THE SCEPTRE Volume 25, Number 3
Summer 2016
A Publication of Christ the King School, Nashville, TN • A Primary Education Ministry of Christ the King Parish
• National Junior Honor Society • End of the Year Events • Alumni & Student News
A MESSAGE FROM MRS. WOODMAN Dear Families and Friends, The month of June presents a golden opportunity to review the past academic year. One of the highlights for 2015-2016 was our External Review for AdvancEd Performance Accreditation. This review process gives us valuable feedback on how well we are fulfilling our mission to provide academic excellence, while teaching students to lead Christ-centered lives. A team of diocesan education professionals conducted a review visit, observing classes, reviewing evidence of high performance on school standards, and interviewing students, parents, and school personnel. The review team found Christ the King to have powerful practices in our consistent school improvement process, support for individual student learning needs, and school culture reflecting our Catholic identity and purpose. The resulting report helps us see possibilities for continued growth as we collaborate to use student performance data to target instruction and encourage student use of technology for new applications. The team congratulated us on maintaining an outstanding environment for learning and encouraged us to tell our story through new venues and practices. This affirmation of the work of the school energizes us as we strive toward our goals. Summer has arrived and our community members recognize the season’s potential for respite and opportunity. While many escape to vacations, camps, and recreation for renewing the spirit, they also seize openings to learn, create, read, build, pray, and think. Our students and parents are not the only ones seeking opportunities this summer. Teachers are pursuing professional development both online and onsite. Weekly Skype lessons with her Guatemalan Spanish teacher keep Ms. Zolezzi fluent. Mrs. Nicholson and Miss Osborne are traveling to Atlanta for a conference on engaging academics and classroom management techniques. It’s off to Knoxville for Mrs. Mathew for a week of continuing education for her Early Childhood Education endorsement. Ms. Unwin is taking a Wilson Language course for strategies to help struggling readers and spellers. Mrs. Gorman is pursuing a virtual conference on engaging young students in science. Middle school math teachers are researching new materials for interactive math journals. CKS teachers are models of lifelong learning for their students! The classrooms are mostly silent and the hallways are now empty, but in the background much is happening to provide another year of excellence in Catholic education for CKS students beginning in August. A new website design is underway and new social media accounts have launched to help us better communicate with the school, parish, and broader communities. The development office is working on next year’s fundraising events and sponsorship, while finishing the current fiscal year’s activities. The maintenance team is busily repairing, replacing, painting, and cleaning for a fresh look in August. Office staff has ordered books and supplies to be ready for the first week of school. The administrative team of the school, along with parish leadership, is investigating options for enhanced campus security measures through additional security cameras, playground fencing, and entry procedures, pursuant to the School Board’s cyclical review of school security. The school library collection is being weeded to make room for up-to-date new selections, which our young readers will appreciate. Grades K-8 are all receiving Scholastic Trait Crates, which are supplementary materials to enhance writing instruction throughout the school. A new science program, complete with lab materials and teacher training, has been ordered to bring our students the best STEM education we can offer. These are but some of the summer activities “behind the scenes.” How are these summer purchases and improvements possible? It is through the generosity of our friends and benefactors, who donated to our Corporate Sponsorship Program, the CTK Community Festival, A Crown Affair, and Annual Giving Fund this year. You make opportunities happen for CKS learners with your faithful support. Thank you for another banner year for our school and a promising new year to anticipate. Sincerely, Mrs. Sherry Woodman Principal
On the cover: PreK planted some new trees (with the help of PreK dad, Thomas Solinsky), in the front of the school.
CKS HAPPENINGS
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Awards: Out of the eight School-Level Winners of the Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Contest, Christ the King School once again had State-Level Winners whose entries are being sent to compete at the National level. Congratulations to all of our winners, and to the State-Level winners: Ellie Schulz (2nd grade), Josie Richards (8th grade), Faith Geshwiler, 2nd year running, (5th grade), and Ellie Bryan, 2nd year running, (6th grade) pictured at left. Our School-Level Winners were: Charlotte Buergler (Kdg), Emerson Darr, 2nd year, (1st grade), Ellie Schulz (2nd grade), Audrey Rose Hulse (3rd grade), Kailey Nicholson (4th grade), Faith Geshwiler (5th grade), Ellie Bryan (6th grade), Brooklyn McCarty (7th grade), Josie Richards (8th grade).
