This was the first week of classes at Hope Lutheran‘s new middle-school campus on the north edge of The Junction – the 2/3-acre campus at 4100 SW Genesee that was Seattle Lutheran High School for 44 years, until 2022. This morning, “Hope North” was officially dedicated after a procession from the main Hope Lutheran church/school campus a block south.

Hope’s senior pastor Peter Mueller first spoke to congregants and school families on the church’s main steps, recalling the almost four-year odyssey to reach this point, and the continuing capital campaign to help with the $1.6 million purchase and renovation costs. Likening it to the biblical journey of Joshua – he had everyone walk to the newly opened school, singing along the way.

Then outside the “Hope North” gym, after an invocation from the pastor and words from 15th-year Hope principal Kristen Okabayashi about the “amazing journey,” student body president Benjamin cut the ribbon:

For a look inside some of the 14 newly reopened classrooms, see this WSB story from an open house back in June.