Administrative Assistant

Gardner School of Arts & Sciences; Vancouver (WA); On-site; USD 27,552 - 30,307; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and Dental benefits (up to 100% contribution)

Retirement plan (up to 3% employer match)

Paid time off

Job summary

A private educational institution in Vancouver, WA is seeking an Administrative Assistant to support students, staff, and community needs. Responsibilities include front office management, health and safety support, and general administrative tasks. Ideal candidates should possess strong organizational and communication skills, along with relevant office experience. Competitive pay offered at $20-$22/hour with benefits for qualifying positions.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years office experience essential.
• Current DCYF certification required within 30 days of hire.
• Experience in a school setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Greet visitors and manage front office communications.
• Monitor campus security and assist with health-related inquiries.
• Maintain student records and support admissions processes.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Technical proficiency

Attention to detail

Time management

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's Degree or higher

Tools

Google Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Administrative Assistant position at Gardner School supports the administration, students, staff, and families in our community. Along with staffing the front office, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for supporting students with various needs, communicating with parents, and aiding teachers and administrators as needed throughout the work day. The Administrative Assistant will work closely with all members of the administrative team to respond to needs and support the work of the school.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Office Reception

• Greet visitors and tours, answer phone calls and redirect or answer questions as appropriate.
• Receive packages, retrieve and sort mail.
• Monitor students needing a quiet space or body break in the Main Office.
• Coordinate with faculty to call parents for forgotten lunches, health-related matters, and other concerns.
• Monitor daily attendance logs and contact families to confirm/excuse absences. Communicate to teachers and staff regarding absences.
• Monitor and respond to emails from various inboxes including info about the school, admissions, and office-related issues.

Health and Safety

• Monitor campus security and maintain an awareness of who is entering campus and buildings, and check-in any campus visitors.
• Distribution of minor first aid materials, care for minor injuries (bloody noses, scraped knees, lost teeth, etc.), and be the point of contact for parents and staff regarding student health questions (related to absences, exclusions, and students requiring early pick up for illness/injury).
• Maintain the Injury Report filing in Dropbox, including the master list of injuries by date. Ensure paperwork is signed, scanned, properly named and filed in the relevant online folders.
• Track student immunization records through WAIIS, communicate with families and staff as needed, and ensure compliance with OSPI and state requirements. Report on an annual schedule (through WAIIS), and maintain records on site.
• Conduct monthly fire extinguisher checks.
• Maintain keys for the campus, communicate with the Director of Campus Operations if keys are missing or duplicates are needed.
• Respond to minor facilities needs and troubleshoot needs from classrooms and staff.

General Administrative Support

• Complete FACTS database maintenance, report generation, and assist administrators in accessing records as needed.
• In coordination with the Director of K-6 Program, respond to admissions inquiries, schedule and assign tours, and help move prospective families through the admissions process.
• Create spreadsheets and track data from various sources and databases as directed.
• Create materials for various events in coordination with other staff/administrative team members and assist in events management.
• Assist administration team as needed with a variety of administrative tasks and cross-train as requested by the Head of School.
• Manage Pizza Friday program, including vendor contacts for billing, ensuring pizza is ordered, and supervising the delivery and distribution of pizza each Friday.

Sub Management

• Serve as the main point of contact between substitutes and school personnel.
• Maintain an up-to-date database of available substitutes with qualifications, availability, and contact information.
• Schedule substitute teachers as required for coverage due to staff absences and develop contingency plans for last-minute absences and unfilled positions.
• Create and maintain a coverage schedule for internal staff when external substitutes are unavailable.
• Prepare and distribute daily substitute assignments with clear instructions, including essential information (classroom locations, schedules, emergency procedures). Ensure substitutes have access to lesson plans, class rosters, and necessary materials.
• Keep a record of absences and schedule adjustments on Google Calendar.

Campus Registrar

• In coordination with the Director of K-6 Program and Head of School, create classroom schedules and update as needed throughout the school year.
• Maintain accurate student and family records in-school information system (SIS).
• Work closely with the Director of K-6 Program and Director of Finance to finalize and upload enrollment packets into the FACTS SIS.
• Request and receive student records from other schools and upload them to portfolios for staff to access and send student records to other schools for transferring students as requested.
• Manage student file archives, ensuring Report Cards, immunization records, previous school records, 504/IEPs and other documentation is downloaded from external sources (WAIIS, FACTS, direct email, etc.) and archived in Dropbox.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Help to maintain school policies, regulations, and expectations.
• Develop and maintain professional, collaborative, and collegial relationships with faculty and staff, as well as with community partners to the benefit of students and our program.
  Support the work of the Head of School and the administrative/leadership team.
• Provide effective supervision of students to promote a safe and healthy environment and school experience.
• Fulfill other responsibilities as assigned, respective to staff member’s status as a Gardner community member.
• Attend various meetings as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s Degree or higher preferred.
• 1-2 years office experience including answering phones, assisting walk-in guests, computer tasks, and handling interruptions.
• Current DCYF certification to work with Early Childhood students unsupervised. (Must acquire within 30 days of hire if not currently certified.)
• Excellent familiarity with technology and ability to navigate various databases, including Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and web-based applications
• Demonstrated organizational skills, attention to detail, and time management skills
• Excellent verbal, written, and digital communication skills; ability to effectively communicate and work with administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and students
• Satisfactory completion of a nationwide criminal background check and a Washington State Patrol background check.
• Experience working in a school or school-age program preferred, including teaching, paraeducator, or substitute teaching experience.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Staff members are at all times responsible for the supervision of students directly in their care, and for students generally at all times when on campus or off campus during school activities.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This is a 12-month, non-exempt staff position. There are some required commitments outside of regular school hours, including evening and weekend commitments.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical requirements are consistent with light physical duties required of school personnel, generally combined with more strenuous physical duties consistent with play-based experiential learning and student trips off campus.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Salary: $20-$22/hour DOE

Position Classification: Non-Exempt Staff

Hours: Full Time (35-38 hours per week on site, additional remote work time may be required up to 40 total hours) or Part Time (negotiable)

Benefits: Some part-time and all full-time positions qualify for Medical and Dental with employer contribution up to 100% (dependent on schedule), retirement plan (up to 3% employer match), and paid time off.

It is the policy of Gardner School to maintain a working environment free of all forms of unlawful discrimination. Gardner School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, religion and national or ethnic origin, age, or disability in the administration of educational policies, employment practices or any other school-administered policies or practices.