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Let’s Read Oak Park
Underground Books
Let’s Read Oak Park takes place on the 2nd Saturday of each month and is a FREE reading & exploration event for children ages 5-12
About this event
Elementary school aged children explore books and participate in hands on activities with an emphasis on cultural themes. Students will engage in interactive book readings, and select a free book of their choice to take home and encourage reading together as a family!
Space is limited to 12 per event so sign up today!
St. HOPE Facility Grand Opening
January 1992
7,000 square foot facility opening at 4101 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
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.
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
Sacramento Charter High School Celebrates College-Bound Seniors
May 13, 2022
Sacramento Charter High School is celebrating a high number of college acceptances this year, sending their seniors off with a special celebration.
St. HOPE Spring Festival
Good Day - April 9, 2022
St. Hope Public Schools is hosting a spring market full of food trucks and family-friendly activities!
All families are invited to St. HOPE Public Schools’ Spring Festival!
All families are invited to St. HOPE Public Schools’ Spring Festival! SHPS will be hosting a free admission event with local night market vendors, food trucks, community resources, and a kids zone with a variety of activities and attractions. This event will safely bring everyone together for a day of family-friendly fun in the Oak Park community. The kids zone will feature face painting, bounce houses, a petting zoo, carnival rides, and more!
Join us Saturday, April 9th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Sacramento Charter High School football field.
Alumni Highlight: Aryanna Lewis
Recently, we caught up with St. HOPE alumnae, Aryanna Lewis, to discuss her recently being crowned as Miss Black Sacramento. Aryanna who attended St. HOPE Public Schools from Kindergarten - High School, graduated from Sac High, Class of 2014 and was her class Student Body Vice President. She credits her St. HOPE background as the foundation of her morals and as the pathway that lead her to reach higher goals. We are certainly proud of Aryanna’s accomplishments and how she continues to be a positive representative of our St. HOPE family!
Matt Johnson to Coach Boys Varsity Basketball Team
Sac High
Sac High is excited to announce Matt Johnson as the new Varsity Boy’s Basketball coach. As an alumni of Sac High, Johnson was a three-year varsity letterman in basketball and was nominated as a Dragon team MVP, Capital Athletic League MVP and was named 1 st team All-City.
Let’s Read Oak Park
Launch of New St. HOPE Reading Initiative
With a new focus on racial injustice, there is a spotlight on the sobering statistics in the reading levels between black and white students. In 2019, The Nation’s Report Card from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that just 15% of Black 8th graders were at or above reading “proficiency.” About half didn’t even reach the “basic” reading benchmark.
Free Drive Through Covid-19 Testing Site at Sac High
Sponsored by St. HOPE and EventMD
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What are you doing for others?” said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an effort to serve and respond to the needs of our community St. HOPE is teaming up with EventMD to provide a drive-through COVID Testing Site at Sacramento High School starting Saturday, January 15th. Both PCR and Antigen rapid testing will be available weekly on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 9 AM to 2 PM. Please get vaccinated and tested to keep yourself and others safe.
Increasing Access to College
Sac High Seniors recently participated in the annual Cash for College workshop to apply for Federal grants and loans to pay for college. During the Cash For College event hosted by Sac High, advisors assisted students with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act (CADAA), unlocking financial resources and making their dreams to attend college become a reality.
Colour of Music Festival Debuts in Sacramento November 10-13
We are thrilled to welcome the Colour of Music Festival to Sacramento! Since 2013, the Colour of Music Festival has showcased the talents of black classical musicians and composers and highlighted their impact and historical significance on American and world culture. The Festival began with performances in Charleston, South Carolina and is now bringing some of the top black classical musicians, trained at some of the most prestigious music schools, conservatories and universities in the world, to Sacramento.
Sac High Kicks Off the School Year With Back To School Night & Footlocker
At St. HOPE Public Schools, our goal is always to take every opportunity to create memorable events for our scholars and families. We also work to collaborate with community partners to bring differentiated opportunities to our campus! On Thursday, August 19th, Sac High welcomed over 50% of our families to campus for Back To School Night! In collaboration with Footlocker we gave away over 250 backpacks and 300+ t-shirts and our scholars and families experienced a great evening with a local DJ, photographer, and amazing music! Our scholars and families were able to connect with Footlocker Stripers to talk about college and career paths, and also get some fun swag to show off at school and in the community.
