Job Description

Title: Extended Childcare Assistant

Department/Location: Preschool and Lower School, St. Louis

Position Type: Part-time. This is an hourly position (August – May). Hours vary throughout the year

• After School Hours: 3:00-5:30 pm
• Teacher In-Service Days: 8:00 am -5:00 pm

Organizational Relationships: Reports to the Extended Care Program Manager

Summary

In this role, you will support the Extended Care Program Manager in providing a safe, engaging, and nurturing environment for Pre-K through 5th grade students in the after-school childcare program. You’ll assist with supervising children, leading age-appropriate activities and maintaining a positive atmosphere that aligns with Principia’s values; help with daily routines such as snack distribution, attendance tracking, clean-up, and communicating with parents as directed; and ensure that all students are supervised at all times and that safety procedures are followed.

Who We Are

At our award-winning Early Childhood through grade 12 Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education—blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia’s team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College, but also a worldwide network of alumni and friends. 

At Principia School, our core value is LOVE. Love and its attributes underpin our foundational beliefs as well as our educational approach. We focus on developing the whole child—intellectually, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, preparing students for the next steps in life. We foster a challenging yet supportive environment where character unfolds naturally, and talent is cultivated through boundless opportunities. Character education plays an essential role in every aspect of the student experience, and classroom work is augmented by character trips, leadership development, and real-world, hands-on, project-based learning.

Primary Responsibilities

• Supervise and actively engage with students during program hours, ensuring a safe and positive environment.
• Assist with implementing activities prepared by the manager, including games, crafts, homework help, and recreation.
• Support smooth arrival, sign-in, snack distribution, transitions, and departure procedures.
• Promote respectful behavior and cooperation among students, addressing minor issues and alerting the manager as needed.
• Help maintain program spaces by setting up, cleaning up, and organizing materials and equipment.
• Follow all school safety procedures and report concerns promptly to the manager or appropriate staff.

Core Competencies

• Positivity: Optimistic, positive, and focused on elevating and bringing out the very best in themselves and others. Faculty and staff are invited to understand teammates’ strengths and how they can complement each other.
• Team player: Ability to collaborate and partner with peers and senior leaders is critical, with an ability to listen, give and receive feedback, and be comfortable exchanging ideas and speaking candidly in a professional and collegial manner
• Relationship Builder: Builds and sustains strong connections with a genuine interest in others
• Communication: Provides regular, consistent, and meaningful information. Listens carefully to others and ensures message is understood. Ensures important matters are shared with all appropriate parties. Communicates in a clear and concise manner. Tailors communication style to the needs of the recipient.
• Inclusion: Demonstrates awareness and respect for cultural differences, actively seeks to understand diverse perspectives, and supports cross-cultural interactions. Fosters an inclusive environment where individuals of all backgrounds feel valued and respected
• Dependability: Works within deadlines and under occasional heavy workloads

Minimum Qualifications

• Supportive of Principia’s guiding statements as articulated here https://www.principia.edu/about/guiding-statements
• Experienced character educator
• Experience caring for preschool-aged children
• Demonstrate support of Principia’s mission and philosophy by promoting a positive image of the school at all times
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• The statements above describe the general nature and level of work but are not a complete list of responsibilities and are subject to change at the discretion of Principia.

Compensation

We offer a competitive starting salary range for this position: $18.00 - $20.00 hourly, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Equal Opportunity

Principia, a mission-driven institution, believes every person has the right to an equitable and respectful educational environment and workplace. Principia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender (identity or expression), sexual orientation, family status, disability, age, or military or veteran status.

In hiring, admissions, and related decisions, Principia—as an institution with a religious mission—gives preference, where appropriate, to Christian Scientists.