Faculty and Staff

I have a Masters in Teaching from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. As an anthropologist, I lived and worked in Southeast Asia, primarily Burma, Thailand, and Indonesia. I have also traveled extensively and conducted volunteer work in other parts of the world. When my two children entered elementary school, I became involved in their school, first as a volunteer and later as a consultant for Seattle Public Schools. Through this work, I discovered my true vocation as an intermediate elementary teacher. I hold a Washington State K-8 Teaching Certificate and have a highly qualified endorsement in Elementary Education. I feel very blessed to be here at Christ the King!

As seventh grade homeroom teacher, I find new ways each day to be inspired and amazed by my middle school students. I am a Seattle native who attended Christ the King and then later graduated from Holy Names Academy. Both my undergraduate and post-graduate work were completed at the University of Washington. This is my 20th year of teaching, both in Washington and California, with the majority of those years being in the middle school grades. I believe firmly in Catholic education and have two grown children who flourished in their Catholic education. I have been teaching at CKS since 2021 and feel blessed to be part of this special community.

About Me

I am grateful to be part of the Christ the King community. I am in my fourth year at CKS, my tenth year teaching Pre-K, my ninth year as an early childhood director, and my second year as vice principal.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and French and a Washington State teaching certificate with an endorsement in elementary education. I am currently completing my principal internship through Eastern Washington University’s Master of Education in Educational Leadership program and look forward to graduating with my Washington State Principal Certificate in June 2027.

A lifelong North Seattle resident and Catholic school graduate—go Bears!—I am also the proud mother of two daughters. In 2025, I was honored to receive the St. John Baptist de La Salle Educator Excellence Award from the Fulcrum Foundation.

My Teaching Philosophy

I believe children learn best when they feel safe, loved, and joyful. My classroom is rooted in Catholic faith, meaningful relationships, and a strong sense of community. Through purposeful play, hands-on learning, and developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive practices, children are encouraged to explore, create, solve problems, and grow in confidence.

I value partnering closely with families and helping children develop independence, mindfulness, and positive problem-solving skills. Above all, my goal is for every child to love school and feel loved at school.

I consider teaching in a Catholic school my life’s greatest and most life-giving labor of love. I have served as eighth grade homeroom teacher in Seattle Archdiocesan schools for over 40 years and as CKS Principal since 2013. I earned a BA in English from CSULA, moved to Seattle from California in 1980, earned a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Seattle University, and was awarded my degree in School Administration from Saint Martin’s University. I love salt water, poetry, and sports of all kinds.

I have been lucky to be part of the CKS community since 2009 when my oldest daughter joined the preschool program here at age 3. I have held a number of volunteer roles including Parent Club president, yearbook coordinator, SCRIP Coordinator, CYO coach, and room parent, to name a few. In 2022, when my youngest daughter was entering 8th grade, I joined the staff as the Office Administrator. 

I have over 25 years administrative experience, including working in HR for Starbucks, Legal Assistant for a local estate planning attorney and virtual assistant for a local podcaster. I love being a part of the CKS community!

Born and raised in Romania, I lived there for 35 years before settling in the U.S. I hold a degree in Economics, and I am currently pursuing my Washington State teaching certification. For the past decade I’ve worked and volunteered with children, the last two years as a teacher assistant in ECE1 and ECE4 at Christ the King School.

What I love most about working with kids is their curiosity, the endless questions, the willingness to play and explore without hesitation. It keeps my work fun and meaningful every day.

Outside the classroom, I enjoy traveling, pottery, reading, and playing board games with family and friends.

Hello Fourth Grade Families,

My name is Rachel Fairbanks, and I am so excited to be teaching your children this year! This is my 13th year teaching at Christ the King, and I feel so fortunate to be a part of such a loving community of teachers, parents, and students. I have a B.A. in English Literature from Trinity College in Connecticut and a Masters in Education from the University of Massachusetts. I am licensed to teach both Elementary School and Middle and High School Language Arts. Before joining the CKS family, I taught First and Second Grade at St. Cecilia Catholic School on Bainbridge Island. I am a graduate of Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona, and I am passionate about Catholic education. 

