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January 2008
Hopkins House has entered its 69th
year of providing educational services to children and
families living in the Northern Virginia metropolitan
region. Hopkins House continues to build the foundation for
the family’s future.
For the 12-month period ended
this past June, Hopkins House provided educational
opportunities to 219 children and parents.
For the second year in a row the
Hopkins House Helen Day Preschool Academy located in Old
Town Alexandria was filled to capacity with an active
waiting list -- including children not yet born!
Our Helen Day Preschool Academy
staff and parents are working eagerly to achieve
accreditation in 2009. Four years ago, we set a goal
to raise to the highest level the educational standards in
our preschool academies. Today, our Teachers are all
college educated, our classrooms are richly supplied with
stimulating educational materials, parents are actively
engaged, and we have introduced a nationally recognized
curriculum. Accreditation of the Helen Day Preschool
Academy in 2009 will serve as affirmation that we have
achieved our goal.
Through the generosity of Jim
Dresser, Mary Jane Maddox, Alfred Street Baptist Church,
Fairlington United Methodist Church, Diamond Properties,
Alexandria Toyota, and 62 other businesses, churches, and
individuals Hopkins House provided scholarships to 32
children who otherwise could not afford a high quality
preschool education. Through their generosity no child, for
lack of family resources, was deprived of access to the
Hopkins House preschool academies.
Through our Family Education
Programs 164 teen and adult parents involved themselves in
the education of their children. Our MOM (“Managing Our
Money”) and DADS (“Dads and their Daughters and Sons”)
Projects significantly impacted the lives of Hopkins House
parents. Mothers, fathers, and grandparents attended
workshops on budgeting, money management, and home
ownership. Fathers and father-figures read countless books
to their children and became increasingly involved in their
education.
The Hopkins House Parent
Association elected a slate of officers who conducted
meetings in which parents voiced their concerns and
suggestions on a variety of topics from school uniforms to
academy hours.
The Women’s Giving Circle of
Alexandria took particular interest in the Parent
Association and during the summer its members provided
parents with invaluable workshops on public speaking and
advocacy.
Hopkins House ended the year by
welcoming Dr. Ben Carson, renowned neurosurgeon, to the
Belle Haven Country Club. Dr. Carson told of his inspiring
personal story in which he overcame great odds to become a
surgeon known for separating conjoined twins. More than 200
people attended the event.
This current year is exciting
for Hopkins House as the McNeil Preschool Academy housed in
the ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Building in
Fairfax County opened its doors to the community. When
filled to capacity the McNeil Preschool Academy will provide
preschool services to 90 children aged 6 weeks to 5 years
old as well as family education programs to local parents
and adults.
Both the Helen Day and McNeil
Preschool Academies will launch a separate Kindergarten Prep
classroom designed to equip the eldest Hopkins House
students with skills to succeed in kindergarten and
elementary school.
On the other end of the
spectrum, Hopkins House created an Alumni Association in
order for past students and program participants to remain
connected to the organization. Hopkins House is proud of
its history and does not want to lose sight of its past
accomplishments as it moved forward.
Hopkins House would like to
thank your for taking an interest in the work we do and we
hope that you will join us as we advance towards becoming
the premier preschool and family education organization in
the area.
Sincerely,
J. GLENN HOPKINS
President/CEO |
