School Officer - Assisting Student Learning

Position: School Officer - Assisting Student Learning 
Commencing Date: Term 2, 2024
Tenure: Term Time, Fixed Term Contract
Hours:  27.5 hours per week
Salary Range: $30.62-$31.29 per hour pending experience
Closing Date: Monday, 11 March 2024 unless filled prior

St Michael's Catholic School, Palm Island is a co-educational Catholic primary school on Palm Island, offering Prep to Year 6. Established in 1938, the school enjoys magnificent ocean views and natural surroundings including a creek, green hills and beachfront. The Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians opened the school and later the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Sisters took charge, remaining on the island until 2011. Their mission 'Truth by Love,' remains the school’s motto. St Michael's Catholic School exists to serve the community's Indigenous people, with the majority of students being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.

About the role

St Michael's Catholic School, Palm Island is seeking an experienced and dedicated School Officer - Assisting Student Learning.   This role is a Term Time, Fixed Term Contract completing 27.5 hours per week across 5 days commencing on 15 April 2024 for the duration of Term 2 with the possibilityto be extended for remainder of the 2024 school year. 

The primary purpose of the School Officer - Assisting Student Learning is to contribute to the provision of 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 ensures all duties are completed to an acceptable standing as determined by the classroom teacher, student support services and Principal.

Key Accountabilities

Assist the student’s learning and participation in the school:

• Assist teachers in preparing, implementing and supervising learning programs in the classroom
• Be aware of the Classroom 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 focused 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 tasks, work habits, behaviour etc., provided to the teacher.

Inclusive Education

• Assist individuals or small groups with activities as part of inclusive teaching and learning practices
• Provide support to the Classroom Teacher with behaviour management and development of social and classroom skills of students
• Assist students with their personal organisation when required.

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 note taking, 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.

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

Desirable Criteria

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

Some employees may be subject to pre-employment medical assessments during the selection process. Depending on the nature of the role, it may be necessary for successful applicants to be immunised against certain preventable diseases in order to minimise the risk of transmission.

What we offer

• Competitive Salary Range: 
• 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 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

Our Organisation

Townsville Catholic Education supports a diverse region extending from Townsville to the Burdekin and Whitsunday regions in the south, and north to Ingham and Halifax, south-west to Winton, and west to the border with the Northern Territory, encompassing Mount Isa and several small, isolated western towns and east to Palm Island. 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. 

How to apply

Click on the link to apply via the Careers page.