We are once again putting together our Corporate Sponsorship Program for the 2016-2017 school year. Becoming a CKS sponsor is a great way to support the school while showcasing your family or business. Through various marketing and advertising platforms, your company or name will be visible at Christ the King Church and School events, our online auction, other fundraisers and printed and online communications. Christ the King is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. For more information on CKS sponsorship packages and how you can support this program, contact our Director of Development, Anna Beth Godfrey at annabeth.godfrey@cks-nashville.org or (615) 777-8975.
The Teacher Award of Excellence was awarded this year to Librarian, Rhonda Keckley. The award is given based on votes of fellow teachers for excellence in teaching. Mrs. Keckley has been on the faculty of Christ the King School since 2011, and retired at the end of this school year. She will be missed and we hope to see her around school again, volunteering.
The Alice Valiquette Citizenship Award: An award created in honor of CKS former principal Mrs. Valiquette, is given annually to one student who displays qualities of good citizenship throughout the year and their name is placed on a plaque which hangs in the hall of the school. This year’s winner is Carson Dunn, PreK. Class level recipients: PreK-Carson Dunn; K-Charlotte Buergler; 1st-Rosemary Numnum; 2nd-Ellie Schulz; 3rd-Wyatt Stany; 4thMcKay McGuinness; 5th-Lily Rohling; 6th-Steven Vanden Noven; 7th-James Hill; 8th-Danielle Meacham. www.cksraiders.org
ALUMNI NEWS Matthew Canonico ‘12 not only graduated as the Father Ryan Class of 2016 Valedictorian, but has taken nine AP courses and finished with a 5.0023 weighted GPA. He was inducted into the Cum Laude Society, Latin Honor Society, Chinese Honor Society, Cardinal Newman Association, Mu Alpha Theta Society, Father Black Honor Society and National Honor Society. He excelled in academics, and at cross country and track at the highest levels. He was awarded the Coach’s Award in 2014, the Champions Award in 2015, and the Father Ryan Summer Challenge award three times. He’s also been named an All Metro Runner, Metro Champion, Regional Medalist and City and State Runner-Up. Outside of the classroom and athletic fields, he has shown real leadership skills as the National Honor Society President, Cum Laude Society President, Mu Alpha Theta Treasurer, Cross Country Co-Captain and Class Representative for Grades 10, 11 and 12. He has also served as a part of the Room in the Inn Service Crew, as a SEARCH participant for two years and as a Student Ambassador and Minister of Holy Communion for Father Ryan. Matthew is headed off to college at the University of Notre Dame next year, following in the footsteps of brothers, Domenic ‘08 and Michael ‘11. At left: Coach Dan Catignani, CKS Class of 1970, was honored with the Distinguished Coaches’ Award. Dan says he’s retiring, but we hope he will change his mind and be back to share his talents, pictured with some of his former players. At right: John Hupka, CKS Class of 1973, presents a check for the Steve Hupka Diversity Scholarship (established by his late father), pictured with this year’s recipients, Steven and Sophie Vanden Noven.
Do you have news to share? Let us know! Email Jeanette Neuhoff Vogt, Class of 1976, at jeanette.vogt@ctk.org with any news or events. We would love to hear what our alumni are doing!
FIRST ANNUAL RUBIK’S CUBE COMPETITION (Left to right) Julianne Zenor, Matthew Beacom (far right of challengers), Hudson Thienel, Jacob Frost and Garett Goodrum.
