Residence Program
Story appeared in the 2014 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER
““If the residents are happy, then the School is happy and School spirit is high””
Residence life has come a long way in the past few decades!
The QMS Residence Program has seen much transformation over the years. In September 1981, a new building was completed, just a week before school started, linking St. Michael’s and St. Hugh’s houses together.
That year, QMS housed 120 boarders. Accommodation varied from rooms with four beds and doors in the new building to one-two bed cubicles that closed with a curtain in the older wings. These cubicles were separated by a “partition wall” and held a small desk and had limited storage space. Girls were only allowed to bring two sets of “civvies” to school.
During this time, all meals were served in the dining hall, girls had to dress for dinner, and table manners and etiquette were strictly enforced. Grace was said both before and after meals, and it was the girls themselves who did the clearing, wiping, sweeping, and emptying of garbage.
The social life of a boarder was quite different back then as well. Saturday night movies were held in the Fine Arts Building and numerous dances were held throughout the year. How else were you supposed to get a grad date? Strict rules were placed on students leaving the QMS grounds and representing QMS in the community.
The House Moms and two Mistresses (for the Hugh’s and Michael’s houses) were in charge of the stu-dents and their time at the school. They were mainly single women who devoted their lives and time to QMS as they considered this home. They were there for the girls day and night and built strong relationships with the boarders and their families.
Times have changed, but the foundations of the QMS Residence Program continue to exist. The relationships that are created and nurtured in Residence continue to have a profound effect and shape the lives of QMS students.