Boarding Services
zz Boarding: Boarding Services
Laundry
Laundry staff handle the bulk of students’ clothes and deliver clean clothes to their rooms. Students can also do their own laundry in their boarding house, which is recommended if they need items right away. The school has commercial machines and we are able to handle large amounts of laundry. Students should not expect a one-day turnaround, nor should they bring back dirty laundry from their trips home.
Services
- Name tags (free)
- Name tags sewn in by seamstress
- Mending or hemming
- Mesh bags for small items
- Dry-cleaning pick-up/drop-off twice a week
To send letters or small packages to students, senders should label the mail as below:
Brenda Smith (Boarder)
c/o Mrs. Evelyn Zapantis
Symons House - Room #207
St. Michaels University School
3400 Richmond Road
Victoria, BC V8P 4P5
Canada
All deliveries to boarders must be sent to the Boarding Services Office; deliveries are never brought directly to the houses. All parcels, in addition to being marked with the boarder's name and address, should also say, "c/o Mrs. Evelyn Zapantis" to ensure there are no delivery mix-ups.
Students who are mailing letters or packages home can purchase postage from the Campus Shop or visit a post office in the nearby Hillside Mall. If the package is a priority, students can courier items through the school reception office and have the cost charged to their student account.
Phone and Internet
Landlines
Boarders can have a landline phone activated in their room with authorization from their parents. The SMUS phone system in residence includes voicemail and competitive long-distance rates.
The options available are:
- internal (campus-wide) and local (Victoria) service only;
- internal, plus long distance; or
- no service whatsoever.
Boarders should bring their own phones. The school charges a monthly user fee in addition to long distance charges, which are listed in a statement sent to parents. Students who use their phone inappropriately may have their phone lines removed.
No off-campus calls should be made from or come into boarders' rooms after curfew or before 6:00 am. In case of emergency, contact the house parents.
Cell Phones
Parents and students can also set-up a cell phone account for the school year. Parents can have the bills either sent to their home address or make sure that the Boarding Services Office has the billing details necessary to forward bills to the student. Cell phone bills cannot be paid through the school.
Cell phone use is prohibited during the following hours
- during prep time (6:30-8:30 pm Monday-Thursday);
- during class time;
- after curfew; and
- before 6:00 am.
If using a cell phone, boarders should note that inappropriate use could result in confiscation.
Computer Services
Boarding
zz Campus Services: Computer Services Boarding
Computer network connections (wired and wireless) are offered to Senior SMUS boarding students who use their own computers in their rooms. This access provides the student with Internet, student data storage space, and email access.
There is also a computer in the common rooms of each residence and computer labs on all campuses. The Computer Services department also provides technical support to boarders with personal computers. Computer policy varies by grade and academic standing.
Grade 8 and 9
Grade 8 or 9 boarders, as well as any new Grade 10 boarders are not allowed to have in-room computers, as we have found that students socialize more, sleep better, and perform better academically without them.
Grade 10
Returning boarders entering Grade 10 may request to have a computer in their room and new Grade 10 boarders may request to have a computer in their room after their interim marks come in, which is usually in October. If the student has a solid academic and community record, permission will be granted.
Computer privileges are granted to students who:
- attend tutorials, classes, boarding activities;
- have a positive impact in the house and school community; and
- put effort into their classes and maintain reasonably high marks;
Misuse of the school network may lead to the revoking of network privileges.
Senior School
zz Campus Services: Computer Services Senior School
Public computer access is available in all of the five Senior School computer labs and the Senior School library. The library also has laptops available for loan. These areas provide ample access to computers for academic purposes.
The school computers come with a range of standard programs, including the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc.) and Adobe CS5 (Photoshop, InDesign, etc.). The school is a PC environment, with computers being replaced on a four-year cycle. For laptop users, the SMUS wireless network is available in all buildings.
Senior School computers have a looser content filter than Middle and Junior School labs. Senior School students can access social networking sites freely but content is still screened for appropriateness.
While computers are very useful, some students struggle to use computers productively: social networking, computer games, and movies can distract students from their studies. We always encourage our students to use computers wisely.
Travel
Students can travel to and from Victoria through the Victoria International Airport or the BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay. For long weekend and school breaks, SMUS runs a bus service to pick up and drop off boarders from the ferry terminal. Students can also arrange a shuttle bus to the airport through Akal Airporter.
Parents' Auxiliary Programs for Boarders
Campus Services Parents' Auxiliary: Boarding Services
Boarders without Borders
Boarders without Borders helps connect our boarding and day communities. Through this program, day families can host boarding students in their homes for a Sunday meal once or twice a year.
This initiative is greatly appreciated by the boarders, who enjoy a home-cooked meal and a family setting. The hosts enjoy having a guest who can tell them about different places and sometimes about other cultures. Boarders without Borders builds lasting friendships between boarding and day students.
Boarders’ Cake Service
Boarding parents can still celebrate their child's birthdays by sending them a cake through the Parents’ Auxiliary. Cakes can also be arranged for other events, including spectacular academic or athletic achievements.
paraux [at] smus [dot] ca (Contact the Parents' Auxiliary) at least four days before the cake-delivery date or fill out the Cakes Service form provided in the registration package.