Senior Houseparent – Boys’ Dormitories, Summer Camps 

External Programs Department 

Summer Camp: Jun 25 – Aug 16, 2025 

One of our core values at St. Michaels University School is respect. With this in mind, we acknowledge that our school rests in the heart of Straits Salish territory, a living culture with its own rites, ceremonies, and unfolding history. We honour the Esquimalt, Songhees, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples – whose homelands we share and whom we recognize as our neighbours.  

SMUS Camps delivers summer boarding camps for students aged 13-16 between June 30 and August 16, 2025. There is a four-week English Language Learners (ELL) camp and also four one-week camps in basketball, volleyball, music and rugby open to both domestic and international students. 

The Position: 

The School is seeking a male Senior Houseparent to support our boys’ dormitories.  

The role of the Senior Houseparent (SHP) is to support the Boarding Coordinator and to ensure consistency of care for the students living on campus. The SHP provides leadership and guidance to houseparents when the Boarding Coordinator is not on duty and spends sufficient time with students and staff to establish a rapport that is based on mutual trust, respect, and understanding. St. Michaels University School’s houseparents are the primary caregivers for domestic and international students living in the boarding houses on campus. As such, they are entirely responsible for the comfort, safety and well-being of each individual student.

Duty hours will average approximately 80 hours bi-weekly. Houseparents are required to be on call in the boarding house at least three evenings per week, between the hours of 11:00 pm and 7:00 am.

Typical weekday shifts are 4pm to 11 pm, and then 7am to 9am the following day. Weekends often involve overnight off-campus trips or trips to Vancouver for airport transfers if needed.

Dates of Work: 

June 30 – August 16, 2025, 30-40 hours per week (orientation on June 25th)

Responsibilities include:

Supervise morning, afternoon and evening check-in.
Coordinates whole-dorm laundry on laundry days.
Join and support evening and weekend activities.
Pick-up and drop-off campers at the airport or ferry as necessary.
When necessary, ensure students who are ill and who cannot go to class are taken care of.
Fill in when other duty parents are unavailable.
Facilitate student experience – homesickness, arguments with roommates, personal problems, making friends, fitting in, adapting to the boarding environment.
Assist with administrative tasks such as taking passports on arrival or distributing spending money as needed.
Open and close major facilities such as Sun Center, gym, lecture theatre.
Supervise Student Ambassadors and ensure they are working cooperatively and constructively with international student guests.
Maintain a daily communication log to keep track of any issues arising with respect to specific students e.g. Significant events, anything that happened during the evening, lost items, information that needs to be communicated to teachers.
Maintain a neat and tidy office and Common Room (ensure recycling is taken out, food is removed, garbage is emptied, sports equipment put away neatly).
Be present in the house for evening on-call supervision shifts between the hours of 11:00 pm and 7:00 am on weekdays and between the hours of 12:00 am and 7:00 am on weekends.
Provide banking services for students who need to withdraw money from safe.
Submit Maintenance and Housekeeping requests as needed.
Prepare weekly check-in sheets.
Pick up and drop off students from the Victoria Airport and ferry terminal when needed.
Overseas arrivals and departures and coordinates supervision for overnight arrivals and departures.
Maintain an accurate record of medications; keep medication in a safe, secure location, keep a record of medications that are administered, and by whom.
Assist with any emergency fire or earthquake drills scheduled by the Boarding Coordinator.
Enforce house rules and hold disciplinary meeting with Boarding Coordinator.
Point of contact for houseparents when Boarding Coordinator is not available.
Attend Weekly meetings with the Activity Coordinator and Boarding Coordinator.
Act as lead on activities when Activity Coordinator is not present.
 

The successful candidate will have the following skills, background and interest:

Completed or enrolled in relevant post-secondary education such as Business, Recreation, or Education.
At least 1 year experience working with youth, aged 12-17.
Previous experience in SMUS Summer Boarding Program is an asset.
Experience working in a multicultural environment.
Understanding of the particular developmental and emotional needs of adolescents.
Ability to work cooperatively and develop positive working relationships with international students.
Effective written and oral communication skills and the ability to request and convey information in an appropriate manner.
Ability to follow instructions and work independently.
Working knowledge of an Asian language, or Spanish, would be an asset.
Be tactful and diplomatic.
Basic First Aid training.
WHMIS training.
Pay Range:

Hourly pay range: $25.68 – $30.21

Criminal Record Check:

Must pass and maintain a clear Solicitor General criminal record check for the purpose of working with children.

Application Details:

Please apply by 2:00 pm Thursday, February 27, 2025.

About St. Michaels University School: 

Located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, St. Michaels University School (SMUS) is a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 day and boarding school with a global reputation for academic excellence. 

Our students from over 30 countries all over the world have opportunities in academics, athletics, arts, leadership, service and outdoor education, and are inspired by an extraordinary staff committed to character growth and preparing students for what lies ahead in life. The school’s Mission shapes these endeavours: Our school seeks the excellence in all of us, with passion and compassion. We are a community shaped by the pursuit of truth and goodness, providing outstanding preparation for life. 

At St. Michaels University School, we seek to employ and empower individuals who wish to forge impactful relationships and careers that place our students at the centre. We firmly believe that expanding our diversity while adjusting our practice will lead to becoming the community we envision – a place where staff and students share a sense that they fully belong.