Group 11 - Elementary Head Secretary (External)

Job Summary:
Under the direction of the Principal responsible for maintaining the efficiency and continuity of the operation of the school office and assisting in communications with staff, students and parents.
Major Duties:
1. Assist the Principal in the daily operation of the school
Assist in the interview process for the hiring of new office staff;
Liaison between staff, students, parents and community;
Inform Principal of any trends/events/problems;
Upgrade skills on an ongoing basis by attending workshops and seminars in order to take on new responsibilities as required by the Board and/or Principal;
Submit the monthly FTE Staffing and Enrolment Summary;
Prepare statistical reports required by the Ministry of Education;
Schedule appointments;
Issue and approve purchase orders, consumable orders, supply teacher approval, time sheets for supply Educational Assistants, part-time secretaries, and lunchroom supervisors;
Record, verify and approve absences of teachers, educational assistants and secretaries; book supply teachers through Dispatch;
Receive, distribute and respond to messages and postings on a daily basis;
Negotiate costs and schedules to arrange transportation for school excursions; contact the busing company or the Transportation Department to solve any busing problems;
Assist in the planning, scheduling and preparation of school activities such as graduation, teacher/parent interviews, and class trips;
Prepare letters, reports, teacher appraisals, suspension forms, incident reports, newsletters and information to parents;
Acquire a wide range of knowledge for response to questions concerning Board procedures, registration requirements, facilities and services available, school boundaries, school locations, school policies, busing, and responsibilities of Board personnel;
Maintain binders for Postings and Board Policies and Procedures;
Co-ordinate the annual school year-end procedure to ensure that class lists and records are updated and accurate;
Safeguard restricted information;
Provide support to new teachers and supply teachers, including instructions on procedures for reporting absences, classroom register, excursions, consumable ordering, collection and deposit of funds, etc.;
Prepare and submit time sheets for casual secretaries, E.A.’s, and lunchroom supervisors;
Co-ordinate the kindergarten registration. Organize, schedule and conduct kindergarten registration and ensure necessary forms are completed;
Report kindergarten enrolment numbers regularly to the Superintendent of Education/Operations to assist in enrolment projections;
Register all new students to the school, completing all necessary forms, forward appropriate information to parents and to staff as needed;
Provide explanations regarding student registration, i.e. boundaries, conditions of registration, age restrictions, etc.;
Maintain and update Permission to Enrol listing of all out-of-area students;
Request Ontario Student Records for new students from previous school attended, record necessary information and forward to appropriate staff;
Prepare transfers and necessary documents when a student leaves the school Forward the Ontario Student Records to the student’s new school;
Receive the delivery of orders, check deliveries against invoices and purchase orders, forward appropriate forms to Accounts Payable, stamp textbooks, sort and distribute supplies to teaching staff; trace missing items from shipments with suppliers;
Maintain adequate supplies.
2. Ensure the safety and security of students
Safeguard all students by keeping all custody and child access information up-to-date and advise Principal, Vice-Principal, and staff of restrictions and court orders;
Intercept non-custodial parents and ensure that they have access to students before releasing students;
Check identification of C.A.S. workers and drivers before releasing students to their custody;
Required by the Child and Family Services Act to notify the Children’s Aid Society when a child reports abuse directly to the school secretary;
Manage the student safe arrival program twice daily;
Contact parents, guardians, and sitters for all unaccounted absences under the Safe Arrival program;
Locate parents/guardians for children left at school;
Supervise the distribution and collection of all printed student registration forms home to parents/guardians every September for the annual up-dating of all student information;
Record communicable diseases and obtain immunization records for the Durham Region Health Department;
Inform parents/guardians of any potentially serious problems, illness or injuries;
Administer preliminary first aid to injured/ill students.
Contact parents/guardians/sitters when students are ill or injured; call emergency services if necessary; complete accident forms;
Send Pediculosis letters and information forms home with all students in classes where head lice has been found. Follow policies set by Region of Durham Health Department in readmitting students to school;
Administration of medication as requested by the Principal;
Maintain up-to-date procedure plans for Nuclear Evacuation; Fire Drills; Bomb Threats; Emergency School Closings; and maintain student medical records and Potassium Iodine lists to ensure student’s safety. Phone fire department and security company before and after every fire drill;
Ensure that the Health Department is notified of any communicable diseases if more than 10% of the student population is absent due to an outbreak of the flu or other diseases;
Contact the Health Department to inquire about lice, scabies, immunizations, and any policies pertaining to health issues.
