Students Lead New Spiritual Council
BY BRENDEN CLINE
Over the past year, Ms. Carey and I have had the privilege of working behind the scenes to support our school’s mission of a “Christ-centered community rooted in the Gospel values.”
We are thrilled to announce the recent formation of a new leadership committee during this year of discipleship.
“Growing up, I had teachers who inspired and encouraged me, and I wanted to have that same
The student-led Spiritual Council, which was founded in fall 2024, is a group of middle school youth committed to leading our school in faith, character, and service. The Spiritual Council has been instrumental in leading and serving at Mass, including the planning and facilitation of the Ash Wednesday Mass. They also guided Advent meditations for elementary school classes and created inspiring posters and drawing demonstrations to share the beauty of our faith.
Beloved Teacher Says Farewell After 37+ Years
For more than 50 years, Mrs. Jeanne Bucci has been a faithful member of the CTK Community...
CTK RAY NEWSLETTER
Christ the King Catholic School
195-B Brandon Road Pleasant Hill, California 94523 (925) 685-1109 www.ctkschool.org
Pastor | Fr. Paulson Mundanmani
Principal | Joseph M. Silveira, Ed.D.
CTK RAY EDITORIAL TEAM
Editor &
Marketing Chair | Jennifer Ortega
Branding & Design | Arlene Santos
WRITERS, CONTRIBUTORS & SPECIAL MENTION
Writers
Jennifer Ortega
Photography
Marc Fiorito
CTK Staff
MGC Photography (Auction)
Contributor
Brenden Cline
Chelsea Ratilainen
On the cover:
Mr. Cline with 17 middle-school students who formed CTK’s inaugural Spiritual Council.
Back cover:
The Class of 2025 graduated on June 4. The CTK community wishes them a lifetime of success and joy!
CTK Teachers Earn Distinguished Award
Congratulations to Mrs. Jeanne Bucci and Mrs. Camille Sihler on receiving the 2025 St. Francis de Sales Teacher Award! This honor recognizes their outstanding commitment to Catholic education in the Diocese of Oakland and their embodiment of St. Francis de Sales’ spirit through love, faith, and dedication to spiritual growth.
Their ability to foster positive, supportive classrooms ensures every student feels valued and inspired to excel. By weaving faith and Gospel values into their teaching, they provide a well-rounded education rooted in Catholic tradition and academic excellence. Their efforts not only elevate student achievement but also nurture compassionate, faith-filled leaders for the future.
“Camille and Jeanne, your example uplifts colleagues and inspires our entire school community - our family,” said Principal Joe Silveira. “Thank you for your remarkable service and for shaping young minds with wisdom, kindness, and faith.” n
Calling All Alumni & Friends of CTK
Nearly 2,000 students have graduated from Christ the King Catholic School since it opened in 1961. We are working to reconnect with these wonderful graduates to build a strong, connected network of alumni. If you are a graduate of CTK, please fill out this form and tell us what you’re up to: https://www.ctkschool.org/alumni
If you’re a friend, parent, or grandparent of the school and would like to support Christ the King in its ongoing efforts to provide a high-quality Catholic education, please consider making a donation. You can do so by contacting dmarquez@ctkschool.org or, participate in one of our upcoming fundraising events: https://www.ctkschool. org/giving n
Beloved Teacher Says Farewell After 37+ Years Mrs. Bucci cherished generations of students
For more than 50 years, Mrs. Jeanne Bucci has been a faithful member of the CTK Community.
Upon moving to Pleasant Hill from Daly City in 1971, Mrs. Bucci and her late husband, Bob, joined the parish (Monsignor Wade was pastor at the time), and she began teaching religious education and leading a Girl Scout troop.
“Growing up, I had teachers who inspired and encouraged me, and I wanted to have that same positive impact on students,” she said.
As she got to know then-principal Sister Kathleen Cleary, CSJ, Mrs. Bucci began substitute teaching in 1975, and in 1987 she began her 37-year full-time career at CTK, teaching 5th and 6th grades, junior
high math, and high school Algebra 1. From 1997 to 2021, she also took on the duties of Vice Principal.
“Over the years, more than 1,400 students have touched my life,” she said.
“My fondest memories include being able to learn, question, encourage, and laugh with my students.
Being able to share my knowledge and faith to see students grow academically, personally, and spiritually has left a lasting imprint on my heart.”
Her students are grateful for her guidance and wisdom.
CONTINUE ARTICLE PAGE 6
Above: Three generations: Noelle Haynes ‘90, Logan Haynes ‘30, and Mrs. Bucci
Continued: Mrs. Bucci’s Farewell
“Mrs. Bucci has always told us, ‘when something is hard, work hard, when something is easy, work hard,’” said Tea Nuti ‘25. “This has taught me to always work hard and always try my absolute best in any situation to make the easy stuff easy because I worked hard, and the hard stuff doable because I worked hard.”
