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CtKprep Hosts First Spring Wellness Celebration
Saturday, May 1st was the day for parents to come, put their feet up and enjoy a little well-deserved pampering at Christ the King Prep's first Spring Wellness Celebration for CtK students and their families.
"Our parents work hard," said Fr. Robert Sandoz, Christ the King's President, "They deal with a lot of stress, particularly in today's difficult economy. This is our way of saying 'thank-you' to them for the sacrifices they make to send their children to a Catholic school."
The unique event, which was billed as "a relaxing day for Christ the King families" was organized by Integrative Health Consultant, Linda Rapuano, and included Mind-Body-Spirit offerings which ranged from chair massage, progressive relaxation exercises and talks on nutrition to adventure games in the school gym.
"While mom and dad were off getting chair massages or attending a healthy cooking demonstration, their children took part in age-appropriate activities which ranged from arts and crafts for little kids to an exciting assortment of initiative games for the older ones," said Pam Rauscher, PhD, CTK's Director of Admissions, who helped coordinate the event.
The initiative games were run by Project U.S.E., whose hands-on programs are designed to develop character and build community. "They're also a lot of fun," added Rauscher, who said that CTK's incoming freshman class will spend a full day at Project U.S.E.'s outdoor adventure site, Wildcat Mountain, as part of their pre-employment training in July.
One highlight of the Spring Wellness Celebration was a healthy and delicious luncheon prepared especially for the students and their families by Fr. Gregory Gebbia, who also serves as the Assistant Principal for Student Affairs. Two prayer services and a special blessing for parents and caregivers rounded out the day's events.
"At heart," said Rauscher, "it's all about balance, and wholeness of mind, body and spirit. This is what we wish for our families. It's what we hoped this day would provide."
The entire Christ the King family is very grateful to those friends who, through the gifts of their time, talents and treasure, made this day possible.
CtK Prep Visits “Finance Park”
Christ the King Prep enjoys a special partnership with Junior Achievement of New Jersey.
Through JA, the entire student body experienced 15 individual class sessions on the topic of financial literacy, and then had a most unusual and delightful visit to “Finance Park on March 24 and 25, 2010.
Capital One Bank, in cooperation with Junior Achievement, created a simulated financial institution in downtown Newark, so large that it occupied an entire floor of a an office building.
Employees of Capital One Bank volunteered as supervisors so that our students could work in small groups as each mapped out his or her own individual financial plan.
This fascinating activity presented each student with an “identity for the day”. A student might find his or her virtual identity as being married, having two children, needing to rent an apartment, buy a car, furnish a home, acquire insurance, or pay educational expenses. Alternatively, the student could be single, or be a single parent, and annual incomes assigned to the students all varied widely.
Students received thorough instruction in the use of debit and credit cards and in qualifying for loans. They gathered data about what their purchasing options were (do I buy a Chevrolet or a Mercedes-Benz?) then visited kiosks to make their purchases. Calculators were provided so that students could “crunch” their numbers to be sure they stayed within their financial means.
By the end of the exercise, students needed to know if their budget balanced, and if they had any money left over to put into savings. No one could leave until their bills were “paid” and their budget was balanced!
All of us at Christ the King Prep are grateful to Junior Achievement and Capital One Bank for this developmental benefit to improve the financial literacy of our students.
Jobs Summit a Great Success!!
Mayfair Farms in West Orange, NJ, was the setting for Christ the King Prep’s first Jobs Summit Breakfast. Executive decision-makers met on 
Thursday, March 11th, for a well-orchestrated event which focused exclusively on growing our Corporate Internship Program through the acquisition of additional partnerships in the corporate community.
Guests were welcomed to the event by our student ambassadors, and were treated to entertainment performed by our talented student Gospel choir and skilled musicians.
Several of our current corporate partners attended, as well as numerous “Friends of Christ the King Prep,” all of whom have worked hard to spread the word in the business community to recruit interested professionals from a cross-section of industries.
In his welcoming remarks, Fr. Robert Sandoz, our President, pointed out that the success of our “win-win” partnership with corporate sponsors resulted in a 100% acceptance rate of Cristo Rey Network graduates into colleges and universities throughout the country.
Next we heard from Lakia Haywood, Human Resources Consultant with 
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, who shared how impressed she has been with how well prepared and professional Christ the King Prep students are. She added that the relationship with Christ the King Prep is “win-win,” helping Blue Cross cost-effectively meet its entry-level administrative needs while also participating in educating and mentoring inner-city youth, providing them with opportunities that they otherwise would never have, and preparing them to be ready for college and the workplace.
Monica Nuñez,
CtK Prep student, class of 2011, then shared how working at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and First Care Medical Group has opened her eyes to the possibility of pursuing a career in medicine and health care. She added that one day in the future, she hopes to have the honor of Fr. Bob asking her to speak at a Jobs Summit, not as a student, but as a Corporate Sponsor.
Bart Erbach, Trustee of Christ the King Prep and President of Erbach Communications, invited the business community to share their ideas in an effort to provide more jobs for our students. He added that as we reach full enrollment in September, 2010, CtK Prep will need 15 more jobs in order to provide quality work experience for our students. “We fed you, we entertained you. Now we need your ideas.” The 100 plus guests then offered their suggestions and their contacts to help us meet our goal. The Jobs Summit also served as the launch of this newly re-designed website.
For more details on how to support
our Corporate Internship Program:
contact Sandra Lerner, Director of the Corporate Internship Program at slerner@ctkprep.org
CtK Prep Celebrates Black History Month
As a school of diversity, Christ the King Prep celebrates Black History Month with classes and activities that tell the story of the many contributions African Americans have made possible for all Americans to enjoy. This year, because of a most generous grant offered to us by the Montclair Art Museum, we were able to take our sophomore and juniors to the exhibit the museum has been hosting on African American art entitled “A Force For Change.”
Students spent an hour in the gallery enjoying, discussing and reflecting on works of art created between 1928 and 1948 by artists who were awarded grants from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. They then spent a second hour in one of the museum’s art studios designing and printing lithographs of some of the works produced by the Rosenwald fellows.
Through the generosity of the Montclair Art Museum our sophomores and juniors had the opportunity to briefly see and experience the art that has been a force for change in the long pilgrimage towards justice, peace and beauty for all Americans.
Christ the King Prep Prays for Family Members
and Earthquake Victims in Haiti
The school community of Christ the King Preparatory School in Newark gathered to pray for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Over 30 Christ the King Prep students are of Haitian descent. Many are still waiting for news on the condition of family members who live in this island nation.
In addition to the ongoing prayer, students and staff have initiated a series of fundraising efforts to support the people of Haiti. Collection jars have been placed in classrooms and bake-sales are being held to raise money to help those in need. Also, students will sponsor a “Poetry Slam” and a benefit, entitled “Voices of Hope for Haiti” in the Spring. Posters bearing words of hope and support hang in the hallways of the school as encouragement for those affected by this tragedy.
