ACES GROUP LEADER

ACES GROUP LEADER

Under general supervision, performs a variety of child care, child development, and clerical tasks for an assigned group of students enrolled in the After School Care Enrichment Services (ACES) program at the assigned school. Work involves planning and providing a daily program of developmentally-appropriate, academically-oriented, nurturing, and enriching experiences for school-age children in one of the district's after-school programs. Employee is responsible for supervising assigned students, performing administrative functions, and serving as a program liaison with parents/legal guardians of assigned students. Reports to the appropriate supervisor.

Primarily responsible for supervising a group of assigned students and working cooperatively with ACES team members to ensure the school's ACES program provides high quality care that expands children's experiences, extends their learning, and provides warm and caring support.

Adheres to policies and regulations, and carries out procedures established by the school, district, ACES program, and agencies that have jurisdiction over licensed school-age child care programs such as the North Carolina Division of Child Development (NC-DCD) and the Guilford County Environmental Health Department.

Uses program resources to plan and implement developmentally-appropriate activities for assigned students; leads, assists, and engages in active and sedentary indoor and outdoor lessons, games and activities with the children both on-site and on field trips, and serves as a role model participant.

Assists in daily set-up of program to ensure children have access to a variety of developmentally- appropriate program resources, interest centers, and activities; maintains a clean and orderly environment; safeguards program supplies and materials and readies the ACES area for the next school day at the end of the afternoon.

Completes and maintains student and program operation reports, records, and other documents, and collects forms and information from parents/guardians as required by the program; maintains confidentiality of student and parent information.

Uses positive behavior reinforcement and developmentally-appropriate guidance techniques to encourage appropriate behavior, informs ACES Site Coordinator if assistance is needed with behavior management, provides documentation of inappropriate behavior and participates in parent/student conferences as requested by the ACES Site Coordinator or school administrators.

Arranges for an approved substitute to act as replacement when absent, and informs ACES Site Coordinator of absences following supervisor's instructions.

Communicates with parents about children's daily activities, informs parents of program activities, procedures and upcoming events, and serves as a program liaison.

Participates in regular staff meetings, shares information gained in professional development classes or through research, helps plan program implementation, and assists in planning and conducting special program activities, field trips, and the work of community resource persons.

Attends workshops, classes, seminars, conferences, lectures, etc. to meet district professional development requirements and reviews professional materials to enhance and maintain knowledge of trends and developments in after-school care.

At a site with only one group leader, obtains and maintains current certifications in First Aid, Playground Safety, and Infant, Child and Adult CPR and administers basic first aid. At larger programs obtains certifications in one or more of these areas as requested by ACES Site Coordinator.

Supervises children being transported on an activity bus or commercial motor coach during ACES field trips.

Feeds students, when necessary; toilets students, if needed; and assists with any other tasks students are not able to perform for themselves.

Provides care and assistance to students with a physically limiting and/or behavioral disability, assisting with mobility, motor skills, and behavior management, and employs strategies as necessary to protect the student or others from injury.

Supervises and works with students not regularly assigned to group, or works with a new group of students as directed by ACES Site Coordinator.

Attends school functions and school-sponsored training related to the after-school program as assigned by the school principal.

Performs other related work as required.

Minimum of a high school diploma and some prior child care experience preferred; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Must complete the Basic School Age Care (BSAC) class within 90 days of employment.

Physical Requirements: Must be able to lead and assist students participating in indoor and outdoor games and activities and to use a variety of equipment and classroom tools such as computers, copiers, calculators, laminators, projectors, etc. Must be able to exert a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Due to amount of time spent standing and/or walking, physical requirements are consistent with those for Light Work.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or composite characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments and/or directions from superiors.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, handbooks, forms, lists, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, simple reports, forms, etc., using prescribed format.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagrammatic form; to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in or from standardized situations.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in standard English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; and to multiply and divide.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of office machines, and to lead physical activities and games and serve as role-model participant, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear (talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.

General knowledge of the ACES program and its underlying principles, goals, and objectives.

General knowledge of the policies and procedures established by the district, ACES program and the school.

General knowledge of NC-DCD child care regulations and quality indicators which apply to licensed school-age programs operated by a public school district.

General knowledge of the principles and practices associated with early childhood development and education.

General knowledge of daily activities associated with the ACES program.

General knowledge of activities performed by the ACES Site Coordinator.

General knowledge of procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.

Ability to build rapport with and to provide warm and caring support to students.

Ability to set-up and close-down program and to lead and engage in activities with children.

Ability to constantly monitor the safety and well-being of students.

Ability to maintain a clean and orderly environment.

Ability to perform general clerical duties.

Ability to maintain order and discipline in a group of assigned children. Ability to operate common office machines.

Ability to maintain basic files and records.

Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.