“I appreciate all of the dedication she has given her students over the years,” said Averie Papp ‘25, whose mother Kelly ‘92 also had Mrs. Bucci as a teacher in middle school.
As Mrs. Bucci’s six children were growing up, all of them attended CTK: Michelle ‘85, Nicole ‘87, Noelle ‘90, Mark ‘92, John ‘96, and Matthew ‘00. They all saw mom at school in some capacity, and the four younger children had her as their homeroom teacher!
In 2021, Mrs. Bucci’s daughter Noelle Haynes joined the faculty as the kindergarten teacher’s assistant, and her granddaughter Logan ‘30 joined the family at CTK as a kindergartener. Now in 3rd grade, Logan has experienced the joy of going to school with “Nana” and mom for the last few years.
Mrs. Bucci says her faith has helped her see her role in teaching as not only influencing her students’ minds but also their faith in God.
“I hope my students take my prayer for each of them that in the years ahead in their academic, personal and spiritual areas of their lives they will stay close to God and treasure their faith which will bring them serenity, courage, wisdom, joy and hope – hope that will help them believe in themselves to persevere to achieve their goals.”
CTK Principal Joe Silveira first met Mrs. Bucci back in 1992 at The Bay Area Mathematics Conference. “Jeanne’s reverence for the Catholic faith, love of family and community, commitment to Catholic education, and wonderful connection to her colleagues, students, and families is admirable -- and has never wavered.”
In her retirement, Mrs. Bucci plans to return to CTK school as a volunteer, attend daily mass, walk daily, and visit her six children and 14 grandchildren in California and Kansas.
Congratulations and thank you, Mrs. Bucci! n
CTK Shines in First Academic Decathlon
This year marked an exciting milestone as Christ the King Catholic School participated for the first time in the National Catholic Schools Academic Junior High Decathlon (AJHD) regional competition held on March 1 at Moreau Catholic High School. The AJHD is a spirited, one-day academic competition for students in grades 6-8, designed to foster teamwork, academic excellence, and Catholic values across multiple disciplines.
Christ the King proudly fielded two teams (18 students) in the regional event, competing alongside several teams from the Oakland Diocese. On the exact same date and time, more than 200 teams from Catholic schools in more than a dozen states were having their own decathlons as part of this nationwide event.
Students tackled a variety of challenges–from logic quizzes to individual subject tests in religion, science, literature, and more–all under the guidance of dedicated leaders Katie Thornbury, Amy Kemmerer, Caroline Carey, and Megan Symonds.
“I really enjoyed the competition at the end. It was engaging and fun,” Weston Demeyere ‘25 said.
His advice for future participants? “Don’t wait until the last minute to study!”
Left: In the 1991 yearbook, students shared this poem as an ode to Mrs. Bucci, who is pictured below with former office manager Debbie Wilson, former principal Sr. Carmel Garcia, and former office manager and Haleen Armijo.
This Page: 18 middle school students competed in this year’s Academic Decathlon–a first for CTK.
The event was a fantastic blend of fun and learning, with families and friends cheering enthusiastically. Christ the King looks forward to building on this great start and returning stronger next year to continue celebrating academic achievement and team spirit! n
Continued: Spiritual Council
Looking forward, the Spiritual Council is excited to expand its role in nurturing a spirit of collaboration, prayer, and reflection across our school. Stay tuned for more updates on how the Spiritual Council is helping our “One Community, One Family.”
If your middle school student is interested in joining the group, please have him or her reach out directly to me at bcline@ctkschool.org. n
Principal’s Message
Dear CTK Community,
The 2024-2025 school year began with maximum enrollment and active waitlists, a testament to the strength of CTK’s Catholic faith, academic tradition, and commitment to excellence.
Faculty and staff continued professional development initiatives, focusing on mathematics instruction, writing literacy, and faith-based formation. Additionally, new student leadership and academic initiatives were introduced, including the moderator-and student-led Spiritual Council, our first Academic Decathlon Team, an Art-in-Action program, and Catholic Virtue Programming, reinforcing intellectual growth and moral development.
Our focus this year has been mathematics and writing. We adopted the new enVision Mathematics series and have received professional development; and poured into our writing process/curriculum.
Our current capital project, led by an ad hoc steering committee, focused on replacing the school’s “Big Toy” play structure while integrating environmental enhancements that align with faith-based learning and stewardship principles. Thanks to generous fundraising at our annual auction, we look forward to the installation of our new “Big Toy” in summer of 2025. Also this summer, we will be hosting a oneweek Vacation Bible Camp for elementary students on our campus - a program for children to discover and celebrate God’s love.
In the fall, we proudly launched a new Spiritual Council, a group committed to leading our school in faith, character, and service.
Our community was delighted to again celebrate being honored with not one but two Diocesan Teacher of the Year awards, this year recognizing Jeanne Bucci and Camille Sihler. Their decades of service are deeply appreciated, and we offer our blessings to Mrs. Bucci, who will be retiring at the end of the school year.
