Christ the King offers exemplary, developmentally appropriate preschool and pre-K programs, with both half-day and full-day options. Our Early Childhood Education program has four classrooms which are distributed by age bands from 2.5 to 5 years old. Our youngest learners are placed in ECE 1 and are grouped according to approximate age bands throughout ECE 2, ECE 3 and ECE 4.
Students grow and learn in a small class and are deeply known and cared for by their teachers. Our professional faculty collaborate with each other and families to foster the growth and development of the whole child.
Our philosophy is based on active, participatory learning in which children build knowledge and learn about the world around them through a variety of activities. Through a combination of teacher-led and child-led activities, we ignite children’s interest in learning by creating an environment that encourages them to explore the world around them.
Early Childhood Philosophy
At Christ the King, we believe young children learn best when they feel safe, known, and loved. Our small, nurturing classes allow teachers to build meaningful relationships with each child and partner closely with families.
Our program supports the development of the whole child—spiritually, socially, emotionally, physically, and academically. Children learn through active participation, hands-on exploration, imaginative play, and meaningful interactions with teachers and peers. A thoughtful balance of teacher-guided instruction and child-initiated learning encourages students to ask questions, solve problems, express their creativity, and grow in confidence and independence.
Rooted in our Catholic faith, our classrooms help children experience God’s love, practice kindness, and recognize their important place within a caring community. Learning experiences are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and designed to honor the unique strengths, interests, and needs of each and every child.
Rooted in our Catholic faith, our classrooms help children experience God’s love, practice kindness, and recognize their important place within a caring community.
The ECE Philosophy
Curriculum Overview
Our curriculum incorporates the Archdiocese of Seattle Pre-K Standards and the Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines.
Faith Formation
Daily prayer, Bible stories, the Pflaum Seeds curriculum, special liturgies, and monthly Mass beginning with Ash Wednesday.
Early Literacy
Letter recognition, phonemic awareness, early reading skills, and proper letter formation through the Letterland curriculum.
Mathematics
Hands-on exploration of numbers, patterns, shapes, measurement, and problem-solving using McGraw Hill’s My Math!
Science and Social Studies
Meaningful investigations of nature, communities, cultures, and the world around us, enriched by Scholastic’s My Big World.
Social-Emotional Learning
Support for identifying emotions, building friendships, resolving conflicts, participating in routines, and developing independence.
Creative Arts
Daily opportunities for music, movement, dramatic play, and open-ended artistic expression, along with specialized, weekly music instruction.
Physical Development
Outdoor play each day, rain or shine, plus weekly gym time focused on movement, coordination, teamwork, and cooperative play.
Spanish
Weekly instruction introducing greetings, colors, numbers, animals, body parts, and other beginning vocabulary.
Faith, Celebration, and Community
Our ECE students are active members of the larger Christ the King community. Throughout the year, children build confidence, friendships, and a sense of belonging through special traditions and shared experiences, including:
Leading and participating in school assemblies
Celebrating Mass and special liturgies
All Saints’ Day Parade
Muffins in the Morning (Mother’s Day celebration)
Pedals & Pops (Father’s Day celebration)
Grandfriends Day
Letterland Celebration Day
Classroom holiday and birthday celebrations
Schoolwide community-building events
Program Options
Christ the King serves children ages 2½ through 5 in a Washington State DCYF-licensed early learning program. Families may choose from half-day and school-day schedules, with before and after school care options available for added flexibility.
Learning Garden
The ECE garden was designed to spark curiosity and foster a love for nature in our youngest learners. The raised vegetable and herb beds will provide opportunities for hands-on learning, where our students can plant, water, and watch their seeds grow.
Thank you to The Fulcrum Foundation and the Dick Abrams Early Childhood Endowment for their support of CKS’s ECE Program.
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.
Ioana Dragomirescu
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.
Lacie Hansen
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.
Sherri Higgins
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.
Alina Stuiber
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.
Suzanne Symons
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.
Jill Weaver
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.
Diane Wunder
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.
