Job Details

SUBSTITUTE CENTER ASSISTANT

Starting Wage: $17.40 per hour

Bilingual Starting Wage: $18.27 per hour

REQUIREMENTS

Available Monday-Thursday, 7:30AM - 4:30PM (minimum of 4 hours a day)

Available to accept 4 assignments per quarter (minimum of 1 assignment per month)

Available to attend required Agency trainings as assigned

PURPOSE:

The Substitute Center Assistant develops strong andnurturing relationships with children and assists classroom teams to provide adevelopmentally appropriate learning environment with meaningful experiences inpreparation for a successful kindergarten experience. This position ensuresthat all services are available and provided for all children each schoolday. The Substitute Center Assistant isresponsible for meeting Head Start performance standards and following theAgency policies and procedures.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

I. CENTER SUPPORT

A. Work directly with classroom teams to ensure allservices are available to enrolled children as assigned by the Site Managerand/or Head Teacher.
• Provide backup for all classroom staff;
• Provide backup for cook and cook assistants infood preparation and serving;
• Provide other center support as assigned.

II. CHILD EDUCATION, CURRICULUM, AND CLASSROOM

A. Work with children individually, in small and largegroups as assigned by the classroom teacher.
• Provide for children's safety, guidance, and educationaldevelopment;
• Be familiar with the curriculum guidelines ofthe Agency;
• Assist the classroom teacher with thedevelopment and implementation of required curriculum and classroom activities;
• Perform routine classroom tasks such aspreparation and clean up;
• Be aware of and follow all phases of the ChildGuidance Procedure.

B. Support the classroom, as assigned, inthe event of the Teacher's absence.

C. Inform teacher of unusual behavior, or symptoms ofchildren, or relevant information from parents.

III. NUTRITION SERVICES

A. Prepare nutritious and appealing meals and snacks thatmeet the developmental and individual needs/interests of children ages 0-5.
• Assist with serving of meals and snacks.

B. Meet sanitation and safety requirements.
• Keep all kitchen surfaces, equipment, and dishesclean;
• Follow hand washing, first aid and other healthand safety routines in accordance with procedures.

C. Maintain mandated documentation & record keepingwhen providing backup in the kitchen.
• Record meal counts daily for all groups served;
• Note all menu changes on monthly menu and recipeused;
• Record food temperatures at all meals;
• Record refrigerator/freezer temperatures daily.

IV. COMMUNICATION AND DEBRIEFINGS

A. Communication and debriefing with staff at center andclassroom.
• Attend staff meetings, Education trainings, andother relevant meetings and training as assigned.

B. Bilingual Center Assistant - Assist with bilingualcommunication needs as directed.

V. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

A. Serve as bus monitor on assigned runs and field trips.

B. Ensure that children are in appropriate safetyrestraints when bus is moving.

C. Transmittal of accurate messages to parents.

VI. GENERAL MAINTENANCE

A. Daily cleaning as required by individual centers bothinside and outside.

B. General upkeep and repair of equipment and materialsboth inside and outside.

VII. CHILDCARE

A. Provide childcare for Policy Council Meeting and/orcenter parent meetings as assigned

VIII. INTERACTION WITH CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND CO-WORKERS

A. Must relate in a positive, nurturing way, both verballyand physically, and be sensitive to the needs of children, parents andco-workers.

B. Must use quick, safe reactions and responses in dealingwith children or situations that involve children.

IX. WORK ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY

A. Maintain a safe and pleasant work environment.

B. Follow safety regulations, policies, and procedures.

C. Actively contribute towards promoting a safe workplace& environment.

X. OTHER DUTIES

May be assigned other related duties as appropriate and within the scopeof general responsibilities for this position. However, this job description inno way states or implies that these are the only duties that may need to beperformed by the employee fulfilling this position. This job descriptiondescribes the general nature and level of work, but is not intended to be anexhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties which may be required.

REQUIRED JOBSPECIFICATIONS:

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Certification orAccreditation: CPR/First AidCertification; Food Handler Certification required. (Certifications can be obtained at Head Startafter hire.)

Experience: Six (6) months experience working with youngchildren age birth to 8 years required; preschool age specific experiencepreferred.

Essential Skills: Excellentinterpersonal, verbal and written communication skills and basic computerknowledge. Ability to perform generalclerical tasks. Ability to apply the understanding of developmentallyappropriate activities of children; meet and promote the social-emotional,physical and cognitive development needs of children. Ability to understand andfollow recipes and directions for food preparation.

Bilingual Center Assistant mustunderstand and support the teacher/family relationship by providing interpretingassistance for children, families, and the public as required.

Essential MentalAbilities: Must be organized,flexible and resolution oriented. Ability to multi-task, make sound judgments and demonstrate appropriaterole modeling. Ability to maintain fulland complete attention to children at all times. Ability to work as a team member and to beself-directed. Sufficient math skills tomeasure, figure measurement conversion and multiply ingredient amounts.

Essential PhysicalRequirements: Ability to lift/carryup to 35 lbs. a distance of 10 feet. Ability to push/pull up to 35 lbs. a distanceof 10 yards. Sufficient mobility andrange of motion to perform repetitive standing, walking, balancing, stooping,bending, crouching, crawling, sitting on the floor, reaching, squatting,kneeling, and twisting for up to 8 hours per day. Sufficient stamina to perform job duties atfrequency required. Ability to reactquickly to the physical actions of children. Ability to operate a motor vehicle. Sufficient vision and hearing to perform job duties. Sufficient manual dexterity and eye-handcoordination to perform job duties.

Exposure to Hazards: Unpredictable child and family behavior,hazardous chemicals, contagious conditions, work with personal computer andother office equipment. Riding in motorvehicles and school buses.

EMPLOYMENT CONTINGENTUPON:

Pre-employment health screening asrequired by Agency and position (may include, but is not limited to: drugscreening, occupational health screening and/or functional testing)

Central Background Registry enrollment

Proof of current personalautomobile insurance in accordance with agency policy

Reports to: Site Manager 0-5