CKS Prepares for 75th Anniversary
Christ the King Catholic School is a small private school located in the heart of Broadview. It has a long tradition of providing affordable, excellent Catholic education and its students consistently score in the top percentile on nationwide standardized tests. But did you know that this school has been educating the children of North Seattle for over 74 years? 2014 marks an important year in CKS history. Next year Christ the King School is celebrating its 75th Anniversary! Even more exciting was the tremendous gift CKS received from an anonymous donor last year – a completed renovated school.
CKS 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 a few miles north of the then city limits. Father Fitzgerald bought a house on the SE corner of 117th and Phinney 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 with a staff of 4 Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and 94 students. The original 3-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 rededicated the parish as Christ the King, since a St. Anthony Church already existed in Renton. The 8th grade class of 1950 became the first graduates of Christ the King School (CKS). It is still possible to find graduates of St. Anthon
y School among current Christ the King parishioners!* In fact, Eileen Reddy Thompson was able to attend the rededication ceremony for the newly remodeled school which took place this September. Eileen was part of the first graduating class.
The Future of CKS
“What a gift. What a tremendous blessing.” These are words heard over and over on the CKS campus about the amazing gift of a completely remodeled school. The walls are fresh, the floors are new, and the bathrooms are no longer pink! CKS parents have even more plans to refresh the campus by raising money to install a new playground. It is this year’s fund-a-need for the CKS auction taking place on May 10, 2014. The school community as well as Broadview neighbors are invited to participate in the silent auction which will take place on the CKS campus. A purchased ticket is required to attend the live event later that evening. This event raises money for tuition assistance and will hopefully raise enough to build a new playground. The auction is also a reason to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the school. And what a school it is. One parent states, “To see the before and after pictures, well…it’s hard to believe this is the same school!” But there are two things that remain same –the tremendous community of parents, students, faculty and staff that are Christ the King and the excellent education the students receive.
*historical information from www.ckseattle.org
Important Dates
Preschool/Kindergarten Information Night: Jan. 23rd at 6:30pm
Open House: Jan. 26th at 11:30am
Fun, Friends and Facts Night (Middle School Open House): Feb. 19th at 6:30pm
Christ the King Catholic School
415 North 117th Street
Seattle, WA 98133
(206) 364-6890
Tours available Monday – Thursday at 9:30am or by appointment
