On-site Residence Counsellor

On-site Residence Counsellors

Residence Counsellors are extremely reliable, responsible, trustworthy, self-motivated and detail-oriented. They are compassionate and nurturing to supervise students living on-site at J. Addison School’s dormitories. They possess excellent communication, interpersonal, and organization skills along with the ability to handle stressful situations that may arise using sound judgment. They must be flexible, able to be firm and assertive when needed, patient, displaying discretion and diplomacy. Although some shifts will be overnight; Residence Counsellors are allowed to sleep but must be on-call to attend to emergency situations that may occur at night. Timely communication with day staff is crucial to ensuring key information is shared with teachers, office staff and other departments (cafeteria, maintenance, IT, athletic dept, accounting, etc.) regarding the health, safety and status of dorm students.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Maintaining high quality of dormitory residence life for students, ensuring safety and security are the priority at all times;
• Promotes community development through:

o Building relationships with dormitory students, relating well with them to address their needs and concerns;

o Assisting students in developing relationships with each other;

• Educating students and enforcing rules and regulations to ensure the smooth and orderly operation of dormitory programs;
• Promoting student involvement and coordinating/supervising school activities, events and student committees;
• Role modeling positive attitudes and behaviours;
• Provide student counselling as needed;
• Supervise homework and bedtime;
• Facilitate an environment that allows students to obtain their academic goals;
• Determine the need for facility maintenance and repair, and notify appropriate personnel;
• Regular communications with staff to resolve problems with individual students;
• Provide emergency first aid and summon medical assistance when necessary;
• Make regular rounds to ensure that dormitory residents and areas are safe and secure;
• Administrative tasks include:

o Check-in and check-out of students, tracking resident occupancy

o Documenting policy violations

o Conducting health and safety (and other types of) inspections as needed

o Security systems monitoring

o Student database administration

· Planning and running events onsite and offsite, including volunteer opportunities, organizing small groups as well as full dorm excursions while adhering to budget guidelines and/or collecting funds from students according to approved financial plans.

Qualifications:

• Completion of high school diploma and some post-secondary education;
• Fluent English skills – speaking, reading and writing (fluency in a second language is highly desirable);
• 2-3 years in similar role (preferably in school environment);
• Proficient computer skills;
• Quick learner and adapts to change well;
• Must be able to work effectively independently and as team-player with diverse group of staff and students;
• Valid driver’s license; CPR certificate and first aid training;
• Successful Vulnerable Sector Screening Check;
• Must be bondable.