Multicultural Aide (Karen)

Lightning Reef Primary School boasts outstanding open planned facilities and large grounds beside Bendigo Showgrounds. The grounds are expansive and provides for active and passive play as well as a chicken enclosure and vegetable gardens. The full size gymnasium and indoor canteen ensure a range of indoor activities are encompassed in daily learning opportunities. The school's mission is to provide a welcoming and challenging environment that fosters respectful and responsible global citizens capable of thriving in the future. We hope our students graduate as knowledgeable, skilled, confident, and critical thinkers through the school being a centre of excellence committed to sharing best practice. Our key values demonstrate our shared and relentless commitment to implementing our mission so that our vision becomes a living reality. We value Respect: We show we care about ourselves, others and the environment through our actions and words. Responsibility:  We do the things we are supposed to do, own, and accept the results of our actions and words. Persistence: We keep trying, even when things seem hard, and know when to seek help. Kindness: We use actions and words to make others feel happy, or when we notice they need help. The enrolment currently sitting around 165 students. Student Family Occupation (SFO) index in 2024 is 0.71 and the Student Family Occupation and Education Index was also high. This characterises the school as a low socio-economic school community. We have one student funded by the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) and another three who qualify for DI Funding. 18 ATSI students, 5 in Out of Home Care and 63 with a Karen background. The school went through a School Review mid 2022, which was a wonderful celebration of the gains it had made in all areas of school improvement. The leadership team consists of a Principal, Acting Assistant Principal, and 2 Leading Teachers; with Ls & AP holding teaching roles at the school. Homegroups are taught by 10 teachers, 2 part-time Intervention teachers/tutors and 4 specialist teachers. Nine Education Support Officers (ES) supported students across the school. The school's specialist programs are Visual Arts, Music and Physical Education and a Languages program in Karen with the assistance of our Multi Cultural Aides. The school enjoyed strong ties with the Greater City of Bendigo Council who sponsor local businesses to participate in an aspirational work program called Passions and Pathways (P&P) targeting Year Six students. The school also had strong ties with both the Eaglehawk and Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary Clubs, with Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary Club leading a weekly volunteer gardening program. The club also donated fresh fruit weekly that complemented our daily breakfast club. The school maintained positive community partnerships that supported our students and their families. The school accesses DET Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Koorie Education Support Officers, supplementing our own speech aide and a qualified Social Worker, employed as our PWO (0.6) to complement these services using Equity funds. A major success in 2022 was the introduction of a designated Student Attendance and Wellbeing LT. This substantial commitment via Equity funding saw a total review of processes to track student absences, work closely with the Regional Team and families to support students to attend school on a regular basis. Although our Attendance Data remained a challenge, the newly developed Staged Response to Non-Attendance will provide us with a clear implementation strategy for future years.  Equity funding has been allocated to allow the Wellbeing Leading Teacher to promote and oversee SWPBS and teach RR&RR across the school, support additional ESS, release a second Leading Teacher to manage Disability and Inclusion at a whole-school level and release a Literacy leader to provide additional lessons to our EAL students.

SC1  Demonstrated ability to work in a whole classroom setting or with small groups and individuals who are learning English

SC2  Demonstrated capacity to work and collaborate with others in a team environment.

SC3  Demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively in a team environment, including high level oral and written communication skills.

SC4  Possess the technical knowledge and experience in Karen language relevant to the position.

SC5  Demonstrated capacity to provide advice and support to management and other school staff in respect to the work area.

SC6  A commitment to professional learning and growth for both self and others.

Attendance requirement for this position: Monday to Friday 8.45 to 3.45 

The Multicultural Education Aide will provide assistance in the classroom and out of the classroom working closely with the teaching staff and families and to ensure our EAL students are given every assistance to learn and reach their full potential. They are to be highly professional in all aspects of the role and display proficiency in areas of organisation, communication, consultation, and decision-making.

Multicultural Education Aides are able to assist with:

·         Effective communication between students and teachers in the classroom.

·         Integrating EAL learners into school activities by helping them to understand school expectations and goals.

·         Assisting teachers to understand the home cultures and the expectations families have of the school and of education in general.

·         Assisting newly arrived families to settle into the school community.

·         Communicate directly with families and support teachers and wellbeing staff to communicate with families and link the families with services.

·         Support students in the classroom, explain teacher instructions and work requirements. 

An MEA is required to:

• Assist the school community with matters concerning communication between Lightning Reef Primary School and speakers of specific language backgrounds as outlined in the position itself.
• Assist Karen speaking students, individually or in groups, at Lightning Reef Primary School to understand specific information in their given language.
• Assist Lightning Reef Primary School staff to welcome and enrol speakers of Karen languages so that they feel included and able to approach the school for matters which may be of concern to them.
• Attend regular meetings with the EAL Coordinator and EAL teaching staff, in order to develop skills for student assistance.
•  Assist and provide routine support for EAL Coordinator, classroom teachers and EAL students as appropriate
• Under the direction of the EAL Coordinator, assist with classroom activities and excursions
• Provide basic curriculum support resources for EAL students at the direction of the class teacher
• Provide support in the use of learning technologies to EAL students as required as part of the class program
• Assisting teachers to understand the home cultures and the expectations families have of the school and of education in general
• Assisting newly arrived families in their settlement into the new educational community
• Work closely with MEA team and support their work
• Data entry as required using specific technology platforms such as Compass and Google docs
• Communicate with EAL students about comprehension of tasks and information
• Provide liaison between EAL parents and the school where appropriate
• Support the parents of our Lightning Reef Primary School EAL students develop understandings of the school system and how they might best support their young people
• Support families to assist the literacy development of individual students at home
• Support and promote EAL related Celebration Days across the school

MEAs are able to assist with:

• Effective communication between students and teachers in the classroom
• Integrating EAL learners into school activities by helping them to understand school expectations and goals
• Assisting newly arrived families to settle into the school community.
• Assist individual EAL students or groups of students in mainstream or EAL classes
• Provide teachers with insights into students¿ cultural backgrounds and experiences
• Assist with activities and excursions
• Contribute cultural perspectives to curriculum content to make it more relevant to all students
• Assist with the input of enrolment paperwork of new EAL students.
• Assist with communication between parents and the school
• Foster links between families and the school
• Provide liaison between parents, community organisations and other school staff
• Inform the school about family circumstances (with the family's permission) that may impact on student learning

Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.

Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.

The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via *******@education.vic.gov.au

Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:

 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy

The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the department values is available at:

 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

This vacancy is specifically linked to Student Support Funding and is ongoing. If the funding reduces or ceases during the first seven years of employment, employment may cease subject to the provision of at least 12 weeks’ notice.