Apart from English, the tutor will need to be fluent in a major European language, preferably Italian or Spanish, (the family would also consider Chinese). The tutor’s personal knowledge, interests and study should encompass the interrelationships of the various school disciplines, and to offer an insight into subjects that the school does not offer, such as Art History, Music and Literature.

Both children attend a private day-school and some of the tutor’s time will be spent helping with schoolwork and SAT preparation. The hours of work during the school term are expected to be from after school pickup until the evening work is completed, Sunday to Thursday inclusive. The tutor will have to exercise considerable flexibility in order to accommodate unexpected changes of plan by the client, overnight absences, sports competition, and travel.

The boy - The boy is popular with his peers, socially adept, charming, and well spoken; he is also a gifted tennis player. The boy is highly intelligent and his academic results are excellent, comfortably achieving high grades across all subject areas. Even so, his study habits will benefit from development in order to reach his full capability and expectations. It is this that the tutor will need to focus on, as well as honing the boy’s skills with standardised tests, especially the SAT. This work will need to be integrated with his demanding tennis schedule. The boy needs a firm person with a strong character, who can command his respect if the relationship is to achieve the desired goals.

The girl - By the far the greater part of the tutor’s responsibilities and time will be with the girl. She is highly intelligent, kind, and loves animals. She is going into Grade 6 (Middle School) and will need support and guidance to navigate this demanding time. The girl is reserved, and tries to stay “below the radar” to minimize potential conflict at school. The Tutor/Governess will help to develop her own personal style and self-confidence, and develop strategies for handling some of life’s problems, without compromising the family values.

The girl is a keen and accomplished horse-woman and, although she has taken a break from competition this year, trains regularly and is hoping to return to competition next year. She also receives tennis lessons and follows a fitness program supervised by a tennis coach. In addition, she will be starting clarinet lessons next year, so it would be helpful if the tutor had musical skills, preferably with a keyboard instrument.

Although the girl is a voracious reader, she is relatively weak in Math, and this will need the most support. While formal tuition is of considerable importance, all opportunities should be taken to develop knowledge through recreational learning that takes advantage of both the local resources and places of interest further afield, with or without the family. The girl’s love of nature, and the family’s estate, provides a natural starting point for such learning.

School work will need to be integrated into the girl’s equestrian program, and the tutor should ensure that she is fully prepared for school, riding, and her other activities, as well as taking her to and from these activities. It is possible that the girl may be taken out of school for some period during the tutor’s tenure, during which times the tutor will be responsible for maintaining her studies at grade level.

The conservative values of the family are of particular importance to this position. Parental discipline is fair and firm - the family expects (and receives) the best of behavior from their children. The family is well known in Joplin and this brings additional pressures to bear on the children. However, the clients are determined that their privileged lifestyle should not impact on their children’s ability to integrate fully with people from all walks of life.

The House Manager, to whom the tutor will report, will expect close communication with the Tutor/Governess. The tone of the relationship will be formal, with appropriate private service professionalism. As with all good employment relationships, a spirit of mutual respect is necessary, and it is essential that the appointee understand that the line between friendship and professionalism should not become too blurred.

The clients travel a great deal, sometimes with their children, sometimes without. The tutor will accompany the family when the children travel. (During such trips all expenses will be met by the client.) When the parents are away, the tutor - together with the House Manager - will look after the children.

Holiday time is nominally set at 9 weeks per annum. Time off will normally coincide with Spring Break, Christmas, Thanksgiving, public holidays and some additional time during the Summer. However, the tutor should anticipate that the client may request some support from the tutor during these times and - given reasonable notice - the tutor will be expected to accommodate these requests. Should this happen, time in lieu will be given to make up for lost vacation, or an additional pro-rated supplement will be paid to cover the additional weeks worked. At the very least, the tutor will not receive less than 6 weeks vacation per year.

The family places high importance on the development of lifelong fitness for their children, and the ideal tutor will enjoy participating in sports, and will be a non-smoker.

This is demanding remit, requiring an extraordinarily skilled educator working in a challenging location. The tutor will be given extensive responsibilities that may be subject to change at short notice. In full consideration of the range of skills and experience required, the salary will be set at a very high level.