Houseparents and Support
You will live down the hall from adults called houseparents. They keep track of your well-being and make sure everything in the boarding house is running smoothly.
Each house has several houseparents that act as guardians and provide guidance for boarding students. Many live in the houses with the students. There is always at least one houseparent available 24/7 for any concern, health or otherwise. They’re here to keep track of your well-being, and to make sure that students are thriving in both their social and academic lives.
Houseparents are also in charge of organizing weekend events, like day trips to Vancouver or surfing in Tofino, and creating inter-house games to help students create friendships outside of their own house.
There are several houseparents and assistant houseparents for each house, with Grade 8 boarding students having a dedicated houseparent to help them through their first year of boarding.
Who are Houseparents?
Almost all houseparents are members of staff, either teachers, counsellors, or coaches, providing continuity between your life in and out of the classroom. At SMUS, being a houseparent is a chosen role. This means it is not an obligation to them but something they enjoy doing.
Many of our houseparents are long-serving, and some of them are even alumni of SMUS!
Other Support
House Prefects
The House Prefects and Head of House are current leadership students who live alongside you in your boarding house and who are there to make your life easier. They deliver the boarding orientation program to new boarding students. Through the course of the school year, they use leadership skills to create an inclusive and supportive boarding community, and act as positive role models by maintaining good standards at school and in boarding.
Academic Support
Outside of class, you have access to a variety of formal support services to help with your academics. We have an on-campus Writing Centre if you want extra help with your academic writing skills; our University Counselling department helps you select courses in high school and navigate your post-secondary options; and our Learning Resource team provides individualized support to ensure you have the tools and skills to reach your potential.
Personal Counselling
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, so the school provides you with confidential access to personal counselling, or off-campus psychologists or registered clinical counsellors to give you the support you need.
Health Centre
Boarders have access to the on-campus Health Centre, where doctors and nurses provide medical assistance. A nurse is on duty or on call at all times, and SMUS has two doctors who operate convenient clinic hours on weekdays. The clinic is equipped with beds for comfortable overnight stays.
You also live close to a hospital, a lab and an X-ray facility; SMUS has excellent access to specialist doctors, physiotherapists and other medical experts.