3. Responsible for all accounting procedures in the school office
Responsible for travelling to the bank to meet with bank officials to negotiate the investment of school funds;
Collect, count, issue receipts and deposit monies received for school activities; collect N.S.F. cheque reimbursement;
Safeguard the funds in a secure area until deposited to the bank; deposit monies into the bank (responsible for driving there if it is not within walking distance);
Prepare cheques for payment of school billings, requisitions, etc.;
Issue receipts for fund-raising and charitable donations;
Record all transactions through on-line schoolbookkeeping system - deposits, cheques and journal entries;
Complete month-end reports (cheque and deposit status update, bank reconciliation, trial balance) and year-end procedure;
Maintain files of paid invoices, deposits, journal entries, etc. ready for audit;
Compile invoices for monthly GST rebate, complete computerized form, submit to Accounts Payable;
Report balances in the block budget to the Principal and post expenses authorized by the Principal to appropriate accounts;
Maintain block budget account records from the on-line accounting system, report and correct any errors, in consultation with Accounts Payable;
Manage the school petty cash fund, issuing money to staff, balancing petty cash, preparing computerized forms for petty cash reimbursement.
4. Responsible for office contacts and communications
Maintain a daily log of all phone calls related to student absences;
Respond to telephone callers and visitors, take messages, supply information and direct callers or visitors as required;
Receive and respond to telephone messages for the school staff;
Provide information and/or locate staff or students by means of the public address system;
Responsible for addressing issues with suppliers, bus companies, and financial institutions;
Liaise with the fire department, police department, town officials, health department, school photographers, dental hygienists, volunteer groups (ie. Big Brothers/Sisters. Legion, etc.), postal employees, and Board Staff on a variety of issues relating to the school;
Contact and discuss issues with C.A.S. caseworkers, foster parents, psychologists, psychometrists, speech and language specialists, and doctors when required to;
Devise a telephone chain for emergency purposes for bused students; Contact the Media Centre to order videos, films, and equipment and to discuss any problems in the booking of these materials;
Contact the Assessment Review Department by phone or E-mail to clarify Direction of School Support queries.
Contact the Purchasing and Accounts Payable Departments for all queries concerning school purchases and payments.
5. Provide supervision and training to office staff, students, and volunteers
Supervise and train office staff;
Organize and allocate work for office staff;
Monitor the work performance of office staff and provide an evaluation to the principal;
Supervise and train students and parent volunteers helping the school secretary.
6. Perform clerical duties
Responsible for opening, sorting, distributing, and responding to E-mail on a daily basis for the school staff;
Responsible for Royal Mail, including all forwarding and collecting of school related parcels and mail and driving to the local post office to drop off any items to be mailed;
Distribute forms and publications from the Board and from the community to classrooms on a weekly basis;
Manage all school files, retrieve files, documents, and forms for administrators and staff upon request;
Process paperwork and maintain contracts and records for equipment use in the school;
Photocopy materials for school use;
Verify telephone bill and collect monies from staff for personal long distance calls;
Maintain and update school inventory records; Community Use of Schools records;
Maintain and keep up-to-date staff lists with name/address/telephone;
Ensure that teachers collect appropriate amount of money for excursions, etc., and submit to the office for deposit and bill paying;
Organize and update OSRs and OSORs.
7. Assist with clerical duties regarding the French Immersion Program, where applicable
Prepare reports and budgets in both official languages;
Type letters, reports, student registrations, bus lists, information to parents, agenda for meetings and minutes of meetings in both official languages;
Administer separate orders for French and English texts;
Maintain student records in the language of the program the student is in;
Communicate information about the immersion program.
8. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Principal
Equipment Used:
computer/printer, adding machine, photocopier, telephone/answering machine, fax machine, public address system, paper shredder, motor vehicle.
Qualifications:
1. Secondary School Diploma with an emphasis in job-related areas of study and a minimum of five years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and related employment experience;
2. Proficiency in word processing and computer keyboarding skills. Proficiency in Filemaker Pro would be an asset;
3. Proficiency in school budget tracking and accounting procedures;
4. Ability to communicate effectively with students, staff and public;
5. A sound knowledge of school health and safety issues and procedures;
6. An Ontario driver’s licence is necessary to travel to the bank, post office, or any other destination not within walking distance.
7. Familiarity with Powerschool would be an asset.
This is a 35 hour per week, 10 month, 2 week permanent position.
The DDSB is committed to equity and inclusion in the recruitment and hiring of qualified staff who reflect the diversity of our region. We encourage submissions from candidates who represent the various dimensions of diversity. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs.