<p>Title: Houseparent (Female)</p> <p>Department/Location: Home Department (St. Louis campus); Aron House Dormitory</p> <p>Position Type: Full-time, school-year position (39 weeks)</p> <p>Organizational Relationship: Reports to the Director, Home Department</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>Principia is looking for a Houseparent to care for, love, and meet students' needs in loco parentis role. You'll ensure students thrive spiritually, socially, morally, academically, and physically. As a houseparent, you will serve in the role of parent while boarding students are away from their own homes and provide the structure, atmosphere, and discipline of home. You'll be a character educator embodying the principles laid out by the founder of Principia School, Mary Kimball Morgan, who defined character training as the "spiritualization of thought" (Education at The Principia, pg. 107). Guiding and supporting the spiritual growth of students will be a crucial aspect of your duties. Maintaining effective communication with students, parents, faculty, and administrators is essential. The position includes living and working in the dorm and working as a member of the Home Department team.</p> <p>Who We Are</p> <p>At our award-winning pre-K-12 school in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education-blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia's team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College, but also a worldwide network of Alumni & Friends.</p> <p>At Principia School, our core value is LOVE. Love and its attributes underpin our foundational beliefs as well as our educational approach. We focus on developing the whole child-intellectually, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, preparing students for the next steps in life. We foster a challenging yet supportive environment where character unfolds naturally, and talent is cultivated through boundless opportunities. Character education plays an essential role in every aspect of the student experience, and classroom work is augmented by character trips, leadership development, and real-world, hands-on, project-based learning.</p> <p>Principia employees are part of an engaging academic community preparing students to be tomorrow's leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. We strive to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued.</p> <p>Primary Responsibilities</p> <ul> <li>Train and model Christian character while understanding the important aspects of character education, discipline, and parenting </li><li>Display a love for and relate well to middle and high school students </li><li>Counsel boarding students to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their education </li><li>Advise and assist students when difficult situations occur at school and in the dorm </li><li>Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, and administrators to discuss students' progress, help resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and determine priorities for students and their needs </li><li>Act from a Principle-based, rather than a personality-based, standpoint </li><li>Collaborate with the Home Department and the School's academic faculty and staff </li><li>Listen and communicate respectfully and effectively with students, parents/guardians, colleagues, and administrators </li><li>Communicates regularly with parents and families through phone calls, Zoom sessions, emails, technology, and publications </li><li>Engage in professional learning experiences that support School progress </li><li>Perform various duties: </li><li>Support relevant Christian Science based programming that inspires students to turn to God for guidance and strength wholeheartedly </li><li>Attend chapels and other student-focused religious programs </li><li>Actively participate in departmental meetings that are relevant to the home department's goals and objectives </li><li>Provide leadership opportunities and activities for the boarding students </li><li>Connect with and supervise students during meals in the dining room </li><li>Promote inclusivity and understanding between boarding and day students </li><li>Support cross-departmental initiatives that build meaningful relationships across the School community </li><li>Chaperone School social activities on and off campus </li></ul> <p>Living Conditions:</p> <p>An apartment is provided in the dormitory at no cost for the employee and her immediate family. Families are welcome in the dormitory; however, the employee must be free of primary care responsibilities for dependent children younger than 7th grade. When school is in session, meals are provided in the dining hall without charge.</p> <p>Special Requirements:</p> <p>It is expected that the Houseparent will be on duty every week that school is in session and on travel days when students are arriving and departing. Houseparents may be asked to support International Student travel days, which may have different schedules than those of domestic students. They are expected to be available one week prior to pre-season training and one week after graduation in order to attend meetings, participate in professional development training, or perform duties to prepare the dorm. Aron House will be closed during the Upper School fall character trips; however, on-call presence may be required for unplanned dorm coverage or to supervise middle school students remaining in the dorm. Houseparents are also expected to work during the following school breaks: Fall break (4 days), Thanksgiving (3 days), and Martin Luther King Day.