School Traditions

School Traditions 

Vision

The "heartbeat" of Hope is:

• An inviting environment
• Inquiring minds
• Engaging students
• Honoring differences
• Achieving excellence

Mission

Our mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment allowing us to focus on the social, emotional and intellectual development of each child. Our goal is to work alongside parents to provide our students with skills that will enable them to become lifelong learners and productive leaders in our society.

Leadership Pledge

We the students of Hope Elementary, show leadership by following seven simple rules. 

We are PROACTIVE and BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.  We are becoming leaders, one student at a time!

We PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST and do what we should, WE SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD. 

We THINK WIN-WIN to solve our problems and then... SYNERGIZING helps us to be a better friend. 

We SHARPEN OUR SAW by exercising and eating right.  We help each other and go to bed early at night. 

We do our best when no one can see, we're the smartest boys and girls, because there's a LEADER IN ME! 

2012-2013 Board Members

Positive and supportive leadership is the cornerstone of our success as a school.  Without the Board of Directors support and time volunteering to our school, we would not be able to have the great instructional program that we have today.  It is with their positive influence that Hope Elementary has become the amazing instructional environment for children to attend school and has provided our staff with the means to make continued strides toward a strong and effective educational program.  The Board of Directors is the governing body of the school.   The Board is responsible for all school policies and procedures that affect the instructional and operational functions at the school.

Community Outreach

Hope Elementary Charter School reaches out to the community and we've created partnerships with many companies and organizations in the Raleigh area that share our focus on education, child welfare, and community responsibility.

• The Alexander YMCA (After school tutoring program)
• Magellan Charter School
• Raleigh Charter High School
• Exploris Middle School
• William Peace College
• Meredith College
• Artspace
• The Girl Scouts
• The 4H Club
• The Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club

Frequently Asked Questions About Hope Elementary Charter School

Is Hope Elementary Charter School a private school? Are vouchers used in the admissions process?
Just like all other charter schools in the United States, Hope Elementary is NOT a private school. Vouchers are not involved in the admissions process.

Who can attend Hope Elementary?
The school is open to all children in the local Raleigh Durham area. No children will be given preferred status in the application process. If demand exceeds the number of available slots, a lottery may take effect.

How much does it cost to attend Hope Elementary? Are there any special tests that my child needs to take to gain admission?
Just like all public schools, there is no tuition and there are no tests to qualify for Hope Elementary Charter School. All that is required is the child's willingness to learn and the parents' willingness to play an active part in the child's education.

How and when can we apply for Hope Elementary Charter?
Hope Elementary accepts applications beginning in January of each year. Families will be notified of enrollment in May. If applications exceed planned enrollment, a lottery may take effect. Please see "Admissions" under the Resources tab of the school website. 

Do students dress in uniforms? 
Students at Hope Elementary dress in uniforms. Appropriate uniform attire includes navy bottoms or dresses, and light (carolina) blue collared tops, with black shoes. During the 2012-2013 school year, excellent behavior, attendance, and completion of homework allowed students the opportunity to "dress out" on Fridays.  

Does your school provide before and after school child care?
Yes! Hope Elementary provides before school care and after school care.  Students may arrive at school as early as 7:15 a.m.  Students participate in reading and enrichment activities during the before school care timeframe and are dismissed to their classrooms at 7:45 am. Hope Elementary has partnered with the John M. Alexander Family YMCA to provide an academic based after school program for our students.  This "Y Learning Program" is held in our school building and is provided to our students free of charge.  The Y Learning Program starts immediately after school and ends at 6:00 p.m. 

What type of parental involvement is required?
Children and their parents will jointly apply to attend the school. As part of the application, parents must sign a commitment to contribute their time at the school. Parental involvement is for the benefit of the child even more than it is for the school. That is why we require parental involvement and that is why we will do everything we can to see that each parent participates.

What happens if parents cannot fulfill their commitment to the school, due to work or economic issues?
We will do everything we can to help a parent who really makes an effort to be involved, but for whatever reason falls short of the required time. Parents may, for example, be able to meet their commitment by doing work for the school at their home, or it may be possible for otherfamily members to donate their time on the parents' behalf. Economics should not be a factor in parents' participation. Parents will never be required to make any kind of monetary contribution to the school.

How is Hope Elementary Charter School being funded?
It will be funded in the same way that other public schools are funded — by a per-pupil sum that is comprised of local, state and federal dollars allocated for education. We are currently pursuing corporate and private funding in addition to grants to find the capital resources necessary to improve our building and academic resources.

Why did you choose to use the historic Barbee Building for this purpose?
Our school building was originally built to serve as a neighborhood school with the purpose of creating a sense of community among the neighborhoods surrounding the Halifax Community. The Mordecai neighborhood of Raleigh lost an important community keystone. Retaining the pinnacles of our community is not only socially responsible but it's in our best interest. From an educational standpoint, the school's proximity to downtown Raleigh, NC and the unique educational opportunities in the arts, sciences, and technology that no other school in the city or surrounding counties can boast. It has historic significance and is a beautiful "storybook" school that is within walking distance of many of our city's children.

Is the school on a year round calendar? If so, why was this chosen?
Hope Elementary does operate on a Year Round Calendar. The progressive quarter calendar contains the same number of school days in the school year as traditional school calendars, but the school days are distributed more evenly throughout the year. Each quarter is followed by a break of at least three weeks. At the end of the school year (in summer), the vacation break is approximately 4 weeks.

Studies have shown that students perform better on a year round calendar because they don't forget information over the summer, class time in the fall is not devoted to playing catch-up, and teachers don't get burned out. The four-week break in the summer allows for plenty of time for a summer vacation with the family.Also, vacations during the regular school year are more possible and less crowded at popular vacation spots.

What type of curriculum do you use at Hope Elementary?
Hope Elementary follows the North Carolina adopted Common Core State Standards in K-5 mathematics and english language arts.  The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what is needed to help students succeed.  The standards are designed to be relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.
   

What are the certifications of your instructional staff?
The academic rigor at Hope Elementary comprises of fully certified teachers and teacher assistants at all grade levels that will provide support and enrichment to all students in an effort to enhance and extend the curriculum for all children.  Parents should expect to see students engaged in building their analytical thinking skills and applying what they have learned rather than simply memorizing information.  21st century skills will be integrated, and the rigor requires student perseverance and cooperation.  Parents have the option to request documentation of highly qualified certification of our instructional staff at any time. 

How will the diverse children at Hope Elementary be served so that all children's needs are met? In other words, how will Hope Elementary help those who may have learning disabilities, lower achievements, and behavior issues?
We feel that most problems children have in their current learning environments will be significantly reduced or alleviated altogether by the combination of a progressive quarter calendar, encouraged parental involvement, and an interdisciplinary approach to learning. By incorporating this type of learning, students are able to make direct relationships with better than if required to think in the abstract. Children with learning disabilities particularly benefit from a more hands-on approach for this same reason.