BIO:

I took the Emergency Teacher Training Program at UBC, married Richard Hughes at the end of the summer semester, and started teaching at Highlands Elementary School in 1958. After teaching for 4 years I ‘retired’ to raise a family. I taught as a substitute teacher for the year I was pregnant with my daughter, Meghan, and then went back teaching soon after she was born. My son, Darcy, was born the next year and I worked as a TOC for several years when the children were young. Then I took pre-school teacher training and taught in a Parent Participation Preschool for three years while they were preschool age.

When Meghan began shutting down in grade 2, I started a primary co-operative school in my home on Windsor Road. We named it Windsor House. I left my husband and married Wil Heikoop, and we had a son, Kelsey. The school ran privately for 4 years and then we ran out of money. The North Vancouver School District took us in and we grew from 15 children to 200 in 30 years. I retired in 2005 when the school was 34 years old. My daughter, Meghan, teaches there now, and my grandson, Miles, is a student. My granddaughter, Iris, is 3.

I have 6 much-loved step-children and many wonderful foster children.

I am now living in the house that my father built on Westmoreland Crescent in 1950. He is 93 and lives with me and my partner of 20 years, Robert O’Toole.

Current Activities:

I keep busy by working at the school, looking after my grandchildren, organizing conferences, participating in various committees on education and co-housing, tutoring, and occasionally indulging in water-colour painting. I still love to dance.

Parent Education Night

http://www.myparkgate.com/files/Schoolreadiness-helenhughes.pdf

Recent Magazine Article:

"Alternative school's founder retires"

by Erin McPhee

HELEN Hughes, founder of Windsor House School, has many positive memories to look back on as she enters the next phase of her life, retirement.  At an event on Saturday Hughes was honoured for her work in founding the school 34 years ago on the philosophies of democracy and non-coercion and for keeping it going strong. ...

http://www.nsnews.com/issues05/w061205/063205/living.html