This year we also hosted educational sessions for parents and students covering topics such as drug awareness and responsible social media use guided by Catholic ethical teachings.
As we look ahead, Christ the King Catholic School remains steadfast in its mission to provide a faith-filled, academically rigorous learning environment where students develop the skills and virtues necessary to lead with faith, knowledge, and service in the world. We are inspired and immensely grateful for our students, present and past, who continue to excel and accomplish great heights of learning and discovery within and beyond our walls.
Wishing you a blessed summer break,
Mr. Silveira Ed.D. Principal
Christ
the
King Catholic School
Where are They Now? Daniel Scherer ‘02
Daniel (“Danny”) Scherer and his wife, Rebecca, have two children: Lily, 6, and Christopher, 3. Following his time at CTK, Danny attended De La Salle and went on to Chico State.
Q: What is your current profession?
Daniel: I am the Executive Director at Monument Crisis Center (MCC), a community-based non-profit family resource center in Concord. The Center offers food, programs, resources, nutrition, tutoring, summer camp, wellness classes, language classes, tax assistance, senior programs, and more to lowincome and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County.
Q: What inspired you to pursue your career?
Daniel: Since I began working here in 2011, I have been lucky enough to perform almost every job that exists at MCC, from volunteer, to warehouse manager, program manager, and more. The donors, volunteers, clients, supporters, and staff have all been incredible and truly an inspiration to work with. We have many minds, backgrounds, ethnicities, and citizens from all over the world coming together to accomplish one goal – to lift up our community and not let those less fortunate fall through the cracks.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your career?
Daniel: The best part about this career is really the people I have been able to work with. The work at Monument Crisis Center is very hard, demanding and draining, physically, mentally, and emotionally, but I think everyone who walks away from the Center at the end of the day feels a sense of accomplishment that they are doing something for the greater good.
Q: What advice would you share with current CTK students?
Daniel: You really need to keep your eyes open to all sorts of career pathways and learning opportunities. I had no intention of going this route, but I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I studied psychology because it was fascinating, but I had no real drive to be a therapist. (Sometimes you end up being a therapist unintentionally).
Q: What is your fondest memory of CTK?
Daniel: I loved my time at CTK. All my teachers (some of whom are still there!) were great. A huge congratulations to Mrs. Bucci on her retirement. It’s so well deserved. I think a lot of people have said this before me, but my favorite teacher was Mrs. Sihler. She just possesses a way to keep students engaged in a fun and active learning environment. I still keep in contact with many classmates from CTK – including my best friend. n
From top: Danny in 6th grade, circa 1999; Danny with his wife, Rebecca, and children, Lily and Christopher.
Community Thrives at CTK’s Fresh Air Auction
BY CHELSEA RATILAINEN
On April 12, Christ the King hosted its annual auction, transforming the Balestrieri Family Farm into a vibrant celebration of community, music, and giving. Under spectacularly sunny skies and a warm spring breeze, guests arrived in festive attire, ready for a day that would exceed all expectations.
From the first notes of live music, courtesy of the talented performers from Bradley School of Music, to the final toast, the event was a joyful showcase of all that makes CTK so special. Guests mingled under string lights, enjoyed festive drinks and hearty plates, and bid enthusiastically on one-of-a-kind auction items, all while soaking in the gorgeous surroundings of the Briones Valley.
The outpouring of generosity was nothing short of amazing. Parents, teachers, parishioners, and friends
Auction Photo Credit: MGC Photography
came together in support of CTK, raising critical funds for school programs, a new playground, and future student enrichment. It wasn’t just a fundraiser, it was a celebration of everything this community stands for: joy, gratitude, and shared commitment.
In addition to honoring CTK’s graduating 8th grade families with personalized keepsakes, the night also welcomed incoming kindergarten families, continuing the tradition of connection across generations of families.
Overflowing with laughter, love, and support, the 2025 CTK Auction wasn’t just a success, it was a heartfelt reminder of what’s possible when a community shows up for something it believes in. n
Opposite (top to bottom): A VW van was the perfect prop for the festival-themed party; Auction chairs Chelsea Ratilainen and Leah Barnum thanked guests and sponsors; CTK leadership expressed their gratitude; local artist Chuck Lounge brought the funk.
From Top: Country artist Grace Leer delighted; guests enjoyed a perfect spring evening; Chelsea spun to
Thank you to our incredible sponsors:
Amelia Risk
Bradley School of Music
Balestrieri Family Farm
Jessica Nance Realty
Tree West
Native American Bear
Foundation
Shawn Lober Construction
Hiroshi’s Catering
Scotto Cellars
grey + elle
Oaks Jewelers
Suburban Lane Creative
Minuteman Press Pleasant Hill
195-B Brandon Road Pleasant Hill, California 94523