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Children’s Storytime
Come join us on the last Saturday of each month from 12-1pm for Children’s Story time at Underground Books (2814 35th St.) hosted by the River City Road Runners.
The free event is catered to children ages 3-10 and includes a book reading and an organized arts and crafts project. Kids also receive a free book!
Parents are welcome to attend and participate with their children.
Please visit our upcoming events section for future dates, or contact the bookstore for more information.
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
An Oak Park Speaker Series Special Edition
Underground Books and The Guild Theater are proud to present Rev. Al Sharpton on Monday, March 18, 2019.
With over 40 years of experience as a community leader, politician, minister and advocate, the Rev. Al Sharpton is one of America’s most-renowned civil rights leaders. Sharpton’s highly visible career began at the tender age of four when he preached his first sermon.
A Little Dirt Never Hurt Anyone
Since the beginning of Sacramento Charter High School in 2003, biology students have had the opportunity to be involved in St.
Reading Makes Your World BIG!
Each year PS7 Elementary hosts a Family Literacy Night. The night is full of fun literacy games that families can play on their own at home with their scholars, and families have the opportunity to visit the Scholastic Book Fair. This year, PS7 made the event BIGGER and BETTER than ever! With the hope of exposing scholars to a plethora of cultures and diverse reads, the theme was #ReadingMakesYourWorldBIG! …and a BIG week it was!
Dragons Reign through Intense Season
The 2018-19 basketball season has unfortunately come to an end, but it definitely did not go away quietly. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams fought until the end of this grueling season that lasted from October to March.
Zoologists in Training!
PS7 Middle School scholars had the opportunity to learn all about animals in their science classes with the Sacramento Mobile Zoo Program. Scholars attended a one-hour lesson with the Sac Zoo on the PS7M campus, in which they learned about four different animals. They had the opportunity to learn about the history of the animal, how it came to be at the Sac Zoo, and even pet each animal. Our scholars had a great time expanding their knowledge about different animals and were eager to learn more.
Sac High Scholars Dive into the Great Outdoors!
The Sac High Outdoors Club (SHOC) is an effort to introduce our students to the great outdoors where they can find the sort of beauty and peace that urban areas do not offer. So far, we’ve been to Auburn, Clementine Falls, Feather Falls, and most recently Cosumnes Preserve. At Cosumnes Preserve, we were joined by Dr. Castori and her son Sam, who identified for us bald eagles, various water birds, red winged blackbirds, Canadian geese, and many more! It was a great time and the students enjoyed hiking, seeing the Cosumnes River, and learning about the natural environment.
Rob on the Road
Oak Park's Mother Rose
Oak Park’s Mother Rose | Region Rising
Meet the matriarch of Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood who is helping our region thrive by ensuring cultural diversity. Mother Rose of Underground Books shares her store and her heart with Rob in this rare interview. Proudly sponsored by Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP.
Meeting of the Minds
By Jake Mossawir
Some neighborhoods get pushed to the side, separated (figuratively and sometimes literally) from the heart of a city and left to face growing rates of crime, poverty, unemployment, or other harmful consequences.
For too long, that was the story of the Oak Park neighborhood near downtown Sacramento, California. Through a concerted effort by a local non-profit in the community for the last 30 years, we are seeing real change and an upward trajectory. The Oak Park story provides lessons and hope for similarly situated communities across the country.
HOPE to HOPE: Educator Spotlight
Mr. Cody is one of our newest additions to the St. HOPE team! He received his B.S. in Mathematical Education from California State University, Chico and is now teaching Algebra II at Sac High.
The Guild Theater’s Fresh New Look!
The Guild Theater, originally known as the Victor Theater, was designed and completed in 1915. At that time, it featured movies and vaudeville shows for the community.
The theater eventually fell into a state of disrepair and remained vacant for many years. In 2003, St. HOPE updated and restored the Guild Theater to showcase plays, movies, live performances, and more.
PS7 Pick and Rolls with The Kings!
