INTERNAL APPLICANTS - CLICK HERE TO APPLY
 

Tri-County Regional Centre for Education

The Tri-County Regional Centre for Education (TCRCE) encompasses the three (3) Counties of Shelburne, Yarmouth, and Digby serving approximately 6100 students in twenty-two (22) schools, composed of 13 Elementary Schools, 6 High Schools, 1 Middle School, and 2 Elementary/High Schools.

Regional Centres for Education have Employment Equity Policies and/or processes and we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly people of African descent/ancestry and Mi’kmaw/Indigenous ancestry. Please ensure that you complete the self-identification portion on the position application.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS (mm,dd,yyyy):   at 11:59pm.

Effective Dates (mm,dd,yyyy): 08/26/2024 to 09/30/2024 

Position Type: Term

*There is a possiblity of extension for this position.

Position:  Lead Early Childhood Educator (LECE)

Reports to:  Supervisor, Pre-primary Program / School Prinicpal 

The Lead Early Childhood Educator (LECE) is a leadership role who works collaboratively with staff, parents and community partners, professionals, and service providers to introduce children to the culture of school through play-based pedagogy with a focus of building a solid foundation for school success and life-long learning. With a thorough knowledge of early childhood development, and best practices that support early learning and care, the LECE facilitates and guides the Pre-primary program team in preparing and planning of an engaging and responsive learning environment that is inviting, stimulating, and reflective of children’s abilities and interests using the Nova Scotia Early Learning Curriculum Framework (NSELCF), Pyramid Model and other evidence-based sources to guide every child’s learning trajectory.  Continuous authentic assessment will be used to provide valuable ongoing data used to influence, evaluate, and guide learning experiences through continuous observations and documentation as a tool to assess children’s development and learning needs.  The LECE will work in partnership with Pre-primary team, the school team, Pre-primary Program Lead/Assistant Supervisor, and will report directly to the Supervisor, Pre-primary Program.

Qualifications 

• An undergraduate degree with a specialization in Early Childhood Development or an undergraduate degree with a 2-year diploma in Early Childhood Education. Must hold a Level 3 ECE classification.

Note: 2-year Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Level 2 ECE classification) with a minimum of 5 years recent experience with preschool children in a regulated early learning and child care environment may be considered;

• Recent experience (within past 5 years) working with preschool children;

• Current certification in First Aid;

• Experience in a leadership role in and early learning and child care environment is an asset;

• Training and/or experience in a play-based learning environment is an asset;

• Valid Nova Scotia Driver’s license is an asset.

Competencies 

The Lead Early Childhood Educator shall have the following competencies: 

(a) Demonstrate ethical and respectful professional behaviour;
(b) Demonstrate the principles of family-centred practice;
(c) Demonstrated competency with distributed leadership, shared responsibility and efficient communication (e.g. parents, community-based professionals, school principal, teachers and Pre-Primary Consultants and EECD team);
(d) Establish and maintain a culture of inclusion to ensure all children and families of diverse developmental needs are met through solution-focused, proactive collaboration between adults and children in the program, school community and partners;

(e) Complete administrative duties such as, but not limited to utilizing electronic systems for daily attendance, securing substitute staff, communication to families, budget tracking.
(f) Proficient computer skills using programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and Google platforms;
(g) Provide leadership in developmentally appropriate practices and child-centred curriculum using the Nova Scotia Early Learning Curriculum Framework while leading, mentoring and coaching ECE colleagues, and ECE students in the learning environment;
(h) Interpret and practice best practice into action in an early learning environment;
(i) Articulate and apply understanding of and experience with developmental observation and assessment using Routine Based Intervention Plans (RBIP’s), and Inclusion Safety Plans (ISP);
(j) Participate in comprehensive, ongoing evaluation and reporting on all facets of the early learning programs as initiated by Supervisory team;
(k) Provide culturally responsive service and care to children and families that is centred on ensuring equity, inclusion and human rights for all;
(l) The ability to maintain and promote confidentiality;
(m) The desire and ability to engage in continuing education and professional development.

