Foundational Skills Teacher

Northern Gateway Public Schools invites applications for a

Full-time (1.0 FTE) Foundational Skills Teacher

Middle School Focus - Grades 6 - 8

Percy Baxter School – Whitecourt, Alberta

Help Students Build the Skills They Need to Thrive

Middle school is a pivotal time in a young person's life. Students are developing not only academic skills, but also confidence, independence, perseverance, and a sense of who they are becoming.

At Percy Baxter School, we believe that all students are our students. We are seeking a passionate, relationship-centered educator to join our middle school team as a Foundational Skills Teacher — an educator dedicated to helping students strengthen the skills, habits, and mindsets necessary for success in school and beyond.

This position offers an opportunity to support learners through engaging instruction, responsive intervention, and authentic learning experiences that help students see themselves as capable, successful, and future-ready.

Why Percy Baxter School?

At Percy Baxter School, we are committed to creating a learning environment where every unique middle school student is known, valued, and supported.

Our staff work collaboratively to:

• Build strong relationships with students and families
• Maintain high expectations alongside meaningful support
• Use evidence of learning to respond to student needs
• Share collective responsibility for every learner
• Foster a positive and engaging middle school experience

When you join our team, you join a culture that believes students thrive when adults work together.

What Makes This Role Different

The successful candidate will support students in developing foundational skills that contribute to academic success and personal growth. Middle school learners thrive when learning feels purposeful, connected, and relevant. Our students need an educator who can make learning meaningful and future pathways visible.

The successful candidate will:

• Design engaging, developmentally responsive learning experiences
• Support problem solving, inquiry, executive functioning, goal setting, self-regulation, communication, and resilience
• Build foundational skills with intentionality and patience
• Help students connect classroom learning to real-world problem solving and future careers
• Foster confidence, perseverance, and productive struggle in learners
• Support the implementation of Career Education and Financial Literacy outcomes in authentic and practical ways
• Create inclusive learning environments where complex learners feel supported, capable, and successful
• Use evidence-informed instructional practices to respond to diverse learning needs
• Contribute positively to a school culture grounded in relationships, collaboration, and collective responsibility

This role provides opportunities to help shape meaningful interdisciplinary learning experiences that prepare students not only academically, but personally and practically for life beyond middle school. The ideal candidate understands that middle school learners benefit from instruction that is engaging, relevant, and responsive to their developmental needs.

A Commitment to Quality Learning Environments

At Percy Baxter School, we are guided by the NGPS vision of Quality Learning Environments — high expectations, purposeful learning, strong relationships, and collective responsibility. We believe students thrive when adults work with clarity, intention, and care.

A Culture of Collaborative Response

We embrace Collaborative Response as a cornerstone of our professional practice. This means:

• We work as a team to examine evidence of learning
• We respond intentionally and proactively to student needs
• We share collective responsibility for every learner
• We believe enrichment and intervention are team commitments

The ideal candidate is collaborative, reflective, and energized by the challenge of supporting students with diverse academic, behavioural, and social-emotional needs.

We Are Looking for an Educator Who

• Believes deeply that relationships drive learning
• Understands the unique developmental needs of adolescents
• Builds strong partnerships with students and families
• Creates inclusive and engaging learning environments
• Supports diverse learners with patience, consistency, and care
• Uses assessment evidence to guide instruction and intervention
• Collaborates effectively with colleagues to support every learner
• Sees challenge as an opportunity to innovate and respond creatively
• Values continuous learning and professional growth
• Utilizes technology to enhance student engagement and learning
• Holds a valid Alberta Teaching Certificate

Start Date

• August 25, 2026

Application Process

Please email a cover letter and resume, including three (3) current professional references and most recent teacher evaluation, to:

Jennifer Ferguson, Principal

Percy Baxter School

Email: ***email_hidden***

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

If shortlisted, applicants must bring to the interview a Release of Results of Vulnerable Sector Check that is current within three (3) months.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

If you believe all students are our students and every student deserves a team of adults who refuse to give up on them — we would love to meet you.