Forest Hills, New York
New York, New York
Brooklyn, New York
Forest Hills, New York
New York, New York
New York, New York
Posted: 06-Jun-25
Location: Forest Hills, New York
Type: Full Time
Salary: $60,000 - $110,000 per annum
Categories:
Salary Details:
Overview
The Kew-Forest School, a co-educational day school serving students from Preschool through Grade 12, founded in 1918 in Forest Hills, NY, seeks a Lower School (Grades Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5) Physical Education Teacher. Kew-Forest is proud to enroll an astonishingly diverse student body representative of Queens and New York City, including approximately nine percent international students. Kew-Forest students come from diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, and many are multilingual. The Kew-Forest School promotes diversity in its hiring process. It is committed to supporting its inclusive community by hiring culturally diverse faculty to work with our equally diverse students and families.
At Kew-Forest, our mission is to do more than just educate—it is to deeply inspire. The Kew-Forest School is embarking on an exciting new chapter as it enters its 108th year of operation. The Kew-Forest School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). The individual who fills this position must be energetic, creative, imaginative, and thoughtful in their approach to curriculum and pedagogy and will contribute substantially to the revamping of our Lower School program as the School enters its era of Kew-Forest 2.0.
Position Description
The Kew-Forest School seeks a warm, creative, and motivated Physical Education Teacher for its Lower School (Preschool through Grade 5) for the 2025–2026 school year who fosters a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment that promotes lifelong fitness and the well-being of young learners.
The ideal candidate inspires students to understand the relationship between healthy body function and exercise. They cultivate physical skills and sportsmanship through individual and team activities, while also supporting students’ social-emotional growth through movement and play. Candidates should have experience with child-centered, developmentally appropriate physical education curricula and demonstrate a strong understanding of how to support the physical, social, and emotional growth of young children. Excellent classroom management, clear and positive communication skills, a collaborative spirit, and a reflective approach to teaching are essential. Candidates should also have experience connecting physical education to broader learning goals, ideally within the context of a transdisciplinary or inquiry-based program such as the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). The Lower School Physical Education Teacher reports to the Head of Lower School.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Planning and Teaching:
- Teaching physical education classes to Lower School classes aimed at developing students’ knowledge and skills in physical fitness, health education, and individual, dual, or team sports
- Teaching safety rules related to each activity.
- Preparing lesson plans and materials for substitute teachers when necessary, including class lists and any special instructions related to students’ special needs.
- Demonstrating strong content knowledge and an understanding of the developmental needs of children.
- Differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs and strengths of all students.
- Taking responsibility for students’ language development and addressing the diversity of their language needs.
- Using a range of teaching strategies and flexible groupings to personalize learning.
- Inspiring and engaging students and challenging their intellectual curiosity.
- Providing time for students to wonder, explore, build and revise theories, and reflect on how, what, and why they are learning.
- Making connections between subjects in planned, spontaneous, or incidental ways through units of inquiry.
- Designing and delivering inquiry-based PE learning experiences that incorporate real-world challenges and promote student agency, curiosity, and a love for learning.
- Designing and delivering PE learning experiences aligned with the IB PYP framework, the school curricula, and state and national standards.
- Teaching and reinforcing the IB Learner Profile Attributes and the Approaches to Learning skills in classes.
Classroom Environment and Pastoral Duties:
- Fostering a positive, inclusive environment that promotes lifelong fitness and wellbeing.
- Providing an atmosphere and environment conducive to the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of students.
- Establishing and maintaining clear and high expectations for behavior in all physical activity settings in line with the school’s behavior policy to promote respectful and responsible conduct and an orderly and safe environment.
- Providing clear safety instructions for using equipment and activity spaces.
- Setting up, organizing, and storing PE equipment properly; routinely checking equipment and activity spaces to ensure a safe and clean environment.
- Moving equipment/furniture as needed to prepare for activities.
Evidencing Learning:
- Maintaining evidence of student learning over time across the curriculum.
- Using a range of strategies and tools to assess student learning and inform teaching and learning practices.
- Providing timely, constructive feedback to students and encouraging them to reflect and respond to the feedback.
- Monitoring, documenting, measuring, and reporting on students’ ability to understand and apply subject-specific knowledge, conceptual understandings, and skills within authentic contexts.
- Creating opportunities for students to participate in and reflect on the assessment of their work.
- Analyzing assessment data to inform teaching and learning strategies.
- Submitting academic and other records during the year as requested by the Head of School and/or Division Head.
