Primary School Lunch Monitor

Washington International School; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 26,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

Washington International School in Washington, D.C. is seeking a part-time Primary School Lunch Monitor to supervise students during lunchtime in a family-style dining setting. The role emphasizes safety, inclusivity, and fostering independence, social skills, and community, with hours roughly 11:00AM to 2:00PM.

The job involves encouraging self-service, guiding table manners, and supporting positive interactions among students while assisting with meal-related needs and transitions.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children from Preschool to Grade 5.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a caring, community-centered approach.
• Physical ability to lift up to 35 pounds.
• Effective communication with children and adults.
• Ability to work collaboratively with school staff.
• Patience, empathy, and a positive attitude.
• French and/or Spanish language ability is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Supervise students during lunch, ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive dining atmosphere.
• Encourage independence by guiding self-service and proper table manners.
• Support the development of responsibility during mealtimes.
• Facilitate and monitor conversations aligned with behavior agreements.
• Assist students with meal-related needs and clean-up.
• Promote a calm, welcoming environment for belonging and community.
• Assist with orderly transitions to and from lunch.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Experience working with children

Strong interpersonal skills

Patience and empathy

Ability to lift up to 35 pounds

Effective communication

Teamwork and collaboration

Job description

Job Summary

Reporting to the PS Principal and Assistant Principals, the Primary School Lunch Monitor is responsible for supervising and supporting students during lunchtime in a family-style dining environment. This includes ensuring a safe, inclusive, and positive dining experience while fostering independence, social skills, and community. Daily hours are between approximately 11:00AM and 2:00PM.

Job Summary

Reporting to the PS Principal and Assistant Principals, the Primary School Lunch Monitor is responsible for supervising and supporting students during lunchtime in a family-style dining environment. This includes ensuring a safe, inclusive, and positive dining experience while fostering independence, social skills, and community. Daily hours are between approximately 11:00AM and 2:00PM.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Supervise students during lunch, ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive dining atmosphere in accordance with the school's behavior expectation and agreements.
• Foster a sense of independence and agency by encouraging students to serve themselves, pass food, and use table manners aligned with family-style dining and school's behavior expectations.
• Support the development of student sense of individual and communal responsibility during mealtimes (e.g., coaching them to serve themselves, clean up, make kind, respectful, and safe choices).
• Facilitate and monitor conversations aligned with our school-wide behavior agreements, with the aim of strengthening relationships and supporting the development of student language and social skills.
• Assist students with meal-related needs (e.g., opening containers, managing spills, cutting food safely).
• Promote a calm, positive, and enjoyable environment where children feel a sense of belonging and connection to each other and the school community.
• Monitor and address behavior issues with patience, empathy, and emphasis on reflections, and in accordance with school-wide behavior expectations and agreements.
• Support orderly and timely transitions to and from lunch, emphasizing student responsibility for the overall functioning of the community, and ensuring smooth flow and minimal disruption.
• Assist with cleanup after meals and maintaining a clean dining area.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children from Preschool to Grade 5 in a school, camp, or similar setting preferred
• Strong interpersonal skills and a caring, community-centered approach
• Physical ability to perform required tasks (e.g., lifting, bending, standing for long periods)
• Effective communication skills with both children and adults
• Ability to work collaboratively with school staff and follow daily procedures with minimal supervision
• Patience, empathy, and a positive attitude
• French and/or Spanish language ability is a plus

Working Conditions

Will be working indoors in the cafeteria or classroom setting during lunch periods. It is often loud.

Physical Requirements

To perform the duties of this job, the employee must have the ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time; to bend, stoop, and lift up to 35 pounds; to hear and understand speech in a noisy environment; and to speak clearly to communicate with children and adults.

Direct Reports

Students

Job Type: Part-time

Work Location: In person

Salary = $22 per hour