the development of all children and in building partnerships with families

Physical demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee occasionally is required to sit at a desk and sometimes use a computer. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and taste or smell. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee drives, approximately 5% of the time, to meetings, trainings, and home visits as scheduled throughout the year. The employee spends approximately 5% of the time writing and/or keyboarding.

Work environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee works in outside weather conditions for a minimum of 45 minutes a day. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and sometimes noisy.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Other duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.