Elementary Classroom Spanish Assistant

ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM SPANISH ASSISTANT (Full-Time Position)

THE POSITION

Please note that a Montessori background or training is not required in order to apply for this position. 

St. Helena Montessori School seeks an energetic, creative, responsible, values-driven, bilingual assistant to join our staff of dedicated educators at our Montessori school located on a beautiful 20-acre campus in Napa Valley. You will work with the Elementary Montessori Directress (Lead Teacher) in preparing, maintaining, and supporting the environment in which the Montessori approach to education is implemented. You will teach Spanish in a multi-age Elementary classroom to small groups of students ranging in age from 6 to 12.

In this position, you will be directly responsible for the following:

• Teaching Spanish to small groups of students
• Assisting the Lead Teacher in the preparation and maintenance of the prepared Montessori environment
• Sharing questions and observations with the Lead Teacher
• Maintaining a clean, orderly environment in the classroom and one that meets or exceeds State health and safety requirements
• Refilling supplies, maintaining and repairing classroom materials and equipment (as needed), and properly storing all classroom supplies
• Preparing curriculum materials, as directed
• Working with individual and small groups of children, organizing work, and correcting/editing completed work as directed by the Lead Teacher
• Helping to maintain accurate, current classroom records
• Reporting all accidents/incidents at once to the Lead Teacher and preparing a written report stating the date, time, nature of the accident, and action taken
• Sharing responsibility for the safety and physical well-being of the children at all times while at school or on school trips (both indoors and outdoors)
• Assisting with supervising children in the execution of fire, earthquake and disaster drills
• Fostering strong relationships with the parents that are characterized by mutual respect and good will
• Attending staff meetings and school events when requested

The ideal candidate will be bilingual in both English and Spanish and is excited to learn about the Montessori approach to education, which begins with wonder and takes into consideration the needs and personalities of each individual. You are a creative self-starter with a curious mind and possess excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. You understand and are motivated by the tremendous responsibility of teaching and leading children. You conduct yourself with the highest degree of integrity and in a manner which exemplifies a dignified stature consonant with your professional standing as an educator at our school. This includes protecting the privacy of the students, always dressing and behaving in a professional manner, and refraining from any postings on social media that express personal beliefs to members of the school community which would not be in accord with our school values.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

- Spanish and English fluency required (Native Spanish speaker preferable)

- Associates or higher degree and experience working with children preferred

- Experience in education (helpful but not required)

- Basic Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.) skills (helpful but not required)

- Interest in learning and understanding the Montessori method and approach to educating the whole child and nurturing lifelong learners

- Interest in working with small groups of students and using a variety of different methods of instruction in the classroom to help students achieve learning objectives

- Ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, school administrators, and other staff members 

- Desire to be a role model for students and to help them grow and mature academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally so that they may achieve their educational and personal goals

- Strong written and oral communication skills

- Strong organization

- Exceptional integrity, responsibility, and respect for all persons associated with the school

- A collegial nature and team player mindset

- Self-motivation and the ability to initiate growth and change in one’s own intellectual and professional development

- No criminal record and willingness to be fingerprinted

- Reliable transportation 

COMPENSATION

This position is full-time during the 10-month school year (aside from school vacations), beginning in late August and running through mid-June, and comes with full medical and dental benefits and retirement benefits after one year of employment. St. Helena Montessori offers a competitive, negotiable salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. 

ABOUT ST. HELENA MONTESSORI AND THE MONTESSORI METHOD

St. Helena Montessori provides the Napa Valley community with a Montessori school that offers a complete developmental program for children from 18 months through 12th grade. The school follows Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education as an “aid to life” – viewing the child as a being whose physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual parts are interrelated and whose educational environment must respect that unity.

Montessori understood the life of the child as a developmental continuum, each stage of which has its basis in the preceding period and which, in turn, is a preparation for the next plane of development. Dr. Montessori also understood the dignity of each child as a unique creation of God – one that has a supernatural destiny and is worthy of great respect. Thus, St. Helena Montessori offers an educational program which has its roots in the Catholic tradition and which promotes family values, cultural appreciation, and love of country. Our school supports the traditional position that “parents are the primary educators of their children” and seeks an ongoing communication and collaboration with the parents of children enrolled in the school. 

St. Helena Montessori was founded in 1981 by Mrs. Elena Heil and Mrs. Olga McAdam, who taught the first Montessori Primary Class. In 1985, the school expanded to include a Montessori Elementary Class. In 1989, it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, and a Board of Directors became the governing body of the school. In 2008, an Adolescent Program was added. The Adolescent Program maintains a farm on the school’s 20-acre campus, which became the permanent home to the entire school in the fall of 2013. In November of 2016, our school launched a Toddler Program for children as young as 18 months. In 2020, the high school was added.

There are currently roughly 240 total students enrolled at St. Helena Montessori School.

NEXT STEPS

To be considered for this position, please submit your resume and a letter detailing your interest in this position to Elena Heil at elena@sthms.org, and copy Regina Bailey at regina@sthms.org.