Assistant Director, Nature Preschool

The ENC Nature Preschool Assistant Director is responsible for supporting the Nature Preschool Director in the oversight and management of ENC Nature Preschool. This position is responsible for scheduling, managing and supporting all teaching staff with quality practice components of curriculum development, child and classroom environment assessments, teacher training, and ongoing professional development opportunities. The Assistant Director will assume position responsibilities of ENC Nature Preschool Director when the Director is off campus. The Assistant Director will guide and support teaching staff in supporting a nature-based program that encourages students’ awareness, understanding, appreciation and protection of the environment, and fosters empathy and kindness towards others and all living things. The Assistant Director will support ENC Nature Preschool’s goal to build a strong learning foundation through hands-on experiences, with the development of an intentional and meaningful curriculum. Constructing children’s knowledge and skill building in all areas of development.

Supervision

The Nature Preschool Assistant Director reports to the Nature Preschool Director.

Essential Responsibilities         

1. Follow the Environmental Nature Center’s philosophy and policies.
2. Maintain and support quality safety, supervision, and program components of ENC Nature Preschool.
3. Assist with maintaining current licensing regulations and procedures.
   1. Filing appropriate reports with County of Orange Health Agency and California Department of Social Services-Community Care Licensing Division as required.
4. Ensure the supervision, safety and well-being of children and classroom teaching staff daily, including

moving staff with children as they change locations throughout the day.

5. Meet and greet families and children daily at arrival and/or departure times.
   1. Conduct health checks as required.

6. Waitlist/Program Enrollment.
   1. Respond to online enrollment inquiries.
   2. Data collecting, calling families for classroom enrollments.
   3. Assist Program Administrator with registration fees, tuition, child files, required licensing forms, ENC forms, immunizations records, communications with families during enrollment.
   4. Identifying and advocating for all families of special populations.
7. Payroll and PTO.
   1. Complete ENC NP time sheets. (To be approved by NP Director).
   2. Communication with Facility Manager.
   3. Manage PTO requests forms.
   4. Schedule Guest Teachers (Substitutes).
   5. Distribute completed forms to Director, Staff and Facility Manager.
   6. Note dates off on NP Staff calendar.
8. Conduct ENC Nature Preschool tours  and information sessions for families, colleagues, and visitors.
   1. Attend and/or present at relevant community events, to potential support groups, etc.
9. Assist Director with Family Survey process for all enrolled families.
10. Lead and participate in weekly/monthly staff meetings (planning or otherwise) for classroom and NP.
    1. Take detailed notes during all meetings and send to Director and NP Staff when applicable.
11. Health, Safety and Nutrition.
    1. Follow health and safety standards and practices required by state regulatory agencies.
    2. Emergency procedures (including planning, implementation of drills, communicating roles, etc.)
    3. Administer medications as needed
    4. Emergency First Aid (EFA) Reports.
       1. Call families for “Above the shoulders” injuries.
       2. Log all EFA’s into spreadsheets for tracking purposes.
    5. Assist with snack planning, purchasing, preparation and clean-up.
    6. Maintain safety and emergency equipment and supplies.
12. Program Supplies/Ordering/Reimbursements (notify Director of supplies needed for approval).
    1. Notify Director of needed supplies.
    2. Collect and complete reimbursements/receipts as they are turned in.
    3. Copy uploaded to Google Drive and original copies sent to Facility Manager for budget tracking.
13. DRDP/Learning Genie.
    1. Support, guide, and train staff in utilizing various assessment tools of observation, documentation, writing, letters, data collection, work samples, photos, videos, and other methods to assess children’s developmental skills and progress both individually through portfolio collection and with classroom curriculum plans and evaluation.
    2. Collect and maintain assessment completion timeline and compile records and classroom data of preschool children for review with teachers and Director.
    3. Review Learning Genie content/posts (engagement/portfolios, messenger), correspondence daily.
       1. Edit as needed and share concerns with Director and those applicable.
    4. Assist Nature Preschool teaching staff with using assessment information to set individual children and classroom goals.
    5. Provide and track assessment and questionnaire tools for each child and for the classroom group twice a year to see how the classroom learning community is meeting all the children’s developmental needs, skills, and foundations of learning measurements.
14. ENC Nature Preschool Teaching Staff Support.
    1. Supervise and support Nature Preschool Teaching Staff in developing and implementing a rich and innovative nature-based curriculum.
    2. Conduct and/or assist Family Conferences with Teaching Staff, Program Administrator and Director.
    3. Assist with the development of learning provocations with classroom teaching staff based on implementing a creative, emergent, nature-based curriculum that meets children's individual interests and needs as well as the classroom community of learners. 
    4. Train NP Teaching Staff to utilize tools of observation, documentation, provocation, discussion and planning daily for classroom and individual children’s goals.
    5. Oversee intentional classroom curriculum and planned experiences/ideas weekly and their connection to family-teacher assessment goals for children.
    6. Supervise, guide, and assess classroom staff bi-yearly with goal setting and goal reflection evaluation.
    7. Effectively communicate, plan, and evaluate children’s progress with co-teachers and families about children’s development, skills, goals for building strengths, and developmental tracking through portfolio collection work and assessment tools.
    8. Accommodate schedule changes.
       1. Cover staff when needed (this includes teaching in classrooms).
       2. Support teaching staff in spending 70-80% of time outside in nature.
15. Maintain positive communication with all program participants, volunteers, and visitors.
16. Set professional goals each year and evaluate goals, professional growth, responsibilities, and performance with Director.
17. Arrive when scheduled to prepare and set-up for NP Assistant Director duties.
18. Responsible for notifying the Director and/or ENC  Executive Director of any safety hazards in all learning environments.
19. Participation in ENC Nature Preschool and Nature Center special events occasionally in the evenings and for mandatory special events (i.e., Family Literacy Night, Family Campouts, Fall Faire, Spring Faire, Taste of Twilight, Summer Soiree).
20. Participate in a minimum of 21 hours of profession development each year with onsite training and community workshops, seminars, and conferences.
21. Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Skills

