CTK RAY Newsletter | Issue 4 | December 2022

Garden Classes Plant Seeds of Inspiration

CTK’s Garden of Blessing underwent a $40,000+ revitalization during the summer of 2022. “We took the garden down to its bare bones and built it back up”...

Buddies, Faith Families Bring Joy and Foster Leadership

BY MADEIRA FOUNTAINE

As a new CTK parent, I found the buddy system to be especially helpful for my kindergartners because it allowed them to experience and learn their new environment through the eyes of another child...

Festive fall events at CTK included the annual Halloween parade and the beloved Walk-a-Jog-a-Thon – a major fun(d)rasier for our school.

Principal’s Message

Dear CTK Community,

Here we are, more than a third of the way through the school year and already in the midst of the Advent season.

The first few months of school have been productive and fun. We have had a number of great activities to kick off the year – our beloved Walk-a-Jog-a-Thon, Halloween parade, St. Francis blessing of the animals, Camp Caritas for 7th graders, Monsignor Wade Golf Tournament, and more.

Our students and families consistently demonstrate their enthusiasm for our school, and I feel truly blessed to be a part of this community, which so many of us consider to be a family.

As you will remember, we are in the midst of our Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) accreditation process, a year-long process that requires a comprehensive examination of evidence related to the areas of: Catholic Identity; Organization; Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; Support Services; and Resources (Enrollment, Finance, Development).

We have completed a report on our strengths and opportunities for growth related to these criteria, and we are developing a schoolwide action plan that will guide us through a process of continuous improvement.

The next step is a multi-day review by a visiting committee of educators who are trained to evaluate our school and provide a report on its findings. We look forward to welcoming our visiting committee in early March. In May, the full WCEA Commission will review the reports and recommendations and determine our accreditation status, and I am confident that our school will be assessed very favorably

Looking ahead to the coming year, we can anticipate the celebration of Catholic Schools Week with our open house on Sunday, Jan. 29, as well as more exciting events, including retreats, field trips, the spelling bee and speech competition, our 80s promthemed auction on Friday, April 28, and much more.

We have accomplished so much this fall. Let us now quiet our hearts and prepare for the birth of Jesus.

Wishing you a blessed, peaceful and joyful Christmas season,

Joseph M. Silveira, Ed.D. Principal

Garden Classes Plant Seeds of Inspiration

Once a month, Christ the King students enjoy an outdoor classroom experience during garden awareness, a hands-on opportunity to learn about how to grow, tend, and harvest fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Originally built in 2009 to provide an element of experiential learning, CTK’s Garden of Blessing underwent a $40,000+ revitalization during the summer of 2022.

Thanks to generous support by donors to the school’s 2022 auction fund-a-need capital project, the garden revitalization team worked with a contractor to tear out and replace the deteriorating garden beds and retaining wall, build new garden beds, replace the soil, and install

a teaching station with benches and a covered area for shade. It also includes an expanded greenhouse and new automatic drip irrigation system.

Ultimately, the project increased the capacity and usability of the space. Now each class can fit around the garden beds as they pull weeds, till the soil, plant seeds, and harvest the bounty.

Based on teacher feedback, the design team made sure to include plenty of shaded bench seating so the students can sit during lessons, which is more conducive to longer discussions, according to grandparent volunteer Bob Miller (Livia Cobo ‘21 and Grace Cobo ‘23).

“Through garden awareness, the students are starting to learn about the food they eat. They’re learning about the importance of microorganisms and how plants are fed by the soil. By planting, tending, and harvesting, they begin to see the value of eating fresh out of the garden. And, as a bonus, they’re being taught a work ethic —how to work efficiently and consistently until the job is done.”

— BOB MILLER

Plans for the refurbished garden included updated fencing, new garden beds, fresh soil, and a dedicated teaching space with a shaded seating area for students.

“In the garden Love is tending There’s a great and boundless feast, Where the seeds of hope are planted, And the yield is heaven’s peace.”

— “THE HOUSE THAT LOVE IS BUILDING” BY SARAH HART

“We took the garden down to its bare bones and built it back up,” said Miller, who assumed leadership of the garden in 2011 after selling his business, becoming a master gardener, and moving to the East Bay to be closer to his family.

School Advisory Council Facilities Chair and project lead Joe McKeown (Madilynn ‘24 and Molly ‘28) sees garden awareness as a huge opportunity to expose students to California’s thriving agricultural industry, which generates more than $50 billion in annual revenue.

“California is the mecca of food production,” said McKeown. “We grow more than 50 percent of the country’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts.”

He says early exposure to garden opportunities could lead students to consider a career in any number of related fields, including ag-business, horticulture, water management, food distribution and packaging, among dozens of possibilities.

“It all starts from the garden; it all starts from a seed, water, and at the hands of a human being,” he said.

