Wilmington Friends School, a preschool to 12th grade Quaker, college preparatory, day school located in Wilmington, Delaware, enrolling approximately 700 students, seeks an educator to work in our early years department in a combined position. This three-quarter-time position will be equally divided between teaching early years music and movement classes and working with our admissions team to support early years applicants. We are seeking an educator who has experience teaching music in an educational setting and a passion for encouraging creativity and fostering musical, social-emotional, and spiritual growth. The position will be 30 hours per week from approximately 8:00 am - 2:00 pm, with a few weekend responsibilities for admissions activities.
Responsibilities include:
Immersing preschool and pre-kindergarten classes, ages 2-5, in the world of music using songs, chants, movement activities, classroom instruments, and a variety of instructional materials, resources, and experiences.
Leading weekly Learning Lab sessions for families of children ages 1-4.
Collaborating with the lower school music teacher on curriculum and performances.
Leading preschool informances and co-leading pre-kindergarten/kindergarten winter and spring concerts.
Providing coverage of preschool or pre-kindergarten classrooms to support early years teachers.
Guiding families on tours of the preschool and through the admissions process.
Coordinating—together with the director of admissions and the assistant director of admissions—applicant visit days and screening visits.
Establishing positive relationships with feeder schools through visits, phone calls, and correspondence.
Following up with applicants’ current schools as necessary
Sharing the responsibility for open houses, group visit days for applicants, and other admissions-related public endeavors, both internal and external to the school.
Participating in the coordination of all forms of communication with prospective preschool families.
A highly qualified candidate will:
be personally engaging and friendly.
feel comfortable working with groups of children, ages 2-5.
feel comfortable working with families of young children.
demonstrate strong vocal skills; playing an instrument is a plus.
create and implement developmentally appropriate lessons.
use good communication and organization skills.
have experience teaching music in an educational setting.
have a degree or certification in music education.
Have the ability to manage multiple projects at a time;
Have strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to edit and revise
Have excellent customer service skills
Have strong organizational skills and the ability to meet tight deadlines in fast-paced environment;
Will be physically able to perform assigned duties with or without accommodation;
Have availability to work periodic evenings and occasional weekends as necessary;
We will invite, for interviews and demonstration teaching on campus, those candidates whose interests and experiences best fit our needs. We are particularly interested in hearing from qualified candidates who want to work in a school that emphasizes community-building, the value of diversity, the full development of each individual, and service to others.
If interested, please send a cover letter, resume, and list of three references addressed to Chris Loeffler, Head of Lower School, to Linda Beard (lbeard@wilmingtonfriends.org). Interviews will begin as soon as we receive materials.
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The Upper School Jazz Band recently had the opportunity to work with Blayne Salerni in a workshop on improvisation. Mr. Salerni, the band director at Smyrna Middle School, has led jazz improvisation workshops throughout Delaware for middle and high school students, as well as music educators
Braeden Mannering, the founder of 3B: Brae's Brown Bags, visited our lower school students to share his journey of creating a nonprofit that provides healthy snack bags to those in need. Braeden highlighted the importance of kindness, service, and how even young people can make a big impact in their communities.
Statement of Nondiscrimination as to Student Enrollment
Wilmington Friends School admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of these schools. Wilmington Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.