The Boarding Experience

Our houseparents are educational professionals whose primary responsibility is living and working in the residence halls, ensuring you receive the highest level of care and support.

Our dedicated and diverse team plays a key role in guiding you through Emma’s academic and social worlds, providing personalized support and giving positive encouragement every single day. As the “parents away from home,” they partner with guardians in an effort to guide you through your Emma journey.

Houseparents work closely with each other and our student leaders to lead a boarding program that fosters bonding through events like hall teas, celebrating birthdays and holidays, as well as addressing community living topics such as culture shock, conflict mediation, diversity, and life skills. 

Proctors are seniors and juniors who are chosen by the proctor advisors through a rigorous application and interview process to support, inspire, and guide the student body throughout the academic year.

A neighborhood is a group of 14-20 students who meet regularly throughout the course of the year. They discuss important topics—DEI-related topics, current events, immediate needs of the community, etc.—and they also just hang out and have fun. There are 12 residential neighborhoods each led by two Proctors and one member of Student Diversity Leadership Group (SDLG). Residential neighborhoods live together, care for their shared spaces together, and meet weekly at Sunday evening teas for discussions and activities.  Fall orientation activities are conducted in neighborhoods, and EmmaBowl—a community-wide competition of sorts—will pit neighborhoods against each other (in a fun way, of course!). 

Proctors participate in a training program before the opening of school and meet weekly throughout the school year. Each boarding proctor works closely with their residential team to provide student feedback and help to establish appropriate support systems for the students on their hall.