Casual Boarding Assistant

**(Casual)**

Wenona values professional services staff who demonstrate a positive and proactive approach to their work and have a willingness to participate fully in the life of the School. We look for enthusiastic, dedicated and capable staff who demonstrate initiative, good humour, and professional behaviour and support the values and aims of the School as a global learning community.

This position reports to the Head of Boarding.

**Overview of the role of Casual Boarding Assistant**:
This position has primary responsibility for ensuring that the day to day operations and strategic goals of the Boarding School are being met.

All Boarding staff at Wenona are an integral part of the Boarding House. They play a significant role in ensuring that the boarders are safe, cared for, motivated, enthused and valued. We also aim to develop a position of trust between Boarding staff and the boarder. It is our mission to support the aims of the School and fully encourage every boarder to reach her potential.

Staff are expected to exhibit professionalism in their dealings with boarders, parents and other Boarding staff and strive to achieve the highest standards in carrying out their duties following the boarding procedures. We are a unified team, treating communication as a priority, and value our boarding families and their involvement in the lives of their daughters whilst they are boarders with us at Wenona. Boarding staff are all role models for the girls and thus it is essential that they exhibit positive standards in every respect of their role when on duty.

Our Boarding staff provide quality pastoral care and support as well as appropriate supervision in the general routine of Boarding students. As members of the Boarding staff team, you will play an important role in creating a positive, supportive and open culture which encourages full participation in the academic and extra-curricular programs within the School and the Boarding community these roles have a strong pastoral care focus. You will also play an important role with supporting the academic needs of the boarders to encourage success with their studies.

The priority for the Boarding Assistant at all times is that they act to ensure that the Boarding House students are safe and nurtured in all that they undertake. The role includes helping the girls adhere to set guidelines with regard to daily schedules, school attendance, meals, prep supervision and all leave arrangements over the course of the weekend.

The Boarding Assistant will have the capability to do many things at once and can change plans often and easily, as well as being able to concentrate on multiple events happening in and around their workspace. There will be constant interruption from students, colleagues, visitors and telephone calls and the Boarding Assistant will need to have the ability to work well in this type of environment.

The position also presents an important impression of the School and the values that it represents. Professionalism, confidence, presentation and a calm, positive attitude under pressure must be maintained as well as the ability to maintain high levels of discretion and confidentiality in all circumstances.

The position also contributes to the maintenance of a positive internal culture where service, integrity, kindness and humour are valued.

**Key priorities**:
Indications that this job is being done successfully would include:

- Work in partnership with boarders and their families through open communication and nurturing authentic and professional working relationships to ensure the pastoral and academic needs of the boarders are met.
- Maintain a firm but fair attitude that is consistent and in keeping with the policies and practices of the Boarding school and be attuned to the overall, everyday needs of the boarders in your care and report any concerns to the Head of Boarding.
- Overseeing prep, meals, bed times and room tidiness within the Boarding House as well as following precise lock-up procedures for the Boarding House each night, and operating alarms. Overnight stays at the Boarding House with early wake-up of students as required as well as dealing with minor medical concerns including the issuing and recording of basic medication.
- Develop Year group specific activities to contribute to the Boarders’ program including supervision of Boarding students outside of school hours and the weekends on a rostered basis including managing student leave arrangements under the guidance of the Head of Boarding.
- Managing the Boarding Office area, answering phones, administration, reporting the upkeep and maintenance of the building duties and dealing with parents and visitors to the Boarding House.
- Pre-term set-up and end of term close-down of the Boarding House, if applicable.
- Work as an effective member of the Boarding community whose primary focus is to promote the holistic well-being of all boarders.
- Lead by example, presenting as a