TITLE: Boarding Life Don, existing vacancy
STATUS: August 2026, Full Time, Contract
(10 months–August 19, 2026 - June 11, 2027)
SALARY: $22,712 plus retention bonus!
REPORTS TO: Director of Boarding Life
DATE: June 11, 2026
Summary of Position
Trafalgar Castle School is a premier independent school for girls in Grades 4 through 12. Located in Whitby, Ontario (close to the GO Station), our "Castle" is home to a warm, diverse, and progressive community. We combine exceptional academics with a mission to challenge minds, nurture hearts, and strengthen voices, preparing young women to make a meaningful difference to their communities in an increasingly complex world.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Boarding Life Don who will be a key member of the Boarding Life Team, responsible for the academic, social and emotional well-being of our boarding students. Dons are required to live on site and have day, evening and weekend supervision responsibilities on a rotational basis (every other weekend) and needs to support and deal with emergencies as required.
Boarding Life Dons will teach a skills course, and coach or lead one extra-curricular activity in the school. There are also opportunities for supply teaching! Boarding Life Dons will also implement the Boarding Life Program, which includes: Boardingactivities, mentoring and tutoring, health and wellness care, attendance, supervision, progressive discipline and regular timely communication with parents/guardians.
Here’s what we offer:
- Living and working in a Castle! You’ll see when you get here, it’s a beautiful place to be
- Competitive salary, benefits, plus stipends for various activities
- Free parking
- Breakfast, Lunches, Dinner provided
- Really great colleagues who do fun things together
- A welcoming and vibrant school community
What you’ll be doing:
- Be familiar with, uphold and enforce the Boarding Life policies and regulations
- Encourage an academic atmosphere during Study Hall with mutual respect and cooperation in Boarding
- Organize, lead and/or supervise extra-curricular activities during the day and evenings
- Organize, lead and/or supervise weekend activities and overnight excursions
- Provide class coverage when teachers are absent
- Support the social/emotional and physical health of our students
- Provide information through workshops about health and wellness.
- Mentor and care for the students in their ‘family’ and all the boarding students on duty days
- Attend and participate in weekly meetings, meals and activities
- Teach/support learning skills development through structured study groups
- Monitor and follow up with attendance (meals, study hall and bed checks)
- Monitor, follow up and confirm student’s off campus leaves
- Identify issues that may affect boarding student retention, and collaborate with faculty and staff to develop/recommend solutions
- Ensure security and safety of the building and boarding
- Implement appropriate progressive discipline and restorative action, in partnership with Boarding Life Team, Director of Boarding Life and Dean of Students
- Communicate regularly with students and their parents/guardians with consultation with Director of Boarding Life
- General administrative tasks
- Represent the school as an ambassador during Boarding tours
- Respond to after hours’ emergencies and manage crisis situations in conjunction with the Director of Boarding and be available for on call when necessary.
Here are the qualifications and attributes you need to have:
- Successful completion of a post secondary degree/diploma in a related program: B. of Social Work, Child and Youth Worker, Personal Support Worker, Social Service Worker, Recreation Facilitator
- First Aid/CPR qualification is an asset
- Lifeguard (NLS) qualification is an asset
- Previous experience working with adolescents and/or living/working in a residence environment is an asset
- Experience in the non-profit sector is an asset
- An understanding of adolescent girls’ learning and health and wellness needs
- An empathetic approach and patient demeanor
- A positive, enthusiastic approach to learning and engagement in all aspects of school life
- Proven leadership skills
- Demonstrated organization, time management and analytical skills
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work independently, as well as part of the Boarding Life Team and School Faculty and Staff
- Familiarity with Mac, Windows, and iPad computing
Please submit your covering letter and resume to careers@trafalgarcastle.ca by June 25, 2026.
Trafalgar Castle is committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse and respectful environment where everyone feels they belong. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants who share our commitment. We are also committed to providing accommodations for persons with disabilities. If you require accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at careers@trafalgarcastle.ca so that we may work with you to meet your needs.
As a condition of employment, successful candidates will be required to submit a current original Vulnerable Sector Screening from the police jurisdiction in which they reside prior to commencing employment.
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and experience. Any range displayed on our job posting reflects the minimum and typical maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, it does not reflect the maximum salary for the role over time. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills and experience demonstrated during the interview process.
Thank you for your interest in this opportunity and for taking the time to apply. While we appreciate all applications, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
For further information, please visit us online at www.trafalgarcastle.ca
