Employment

Current Openings at Westside School

Located in the Arbor Heights neighborhood of West Seattle, Westside serves 350 students in preschool through eighth grade. For 35 years, the school has emphasized knowing and educating the whole child, learning by doing, and the cultivation of creativity across disciplines.

Why would you want to work at Westside?
  • Westside uses collaborative teaching in grade-based groups so you'll meet frequently with the other members of your teaching team.
  • We don't tend to brag, but we have amazing students and a small teacher/student ratio, so you'll have the opportunity to really get to know your students, their strengths and areas where they can be best stretched and supported.
  • In Middle School, teachers lead Advisory groups that meet daily. These groups have ten or less students that gather together to work on homework together, check-in to see how their classes are going, play games, work together on project like Middle School Olympics, Trash Fashion Show, and our annual Cardboard Arcade.
  • Our overnight Outdoor Education starts in 3rd grade, so Westside teachers have the opportunity to explore different parts of the state while getting to know their students in a unique capacity.
  • Westside hosts a variety of professional development experiences throughout the year creating opportunities for growth for our staff and faculty.
  • From a Bob Ross style painting night, to snowshoeing adventures, or community service removing blackberry bushes at a nearby park- we plan events and gatherings to optionally spend time together and build community off campus or after-hours.

SCHOOL COUNSELOR

The School Counselor is a new position that will be charged with the responsibility of promoting both individual student wellness and a positive school wide culture for learning. They serve a counseling resource to students, families and faculty. The School Counselor will work with teaching teams to support their understanding of social-emotional learning strategies, and to consider ways to cultivate student responsibility and promote stewardship for positive behaviors and the classroom environment. Most importantly, The School Counselor will help foster a high level of communication between teachers and families, and facilitate systems that elevate Westside’s school-wide sense of culture and school pride.
 

Reports to: Assistant Head of School

Key Responsibilities: Perpetuate a school-wide culture characterized by highly engaged students and faculty, high expectations, joyful learning, personal wellness and a strong sense of community.

  • Serve as a consultant to teachers, parent, outside professionals and school administrators to help address the social emotional needs of students.
  • Work directly with students and parents on counseling issues, provide professional counseling referrals when necessary.
  • Teach Health and Wellness classes
  • Develop, implement and evaluate personalized learning plans for students with counseling needs.
  • Work with the Student Support Specialist to coordinate the school’s Wolfpack program
  • Facilitate a strong advisory program in the middle school
  • Coach faculty around developing effective classroom meetings in the lower school
  • Act as a member of the Student Support Team:
  • Facilitate faculty learning about SEL strategies to support students across the school.
  • Work with the Assistant Head of School and Parent Association to broaden parent education opportunities
  • Develop and implement a robust orientation for new faculty
  • Participate as a member of school’s crisis committee

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience:  

  • A degree in educational counseling, child development, social-emotional learning or related discipline
  • Ten years teaching and or counseling experience
  • Proven success in a position of faculty leadership
  • A participant in the national conversation about teaching/school excellence, evidenced through authorship, collaborations, workshop facilitation or conference presentation

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:  

  • A deep understanding of the correlations between social-emotional learning and academic success
  • Full understanding of differentiated strategies both academic and behavior to promote student success  
  • Familiarity with current research and best practices on PreK-8th grade brain and social development
  • Proven success in program development
  • Experience as a professional or instructional coach
  • Knowledge of and experience with being a mentor
  • Outstanding interpersonal and organizational and facilitation skills
  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills
  • Strong networking skills to ensure access to resources in the broader community
  • Detail-oriented and resourceful
  • Tactful and discreet
  • Patience, resilience and a sense of humor
  • High-energy and enthusiastic about working in an academic atmosphere

Computer Skills:   

  • Adept with technological tools for educational assessment, organization, communication and personalization of learning.

INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT

INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT
 

Position Summary: The role of Lower School Instructional Assistant is to provide support to students in the classroom and throughout the school day. The Instructional Assistant’s day may include leading small groups during literacy or math lessons, working one-on-one with students, supervising students during recess and lunch periods and working with students to problem-solve social and emotional conflicts with peers.

Additionally, Instructional Assistants provide leadership during our Extended Day Program, which provides morning care support for families beginning at 7:30am and evening support until 6:00pm. We encourage and support our Instructional Assistants to implement programs, teach classes and practice teaching small groups while working in the extended day program.

The Ideal Candidate will have:
•A desire to become an elementary school teacher or other related fields in education
•Experience working with elementary school students
•A willingness to learn about, reflect upon and support initiatives that benefit students
•An expressed effort to collaborate with colleagues, accept feedback and conduct one’s self in a professional manner
•Associates or Bachelors Degree or working toward completion of an academic certificate

Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, with hours set between 7:15am-6:15pm.

Start Date: on or about August 2018

Compensation and Benefits: This is a full-time position for the 2018-2019 academic school year. Westside School offers a generous benefits package to full time employees. Compensation DOE.

To Apply: Applicants should submit a cover letter describing their interest in and qualifications for this position, a resume, and three professional references via email to employment@westsideschool.org.

Westside School is an equal opportunity employer.

EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM CHILDCARE STAFF

Westside’s part-time Extended Day Program (EDP) staff are part of a team responsible for the care of our preschool-8th grade students after regular school hours. Under the guidance of our EDP Coordinator, EDP staff work with groups of students to provide after school enrichments such as clubs, art and outdoor activities. EDP staff support supervision of our students after school during both structured and unstructured times such as recess.

Reports to: EDP Coordinator
Hours/Days: 2pm - 6:00pm or 3:00pm - 6:00pm Monday - Friday
This position has potential to be full-time during the summer.

This individual is an integral part of the Westside School faculty, supports the mission, philosophy and policies of the school and works under the EDP Coordinator.

Essential Functions
● Works cooperatively under the supervision of the EDP Coordinator.
● Facilitate afterschool activities, classes, check-in and check-out procedures.
● Supervise outdoor and indoor play.
● Attends scheduled staff meetings as required.
● Maintains positivity and professionalism in communication with everyone in the
community.
● Assists EDP Coordinator in establishing a safe, enriched environment suitable for
children.
● Supervises activities and games on the playground.
● Supports daily EDP prep and maintenance.
● (Specific to preschool & prek) Understands and implements the requirements of the Department of Early Learning Standards in the Early School and Extended Day programs.
● Meets conditions of employment: TB Test (preschool & prek), Certified in CPR and First Aid
● Meets Department of Early Learning Standards:
-Have a current food handler’s permit.
-Meet basic MERIT (STARS) requirements.
● Communicate student observations with students’ classroom teacher.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to employment@westsideschool.org

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
Westside School is looking for both teachers and instructional assistants with experience working with children in grades, pre-kindergarten and eighth grade, to add to our substitute roster. We also need substitutes for music and performing arts, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, physical education, and visual arts.

The ideal candidate will be accessible for early morning calls. Candidates with partial availability during the week are also encouraged to apply. Please submit resume and references to employment@westsideschool.org.

Westside School is an equal opportunity employer.

Westside School is an equal opportunity employer seeking to build a more culturally diverse workplace. Westside does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity, economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.