Director of Preschool

Director of Preschool

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School - Greenville, South Carolina

Reports To: Principal
Purpose of the Position
Our vision at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School is to maintain a faculty that is academically gifted and in full pursuit of intellectual interests because these habits can positively influence students who are by nature looking for intellectual and moral leaders to follow. The Lead Preschool Teacher is a qualified professional educator who meets the requirements to teach in a Catholic school in the Diocese of Charleston. The teacher is hired by and directly accountable to the principal in consultation with the pastor and the diocesan Office of Human Resources. The teacher is expected to abide by the policies and procedures of the local school and the Diocese of Charleston. The teacher cooperates with the principal and staff in providing an environment that promotes the ministry of Catholic education and helps build a Catholic culture in the school, ordered towards discipleship.
We seek dynamic teachers who desire to contribute to an engaging and joyful school culture and lead young children in academic and spiritual formation. The successful candidate must have a passion for Catholic education, which is matched by their love of teaching and forming preschool school students in the Catholic faith. This position serves as the face of the preschool program, which aims to provide high-quality Catholic preschool education to all children, including those who are economically underserved, disadvantaged or dual-language learners. The goal is to deliver an education that fosters the development of the whole person.


Position Details

ESSENTIAL DISPOSITIONS:
The director has a passion for:
1. Sharing the person of Jesus Christ, the Logos, with students every day through their teaching and personal life witness.
2. Teaching curriculum from the heart of the Church to help form students in a Christian way of seeing reality (Catholic worldview).


ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
The duties of the Director of Preschool will include but are not limited to:
• Teach and act in accordance with doctrinal and moral teachings of the Catholic Church;
• Know, teach, and act consistently in accordance with the mission, philosophy, objectives, policies, and procedures of the Catholic school;
• Plan and implement activities to meet the physical, emotional, intellectual and social needs of the children in the program;
• Serving as a Lead K3 or K4 teacher responsible for all planning, classroom management, parent communication, supervision of students, curriculum delivery (see Lead Preschool Teacher posting);
• Provide an environment where children feel safe, secure and builds self esteem;
• Establish routines, schedules, and a loving classroom environment;
• Develop schedules and school calendar;
• Ensure equipment and facilities are clean, well maintained and safe at all times.
Plan and supervise developmentally appropriate activities that introduce math and literacy; concepts;
• Participate in annual performance review based upon the implementation of the essential duties of the Director of Preschool;
• Maintain confidentiality and discretion regarding school personnel, students, and general school matters;
• Follows established procedures to ensure the safety and welfare of students;
• Maintains confidentiality and discretion regarding school and classroom matters;
• Perform teaching duties and all other duties as assigned by the school principal.


Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in child development or early childhood education meeting the qualifications set by DSS and South Carolina K4 First Steps is required, master's degree highly preferred.
• Preference given to candidates who are fully initiated Catholics in the communion of the Catholic Church.
• Valid South Carolina Provisional Certificate or Standard Certificate in Early Childhood Education (PK-Grade 3) or Montessori Education Early Childhood (3K-5K) is required.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of professional teaching experience is preferred. Highly favored are candidates who are graduates of a liberal arts program such as are offered at Thomas Aquinas College, St. John's College, Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts, and Wyoming Catholic College. Candidates from liberal arts honors colleges such as those at Belmont Abbey College or Baylor University are also encouraged to apply.
Competencies and Skills
• Effective supervisory skills;
• Effective listening and verbal communication skills;
• Early childhood curriculum and instruction expertise;
• Leadership and imaginative thinking;
• Problem-solving and marketing skills;
• Strong negotiation, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills;
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred;
• Must work cooperatively with school staff and administration;
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills;
• Knowledge of and willingness to implement safety and emergency procedures;
• Positive references and recommendations;
• To work in a childcare center, every adult must pass background checks, including federal and state fingerprint checks through the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).


Application Process
Interested candidates should apply and submit the following:


1. a handwritten cover letter, explaining how your background, skills, and commitment to Catholic education align with the mission of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School
2. resume/CV
In your handwritten cover letter, explain how your background, skills, and commitment to Catholic education align with the mission of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School.