Physical Education & Extended Day Guide

Physical Education & Extended Day Guide

The Physical Education & Extended Day Guide leads Breakthrough's physical education program for students in grades PK3–6, and owns the school's Extended Day programming — both before-care and aftercare. The Guide leads instruction in physical education, taking full responsibility for students and PE learning outcomes, and provides leadership and supervision to the Extended Day team.

Physical education at Breakthrough is conducted predominantly outdoors, as the school does not have a gymnasium or dedicated indoor PE space. This role ensures that physical education instruction for students in kindergarten through grade 6 meets DC Healthy Schools Act requirements, and that Extended Day reflects the same respect, independence, and integrity as the daytime Montessori classroom.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Serves as lead guide for physical education. Plans and facilitates standards-based PE instruction for grades PK3–6, taking full responsibility for the learning environment during lessons.
• Meets and documents DC Healthy Schools Act requirements. Delivers an average of 90 minutes of PE per week for grades K–5 and 135 minutes for grade 6, with at least 50% of instructional time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, addressing the OSSE PE standard strands; motor skills, movement concepts, health-enhancing fitness, personal and social behavior, and the value of physical activity. Tracks required minutes by grade level throughout the year, alerts the Principal in advance of any projected shortfall, and contributes to the annual OSSE School Health Profile submission.
• Partners with school leadership on early childhood movement. In partnership with the Principal, the Assistant Principal for Primary, and the Primary Guides, supports an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous activity for students in PK3 and PK4, including two 20-minute outdoor sessions. Primary Guides deliver the morning sessions; the PE Guide supports planning and maintains the record.
• Differentiates instruction. Designs curriculum that meets individualized student needs, including accommodations and modifications for students with IEPs, Section 504 plans, and diverse learning needs.
• Plans for weather and space constraints. Because PE is held predominantly outdoors, plans indoor alternatives for days when conditions do not permit outdoor instruction — facilitating minimal-space movement activities such as yoga, jumping and hopping patterns, body-weight exercises, and movement games, aligned to OSSE PE standards.
• Supports schoolwide outdoor experiences. Supports and helps facilitate outdoor programming that brings the school community together, such as hike days, Field Day, and seasonal outdoor events, in partnership with classroom Guides and the Operations Team.
• Supervises off-site instruction. Walks students to and from a nearby park for PE-related activities and instruction, maintaining appropriate supervision ratios, established route and safety protocols, and headcounts at each transition. Coordinates with school leadership on off-site plans and communicates any incident occurring off campus per school protocol.
• Manages PE equipment and inventory. Orders, organizes, stores, and maintains physical education equipment; inspects equipment regularly for safety and removes damaged items from use; and ensures materials are available in advance of scheduled lessons and seasonal activities.
• Responds to injuries and emergencies. Provides first aid and responds to injuries and emergencies during physical education, outdoor instruction, off-site activities, and Extended Day hours; follows school emergency procedures and notifies families and school leadership per protocol.
• Maintains a consistent lesson planning cycle and documents plans in Transparent Classroom and other school-designated platforms.
• Completes bi-annual report cards, synthesizing observations, metrics, and student progress for families.

II. Extended Day Program Leadership — Before-Care & Aftercare

• Owns the Extended Day program. In partnership with the Principal and academic team, plans and implements high-quality before-care and aftercare aligned with the school's Montessori philosophy.
• Supervises the Extended Day team. Leads and supervises Extended Day staff, ensuring coverage, clear scheduling, and alignment with program goals. Conducts regular team meetings and check-ins to review plans and events and ensure weekly readiness. Fields staff call-outs and absences, coordinates coverage for both programs, and communicates staffing changes to school leadership.
• Coordinates enrichment vendors. Partners with Intersession vendors and aftercare providers to ensure partners are informed of Breakthrough policies and procedures. Maintains and distributes program rosters, and coordinates student transitions and transportation to providers.
• Manages enrollment and family communication. Oversees enrollment in before-care, aftercare, and enrichment programs, and communicates with families about enrichment and intersession opportunities.
• Upholds the Montessori environment outside school hours. Supports staff in setting consistent behavior expectations, implementing Breakthrough's disciplinary policies, and maintaining the respect, independence, and integrity of the Montessori environment.
• Manages materials and daily operations. Orders and preps materials one month in advance, maintains inventory for both programs, and ensures the environment is prepared each program day.

III. Records, Compliance & School Community

• Maintains program records. Keeps accurate daily attendance, sign-in and sign-out, and snack records for all before-care and aftercare participants; attendance records for PE classes; behavior incident and minor injury logs across the school day and Extended Day; and weekly activity planning records in Google Drive.
• Manages family payments and billing. Monitors family payments, invoicing, and related documentation for before-care, aftercare, and enrichment programs in coordination with the Director of Operations, and escalates delinquent accounts per school protocol.
• Documents student learning. With classroom Guides and Montessori Coaches, monitors and evaluates student development using observational data, Transparent Classroom, and assessment data; uses that data to inform planning and differentiation; and shares evaluations of classes and curriculum taught with classroom teams.
• Upholds grace and courtesy and implements school discipline policy. Maintains Breakthrough's grace-and-courtesy practices and community standards across all lessons, transitions, outdoor activities, and Extended Day hours, and implements Breakthrough's disciplinary policies consistently, partnering with classroom Guides and school leadership on students who need additional support.
• Participates in the professional community. Works with the Principal and Montessori Coaches to maintain a schedule ensuring equitable student access to PE, and attends weekly all-staff faculty meetings, professional development, biweekly level meetings, and relevant Child Study Meetings.
• Engages families and the school community. Communicates regularly with students, families, classroom Guides, and school leadership regarding student progress, curriculum updates, and programming. Attends school events outside regular hours — including Teacher-Parent Conferences and Lesson Share Days — provides a spirit of hospitality at gatherings and public events, and performs other duties as assigned by the Principal and Director of Operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Experience teaching physical education, movement, or outdoor education with youth.
• Experience managing aftercare or enrichment programs, including staff supervision.
• Current CPR and First Aid certification required, or willingness to obtain within 60 days of hire. Breakthrough provides training opportunities for staff certification.
• Experience working with diverse populations of students, parents, and families.
• Montessori experience preferred. Without previous Montessori experience, demonstrate an eagerness to learn about the method and support its implementation.
• Firm commitment to the school's mission and anti-bias/anti-racist pedagogy, and to upholding the confidentiality of students and families.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; strong organization and attention to detail.
• Openness to feedback, desire to continue development as a professional, and willingness to take responsibility for student outcomes.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $60,000 – $80,000 annually, commensurate with experience. Breakthrough Montessori PCS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, and long-term disability coverage.

Working Conditions

At Breakthrough Montessori, physical education is conducted predominantly outdoors, as the school does not have a gymnasium or a dedicated space for PE inside our facility. This position requires an employee to be outside in most weather (excluding active rain, below freezing temperatures, or extreme heat/poor air quality alerts). It also requires an employee to walk with students to a nearby park for some PE-related activities and instruction. The position involves sitting, bending, standing, pushing, and reaching with both hands/arms as necessary and may require some lifting up to 40lbs, in addition to the routine use of standard office equipment.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed in this position. This document is not an exhaustive list of all duties, and responsibilities may change