Hope Chinese School (HCS) is a nondenominational, independent school. It provides an educational setting for the people of the Washington metropolitan area to learn the modern Chinese language using Pin-Yin (phonetic writing system) and simplified characters.
Hope Chinese School strives to encourage students to cherish Chinese culture and heritage, foster and enhance friendship among Chinese-American community, and contribute to the mutual understanding and appreciation of Chinese and other cultures.
Originally founded in the summer of 1993 by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of University of Maryland at College Park as a Chinese language school to serve the university community, the school was registered independently with the University and later with the states of Maryland and Virginia under the current name--Hope Chinese School. It was incorporated into a nonprofit under a Board of Directors. With a reputation of outstanding faculty and demanding programs, HCS has attracted students far and wide, and grown and expanded quickly. HCS opened Rockville campus (Maryland) in June 1995, Fairfax campus (Virginia) in June 1996, Gaithersburg campus (Maryland) in January 1998, and Herndon campus (Virginia) in January 2001. In addition, HCS Hope Performing Arts School was formed in 1996 offering classes in dancing, chorus, and orchestra, and giving performances on various festivals to promote Chinese culture and arts. HCS for Athletics was formed in 1998, providing training and practice programs in these sport events: basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, martial arts, and swimming. Currently Hope Chinese School has over 2,500 students enrolled on all campuses.
Encompassing early school through 12th grade, Hope Chinese School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national and ethnic origin in its admission, athletic, educational, hiring, scholarship, or financial aid policies and programs.
Paralleled with the criteria of the Chinese programs offered in colleges, the standard pronunciation and simplified characters of the Chinese language are used in instruction of all levels. We use the "Zhong Wen" Chinese Language Text Book, compiled by the Chinese Language College of Jinan University in China. Two hours of Chinese language classes are offered either on Saturdays or Sundays on different campuses. In addition, various elective classes are offered, including fine arts, dance, music, go (weiqi), martial arts, etc.
The school welcomes --and expects-- parent involvement. The school is run mostly by volunteers and we welcome parents to volunteer their time and services as well. Parents are an important part of the children's education. Parents may volunteer their services, participate in class activities, and attend parent meetings and social events. HCS also sponsors and offers various activities and services for parents and grandparents, such as rentals of Chinese reading materials and video tapes, athletic activities, and lectures and discussions on variety of subjects.