Garden awareness parent volunteer and dietician Diana Urcuyo, M.S., (Gabriel ‘26 and Lucia ‘28) says the classes encourage better nutrition in children and teach efficacy and sustainability.

“The students are building skills in team work, biological sciences, nutrition, and I think they also love the opportunity to do learning outside of the classroom and get their hands dirty,” Urcuyo said.

“My own kids now have an increased desire to work on our home garden.”

That’s the goal, according to Miller.

“We asked the kids for a wish list and I tried my best to fulfill it,” he said. “It’s their garden! We’re even trying mango. It doesn’t really grow in this climate, but we shouldn’t say no to anything, so we’re trying it!”

Former CTK Principal Kathy GannonBriggs credits Miller for the garden program’s blooming.

“Bob came along at just the right time,” she said. “The kids got invested in garden awareness, and it was a great learning experience for everybody.”

“The part I loved the best was seeing the responsibility they took for the garden and their responses in watching it grow,” she said.

With the revitalization project complete and an expanded space to dig in to garden awareness lessons, CTK students will continue to get their hands dirty and enjoy the fruits of their labor. n

Buddies, Faith Families Bring Joy and Foster Leadership

BY MADEIRA FOUNTAINE

As a fairly new CTK parent with children in kindergarten and first grade, I often find myself wondering what my kids are doing throughout their day. Upon picking them up from school, my first question is, “What did you do at school today?”

Their responses tend to vary, but the response I hear most often usually involves their buddy or faith family. The look on their faces accurately portrays how these interactions make them feel – “happy!” “fun!” “excited!” They never miss an opportunity to wave to their buddy in passing or say hello to a member of their faith family.

The CTK buddy system has been in place for more than 35 years. Every grade is paired up with another grade and meets approximately once every two weeks. Kindergartners are paired with fourth graders, first graders are paired with fifth graders, and so on.

Kindergartners tend to meet up more with their buddies than with their faith families. The buddy system gives younger students a chance to learn from and develop relationships with older students. During their meetings, students enjoy activities such as playing games and doing arts and crafts.

As a new CTK parent, I found the buddy system to be especially helpful for my kindergartners because it allowed them to experience and learn their new environment through the eyes of another child rather than solely learning from an adult.

Faith families are another important aspect of partnership at CTK that began in 2011 with the goal of forming symbiotic groups that benefit both new and seasoned CTK students. Faith families are groups made up of one student from each grade. When asked who the leader of the faith family is, my kindergartner will promptly say that the 8th grader is the leader.

The families function like an actual family with the oldest member providing guidance and looking after the youngest members. The faith families meet about once per month to do activities. Recently, they got together to make cards for hurricane victims in Florida.

Overall, faith families exist to empower older students, create leadership opportunities, and provide younger CTK students with

CYO Fall Sports Roundup

BY JESSIE MCKEOWN

Sports returned to Christ the King this fall for another great season. Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) athletics at CTK featured cross-county and basketball for girls and boys.

CTK parent and coach Phil Williamson (dad of Lauren ‘24) and co-coach Michael Frazee coached their largest crosscountry team this fall with 37 active participants, up from 17 runners last season.

“Their biggest achievement this year has been the comradery that has developed among the runners as they bond with their teammates,” Coach Phil said.

Runners on the team come from local elementary, middle school and homeschool backgrounds. The CTK team finished strong this season while competing in six local meets around the Bay Area, and represented our CTK family with excellent sportsmanship and Crusader pride.

Basketball began its season practicing in September with nearly 500 teams of students in grades 3-8 participating throughout the Oakland Diocese.

CTK CYO has an amazing group of coaches including veteran Coach Josephine Greer (mom of Christian ‘25 and Kaitlyn ‘26), who played from 4th grade through her freshman year in college, and has been a coach since her kids were in kindergarten.

“What I appreciate most about the CYO league is the experience, connections, and opportunities the kids get while playing with their classmates and community,” Coach Josephine said.

“Each year, I have witnessed players develop their confidence, sportsmanship, and physical fitness while also learning to communicate and trust other teammates.”

We look forward to watching the CTK CYO basketball teams grow in skill and faith this season. n

“Each year, I have witnessed players develop their confidence, sportsmanship, and physical fitness while also learning to communicate and trust other teammates.”

— COACH JOSEPHINE GREER

Parent-Teacher Group Fosters Partnership

BY CHRISTINA FRANCIS, PTG PRESIDENT

CTK’s Parent-Teacher Group (PTG) is a welcoming place for parents/guardians, teachers, school administrators, and CTK parishioners to exchange ideas and plan social events that enrich our community.

Our purpose is to create and promote activities and programs geared toward the enrichment of our children’s minds, hearts, and spirituality, which stays true to Catholic teachings and Gospel values.

We facilitate communication and garner volunteer support to create and encourage a sense of community.