Journey to the Future with St. HOPE’s New CEO, Cassandra Jennings
Dear St. HOPE friends, family and community,
I feel so blessed to be at St. HOPE and back in the Oak Park neighborhood in this season of my personal and professional journey, so I can continue to pour into the community that has been a part of my life for over three decades. My kids attended school in Oak Park; I worship in Oak Park; and both my husband and I worked for many years to improve the lives of Oak Park residents and to support the mission of St. HOPE to revitalize the community. I recall some of the initiatives I worked on over the years, including street clean ups, first time homebuyer programs, the St. HOPE after school program,
To & Through College Starts Today with PS7 Elementary TK/Kindergarten
Your scholar’s journey to and through college starts today with PS7 Elementary’s TK/Kindergarten program. Offering a FULL day program for both TK & Kindergarten, scholars are in school from 7:30AM to 3:00PM. PS7 Elementary also offers an after-school program, which runs until 6:00 PM, and provides enrichment opportunities such as Sac Theatre Company and Music In Motion.
New Guild Theater Concert Series
The Guild Theater is kicking off a new concert series starting August 13th with R&B group, Troop! Troop, which stands for Total Respect for Other People, is known for a series of number-one R&B hits, including popular cover versions of the songs “All I Do Is Think of You” and “Sweet November”, originally performed by The Jackson 5 and The Deele. They also had a number-one hit with their original song “Spread My Wings”.
‘Getting the recognition it deserves’: Community prepares for Juneteenth celebrations in Sacramento
KCRA 6.17.21
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Juneteenth celebrations in Northern California are scheduled throughout the weekend.
The president and CEO of the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce said not only does it mark a celebration for the emancipation of slaves in 1863, but it’s also a celebration for those who finally learned of their freedom two years later.
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Events Around Sacramento Celebrate First Nationally Recognized Juneteenth
CBS 13 Sacramento 6.19.21
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Several events celebrating Juneteenth happened across Sacramento on Saturday.
There were calls for not only action, but reflection, bringing both joy and determination in the fight for progress.
READ MORE:Fourth Stimulus Check: Will You Get Another Relief Payment?
Events varied from soul music and dancing in Oak Park to art and vendors all highlighting black beauty and business at one of the longest-running Juneteenth festivals in Sacramento on June 19, 2021, which was taking on new meaning.
Sacramento High senior lands full-ride basketball scholarship amid pandemic
Fox 40 6.4.21
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — COVID-19 threatened to derail college dreams for student athletes across the country, but one Sacramento High School senior was such a standout that she earned a full-ride college scholarship — without recruiters having met her in person.
“That was really difficult because not a lot of coaches were able to see me last year,” Heaven Samayoa-Mathis recounted.
Samayoa-Mathis, along with her family and coach, knew that meant they’d have to work that much harder to get her noticed.
Sac High Scholars are College Bound!
On June 5th, Sacramento Charter High School graduated its senior class of scholars! We are very proud to say that even through an amazingly challenging year, 90% of the class was accepted to a 4-year university! The class of 2021 had acceptances to all nine Universities of California, all 21 California State Universities, and 25 different historically Black colleges and universities.
Two outstanding scholars stood out amongst the class: Shabon Hankerson and Heaven Samayoa-Mathis.
As St. HOPE president and CEO steps down, a familiar face is taking on the position
Sacramento Bee 6.9.21
Jake Mossawir is looking forward to focusing on the next chapter of his life, his family, as he expects to become a father to a baby girl this fall.
The St. HOPE President and CEO announced that he is stepping away after six years with the organization in an email to St. Hope students and families.
Mossawir and his wife are expecting a daughter and plan to relocate to Texas to start their family.
CCSA Names Sac High as the Highest Performing High School for Black Students in CA
California Charter School Association (CCSA) pulled together a series called “Serving Black Students with Excellence” in honor of Black History Month. Sacramento Charter High School was featured in the series as the highest performing high school for Black students in California! You can check out their blog here for the full story!
Ms. Williams-James featured on National Parents Union
National Parents Union hosted Christina Williams-James, Dean of Culture and Instruction at St. HOPE Public Schools, on their “Managing Day to Day” podcast along with leaders from two other California charter schools. Christina talked about our mission of sending scholars to and through college, our five pillars, and how we support scholars of color. Check it out on Facebook Live HERE!