School Chaplain

School Chaplain
Job Description, 2020 – 2021

About the School

St. Paul’s Episcopal School is an independent co-educational K-8 school in Oakland, CA, now in its 45th year of educating and serving a diverse group of students and their families. Located across from Lake Merritt in Oakland, St. Paul’s enrolls 380 students from a variety of backgrounds in Kindergarten- Grade 8, with students of color representing 63% of that number. St. Paul’s provides an education that is intellectually challenging, culturally pluralistic, and morally and spiritually enriching. Caring, committed faculty and staff members, in partnership with parents, serve as role models, mentors and guides. St. Paul’s has an academically talented and ethnically diverse student body and seeks the same in its faculty and staff.

From the founding of the School in 1975, students have served the community and brought their experiences into the classroom. Each year, St. Paul’s students in all grades provide more than 7,000 hours in service to more than 24 different organizations.

St. Paul’s Episcopal School encourages an understanding of and respect for world faith traditions. Families at St. Paul’s are from many different faith backgrounds or none.

School Responsibilities

Community Gatherings: The Chaplain provides the logistical, organizational, and inspirational leadership for community gatherings throughout the year including:

Chapel (weekly): The Chaplain collaborates with faculty and students to organize and lead Friday morning Chapel services. The chaplain will schedule a time to meet with teachers and classes to support student presentations on various topics. Musical selections are decided upon with the music teachers, and the Chaplain prepares brief weekly homilies (“Chapel Talks”).
Previous Chapel topics have included: Diwali, Day of the Dead, Lunar New Year, St. Francis of Asisi, the Black Panther Party, the Big Bang Theory, Branches of Government, Experiencing Awe in the Redwood Forest

Evening Performances (Holiday Concert, African American Cultural Evening, Graduation): In collaboration with the music department, admin team, faculty, and students, the Chaplain supports these three long-standing community events to help us bring our Mission and Values to life.

Community service days (1-2 times per year): One or more times per year, the Chaplain, in collaboration with the Parent Association, brings the community together for a day of service, directly partnering with other organizations in the community. While students do this all year round, it is an opportunity for the community to experience the value of service together with their families.

Service and Stewardship: Serving as the School’s liaison for community partnerships, the Chaplain develops and maintains strong relationships with local community organizations in support of the School’s service-learning and academic program. This includes working closely with the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) teachers and faculty to plan and execute academically driven, community service projects. The Chaplain serves as the lead to facilitate reflection on the moral/spiritual aspects of service-learning. This includes acting upon opportunities to work with others to enable positive change in the community, participating in and reflecting on community engagement to build knowledge and skills.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: The Chaplain will support the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Teacher Leaders who work with the faculty and staff and take the lead in the School’s DEI efforts, as part of the overall advancement of the School’s strategic plan, Spark 2022 and the goals set forth in the 19-20 Annual Plan.

Administration: As a school administrator, the Chaplain will attend weekly administrative meetings and lead various school-wide efforts as needed( e.g., affinity groups, Clothing Drives, student social support, etc.). Occasionally, the Chaplain will fill in for other administrators who are off-campus.

Teaching: Teach a 5th grade Quest (spiritual explorations) class and co-teach social-emotional classes in the Middle School. In addition, the Chaplain supervises children during recess, lunch, and morning arrival. In addition, the Chaplain will offer occasional lessons to other grades when requested.

Pastoral Care: Provide support and guidance to elementary and middle school-age children, families, and faculty as needed. Coordinate the parent-led Care Committee.

Faculty Retreat: Serve as the point person for planning and coordinating the August Faculty Retreat. This is a two-day, one night retreat located at an off-site facility.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate:
Is experienced in working with children in a pastoral role
Has a passion for working in an interfaith and multicultural environment
Values diversity, equity, and inclusion. Is able to make meaningful connections with people who have diverse backgrounds and experiences, collaborating and communicating with empathy and compassion
Collaborates and communicates with empathy and compassion
Is able to approach tasks with good humor and enthusiasm
3+ years of experience working in a school setting preferred

Requirements

Educational study in one or more of the following areas:
Religion
Pastoral Counseling
Divinity
Theology
Ordination/Certification by a religious body (e.g., Association of Professional Chaplains)

Compensation
This is a full-time position and includes a competitive salary, health benefits, and full participation in the Church Pension Fund if you qualify.

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and references, addressed to Josh Stern, Head of School. Please send materials electronically, in PDF format by Friday, March 20 to Ryan Louie, Assistant to the Head of School: rlouie@spes.org.

We fully and actively support equal opportunity for all people, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.