1. Commitment to the mission, vision, and core values of the Environmental Nature Center.
2. Create and maintain strong cooperative relationships and work cohesively with Nature Teachers, ENC staff, and volunteers.
3. Demonstrate flexibility with scheduling, curriculum planning and thinking.
4. Knowledge of California Department of Social Services-Community Care Licensing Division, Title 22 regulations.
5. Ability or willingness to handle a variety of animals including amphibians, mammals, arthropods, and reptiles.
6. Ability to gather, memorize and recall facts, figures, and information.
7. Ability to move up to fifty pounds and set up equipment.
8. Ability to hike on trails, and traverse stairs and uneven terrain while carrying equipment.
9. Ability to make independent decisions and respond to immediate needs of children, emergency situations, and program needs.
10. Ability to work outside in a variety of weather conditions and temperatures.
11. Regular, reliable, and punctual attendance is essential because of quality continuity.
12. Ability to interact positively and successfully with supervisors, staff, teachers, families, and children.
13. Fingerprinting clearance will be required.
14. Computer (Macintosh and Microsoft Office) experience required or willingness to learn.
15. Communicate effectively in the English language, in both oral and written forms.
16. Understand and carry out oral and written instructions in an independent manner.
17. Understand and apply pertinent personnel policies, laws, rules, and regulations.

Education, Training, and Experience Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university with major course work in early childhood or child development education is desired. Administrative units (3) required.
2. Minimum of 24 units of Early Childhood Education or related field.
3. Health, Safety and Nutrition class (3 units) desired.
4. Coursework covering Inclusion with preschool age children and special populations (3 units) is desired.
5. Possession of Child Development Permit-Site Supervisor level or higher. (Maintain active Child Development permit status while employed).
6. Five years of experience working in the early childhood in preschool type setting, administrative experience desired.
7. Demonstrated understanding of principles of early childhood development, preschool operations and staff supervision.
8. Outdoor Classroom Specialist Training Level 1 required. (Level 2 training desired)
9. Excellent interpersonal skills: the ability to interact and work effectively and cooperatively with children, families, and co-workers.
10. Demonstrate an understanding, patient, receptive, and positive attitude toward children, their families, and co-workers.
11. Current CPR and First Aid Certification.