- Preparing timely, detailed progress report comments that reflect student growth toward learning goals and provide clear next steps for achieving mastery.
- Maintaining up-to-date and accurate online grading systems, as required.
Collaboration and Professional Growth:
- Working with the PYP Coordinator, teachers, and students to promote the IB Learner Profile and the mission of the IB programme.
- Collaborating with the PYP Coordinator and teachers to integrate physical education with the transdisciplinary units of inquiry.
- Attending faculty meetings, professional learning, curriculum development sessions, staff meetings, and serving on committees as requested by the Head of School and/or Division Head.
- Modeling inquiry-based teaching and continually reflecting on lessons, instructional approaches, and students' learning processes as a means of ongoing professional development.
- Pursuing intellectual and professional growth by seeking observation opportunities such as conferences, courses, professional literature, and other learning experiences.
- Cooperating with and participating in professional observations, evaluations, achievement of annual goals and objectives, and adhering to professional guidelines and standards of professional excellence.
Family and Community Engagement:
- Organizing events, partnering with families and local organizations, and advocating for healthy lifestyles
- Demonstrating the IB Learner Profile and contributing positively to the wider life and ethos of the School.
- Ensuring interactions with students are predictable, supportive, and respectful of the child's growth and development.
- Communicating effectively with individual parents regarding their child's specific needs and responding to parent questions and concerns in a timely and professional manner.
- Holding conferences as required by the division or as needed to support student progress.
- Sharing regular updates with parents through class newsletters, emails, or other appropriate channels, and collaborating with classroom parent representatives.
- Assisting the School's leadership in developing and implementing events such as Back to School nights, parent education courses, Open Houses, and other events, as requested.
Additional Responsibilities
- Planning, organizing, and coordinating the annual Lower School Field Day.
- Understanding the school's emergency plans, including lockdown procedures.
- Participating in security drills as needed.
- Sharing supervisory duties and general support and care of the school community.
- Maintaining accurate and correct records as required by law, school policy, and administrative regulations.
- Supporting other projects, programs, and planning initiatives as assigned or requested by the Head of School and/or Division Head.
- Performing other duties as assigned.
Education and Certification
- Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of three years of teaching experience in a Physical Education role or relevant sports education environment.
- Experience with the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme is a plus.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to move freely throughout the gymnasium, classroom, playground, and outdoor play areas, including climbing stairs, to supervise students and demonstrate activities.
- Ability to lift and carry small children (up to 40 lbs) in emergency situations.
- Ability to lift and carry equipment or supplies weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Comfortable working outdoors or in environments without climate control, experiencing varying temperatures and humidity.
- Ability to stand for extended periods while managing student activities, requiring good stamina.
- Ability to stand, walk, bend, twist, and reach frequently to access equipment and navigate storage spaces.
The ideal candidate is a trustworthy, compassionate, and reflective individual who has:
- Commitment to promoting physical health and overall wellness among students.
- A passion for creating a joyful, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.
- A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
- A deep understanding of promoting social-emotional competencies in the elementary grades to enhance students’ intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive skills.
- The capacity to identify and respond to students’ needs.
- A strong understanding of the local and national physical education standards.
- An understanding of safety protocols and the ability to respond to emergencies.
- Experience working with students of diverse backgrounds.
- A desire to stay current with best practices, trends, and innovative techniques in elementary education.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- A collaborative spirit and a willingness to build partnerships across all professional levels—including colleagues, administrators, families, students, and the broader community.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Excellent listening, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Flexibility, patience, grace, and a genuine willingness to learn.
Salary Range
$60,000 - $110,000 per annum, commensurate with years of experience, plus benefits package.
To Apply
Please send a resume, cover letter, and list of at least three references to Human Resources at hr@kewforest.org, and include “LS PE Teacher” in the subject line.
Accreditation
The Kew-Forest School is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the New York State Department of Education. Kew-Forest is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), and the Guild of Independent Schools of New York (GISNY).
To learn more about The Kew-Forest School, please visit our website: www.kewforest.org.
MISSION
We are The Kew-Forest School.
Our community nurtures lifelong learners from around the world.
Our educators inspire young people to think boldly and find their voices.
Our students support each other and explore thoughtfully as they shape the future.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION
The Kew-Forest School believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity. The School prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, culture, background, physical or mental disability, or any other legally protected classes or classifications. No employee or job applicant will be discriminated against in recruitment, compensation, promotion, or termination practices.