One of the most exciting perks of being a PS7 scholar and staff member is our community partnership with the Sacramento Kings! Throughout the basketball season, the Kings community program graciously donates tickets to different games to St. HOPE. We are then able to reward staff, scholars and families with FREE KINGS TICKETS! Who doesn’t love a Kings game?! Many times, these tickets are used to incentivize positive behavior, leadership, and perseverance. Other times, these tickets are used as rewards!
Celebrating Black History Through Health Education
On Thursday, February 21 at 6:00 pm, Underground Books will host the first of a series of conversations about health topics pertinent to the African-Americans for the benefit of Oak Park residents and the greater Sacramento community. Why? Because rarely has Virgil’s saying “The greatest wealth is health” been more pressing than it is today. Access to health care and stigma associated with medical treatment can be issues for many people, but investing in health education and promoting self-care can result in better quality of life outcomes for everyone.
What makes Sacramento High hoops breathe fire as The Bee’s top-ranked girls team?
February 4, 2019
Sacramento coach Michele Massari, right, gives Andriana Avent (3) instruction during a game against McClatchy on Jan. 24, 2017. The Dragons, led by their 11th-year coach, are ranked No. 1 by The Bee this week and looking to win a Capital Athletic League championship before starting the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.JOSE LUIS VILLEGAS JVILLEGAS@SACBEE.COM
Michele Massari can be as demanding as she can be charming.
Now Accepting Applications!
St. HOPE Public Schools (SHPS) is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 academic year! With over 15 years of high-quality public education focused on getting scholars to and through college, St. HOPE is the right choice for your family. SHPS offers tuition-free, college prep charter schools located in the Oak Park community, and our scholars are prepared to excel, trained to lead, and empowered to serve. Interested in joining one of Sacramento’s highest performing charter school networks?
Hey YOU…Come to our NEW PARK!
The 3rd Avenue lot near St. HOPE’s 40 Acres Complex was once the site of Esther’s Pastry Shoppe, a two-story mixed use building constructed in 1915 that provided Oak Park residents with freshly baked goods through much of the 1900’s. By the time the historic building was acquired by St. HOPE Development Company in the late 1990’s, it was in a state of disrepair and in need of major funding before it could be restored. In 2018, the badly deteriorated building was deemed uninhabitable and was therefore demolished.
Increasing Family Participation and Encouraging Ongoing Involvement
Family involvement contributes positively to the learning experience and success of our St. HOPE scholars. We understand the importance of having clear and consistent communication channels, and engaging parents and caregivers throughout their scholars’ education – not just when there is a problem. We have been working with our St. HOPE community and are excited to see various ways family participation and engagement has increased at St. HOPE Public Schools:
Scholars Work Hard AND Play Hard!
Building scholar investment, excitement, joy and love for school is one of our number one priorities at PS7 Elementary. Our PS7 Team is committed to going above and beyond for our scholars so they have the best elementary experience possible. Each quarter, our staff plans incentives that provide our scholars with opportunities to partner with the community, and build camaraderie and teamwork with their classmates.
Christmas in Oak Park presented by: Underground Books & The Guild Theater
On December 15, Underground Books and The Guild Theater partnered to host a great Christmas event for all families from the Oak Park community.
See which Sacramento high schools have the highest UC admission rates
Thousands of Sacramento students are waiting to see if they will be admitted to a University of California campus as freshmen for fall 2019.
During the last six years, some of the region’s high schools have a better track record of getting their students into a UC than others, according to the latest data from the UC system.
High schools with few students living in poverty generally have a higher number of UC applicants and a higher acceptance rate than schools with a significant number of students in poverty.
Dance Education: Training the Whole Student
By Shawna Smith, 9th Grade Dance Instructor
Dance is not just a physical art form, it is also an academic exercise and confidence booster. How, you might ask? First, scholars must understand the science and application of the mind and body. Then, they must learn about mathematical structures of angles, counting music, shaping formations and how to travel through space and time to create transitions. Finally, they must comprehend the historical meaning behind the movements, understand sentence structure to create a story with non verbal language, and above all the importance of instilling confidence.