Job Components

The Lead Early Childhood Educator shall perform tasks as are assigned by the Pre-primary Leadership Team inclusive of the Program Lead/Assistant Supervisor, and Supervisor. These tasks may vary, from time to time, with the evolution of the program and may include, but not be limited to the following:

1. Create a welcoming and culturally responsive learning environment that depicts the story of the educators, children and their families, being and sharing together in the classroom; 

2. Deliver a uniquely creative curriculum that is culturally sensitive and responsive to the interests, developmental and cultural needs of all children using the Nova Scotia Early Learning Curriculum Framework (NSELCF); 

3. Intentionally observe children on a daily basis, documenting their inquisitive questions and thinking to build a meaningful understanding of who they are as individuals to inform quality responsive programming modeling authentic assessment in the NSELCF; 

4. Facilitate intentional family engagement to continuously build knowledge of what learning happens in the Pre-primary learning environment and welcome family involvement in their child’s Pre-primary experience; 

5. Partner with community-based providers to ensure that children’s individual developmental needs are addressed within the context of early learning programming; 

6. Care for all children in the program inclusive of their medical, behavioural, cognitive, language, physical and social and emotional needs, such as but not limited to toileting, feeding and hygienic needs; 

7. Conduct intentional daily observations of all children’s developmental growth, build RBIPs and ISPs as required with support from the Program Lead/Assistant Supervisor and Supervisor; 

8. Participate in a comprehensive, ongoing evaluation of the early learning programs; 

9. Collaborate, while building leadership capacity, with the ECE(s) regarding the culturally and developmentally responsive curriculum plan using the NSELCF, visual routines, busing procedures and learning environment set up to ensure a safe and nurturing environment is cultivated; 

10. Create a truly inclusive environment for the children and adults participating in the program; setting up team meetings, participating in transition plans, encouraging family participation, taking meeting notes and implementing strategies/goals from team meetings; 

11. Participate in training as required. At minimum, 12 hours of professional development must be completed annually to maintain ECE classification; 

12. Responsible to ensuring approved purchases are made for two daily snacks in an open snack atmosphere. Also responsible to ensure purchase materials that directly relate to the interests of the children and meet the philosophy of the NSELCF. LECEs will travel to local retailers to purchase goods; 

13. Complete administrative duties such as utilizing electronic systems for daily attendance, securing substitute staff, and preparing monthly reconciliation statement for all program purchases, etc; 

14. Work with the leadership team and medical professionals to develop a Plan of Care for children as required. Administer medication and carry out medical procedures in accordance with regional and provincial policies and protocols on administering medication to children (e.g. diabetic, AED, G-Tube, Seizure, suctioning); 

15. Report all incidents to the Program Lead/Assistant Supervisor and/or Supervisor following the Serious Incident Reporting (SIR) as mandated by EECD;

16. Other duties as required.

TO APPLY:

• Complete the online profile/resume - you can attach a resume to your profile, security checks, and reference letters if applicable. In the profile ensure you fill in all areas with a red asterisk * to avoid errors even if it doesn't pertain to your application.
• Ensure your resume is up to date and includes all relevant education, experience, training, and certificates. 
• Ensure to upload all post secondary education diploma/certificates. 

(Please note: Three (3) references from Immediate Supervisors required - failure to include your references will cause delay in processing your application, also you should include email addresses for your references, this will speed up the process, ensure they know to check their junk/spam folders).

Once You've Applied:

Thank you for your interest in this position. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. A notification email will be sent when the position has been filled. Ensure to check your junk/spam folders.

SECURITY CHECKS:

The Tri-County Regional Centre for Education requires that all newly hired employees provide a satisfactory Child Abuse Register Check and Criminal Record / Vulnerable Sector Checks. If you have current security checks less than 3 months old you can attach these checks to your profile / resume, otherwise, you will receive instructions once a decision has been made on your application. 

For more information about the TCRCE visit our website at https://www.tcrce.ca/