Coach Mark Vance, with the help of assistant, Joey Presa (8th grade), hosted the First Annual Rubik’s Cube Competition the last week of school. Different criteria were given for each level, getting more difficult the older the students. Winners were: 1st/2nd grades - Julianne Zenor (1st grade), 3rd/4th grades - Hudson Thienel (3rd grade), 5th grade - Jacob Frost; 6th grade - Garrett Goodrum; All challengers together: Matthew Beacom (8th grade) with a winning time of 43 seconds. www.cksraiders.org
STUDENT NEWS
National Junior Honor Society Induction 2016: New members - Brooke Cullison, Charlie Deckbar, Sam
Deckbar, James Hill, Marilee Hulse, Ian Jones, Gretchen Lux, Stephanie Meyer, Thomas Numnum, Emily Phan, Madison Schletzer, Mac Skinner, Ben Strobel, Benjamin Sutton, Dylan Timmons, Jill Tinsey, Parker Wall, Maggie Wehby, Grey Wilder, Lilly Wilder, Hayden Zenor. Current members: Emily Brackman, Rachel Cullison ‘15, Rebecca Darke, Quen Deckbar ‘14, Samantha Grover, Thomas Hill ‘14, Nadia Hobeika, Sebastian Jones ‘15, Danielle Meacham, Jeanne Meyer ‘14, Rachel Phan ‘14, Kendall Rosinski, Tori Rowan, Alex Strobel ‘14, Grant Tinsey, Isaac Vandenbergh, Joseph Wehby. At right: Hayden Zenor receives his light from Rebecca Darke.
Spelling Bee Winners and Participants
At left: The lower division winners were Carly Cavanaugh, 1st place; Colleen Alvis, 2nd place, and Hailey Wondem, 3rd place. At right: The upper division winners Henry Zenor (1st place), Michael O’Connell (2nd place), and Steven Vanden Noven (3rd place). Rising 6th grader, Henry Zenor, will represent us at the Metro Spelling Bee in the fall. Runner-up and rising 7th grader, Steven Vanden Noven, will attend with Henry as an alternate.
Honor Graduates: Honor Graduates were presented at the
Academic Banquet: Joey Presa, Isaac Vandenbergh, Joseph Wehby, Danielle Meacham, Rebecca Darke, and Nadia Hobeika. Joey, Isaac, Joseph, Rebecca and Nadia achieved Honor Roll (all A’s & B’s) every quarter from 3rd through 8th grade. Danielle achieved Principal’s List (all A’s) every quarter 3rd through 8th grade.
Duke Tip: Grey Wilder and Emily
Mathletes: Our math-
letes brought home a 3rd place plaque from Math Day. 6th grade - Jaxon Anton, Garrett Goodrum; 7th grade - Emily Phan, Grey Wilder; 8th grade Emily Brackman, Karly Guzda; Algebra - Danielle Meacham, Joey Presa.
www.cksraiders.org
Phan’s scores on the Duke University Talent Identification Program aptitude tests earned them recognition at the Grand Ceremony on May 9th at Belmont University.
SACRAMENTS 2016
www.cksraiders.org
SPRING EVENTS
A visit from the Nashville Zoo, the Father Ryan Drumline, author William Joyce, the Spring Concert; Julius Caesar by the Drama Club and a little Dexter Dash
www.cksraiders.org
DATES TO REMEMBER July 18-22 Vacation Bible School August 4 5:00p New PreK Student Party 8 9:00a-12:00p Registration Day/ Open House 9 5:00p New K Student Picnic 10 First Day of School - Full Day 17 First Full Day for Pre-K and K 24 6:30p H&S Back to School Night
September 2 12:00p Dismissal 5 Labor Day - NO SCHOOL 10 CTK Community Festival 19 Diocesan Professional Dev. - NO SCHOOL October 3-7 Fall Break - NO SCHOOL 10 Columbus Day - SCHOOL IN SESSION 16 Parent/Teacher Conferences 17 NO SCHOOL November 3-4 CKS Professional Development - NO SCHOOL
The students, faculty and staff lined the halls to cheer for the CKS Class of 2016 as they dismissed for the last time.