(2025-2026) First Grade Teacher, St. Francis Classical Catholic Academy

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

First Grade Classroom Teacher

Saint Francis Classical Catholic Academy in Bally, Pennsylvania (SFCCA), an independent school in its third year of operations, is seeking a joyful, faith-filled, and intellectually inspiring educator to become its new First Grade Teacher for the remainder of the 25-26 Academic Year and beyond. Nestled in the rolling hills of Butter Valley Berks County, Saint Francis is located on the beautiful campus of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish (MBS,) the oldest Catholic church in the original Thirteen Colonies (1741). SFCCA is an apostolate of MBS and operates with the full blessing of the Diocese of Allentown. There has been a school at this site continually operating since 1743, and SFCCA is proud to carry-on that legacy of evangelization and catechesis that began when intrepid Jesuit Missionary Theodore Schneider began teaching classes thirty-three years prior to America's Declaration of Independence. It is truly back to the future as we seek to form missionary disciples who can spread the Gospel everywhere.

Establishing a Growing Culture of Excellence

In its first year of operations, SFCCA attracted 49 students from 29 families in all grades PK-8; and in year two we managed to nearly double enrollment to 90 students from 49 families, including a new high school program with a single 9th/10th grade cohort. This year we are up to 105 students and 63 families from all over the Lehigh and Delaware Valleys who are attracted to our authentically Catholic and rigorously Classical curriculum.

Saint Francis sees itself as part of the renaissance in authentic Catholic education that began with the New Evangelization movement under Saint John Paul II, which called for the laity to take a much larger and more intentional role in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Consequently, we consider parents the primary educators of their children, with schools there to assist parents in forming "Smart Saints". Truth, beauty, goodness, prayer, and daily Mass permeate our approach, with Christ at the source and summit of all we do, for, as the Catechism observes, the purpose of a Catholic education is to know, love, and serve God.

Job Description

SFCCA seeks an applicant who is devoutly Catholic, ideally classically trained, and has experience working at a Classical Catholic school in the early elementary grades. SFCCA follows an historically sequenced, integrated, incremental curriculum that takes students on a journey through the history of western civilization and the teachings of the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, along with instruction and formation in classical literature, Latin, phonics, spelling, cursive, mathematics, astronomy, nature studies, and other applicable elements of the trivium and quadrivium. At the introductory grammar level, students are introduced to the founding civilizations and eras of our culture, as well as an appreciation of their own state and local communities.

Qualifications

Applicants should possess the following credentials and character traits:

• A love of children, a desire to inspire wonder, and a capacity to model virtue and discipline in the classroom.

• At least a bachelor's degree in the liberal arts or sciences.

• Classroom experience in a Classical Catholic School elementary school desired, but not mandatory (in that case, a desire to learn on the job, be mentored, and delve deeply into the Catholic Liberal Arts is required).

• A passion for the Catholic liberal arts tradition and a continual interest to learn more about it.

• An ardent practicing Catholic willing to sign an oath of fidelity to the Magisterium.

• Teaching certification not required .

• A commitment to the five marks of an authentic Catholic education: 1) supernatural vision; 2) Catholic anthropology; 3) communioncommunity; 4) Catholic worldview; 5) Gospel witness.

• The ability to teach Latin, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Fine Arts, and Athletics all plusses.

Application Process

Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, statement of Catholic educational philosophy, and a list of three references to [email protected]. Compensation commensurate with experience and demonstrated excellence. St. Francis, pray for us!