Physical Education Teacher, Grades Nursery - 5

Greenwich Country Day School is an independent, co-educational day school with a current enrollment of over 1400 students in grades N-12, and a faculty and staff of over 350. The original Old Church Road campus is home to grades N-8. The new High School (9-12,) established in 2019, is located less than two miles away on the Stanwich Road campus. Founded in 1926, GCDS is a school where innovative teaching is encouraged as teachers model and foster a love of learning, challenge and inspire children toward academic excellence, and cultivate students’ interests and talents outside of the classroom. We value purposeful and personal learning in a joyful environment, with emphasis on the development of character, creativity, and a sense of personal value along with strong academic skills. GCDS is committed to graduating ethical, confident leaders who possess a strong sense of purpose.
GCDS is fortunate to have built a large endowment that helps to fund competitive salaries and benefits, including a robust professional development program and reimbursement for graduate school tuition. GCDS offers a substantial need-based financial aid program to support students from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
Diversity is a core value at GCDS, and we seek candidates who demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion. Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. GCDS is pleased to offer transportation support and accommodations, as needed, along with an introduction to the local area, for those candidates who travel from outside of the region for on-campus employment interviews.
Greenwich Country Day School seeks a Physical Education Teacher for Grades Nursery - 5, to start in August 2026. This is a full-time, 10-month/year position. Successful candidates will possess a passion for and dedication to fostering the development of a lifelong love of physical exercise and instilling a value of a healthy lifestyle in children of this age group.
In addition, each GCDS faculty member is expected to demonstrate ability in the following areas:
- Understands, champions, and implements GCDS Design Principles
- Fosters and stewards a culture of mutual respect, equitable practice, and joy in and out of the classroom
- Cultural competency skills to collaborate effectively across differences
- Sets high expectations for learning, physical achievement, and character development
- Exhibits strong working knowledge of student physical and cognitive development and learning preferences
- Identifies and supports students’ social, emotional, and physical needs
- Provides timely feedback to students and collaborates with faculty to offer specialized support in pursuit of each student’s learning goals
- Implements a wide array of pedagogical tools and strategies in appropriate and effective combinations
- Facilitates and designs effective group/collaborative work and productive dialogue among students and teachers
- Communicates effectively with students/families about learning goals and student progress
- Demonstrates content knowledge and expertise and scaffolds curriculum to ensure progress towards mastery
- Collaborates and plans actively for learning with teachers and students
- Implements backward design to align all lessons, activities, and assessments
- Designs formal and informal assessments that measure student progress; employs a variety of formative and summative assessments to gauge student progress toward mastery
- Fosters student growth through structured opportunities for reflection
- Provides opportunities for student engagement through “Voice and Choice”
- Creates relevant and authentic learning experiences; is able to include and/or connect with outside experts and resources towards this aim
Responsibilities Include:
- Planning lessons and activities for elementary school students
- Engaging students in inclusive games and exercises with particular emphasis on sportsmanship, hand-eye coordination, and physical skills
- Selecting appropriate materials and resources to enhance the curriculum
- Coaching of interscholastic sports in grades 6-12
- Oversight of the development and progress of each child
- Assessment of students’ athletic skills development and progress in both written and verbal reports
- Collaborative work with colleagues in the Athletics Department, Elementary School Faculty and staff, and the broader school community
- Proper maintenance of equipment and facilities
- Monitoring of student locker rooms
Required Qualifications:
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field or demonstrated professional competency
- Minimum of 3 years of successful teaching and coaching experience with elementary school-aged boys and girls
- Knowledge of a variety of sports and the ability to break down each sport into age-appropriate activities
- Experience coaching or playing team sports at the secondary and collegiate level
- Demonstrated ability to teach students with a wide range of skill levels in athletics
- Experience with inquiry-based learning or project-based learning
- A passion for learning and the ability to motivate and inspire students
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Commitment to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school community
- Willingness to take on multiple roles within the school
- Personal traits appropriate for nurturing the growth of children - must be energetic, creative, flexible, patient, and have an inexhaustible sense of humor
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in the field
- Coaching experience at the high school level, or equivalent
- Demonstrated experience in establishing collaborative relationships with external partners/organizations in the design and implementation of learning experiences
Interested candidates are invited to use the link provided to send a cover letter and resume to Raquel Salcedo, Director of Recruitment & Talent