St. HOPE: Home
Underground Books Book Club Discussion
This month we are discussing “Lawful Deception” by Pamela Samuels Young. Everyone is welcome to attend!
Black Talk Radio
Underground Books
Underground Books
2814 35th Street, Sacramento
(916) 737-3333
5pm-7pm
For more information visit NSAA360.com
Lula M. Brown “Face 2 Face”
Discussion and Book Signing
Many of us are hurting and struggling through life’s storms. It can sometimes feel as though we are experiencing the wilderness alone. Circumstances arise suddenly and unexpectedly in life that can bring us to our knees. It is there where we have a deep desire to pray and seek God in prayer, but it’s hard to find the words and how to say them escapes us. Even if we are familiar with how to pray, devastating trials can take away thought patterns and leave us longing for the right words to say to our Lord.
St. HOPE Academy Founded by Kevin Johnson
July 1989
St. HOPE began in 1989 as an afterschool program in a portable classroom at Sacramento High School
After 13 years, St. HOPE realized that an after school program simply wasn’t enough to dramatically improve the academic outcomes of children, that it would be necessary to establish and run our own schools.
In 2003, St. HOPE Public Schools was founded as a preK-12 independent charter school district that provides high-quality education to nearly 2,000 students.
St. HOPE Facility Grand Opening
January 1992
7,000 square foot facility opening at 4101 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
40 acres Art & Cultural Center Grand Opening
May 2003
St. HOPE’s largest economic development project opened with Underground Books, Uncle Jed’s Cut Hut, Starbucks and the Guild Theater.
40 Acres is the jewel of the SHDC efforts in the Oak Park community. The building was the historic Woodruff Hotel which was build in 1922 and was renovated by St. HOPE Development company in 2003.
The 23,000 sq. ft. mixed use facility includes:
- Guild Theater
- Underground Books
- Old Soul Coffee House
- Coopers Wine Bar
- Upper Room Apartments
Welcome Back! A message from CEO, Jake Mossawir
The 2017-18 school year started off with a bang on August 9th. In the last few weeks we have discovered new areas for growth and have much to celebrate. Without a doubt, this is bound to be a very exciting school year.
Dragons Prepare for a Winning Fall Season
Sac High is a college prep charter school that prides itself on opening doors for our students to higher education and providing a path to a four-year college degree. In addition to offering a competitive academic program, Sac High also knows extracurricular activities can provide opportunities for students to learn crucial skills needed for success in college and in life. As such, Sac High runs a comprehensive athletics program and offers several sports for students to participate in each season (Fall, Winter and Spring).
Local Business Owner Donates 130 Backpacks to St. HOPE Scholars
St. HOPE received a generous donation from Sacramento native, business owner, and St. HOPE supporter, Derek Bluford. Bluford wanted to make sure kids who couldn’t afford back to school items got what they needed. Inside of the 130 backpacks were essential school supplies for St. HOPE scholars to help start the school year off on the right foot. “My mom was a single mom. Growing up, I hated going back to school because she [my mom] couldn’t afford to buy new things. I know what it’s like,” said Bluford.
Art Talk with Walter Anderson
On Saturday, August 19th, Underground Books held a powerful art exhibition featuring ex-felon Walter “Squeaky” Anderson. Mr. Anderson, who spent 35 years in the California prison system, is an Oak Park native who held his first art exhibition at the bookstore upon his release. “I come from a family where the girls were going to be treated special and strict. But us boys, it was like, ‘You’re on your own’ and I went on,” said Anderson, giving the large crowd that had gathered a glimpse into his childhood.
Student Spotlight: Rayonna Thompson, ASB President
Meet “Ray” this year’s Sac High ASB President and Student Representative to the SHPS Board of Directors.
How long have you been at St. HOPE?
This is my fourth year. My sister went to PS7 and that’s when Sac High really caught my attention. The schools are not for everyone, but the focus on A-G requirements at Sac High really excited me and got me thinking about life after high school.
Why did you want to be the ASB President?
New Garden Mural Created by Dragon Alumni Aizik Brown
Edible Sac High sat down to get to know more about muralist, Aizik Brown, a 2012 Sac High graduate who also studied Studio Art at Humboldt State University. Aizik was inspired at a young age by his father, who was a graffiti artist. He remembered his father showing him how to draw and was totally stunned by it. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Aizik. “Once I found graffiti I did not want to stop doing it. I have to say that my father was the main influence and inspiration in me becoming an artist.”
St. HOPE Scholars Excel at College Track
HOPEsters participating in College Track ended the 16-17 school year with a bang and are off to a great start as they head back to school this August. Joining the Oak Park neighborhood in 2014, College Track’s mission is to remove the barriers that prevent students from earning their college degree by providing them with comprehensive academic support, leadership training, financial and college advising, and scholarships. Like us, they teach our scholars the skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond.
