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Early Childhood Director for Jewish Pre-school

Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley

Date Posted: 12/06/2017

Location: Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey

Salary/Wage:

Job Type:

Work Arrangement:

Description:

Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley seeks to hire a full-time year-round Director for our Jewish Pre-school and Summer Camp.

Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Program is the only Jewish pre-school in the area, drawing families from the Pascack and Saddle River Valleys in northern Bergen County. Our congregation, the largest in the area, is located on 16 grassy acres with several playgrounds, an outdoor classroom and greenhouse, in addition to our sunny Early Childhood wing.

The Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Program offers programs for children who are 2 months to 5 years of age, including Mommy & Me, full and half-day pre-school with flexible options for 2 – 5 year-olds, as well as extended hours, sports and enrichment opportunities. Our approach to learning is developmental, based on the belief that a young child learns best through exploration, experimentation and sensory experiences. We focus on giving our children a strong foundation for them to grow socially, emotionally and academically, providing them with the tools necessary to be successful kindergarten students. We believe that teaching children in fun and unique ways instills in them a love of learning from their earliest years. Through both individual and group time with our teachers, children are taught to think critically. Their words are valued and validated by our teachers in a manner that gives each child the confidence needed to develop their critical thinking ability.

Our families form a cohesive community through volunteering in our school and synagogue and through our social programs in and out of the synagogue.

Responsibilities:

The Director oversees all phases of the school operation including:

Curriculum and Program Development
Staffing and Staff Supervision
Enrollment and Retention
Budgeting
Working in collaboration with Clergy, Senior Staff and Lay Leaders

Primary responsibilities include:

Recruitment, enrollment and retention, including giving tours of the school, communicating our school’s strengths to prospective families and representing our pre-school in the community.
Continual assessment and enhancement of a comprehensive Early Childhood curriculum, emphasizing:
- Developmentally appropriate play-based curriculum
- Maintaining a literacy rich environment for our children, in a warm, loving and secure environment.
- Continually ensuring that best practices are implemented within each classroom.
- Enhancing the existing secular and Judaic curriculum
Establish and nurture positive relationships with parents to help maintain the parent community beyond ECP
Regular observation of children in classroom setting, to effectively communicate with parents regarding their child’s progress in school as well as behavioral or developmental issues.
Partner with teachers and parents regarding children’s development.
Recruitment, supervision and development of staff; serve as a resource to facilitate sharing of best practices, creativity and problem resolution.
Work with and mentor staff to provide opportunities for professional development.
Work with Director of Education to create programs for pathways into the Religious School and help families transition from our Pre-K into our Religious School Kindergarten.
A spokesperson to continually advocate for our pre-school, helping to enhance our reputation and visibility in the local Jewish community.
A presence at synagogue events that occur outside of school hours is expected as appropriate
Maintenance of all NJ State licenses and Management of Early Childhood Program Budget
Interact with Clergy and Senior Staff

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate is an experienced Early Childhood Director with a strong foundation in Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Play-Based Curriculum, with a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a familiarity with practices of Conservative Judaism. The candidate should possess and demonstrate the following skills and experience:

Masters degree in Early Childhood Education
Five or more years experience as Early Childhood Teacher, strongly preferred
Three or more years experience as Early Childhood Director in Jewish Pre-school, strongly preferred
Will consider three or more years experience as Assistant Director of Jewish Pre-school or as Curriculum Director or as Program Supervisor
Ability to develop and implement emergent Early Childhood curriculum, with a strong background in play based experiential learning.
Warm and welcoming personality, relating well to children and able to partner confidently with parents.
Experience hiring, supervising and mentoring Early Childhood teachers.
Knowledge of Jewish holidays, traditions and culture and the ability to integrate this into an age appropriate Early Childhood curriculum.
Strong interpersonal skills including excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to work collaboratively with Rabbi, Cantor, Director of Education, Executive Director and lay leaders to meet the goals of ECP’s mission, vision and values.
Comfortable with the use of technology to enhance programming and increase school’s visibility in the community
Comfortable using social media to market our program and communicate with young families

Relocation assistance may be offered.

Application Instructions:

For consideration, please send your resume, including salary history and requirements, in confidence to hr@tepv.org (no phone calls please).

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