</p> <p>Core Competencies</p> <ul> <li>Positivity: Optimistic, positive, and focused on elevating and bringing out the very best in themselves and others. Faculty and staff are invited to understand teammates' strengths and how they can complement each other. </li><li>Team players: Ability to collaborate and partner with peers and senior leaders is critical, with an ability to listen, give and receive feedback, and be comfortable exchanging ideas and speaking candidly in a professional and collegial manner. </li><li>Innovative: Presents a problem-solving mindset that helps our team come up with creative solutions to challenging issues, with a mentality of self-improvement and organizational excellence; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas </li><li>Strategic thinkers: Ability to consider complex topics from multiple perspectives and offer innovative solutions. </li><li>Professional: Presents and conducts themselves in a manner that reflects a professional and respectful demeanor with students and adults coming in and out of the dorm and exhibits cleanliness and proper attire. </li><li>Communication: Communicates well (written and verbal), delivers compelling presentations, has strong listening skills, passion and drive, and both intellectual and emotional intelligence. </li><li>Diversity: Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; promotes a harassment-free environment </li><li>Attendance/Punctuality: Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; able to work long hours </li><li>Safety and Security: Observes safety and security procedures; determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; reports potentially unsafe conditions </li></ul> <p>Minimum Qualifications</p> <ul> <li>Student of Christian Science </li><li>Member of Christian Science Church and/or Organization and completed Christian Science class instruction. If not currently class-taught member or a member of a Christian Science church, required within one year of start date. </li><li>Supportive of Principia's mission, vision, and values as articulated here https://www.principia.edu/about/mission </li><li>This role entails living on and supervising a girl's wing at Aron House, and it requires the candidate to be female. </li><li>Willingness to turn readily to God for guidance </li><li>Bachelor's degree required, preferably in education or related field </li><li>Experience working with teenagers </li><li>Experience in building collaborative relationships that foster trust and respect </li><li>Valid driver's license; Encouraged to obtain/retain a commercial driver's license and drive Principia School buses (Principia provides training); driving records must be in good standing </li><li>Ability to successfully complete an extensive background check process </li><li>Required to obtain a CPR certificate (Principia provides training) </li><li>Willingness to support student's treatment choice which may include chaperoning students on calls with medical personnel, taking students to medical treatment facilities, and providing responsive and timely follow-up care and communications. Facilitate the storage of medication through processes overseen by the Director of Student Health Care. Training in medicine administration is required. </li><li>Willingness to support all boarding students in a co-educational unified boarding program model (Houseparents will only be assigned to residence halls where students share the same birth gender) </li><li>Willingness to nurture spiritual and character development in students who have limited or no prior experience with Christian Science </li><li>Demonstrated understanding and commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Home Department </li><li>Strong awareness and ability to develop competency in understanding and supporting the cultural needs of international students within a diverse residential community </li><li>Willingness to contribute to other school programs beyond regular dormitory duties throughout the academic year, which may include coaching, substitute teaching, and providing support to performing arts activities. </li><li>Accepts community living expectations and is willing to work with others for a collaborative, respectful, and harmonious living environment </li><li>Complete First Aid training per the schedule outlined by Principia's Workplace Safety Director </li></ul> <p>The statements above describe the general nature and level of work but are not a complete list of responsibilities and are subject to change at the discretion of Principia.</p> <p>Compensation and Benefits</p> <p>We offer a competitive salary range for this position: $42,677 - $49,665 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.</p> <p>In addition to salary, our comprehensive total rewards package includes:</p> <ul> <li>Generous Employee Tuition Discount: Enjoy a 90% discount on tuition (pro-rated for part-time staff) for your eligible children enrolled from Pre-K3 through College (infant and acorn programs excluded). </li><li>Relocation: Principia provides a relocation imbursement of up to 12% of your annual salary, when moving from outside a radius of more than 50 miles </li><li>Professional Development: Access to learning opportunities, training programs, and career growth support. </li><li>Comprehensive Benefits: Learn more about all our benefits here, including comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans, paid time off, a 403(b) retirement plan with Principia matching, and more. </li></ul> <p>Equal Opportunity</p> <p>Principia, a mission-driven institution, believes every person has the right to an equitable and respectful educational environment and workplace. Principia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender (identity or expression), sexual orientation, family status, disability, age, or military or veteran status. In hiring, admissions, and related decisions, Principia-as an institution with a religious mission-gives preference, where appropriate, to Christian Scientists.</p>