New clothing and accessories shop opens in Oak Park
Marcy 31, 2017
It’s not a men’s clothing store. It’s not a women’s boutique. Strapping is introducing Sacramento to androgynous apparel and accessories at its new shop, which soft opened Wednesday in Oak Park’s Broadway Triangle District.
“It’s a new concept,” says shop owner Susan Stewart, a retail veteran who lives in Tahoe Park and began her online company Strapping Fit in January 2016 with clothing and accessories she designed to fit her own body type and lifestyle.
Six great new restaurant patios to check out this summer
June 28, 2017
A hot summer night. A cool Delta breeze. Flowing conversation and wine (or beer). From a tropical oasis in midtown to a pastoral terrace in Sloughhouse, these six new restaurant patios have it all.
Burgers & Brew
Now coming to Oak Park – startups in shipping containers
July 13, 2017
A funky new concept is coming to ever-changing Oak Park.
Architect Ron Vrilakas has a plan to construct a mini startup campus on an empty lot at 34th Street and Broadway, across from the Broadway Triangle retail and housing development he built.
But this new venture comes with a twist: Up to 30 work and retail spaces in the building would be made out of shipping containers.
Meet Malcolm Brown
Malcolm Brown joined the St. HOPE Family this summer as the Managing Director of Operations. Learn more about Malcolm and his journey to St. HOPE in the brief interview below.
Malcom, tell us about where you come from and what’s prepared you for your new role?
Scholars Intern in Oak Park
While most students are sleeping in and hanging out with friends, a group of 12 scholars entering their senior year at Sac High participated in the new St. HOPE Oak Park Internship Program. The pilot program connects students with various nonprofit organizations all located in the Oak Park neighborhood for a 4-week volunteer internship of 12-15 hours per week.
Oak Park Prep Scholar Grows Over Five Grade Levels in Reading
Our Oak Park Prep scholars spend two years with us, and during each and every one of those days, all of them know our mission, which can be summed up in one word: growth.
We have always placed a special emphasis on literacy. Our scholars receive two specially designed ELA classes daily. One class focuses on rigorous, grade level content while the other meets them where they are, at their individual reading level. We believe this method enhances growth and promotes a culture of learning.
DeMarcus Cousins & VSP Global Host Basketball Camp at Sac High
New Orleans Pelican, NBA All Star, and 2016 Olympic gold medalist DeMarcus Cousins (DMC) has seen his share of successes. As a former Sacramento King, his impact was always a topic of debate. His on-court persona has been at odds with his off the court demeanor. Regardless of your opinion, one truth is evident; DeMarcus Cousins has kept his promise to the Sacramento youth who saw him develop as a professional into the superstar he has become.
Students excel at Sacramento High School
There’s been a dramatic turnaround at Sacramento High School.
Fourteen years ago, it was in danger of closing. Now, it’s a charter school with 800 students operating under St. Hope Public Schools. About 95 percent of all graduating seniors have been accepted into four-year colleges or universities for the second consecutive year.
One-third of all the students at Sacramento High School are from the surrounding neighborhood of Oak Park. But because it’s a charter school, Sacramento High must accept everyone who applies.
Congratulations to charter school graduates across the state
CA Charter Schools Association
CCSA Advocates congratulates all of the graduates from charter schools across the state, many of whom are heading off to college next year. Graduations are joyous events, particularly to the students who are the first in their families to graduate from high school. All the best to the Class of 2017!
What is Cousins’ legacy? With Kings, it’s debatable. In Oak Park, it’s ‘everlasting.’
DeMarcus Cousins’ love for Sacramento did not end the day he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
He’s still connected to the many friends he made in nearly seven years, and he’s still loyal to the children and families cared for as if they were his own. That’s why Cousins was at Sacramento High School on Wednesday, working up a sweat and having fun with over 200 children for the DeMarcus Cousins Elite Skills Camp, which was free to all youth who registered and included an eye exam from VSP and glasses for those who need them.
Senior Signing Day
Sac High seniors from the Class of 2017, joined by their families and other supporters, came together for the fifth annual Senior Signing Day Event on May 26th. This is one of Sac High’s showcase events and allows graduating scholars a platform to proclaim to the rest of the student body, as well as PS7 and Oak Park Prep students, where they will be attending college following graduation.
The Sacramento Black Book Fair
On June 2-3, 2017 Underground Books partnered with Blue Nile Press to present the 4th Annual Sacramento Black Book Fair!
Learning Beyond the Classroom
One of the many things that makes St. HOPE Public Schools special is having the nearby 40 Acres cultural center as an extension to school campuses. Following on the heels of a successful Best of Sac High student art exhibit, several Freshman Honors English classes visited 40 Acres as a field lesson to explore the artwork of their peers as well as tour the various St. HOPE Development Company projects.