Father Chad Green began as pastor of our new parish family of Christ the King and St. Luke in summer 2024.  He grew up in Federal Way at St. Vincent and St. Theresa Parishes.  After receiving degrees in civil engineering and sociology, he worked in Seattle in structural engineering building design and construction management.  While enjoying his work in the building industry, he was also growing in faith, prayer, and involvement in his parish (Blessed Sacrament), which led him to consider that God was calling him to love and serve as a priest.

 Father Green attended St. Patrick’s Seminary (Calif.) and Theological College (D.C.) before completing his formation at Mount Angel Seminary (Ore.).  He was ordained to the priesthood at St. James Cathedral on June 3, 2017.

Hello! My name is Emily Gutierrez, and I am the Admissions Director, as well as Instructional Aide in our 1st grade classroom. I always say I get the best of both worlds, spending time with some of our youngest learners & also telling prospective families about how much I love our school! I was born and raised in Seattle and graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A in English Literature. I am grateful to have joined the Christ the King Community where our family began attending Mass in 2011. When my children started attending school, I began volunteering in various roles. I was thrilled to join as an instructional aide in the first-grade classroom in early 2025, and later that same year, became the Admissions Director. Whether working with students, or spending time with potential families, I strive to see the best in everyone & show that all are welcome here!

I graduated from Gonzaga University and worked in higher education and marketing before deciding to stay home for several years with my three children. Once they reached school age, I earned certifications in early childhood education, and began substitute teaching, where I fell in love with the joy and magic of being in the classroom. Come visit ECE 2 anytime to see what we’re up to! I promise you’ll leave with a smile on your face and a little glitter on your shoes.

I joined the Christ the King School community in 2022, and I feel truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful and supportive community.

I attended Spokane Falls Community College, where I studied Early Childhood Education. I have been working with children for over 40 years and have loved every step of the journey. Teaching young children is truly my passion, and I especially enjoy helping little learners grow in confidence, independence, and a love of learning.

One of my greatest joys as an educator is creating a warm, loving, and nurturing classroom where every child feels safe, valued, and excited to learn. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of each child’s early learning experience and to watch them learn, grow, and discover the world around them.

This is my fifth year at Christ the King School and my 20th year in education. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and later in the Seattle area of Washington. I enjoy spending time with my family, being in nature, and playing with my dog, Fluffy. I believe that every child has unique gifts, and I love creating a classroom where students feel supported, challenged, and excited to learn. I am so excited to be a part of the Christ the King community!

I am so excited to join Christ the King School as the 1st grade teacher! I bring six years of teaching experience working with elementary-aged students and a passion for creating classrooms where children feel welcomed, supported, and excited to learn. Throughout my teaching career, I have had the opportunity to teach 1st grade, kindergarten, and science, which has helped me develop engaging lessons that encourage students’ curiosity, independence, and love of learning.

Having grown up attending Catholic school myself back home in Pennsylvania, I understand the special sense of community, faith, and belonging that Catholic education provides. I am excited to bring that experience into my classroom and help my students grow academically, socially, and spiritually throughout their first-grade year.

One of my favorite parts of teaching is helping children discover the joy of reading. I love watching the excitement on a child’s face when they discover a new book or realize they can read something independently.

Outside of school, I enjoy reading, baking, kayaking, and spending time with my family and friends. I earned my degree in Early Childhood Education from Holy Family University.

Hello, from your friendly neighborhood Art Teacher! I live locally, in Shoreline, with my husband, 2 kids, and 2 axolotls. I enjoy the outdoors, travel, live performance painting, and cooking. I feel honored to be helping get the kids at CKS excited about art in a variety of forms. I come with 20 years of art experience and a passion for making the world a more beautiful place for all. Currently, I am following the Art of Education’s Art curriculum for grades K-8. Each grade will go through up to 10 different units, all with a unique focus. My top priorities in the classroom are collaboration, growth, and creativity. Cheers to another wonderful year at CKS!

