School Officer

Position: School Officer - Assisting Student Learning 
Commencing Date: Term 1, 2022
Classification: Term Time, 1 Year Fixed Term Contract
Hours: 11 hours a week 
Salary Range: $28.19 - $28.86 per hour pending experience
Closing Date: Sunday, 6 February 2022 unless filled prior

St Mary's Catholic School, Bowen is a co-educational primary school located in Bowen. St Mary’s is proudly the first Catholic school established in the Townsville Diocese and has 121 students from Prep to Year 6. Established by The Sisters of St Joseph in 1872, the parents of St Mary’s Catholic Parish have banded together with the help of religious orders and the wider Church to educate children with Jesus as the role model and Gospel values at its heart. St Mary's Catholic School has a proud ongoing tradition of academic excellence and serving the Bowen community, with small class sizes to enhance students’ learning opportunities

Townsville Catholic Education provides a supportive, flexible working environment where care for the individual is an important part of our ethos.  We employ motivated people who want to work together to produce excellent outcomes for our students. Our staff are recognised as being central to achieving our mission. 

About the role

St Mary's Catholic School, Bowen is seeking an experienced and dedicated School Officer - Assisting Student Learning. This role is a Term Time, 1 Year Fixed Term position completing 11 hours a week commencing Term 1, 2022.

The primary purpose of the School Officer - Assisting Student Learning is to contribute to the provision of a quality educational service by collaborating with teachers and student support services to provide support and guidance which assists students in their learning and development. The School Officer - Assisting Student Learning provides efficient and high-quality support to teachers with the preparation and/or enhancement of learning materials for learning and teaching and ensure all duties are completed to an acceptable standing as determined by the classroom teacher, student support services and Principal.

Key Accountabilities

Inclusive Education

• Assist teachers in preparing, implementing and supervising learning programs
• Be aware of the teacher’s expectations of the students in the class and work with the teacher, actively participating in activities, intervening and encouraging students where appropriate
• Assist individuals or small groups, with activities as part of inclusive teaching and learning practices, supporting the teacher with behaviour management and the development of social skills and classroom skills development
• Assist students with their personal organisation when required
• Respond to all students in the classroom in a warm and encouraging manner and build collaborative relationships with the students and respond to individual learning needs
• Participate in meetings, both internal and external as required.

Learning and Teaching 

• Provide support to teachers in the classroom
• Assist the teaching team with classroom resources
• Work in partnership with teachers to support student learning which may include:
  • General support to a group of students while the teacher is engaged in focussed teaching
  • Provision of personalised support e.g. mobility or communication support, where required
  • Assisting students to complete tasks designed by the teacher
  • Preparation of support materials and resources
• Support identified students with learning barriers, to engage in a range of learning activities 
• Collect data for analysis by the teacher - anecdotal notes on performance of task, work habits, behaviour etc., provided to the teacher.

Small Group and Personalised Support

• Communicate with teachers about student progress and areas of need
• Inform the Principal on any welfare issues that may arise with students
• Develop professional relationships with students based on trust and respect, which utilises a strengths-based approach
• Provide general formative feedback to student on performance during the teaching session
• Role model behaviour in line with the school’s mission
• Work in partnership with teachers to implement aspects of learning plans, as identified by the teacher, for groups of students including:

• Work with the student, under the direction of a teacher, to support the implementation of particular learning goals as identified in the Student’s Learning Plan.

Pastoral Care

• Proactively monitor and support student wellbeing issues under the guidance of the pastoral care team
• Work to promote self-esteem and assist with student social interactions by teaching them social skills and discussing with them their social behaviours as required
• Provide assistance with personal care as required which may also include mobility and personal hygiene
• Provide assistance with communication – including notetaking, taping material and using ICT to optimise the student’s learning experiences.

Professional Development

• Support collegiate learning by sharing learnings with colleagues
• Proactively seek opportunities to extend own professional learning via internal and external training.

About you

Experience

• Ability to organise and prioritise a range of tasks and set priorities to meet deadlines in a busy environment
• Demonstrated competence and confidence in using a personal computer and relevant software packages e.g. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Demonstrated experience working with students with disabilities and/or special needs is desirable.

Skills

• Understanding and ability to develop links between the school community
• Good oral communication skills, especially in relation to staff, students and community
• Good written, verbal, visual and non-verbal communication skills to ensure positive engagement with staff, parents and visitors
• Sound computer literacy capacity to work in partnership with classroom teachers.

Attributes

• Enthusiastic, energetic, flexible with a proactive attitude
• Confident, well-presented and engaging with a personal warmth that engenders mutual respect with staff, parents and visitors
• Flexible and responsive to the needs of the school community and driven to achieve the best outcomes for students.

Mandatory Criteria

• Current Working with Children Suitability Card - The successful candidate will require a paid Blue Card before commencement as per the No Card, No Start policy developed by Queensland Government.
• Current Driver’s Licence
• Ability to travel from time to time within the Catholic Diocese of Townsville
• Ability to perform the physical requirements of the role in a safe manner.
  It is a requirement of this role that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required as a pre-commencement document. DO NOT ATTACH THE VACCINATION CERTIFICATE WITH YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION. 
  

Desirable Criteria

• Cert III in Education Support or a commitment towards completing this qualification
• First aid qualification or a willingness to complete.

What we offer

• Competitive Salary Range: $28.19 - $28.86 per hour pending experience
• Annual Leave with 17.5% leave loading
• Access to salary packaging options to maximise employee benefits and salary 
• Modern facilities, equipment and resources
• Access to additional Employer Superannuation Contributions
• Access to long service leave after 7 years of continuous service
• 14 Weeks’ paid parental leave
• Deferred Salary Scheme
• Access to corporate health schemes
• Induction processes and professional learning programs
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing programs and initiatives

How to apply

• Complete the application form
• Upload a cover letter addressing the skills, attributes and experience to support the key accountabilities of the role identified in the position description
• Upload a current resume including contact details (phone and email) of at least two professional referees

For more information, please refer to the Position Description.

Applications during the shortlisting phase will be kept confidential. 

Applications close 5pm Sunday, 6 February 2022 unless filled prior.

View other vacancies here.