Elementary School Student Support Specialist (Contract till 30 June 2027)

Singapore American School Limited; Singapore; On-site; SGD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Singapore American School is seeking a Student Support Specialist for Elementary, supporting Kindergarten through Grade 5 with proactive and responsive SEB support. This pilot role aims to improve MTSS for social-emotional wellness and ensure instructional continuity.

The specialist will work closely with teachers, Deans, and families, providing coaching, restorative conversations, and data-informed behavior tracking. 10-month schedule; on-site collaboration across grade level.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree required.
• Experience as an Instructional Assistant, Teaching Assistant, or pastoral youth support role in a school.
• Ability to build warm, trusting relationships with children while maintaining high behavioral expectations.
• Strong nurturing and restorative instincts, with de-escalation skills.
• Excellent communication with students, families, and staff.
• Collaborative team player with a growth mindset.

Responsibilities

• Conduct proactive student support and check-ins at the assigned grade level to foster relationships and regulate behavior.
• Respond promptly to classroom requests for support and de-escalate when needed to minimise disruption to instruction.
• Provide in‑the‑moment coaching during transitions, meals, recess and other unstructured times.
• Guide restorative conversations after incidents and support relationship repair among students and teachers.
• Maintain accurate behavior tracking records and share trends with school leadership and PLC teams.
• Collaborate with Deans, Deputy Principals and other staff to inform instructional and support planning.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

De-escalation instincts

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor degree

Job description

The Student Support Specialist is a grade-level behavior support specialist responsible for providing proactive and responsive social-emotional and behavioral (SEB) support to students and teachers. This is a newly created role designed to better support individual students and to improve conditions for teaching and learning across the Elementary School by ensuring that students who experience behavioral dysregulation receive timely, skilled, and restorative support, allowing classroom instruction to continue with minimal disruption.

Each Student Support Specialist is assigned to a single grade level (Kindergarten - Grade 5) and serves as a consistent, trusted adult presence for students, teachers, and families at that grade level.

This position is part of a division-wide pilot initiative that will inform the long-term development of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for social-emotional and behavioral wellness.

Responsibilities:

Proactive Student Support

• Conduct morning check-ins with identified students to build relationships and establish a positive start to the day
• Facilitate brief morning movement or exercise routines as proactive regulation strategies with individual students or small groups as needed
• Monitor student well-being throughout the day, identifying early warning signs of dysregulation before incidents
• Develop trusting, consistent relationships with students at the assigned grade level, particularly those with recurring behavioral needs
• Help students develop self‑regulation skills and habits

Responsive & De-escalation Support

• Respond promptly when classroom teachers signal a need for support, allowing instruction to continue with minimal disruption
• Implement de‑escalation strategies with students who are behaviorally dysregulated
• Provide in‑the‑moment behavioral coaching to students during class transitions, meals, recess, and other unstructured times
• Temporarily remove students from the classroom and support them in a calm space when needed, with a focus on helping them return to learning as quickly as possible

Restorative Practice

• Guide students through restorative conversations following behavioral incidents
• Support students in repairing relationships with peers and teachers
• Reinforce social‑emotional skills and self‑regulation strategies aligned with school‑wide expectations

Discipline & Authority

• Operate within clearly defined lines of behavioral response, with specific discipline authority to be outlined during role onboarding
• Collaborate with the Dean on more significant disciplinary matters, escalating appropriately
• Maintain accurate, timely behavior tracking records using established data systems

Teacher & Staff Collaboration

• Serve as a responsive partner to classroom teachers, reducing the burden on teachers and instructional assistants to manage challenging behavior independently
• Share grade-level behavioral trends and observations with the PLC Coach and Dean to inform instructional and support planning
• Participate actively in grade-level and behavior support team meetings

Parent Communication

• Maintain clear, professional, and timely communication with parents regarding behavioral incidents and student progress, within guidelines established by the Dean
• Partner with families to ensure consistency of support between school and home
• Experience in communicating and partnering with parents will be prioritized

Team & Professional Learning

• Participate in all onboarding, professional development, and ongoing training sessions, including areas such as de‑escalation, restorative practice, proactive support strategies, behavior data systems, and parent communication
• Engage in daily team check‑ins with the Dean and fellow Student Support Specialist particularly during early implementation
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement within the behavior support team

The above job description is only indicative of the broad set of duties and responsibilities. Distribution of tasks is assigned by the supervisor. Other tasks may be assigned on the job, as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Requirements & Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor degree required
• Experience as an Instructional Assistant, Teaching Assistant, or in a comparable pastoral youth support role in a school setting
• Demonstrated ability to build warm, trusting relationships with children while maintaining high behavioral expectations
• Strong nurturing, restorative, and de‑escalation instincts
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with students, teachers, and families
• Collaborative team player with a growth mindset

Preferred

• Familiarity with social‑emotional learning frameworks, MTSS, or restorative practice models
• Experience supporting students with diverse behavioral and learning needs
• Experience in an international or multicultural school environment

Working Requirements:

• Work Year: 10-month Support Staff Schedule
• Work Schedule: Monday to Friday (When necessary on Saturdays or in the event of responding to emergencies)
• Work Hours: 7:30am - 3.15pm (subject to schedule set by the Division)
• Lunch Break: 40mins
• Daily presence throughout the assigned grade level, including classrooms, common areas, and outdoor spaces
• Regular collaboration with Deans, Deputy Principals, Principals, the Director of Student Supports, counselors, teachers, and PLC Coaches

Professional Development:

All Student Support Specialists will participate in a structured onboarding program and ongoing professional learning covering:

• Proactive behavioral support strategies
• Student behavioral coaching
• De‑escalation and restorative practices
• Disciplinary procedures and protocols
• Behavior data tracking and analysis
• Effective communication with teachers and families
• SAS-wide onboarding (for candidates new to the school)

This position is part of a pilot program for the 2026-27 school year. The role and its scope may be refined and expanded as part of the school's longer-term MTSS development.