During my senior year at Gonzaga University, the opportunity arose to be a corp member in Teach for America post graduation. I graduated with my Bachlor of Science in Biology degree, and I left my home state of Washingon to spend two years teaching 8th grade social studies in Dallas,TX. While in Teach for America, I discovered my passion for teaching and earned my Masters of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Texas, but I was excited return home to Washington and join the Christ the King community.

Hello from your music teacher! While I love all music, my first love is band. I’ve played clarinet and saxophone since I was in 5th grade, and flute since high school. I’ve been involved in many bands and drama productions over the years. I am currently in a group called the Lynnwood Community Band, a volunteer organization that promotes lifelong music for musicians of all ages! I currently play clarinet in the Concert Band, conduct the Jazz Band, and am a member of the Board of Directors. Outside of music I like to travel, visit family in Montana and Wisconsin, play basketball and soccer, watch various sports, watch local live performances, spend time outside, playD&D with friends, and crochet. I live in the Mill Creek area with my husband, two cats and a turtle.

My name is Miss Rogers and I have been teaching now for seven years in both Spokane and Seattle schools. I have always had a passion for working with kids, which led me to pursue a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Teaching, both at Gonzaga University (GO ZAGS!). I truly love this age during the 2^nd Grade year because it is filled with such fun learning and even more important growth milestones! This will be my 4th year here at CKS and from my experience of going to Catholic and Jesuit schools my entire life, I can honestly say that CKS is one of the best communities that I have had the privilege of being a part of! I am really looking forward to our upcoming year together filled with such fun learning activities planned and I’m even more excited to begin making lifelong memories with all you and your wonderful kiddos as we embark on this journey together in 2^nd Grade!

Everyone is capable of learning if they apply themselves. My hope as a teacher is to instill a foundation for students to be engaged lifelong learners. It is important that students understand the power that they are capable of wielding by actively participating in their education. A student’s willingness to learn creates an educational environment where they choose to be a teachable student. 

My name is Darick Sotelo. I was born in Portland, but my early childhood was spent in Arkansas before my family moved to Seattle. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. I’ve been teaching at CKS since 2015. The panther pride extends to my three kids, two of which currently attend and receive an education from CKS. When I’m not teaching in the classroom, I spend much of my time participating, watching, and coaching sports.

Science is the study of the world around us, the world we live in and interact with every day, but it’s also the study of how to learn.  Science teaches us to research, experiment, and analyze data to come to reasoned conclusions.  You can find science in everything from medicine to math to movie making, and you can find everything in science including literature and music.  This is why I like to say “science is everything, everything is science.”

My name is Matthew St. Pierre and I enjoy science almost as much as I enjoy teaching.  I’m a Seattle native and graduated from Gonzaga University in Spokane with a BA in Biology and a teaching certification.  I have taught at CKS since 2019.  Prior to that I spent some years with a local driver education company, teaching people of all ages how to drive and training new instructors.

I have two children, both of whom attend CKS.  I teach and send my kids here because I enjoy the approach to education and social enrichment that CKS has to offer.  I hope you will have as good an experience here as my family has, especially in my classroom.

If you have questions about class, or just want some cool science experiments you can do at home, I invite you to contact me via e-mail.

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” – Carl Sagan

Catholic education has been woven into my family for generations. My mom has spent much of her career teaching in Seattle Catholic Schools, I grew up as a student in Seattle Catholic schools, and today I’m raising my own children in the same community. Being able to now work within Catholic education myself feels like a wonderful full-circle chapter in a story that has been part of my life since I moved to Seattle at age 10.

I attended Seton Hall University in New Jersey, where I majored in Communications. My professional path has taken me through communications, sales, entertainment, education, theater, fundraising, and community building—an eclectic mix that turns out to be pretty perfect for a career in development! I love connecting with people, dreaming up big ideas, and finding creative ways to turn those ideas into something meaningful.

