Christ the King School (Seattle, Washington)

Christ the King School
Location
Seattle, Washington, United States
Information
Type	Private
Motto	We are committed to nurturing each child's sense of self-worth, spirit of discovery and inquiry, and enthusiasm for life-long learning.
Established	1939
Locale	Large city
Principal	Terry Maguire
Faculty	11.6[1]
Grades	Preschool - 8
Number of students	172[1]
School Color(s)	Black and White
Mascot	Panther
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Student/Teacher Ratio
Website	http://www.ckseattle.org/

Christ the King School is a Roman Catholic parochial school in Seattle, Washington, USA, teaching children from preschool through eighth grade.

History

The Seattle economy was just beginning to feel the effects of the stock market crash of 1929 when Bishop Edward O'Dea asked Father Gerald Fitzgerald to establish a new parish in an area that was then a few miles north of the city limits. Father Fitzgerald bought a house on the southeast corner of N 117th Street and Phinney Avenue N. and started building what would be named St. Anthony Church. Bishop O'Dea formally dedicated St. Anthony Church in September 1930.

Father Fitzgerald recognized the importance of providing parochial education for his growing parish and broke ground for the original school building in July 1939. St. Anthony School opened in September 1939 with a staff of four Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and 94 students. The original three-bedroom house purchased to serve as the convent was eventually expanded to house 16 BVM Sisters.

On December 10, 1949, Bishop Connolly blessed the cornerstone for the new church and re-dedicated the parish as Christ the King, since a St. Anthony Church already existed in Renton, Washington. The eighth grade class of 1950 became the first graduates of Christ the King School (CKS). It is still possible to find graduates of St. Anthony School among current Christ the King parishioners.

The school reached its peak enrollment of just under 1,000 students in 1956. By 1960, CKS class sizes were so big they violated county fire codes and the school had to stop adding students. Ultimately, students who would have attended Christ the King transferred to a new school built at St. Luke's Parish.

In 1972, the BVM Sisters consolidated their teachers at St. George's and Pius X Schools, turning Christ the King School over to lay leadership and the school's faculty. The transition, along with a gradual decline in enrollment, presented the school community with a number of challenges.

Parent involvement has been a key to the success of Christ the King School. In 1954, Father Paul Byrne launched a Mothers' Club to help support various school projects. This forerunner of today's Parents' Club was the start of efforts that continue today to find solutions to keep the school affordable for all families.^[2]

Accreditation

Christ the King School is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools and the Western Catholic Educational Association (in affiliation with the Western Association of Colleges and Schools, and is approved by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.^[3]

Students

Student ethnicity

Ethnicity[1]	Percentage
White, not Hispanic	76
Hispanic	17
Asian/Pacific Islander	7
Black, not Hispanic	2
American Indian/Alaskan Native	1

Extracurricular activities

Sports

Sports available at Christ the King include soccer, cross country, basketball, volleyball and track and field.

Clubs and activities

Christ the King has numerous clubs and activities, including band, Fiddle Kids, Irish Dance, MathCounts, Safety Patrol and Student Council.

Famous Alumni

• Scott Heric '00 (Account Manager at Avvo.com)
• John Brian Losh (Chairman/CEO of Ewing and Clark Inc.)
• Maxwell Jackson Helman '00 (Marketing Specialist at Tamarac Inc.)
• Chris Cornell (Singer)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=01460715&ID=01460715
2. ^ http://www.ckseattle.org/school/five_year_plan.pdf
3. ^ http://www.k12.wa.us/RelatedSites/default.aspx

External links

• Christ the King School website
• CKS in Seattle Times School Guide
• CKS on GreatSchools.net