PTG events include the first-day-of-school coffee social, fatherdaughter dance, Halloween carnival, and the mother-son event, and our big fundraiser, the Monsignor Wade Golf Tournament.

As current president, my goals include increased transparency from PTG and building a more cohesive relationship between the school and the parish.

PTG recently partnered with CTK ministries to host a fun fall Family Bingo Night, which was co-hosted with Youth Minister Mike Aliscad, who called the bingo numbers along with Father Paulson. King Gyro provided delicious food and generously donated proceeds to CTK’s Student Leadership and Youth Ministry groups.

Be on the lookout for more fun events coming soon, including after-church meet-and-greets (with coffee & donuts!), a movie night, and so much more!

The next PTG meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 31. If you would like to suggest an agenda item, please email me at ptgpresident@ctkschool.org. n

Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29–Feb. 4, 2023

Join us for the kick-off of Catholic Schools Week on Sunday, Jan. 29, when CTK will host a celebratory Mass followed by an open house with school tours and classrooms showcasing student work. n

Generous Fundraising Benefits Student Programs, Capital Projects

BY JOE REID, FINANCE CHAIR

CTK School continues its legacy of successful annual fundraising with fantastic events that benefit our students, are fun to participate in, and provide a great opportunity to get to know parents, grandparents and others who want to ensure CTK’s continued success.

We raise about $250,000 annually (near #1 in the Oakland Diocese!), which provides for a long list of benefits such as:

• The planned addition of two math specialists (one devoted to students who excel in Mathematics; another to help improve student success)

• Recent capital spending like the garden improvement project and plans to upgrade the classrooms (improved lighting, new desks and new blinds)

As CTK prepared its upcoming report for accreditation, we documented approximately $750,000 of capital projects completed by our school in the last four years, which were funded out of the school’s cash flow (i.e. no borrowing, no use of the long-term endowment investment, no larger-thanexpected tuition increases).

Our outstanding fundraising efforts also support the school’s entire tuition assistance program with dollars raised, not foregone tuition.

Every year, our CTK Finance Committee compares tuition rates with seven neighboring Catholic schools. For 2022-23 school year, CTK tuition rates continue to fall right in the middle of that seven-school peer group.

The outstanding education that our students receive from a dedicated, committed faculty combined with reasoned financial decision-making allow Christ the King to prosper. n

Calling all CTK Alumni

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 CTK graduates and build a strong, connected network of alumni. Get in touch with us!

Visit ctkschool.org/alumni

CTK

Where are They Now?

James Blattler ‘01

James Blattler graduated from CTK in 2001 and lives in Arroyo Grande, Calif. with his wife Lauren and three children Ella (5), and twin 2-year old boys Jack and Bennett. James currently works as the Emergency Manager for the City of San Luis Obispo. He attended CTK with his brothers Adam ‘00 and Mark ‘06.

Q: What is your fondest memory of CTK?

James: Some of my fondest memories were at the annual Festival. It’d be hard to find a better example of the great CTK community coming together. Looking back, the community and closeness of CTK, especially within my class, is what stands out.

Q: What was your educational pathway after CTK?

James: The high level of education [at CTK] really set me up for success after middle school. After Christ the King, I went to Alhambra High School, then to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where I majored in International Business Administration and minored in Global Politics. While my main driver and passion through my studies was to follow a career of service through an international organization, I found myself wanting to act more locally, which led me to where I am today

Q: Why did you choose a career in public service?

James: My time at CTK really instilled a strong sense of service in me. After CTK I was very involved in the Christ the King Youth Group where I was fortunate enough to attend five “Work Camp” trips including three separate weeks in Tijuana, Mexico, one week in Yakima, Wash., and one week in the tenderloin district of San Francisco. These weeks opened my eyes to the fact that even small efforts can have strong positive impacts on another person’s life.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your career?

James: As Emergency Manager for the City of San Luis Obispo, the thing I enjoy most is seeing that my efforts

are making improvements for my community. It’s very fulfilling to have the opportunity to help people, especially those community members that are most likely to face the greatest challenges and impacts during and after a major disaster or emergency including lower socio-economic groups.

Q: What advice do you have for current CTK students?

James: First, enjoy your time at CTK! My time spent there is some of my fondest childhood memories. Second, hold on tightly to your faith, family, and friendships. If there is one certainty about life, it’s change. Some of these changes will be easy and desired, others will be difficult and the last thing you’d choose. Having a strong faith and close relationships with family and friends help you navigate both the highs and lows of these inevitable changes. n

195-B Brandon Road Pleasant Hill, California 94523

A Christmas Blessing

May love come alive within your heart As Christmas time draws near. May hope fill each room you decorate And bring joy to those you hold dear. May peace be before you at every meal And faith ring through every song. For Christ is alive, the light of the world May He bless you all season long.