Underground Books Band 3
College? Yes Please.
PS7 Middle School scholars had the opportunity to visit three college campuses this month! PS7 sixth graders went to UC Davis, 7th graders went to UC Berkeley, and 8th graders went to Stanford. At each college, scholars participated in a campus tour, explored each campus, visited the bookstore, and played games in the quad. Scholars learned all about the majors and programs offered at each school, the requirements to get into each school, life as a college freshman, and extracurricular activities available at each school.
Even Dragons Have Grandmas
When one thinks of Sac High athletics, one’s mind likely first flashes to images of players streaking to victory down the football field or basketball court, to the banners that line the walls of the gym, and to the pictures of the students who pursued college and professional careers following their time at Sac High.
Sac High Shadow Days Kick-Off!
The Sac High Shadow Day Program kicked off earlier this month by hosting eighth graders (Class of 2022) from St. HOPE’s very own Oak Park Prep Academy. The Shadow Day Program is a terrific opportunity for interested eighth graders to learn firsthand what it means to be a Sac High Dragon. Shadow Days at Sac High offer a fun and illuminating way to connect with current Sac High scholars, meet diverse leaders on campus and learn about specific courses and programs offered only at Sac High.
Black to the Future Dialogue
Underground Books celebrated Black History Month with a panel discussion led by well-known artist Milton Bowens, Dr. Torry Winn of UC Davis’ Transformative Justice in Education Center (TJE) and Dr. Teresa Aldredge of the Los Rios Community College System.
College Track Center Stage: Violet Walker
Violet Walker is a Senior at Sac High and part of the original founding cohort of College Track Sacramento. She completed her college applications last semester and is excitedly awaiting her results. She has already been accepted to Tuskegee University, Wilberforce University, Virginia State, West Virginia State, Chico State, and Benedict College. Her top choices are UC Merced, UC Davis, or Humboldt State. While waiting on the rest of her acceptances, she is busy applying for numerous scholarships. She wants to study medicine and eventually become a veterinarian.
AP Biology Students Study Plant Physiology and Breathe Success
Do you ever wonder why leaves really turn colors in the fall? And how plants actually produce the oxygen we breathe and need to live? If you run into a Sac High AP Biology student this New Year, she/he should be able to give you an explanation that would satisfy a college biology instructor!
Gregg Popovich Meets St. HOPE
To close out 2017, St. HOPE held its annual fundraiser with a special HOPE for the Holidays Soiree. A capacity audience over 250 people attended the event at the new Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento. The soiree featured NBA coaching legend Gregg Popovich, who shared his views, opinions and experiences about a variety of topics.
Sac High Alumni Come Home for the Holidays
Sac High Alumni made their presence known at the 2017 St. HOPE Elite Hoop Classic this December and closed out the year in great company and fun!
High Achieving Dragons Make Their Mark in Downtown Sacramento
This past December, 9th grade scholars with the highest GPA of Sac High’s Class of 2021 were rewarded with a special “Golden Ticket” inviting them to a fancy trip downtown!
Dragons Train with Grit for SAT
On Friday, November 10, while most Sac High staff enjoyed the day off in honor of our veterans, 96 juniors showed up at 8am to take the first of three SAT practice tests. Ms. Bostick, Mr. Marks and the junior grade level team built momentum and created a sense of urgency around preparing for the real test in April. The four hour experience was grueling but the results will be worth the effort.
PS7 Surprise Project
While students and teachers were on Fall Break, several staff members from PS7 Elementary and the St. HOPE Public Schools Home Office participated in a two-day campus improvement service project as a surprise for returning students. The 5,360 square foot space, which was overgrown with dead grass and weeds for years, was transformed into a beautiful outdoor quad that will be used as an outdoor classroom and lunch area for students.
2017 CAASPP Data Release
The eagerly anticipated SHPS state test results were officially released September 27th. While student performance for most of the State of California flat-lined this year, the overall percentage of SHPS scholars meeting or exceeding the standard went up six percentage points in English Language Arts and two percentage points in Math.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Fair
Sac High hosted the annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Fair on September 15th and, once again, HBCU representatives stated Sac High students were the highlight of their multi-city tour. More than 40 HBCUs were represented at the fair, and most of them offered on the spot admissions decisions and scholarships to qualified seniors. The fair was a lively and positive event for our community, and our entire senior and junior classes were able to meet with admissions representatives, learn about exciting opportunities at HBCU campuses, and submit applications
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.
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.