About us
History
The Beginnings
The acronym H.O.P.E. stands for Homes of Priority Education and translates into the vision of inspiring learning through an inter-denominational group of Christian home educators. In the later 1980's a bunch of homeschooling moms started to gather once a month for tea and shared snacks while supporting each other in this new adventure of homeschooling. They were very much on their own with very minimal curriculum out there. Unlike today, you could choose between THIS curriculum or THAT curriculum... not much selection there. These tea times later became known as monthly support meetings. In the early 1990’s, they decided they would glean from each others strengths and knowledge. This is how H.O.P.E. Days began, a time in the spring and fall when the families would gather in a church for “classes” and where the mothers would teach different topics to children of the same age group.
Start of the Committee
As more families joined in the fun, it became more difficult to plan events at the support meetings with everyone’s differing calendar schedules. So in 1994/95 it was decided to start a committee to oversee and plan group events. This was the beginning of the Steering Committee, a committee of about five homeschooling moms. (Jokingly it was said their job was to steer events to other members to plan!) It was this first year that the H.O.P.E Herald newsletter was born as a way to keep all the members informed. When you signed up with your membership fees, you also handed in 10 self-addressed stamped-envelopes. This was one way the membership costs were kept down for the year. A handful of years later all the steering committee moms had asked to step down. One mom agreed to remain, and with her husband (and the leaving members), decided to change the Steering Committee into being run by couples. This started a rotation of a four year “couple” term of four couples. The men enjoyed this time together as much as the women, while planning the yearly events. One couple was in charge of making sure there was at least one, if not two, field trips available each month to all members. They would plan this on their own or ask for someone else to plan them. One year we had over 48 class trips! It sure made it hard to choose to stay home and homeschool for the day! (And people were concerned about socialization. These kids talked to all sorts of people.)
Other Events and Activities
These were not the only activities running at the time. There were also many sports events planned throughout the year like skating, hockey, soccer, baseball and even archery, followed by Track and Field day. There were not only events for the kids but also for the parents. Like the Valentine Social held every February, a do not miss event that was exciting and fun for the parents! The Lego contest also had divisions for the dads (parents). There was even a foot race at the Track and Field day one year for the dads... boy were they sore afterwards! The kids loved watching it! So many more events helped make it a real busy, loving community to be a part of. With the like mindedness of the Steering Committee, as well as its members, we grew to over 60 families. Through the years we have strived to be concerned about those in our membership. We aimed to address the needs common to our members. As members and community, our common goal is the education of our children, not only to high academic levels, but also to high moral standards of character.
H.O.P.E. Today
Today, as the group continues to evolve in how it operates, it continues to build upon this foundation of the past with diligence. Continuing to uphold the integrity, solidarity and respect for the H.O.P.E. Community, we build upon these Christian based values which aids in support, educational and spiritual learning, character building and personal values. The committees continue to work on the core values by setting standards such as policies and procedures, guiding and supporting prospective and existing members, using good means of communication, accountability and agility.
With these values in mind we have launched a new website in August of 2021. Here you can find some information about us, getting started in homeschooling, and how to contact us.
Aiming to serving the Stratford, Ontario area, we strive to continue to uphold the vision of Christian based learning!
Out of the Ashes 2022
Garden & Park Play 2022
African Lion Safari 2021
Goat Farm Tour 2022
Who We Are
There are 2 committees: the Steering Committee and the H.O.P.E. Days Committee. Both committees exist out of dedicated parents that fulfill different positions within each committee.
The Steering Committee oversees the group and any aspect within the group such as the planning and decision making, meeting regularly to coordinate, and oversee the events provided by H.O.P.E. They are experienced home educators who are willing and available to answer your questions or direct you to other resources whenever necessary.
The H.O.P.E. Days Committee oversee the organizing, planning, and executing of the H.O.P.E. Days for current members only of the group. The event is run twice a year. These days are cooperative teaching events and provide opportunity for interaction, fun and learning in a group setting. There is an additional fee for H.O.P.E Days above and beyond the registration fee and parental involvement is expected. Being involved in the event is a great way to build friendships and to get to know other homeschooling families in the community!
H.O.P.E. offers support, support meetings, and events and programs. These additional resources are accessible in the Log In area.
H.O.P.E also offers other events that are organized by its members throughout the year. These include events such as educational field trips and outings. Some activities and events include Track and Field Day, Skating and Hockey in the winter months, Lego Contest, Butterfly Conservatory, Stratford Perth Museum, and many more activities. We encourage our members to be involved and contribute to the group by organizing, volunteering and participating in events!