About Us

The Fessenden School is an all boys independent day and boarding school serving 525 students in Pre-Kindergarten through 9th Grade in West Newton, MA.  The Fessenden School’s mission is to cultivate each boy’s talents and develop in balance his character, mind, and body in an inclusive and joyful community.  For more than 100 years, The Fessenden School has offered state-of-the-art facilities, curriculum, and programs specifically designed to meet the educational needs of boys.

Position Summary

The Fessenden School seeks a full time Lower School Music Teacher for Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 3. The teacher will be responsible for creating and implementing a dynamic music curriculum which includes choral singing, Orff and percussion instruments, and instruction in basic musical concepts appropriate to the grade and developmental level of the students. The teacher will collaborate with the other Arts faculty team members to plan and execute concert performances and grade level productions throughout the school year. The teacher will also lead community singing during bi-monthly Lower School Share meetings. 

Essential Responsibilities

The essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Teach twice weekly 45-minute music classes to PK-3rd grades (10 homerooms)  

• Produce a Lower School Winter Concert and grade-level musical productions 

• Partner with other music teachers to coordinate consistency in curriculum and programs throughout the PK-9th grade curriculum

• Incorporate project based learning, educational technology, differentiated learning, social emotional learning, and cultural competency into lessons

• Integrate racial literacy curriculum and actively teach and model inclusion, equity, and social justice

• Exemplify the School’s mission and community principles, including honesty, respect and compassion 

• Perform duties such as supervising drop off and dismissal, recess, lunch

• Attend faculty meetings; typically on Mondays from 3:00pm to 4:15pm

• Attend professional development

• Maintain regular and reliable attendance

• Maintain current CPR/AED & first aid certification and child abuse prevention training

• Other duties as assigned

Schedule

• Orientation August 22 & 23
• School year August 29  to June 13 (Mon - Fri 7:30am to 3:00pm)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Music Education 

• Two years of classroom music teaching experience

• Enthusiasm and communication skills to engage boys and build meaningful relationships

• Strong supervisory and leadership skills to manage and control a classroom

• Ability to develop and provide differentiated instruction to meet learning needs of a range of students

• Ability to perform critical thinking, organization, prioritization and problem solving with minimal supervision

• Ability to serve in a diverse community of colleagues, students and parents

• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, justice, diversity and equity

• A commitment to boys and boys’ education

• Successful criminal background check, and pre-employment physical examination

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in Music Education

• Piano accompanying skills

• Vocal experience and multiple instrument proficiencies

• Teaching certification 

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that are essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. The requirements for performing the duties of this position are as follows: 

• Frequently required to walk, stand, sit, talk, and hear 

• Regularly required to bend, stoop, crouch and/or kneel

• Occasionally required to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds

• Majority of work is performed in a school/classroom environment, and the noise level in the environment is usually moderate.

To Apply

Submit an application through Fessenden’s Career Site.  A cover letter, resume and contact information for three references  are required.