Assistant Lower School Director of Student Life

The Pingry School, a prestigious K-12 coeducational, independent day school with a rich history dating back to its founding by Dr. John F. Pingry in 1861, stands at the forefront of academic excellence in the United States. With campuses located in Basking Ridge, Pottersville, and Short Hills, New Jersey, Pingry is celebrated for its academic programs, a student-written Honor Code that underpins our community values, and a comprehensive commitment to arts, athletics, community, and civic engagement. Our mission is to inspire in our students a lifelong passion for learning, personal development, and social responsibility, preparing them to be global citizens and luminaries of the 21st century. Rooted in relationships and guided by our foundational philosophy, Pingry is a vibrant community of more than 1,100 students hailing from over 90 towns across New Jersey and New York. At Pingry, we are united by a love of learning and a commitment to preparing students to navigate the complexities of the 21st century with confidence and integrity. For more information, we invite you to visit our website at pingry.org or connect with The Pingry School on Facebook, X, and Instagram to discover why we love school.

Position Summary

The Pingry School seeks a forward-thinking and experienced leader to serve as our next Assistant Lower School Director of Student Life. The Assistant Lower School Director of Student Life serves as the ambassador for Pingry's Honor Code, sets a positive tone and fosters a healthy culture in the Lower School, and implements programs to promote character development, leadership, personal responsibility, and self-advocacy. They will oversee student life programming, disciplinary cases, day-to-day faculty duties, coordinate morning announcements, student assemblies, and community service projects. The Assistant Director of Student Life must have the ability to manage sensitive disciplinary issues, and a demonstrated willingness to work alongside students, teachers, and parents to reinforce the School's Honor Code and to offer valuable guidance when teachable moments present themselves. Pingry strives to be an inclusive, diverse, and equitable community by honoring students, families, teachers, and staff individuality. The Lower School Assistant Director of Student Life will report to the Lower School Director and is a member of the Lower School leadership team.

Responsibilities

The Assistant Lower School Director of Student Life is expected to have experience in educational leadership and community development. The ideal candidate will:

Honor Code and Student Behavior

• Oversee disciplinary deliberations and processes, ensuring effective restorative practices are implemented.
• Supports the faculty and staff in developing the student's leadership capabilities, decision-making, agency, and ownership.
• Support students' commitment to the Honor Code using the Responsive Classroom approach.
• Acts as a key partner in fostering a positive and supportive community by collaborating with faculty and Assistant Lower School Directors to proactively address students' needs and promote their well-being
• Acts as a proactive liaison for faculty and parents, fostering open communication and collaboration by addressing and supporting conversations related to upholding community values.
• Acts as a proactive liaison for faculty and parents, fostering open communication and collaboration by addressing and supporting conversations related to upholding community values.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to guide a team of talented faculty to accomplish great things with their students. This includes coaching teachers by giving regular, actionable feedback and ensuring that all Lower School personnel understand and adhere to established protocols.
• Coordinate grade-level guidance meetings to effectively partner with faculty to support students.
• Serve as a resource to teachers in classroom management, pedagogy, and general school procedures.
• Cultivates and monitors relationships with parents through proactive outreach and thoughtful responsiveness regarding student life, school policies, and programs.
• Co-teaches the Decisions curriculum across grade levels.
• Models and reinforces Pingry's Honor Code and Lower School Code of Honor.
  
  

Community and Civic Engagement

• Leads the planning of student assemblies and community events with the assembly committee's support for the division's goals.
• Coordinates student life programming and service learning opportunities in collaboration with homeroom teachers.
• Supervises and supports the Student Council Advisor and the Lower School DEIB Coordinator.
• Will cooperatively and strategically advance Pingry's inclusion efforts by evaluating all student programming for inclusivity and developing and implementing new initiatives
• Encourages student engagement and participation in co-curricular activities, visual and performing arts, and other school activities, empowering students to connect with each other, discover new interests, and hone existing talents.
• Partners with the Student Council Advisor to identify opportunities for student leadership, providing students with experience in community building, collaboration, public speaking, conflict resolution, and policy formation in the division.
• Strives to build partnerships and collaboration between students in the Lower, Middle, and Upper divisions and support K-12 service and community initiatives.
• Prepares Lower School assemblies and communications regarding upcoming programming.
• Partners with the PSPA and Grade 5 in coordinating milestone activities for Fifth Grade.
• Takes responsibility for the Short Hills Campus in partnership with the Assistant Lower School Directors when the Lower School Director is off-campus.
  
  

Community Relations and Engagement

• Coordinates teacher supervision duties beyond academic classes: lunch, recess, before, and dismissal duties.
• Partners with music and performing arts teachers to plan and schedule performances rehearsals, and review cast lists.
• Assists the Lower School Director and Admissions Director with coordinating the New and Returning Student Orientation and community team-building events at the start of school.
• Collaborates with K-12 student life and academic teams to support student programming.
• Supports the Lower School Director in coordinating Parent Engagement Opportunities.
• Assumes responsibility for other projects as assigned by the Lower School Director.
  
  

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree is required. An advanced degree in education, school leadership, and/or an applicable field is strongly preferred.
• At least 5 years of teaching experience, preferably at different grade levels, and at least 2 years of leadership experience.
• Enthusiasm for working with Elementary educators and students.
• Experienced mentor with the capacity to inspire teachers and cultivate new skills.
• Outstanding leadership skills, including the ability to facilitate, collaborate, coordinate, and lead a project from inception to successful completion.
• Possesses strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail.
• Has experience in prioritizing tasks and managing short-and long-term projects.
• Has experience in collaborating effectively across grade levels and disciplines, creating robust partnerships, and curating resources.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to practice distributive leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to develop meaningful relationships with a broad range of constituents, including faculty, staff, students, and parents.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and tact.
• Experience and expertise in creating a culture of equity and belonging.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Comfortable with incorporating the latest technology, including video conference systems, learning management systems, and school databases.
• Skilled in navigating the Google Suite of applications (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, etc.)
• Has a positive and optimistic attitude and creative approach to problem-solving.
• Possesses a high level of social and emotional intelligence.
• In addition to honor and character, commitment to intellectual engagement, and appreciation for stewardship and sustainability, especially important is the candidate's ease with diverse constituencies and demonstrated commitment to an inclusive school community.
  
  

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online at https://www.pingry.org/careers. The resume review process will begin in January, followed by the first round of interviews.

The Pingry School aspires to be an anti-racist community and is committed to the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Pingry is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Pingry School's employment policy is that individuals will receive equal opportunity in all matters pertaining to recruitment, employment, salary, promotion, and assignment, regardless of race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy status, genetic information, marital status, amnesty or status as a covered veteran, or other basis proscribed by federal, state, and local law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.