Celebrating Ms. Cecchini – 2026 Teacher of the Week! 💙
Published on September 15, 2026
We have some very exciting news to share with our Christ the King community!
Our Principal and 8th Grade Teacher, Ms. Joanne Cecchini, has been named a 2026 WSECU Teacher of the Week!
Presented by Seattle Sports and WSECU, the Teacher of the Week program recognizes educators who go above and beyond to inspire students, change lives, and make a lasting difference in their communities. Just 24 outstanding teachers were selected for the 2026 honor, with each recipient receiving a $500 grant.
For those of us at Christ the King, it is hard to imagine anyone more deserving.
Ms. Cecchini was nominated by former CKS parent Dan Ivanis, whose two children each spent nine years at Christ the King. In his nomination, Dan described Ms. Cecchini as “the heart and soul of the school” and shared the impact her leadership has had not only on his own children, but on generations of CKS students and families.
Dan wrote about the many things that make a Christ the King education so special: the high academic standards Ms. Cecchini has helped establish, the teachers she has supported and encouraged, our Mass and Reading Buddy traditions, athletics and school spirit, and the intentional connections across grade levels that help make CKS feel like a community.
He also highlighted the extraordinary care Ms. Cecchini gives our eighth graders as they prepare to leave Christ the King. From Ritus, when students reflect on the memories, milestones, and lessons of their years together, to graduation, when Ms. Cecchini personally writes and reads an individual tribute for every graduate, she makes sure each student leaves knowing that they have been seen, known, valued, and loved.
Perhaps most remarkable is the longevity of that impact. Ms. Cecchini has dedicated 35 years to Christ the King School. During that time, she has helped educate and shape generations of students while building the traditions and sense of community that continue to define CKS today.
As Dan so beautifully shared in his nomination:
“More than just a great school, Christ the King is an exceptional community, and Ms. Cecchini deserves much of the credit.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Please join us in congratulating Ms. Joanne Cecchini, 2026 WSECU Teacher of the Week! We are incredibly proud to see someone who has given so much to Christ the King recognized by the greater Seattle community.
Congratulations, Ms. Cecchini — and thank you for 35 years of teaching, leading, cheering, mentoring, celebrating, and loving this community. 💙🐾