As Development Director at Christ the King School, I get to do so many of the things I love most: tell the story of our school, build relationships, bring people together, create memorable events and experiences, and help our community grow. Most of all, I love being part of a school where students and families are known, valued, and truly feel like they belong.

My journey with the Christ the King community began as a parent during the pandemic. From the very beginning, our family felt warmly welcomed, and we discovered a caring and enriching educational environment for our children. I later had the wonderful opportunity to join the early education team as an assistant teacher. With more than 10 years of experience working with children in preschool and elementary settings, I find great joy and fulfillment in helping young students learn and grow. I hold a bachelor’s degree in special education and a Washington State certificate in early childhood education from North Seattle College.

Outside the classroom, I love reading, crafting, and spending quality time with my family.

I believe every child deserves a loving, safe, and nurturing environment where they feel valued and inspired to learn, explore, and grow. I am grateful to partner with families and help each child build confidence, discover their unique strengths, and feel truly at home in our school community.

I love teaching at Christ the King and am grateful to be part of such a wonderful school community! I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Washington and am currently pursuing my master’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

Before returning to teaching, my professional background included ministry and social services. A lifelong Pacific Northwest native—Go Dawgs!—the Seattle area has always been home.

I believe young children learn best when they feel safe, loved, and connected to their classroom community. I strive to create a joyful classroom where children are encouraged to be curious, explore, build friendships, and develop a sense of wonder about the world around them.

Through purposeful play, hands-on experiences, and developmentally appropriate learning, I encourage children to try new things, solve problems, learn from mistakes, and discover just how capable they are. I value partnering with families and supporting the whole child as they grow socially, emotionally, cognitively, physically, and spiritually.

Above all, I want each child to know they are loved, that they belong, and that school is a joyful place to learn and grow.

My journey with the Christ the King community began as a parent during the pandemic. From the very beginning, our family felt warmly welcomed, and we discovered a caring and enriching educational environment for our children. I later had the wonderful opportunity to join the early education team as an assistant teacher. With more than 10 years of experience working with children in preschool and elementary settings, I find great joy and fulfillment in helping young students learn and grow. I hold a bachelor’s degree in special education and a Washington State certificate in early childhood education from North Seattle College.

Outside the classroom, I love reading, crafting, and spending quality time with my family.

I believe every child deserves a loving, safe, and nurturing environment where they feel valued and inspired to learn, explore, and grow. I am grateful to partner with families and help each child build confidence, discover their unique strengths, and feel truly at home in our school community.

I have been working in education for approximately 16 years in different capacities, and I am a fluent Spanish speaker. I graduated in 2011 with an M.Ed in Guidance Counseling (k-12th) with an ESA certification. My passion about school counseling is helping students reach their maximum potential and helping students discover tools that will help them thrive. I believe everyone has a story and everyone has something this world needs. I love spending time with my family and some of my hobbies include cooking, reading, and traveling.

I have always had a love for children and wanted to make it a career, so my journey started in 1994 when I opened a home daycare. In 2004 I opened the first of two childcare centers in Lynnwood and celebrated 18 incredible years of serving my community. In 2014 I became a foster parent, and I am proud to say I have helped raise some of the most amazing children. In 2022, I joined the CKS family. I absolutely love my job and enjoy watching our little ones discover the world around them. I have three daughters and four grandchildren who are my everything. I look forward to meeting your little one.

My journey at CKS began in 2022, when I joined a Pre-K classroom here as an Assistant Teacher. What started as a new chapter in my teaching career quickly became one of my favorite jobs—and one of the places where I feel most at home. This year, I’m especially excited to be incorporating another area I love: teaching mathematics!

I actually began my teaching career in Middle School Mathematics in a few neighboring public schools after graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in Mathematics and Education. I currently hold a K–8 teaching certificate, along with a Mathematics Education endorsement for grades 4–12.

Not many people can say they get to spend their days doing two of their favorite things, but I feel incredibly fortunate that CKS has given me the opportunity to do just that: teach our youngest learners and share my love of mathematics with our older students.