Honoring 2025’s Salutatorian and Valedictorian
June 11, 2025
Back when The Lion King roared into theaters and a little start-up named Amazon was just getting off the ground, Cascade Christian Schools marked a milestone of its own: the first graduating class of 1994 crossed the stage, turned their tassels, and stepped into the future. Now, 31 years later, we proudly celebrate another remarkable group of students who have witnessed history and created memories unique to their generation. Congratulations to the Class of 2025—you’ve made it!
Two discerning leaders in this wonderful class of students were selected as valedictorian and salutatorian and
+received the honor of speaking at Commencement. We are so proud of all they have accomplished and would like to honor them here.
Alexandra Altomare, 2025’s salutatorian, completed her academic career at CCS with a 4.00 GPA. She demonstrated strong academic commitment by taking seven AP classes, one honors class, and one concurrent credit course. Beyond the classroom, Alexandra was an active member of the cheer team and served faithfully on the worship team for three years. She led with authenticity and heart, making a meaningful impact on her peers and the school community.
Alexandra’s AP English teacher, Mr. Ziesing, has shared this about her:
“Over the past two years, I have been blown away by Alexandra's humility: she is incredibly intelligent and yet entirely down-to-earth. It would be easy for her to become arrogant; instead, she consistently expresses humility in her learning. One of the clearest pictures of her has been her consistent dedication to a life with God. There is seldom a day when she does not have her Bible within palm's reach.”
Alec Schumacher, 2025’s valedictorian, concluded his academic career at Cascade Christian with a 4.00 GPA. Throughout high school, he pursued an ambitious academic path, completing two honors classes, five AP courses, one concurrent credit course, and enough dual enrollment coursework to earn his Associate of Science degree. In addition to his academic achievements, Alec served as the lead programmer and driver for the school’s robotics team. His contributions were instrumental in helping the team secure a championship title this year.
Alec’s math teacher, Mr. Manchester, says this about Alec:
“Alec is in a class of his own with regard to his excellence and consistency in academic achievement. He has shown a sincere love for STEM content and has reached great heights through countless classes, internships, robotics competitions, and much more while in high school. He has also been a great role model and leader among his classmates. He is uniquely gifted and will continue to accomplish even greater things beyond CCS.”
Once again, we congratulate the Class of 2025 for finishing high school at CCS. While the road ahead may be filled with occasional potholes or traffic, we know that God will equip each of you to face those challenges when they arise. God is with you, He is for you, and He will never forsake you. You can be still and trust Him; even when.
Verse chosen by the Class of 2025:
Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
—2 Timothy 2:22 (NASB)
Even When...
June 04, 2025
As we wind down the final days of the 2024-25 school year, I find myself reflecting on the many ways in which we have been able to apply our spiritual theme of “Be Still” throughout the year. And, interestingly, we have had the opportunity to experience the second phrase of the theme, “even when,” to a greater degree than we may have liked and/or chosen.
We had the opportunity to be still, even when it took way longer than anticipated to receive approval from the City of Puyallup to place portable classrooms on Pioneer Campus for Puyallup Elementary.
We had the opportunity to be still, even when various athletic seasons ended sooner than we wanted them to.
We had the opportunity to be still, even when we didn’t perform as well as we had hoped on final academic assessments.
We had the opportunity to be still, even when we experienced extreme losses or hardships.
We had the opportunity to be still, even when we were tempted to be angry, frustrated, or doubtful.
The bottom line is that life can bring us many “even when” moments. However, when they do come, we can lean into God’s goodness, God’s peace, God’s strength, God’s comfort, and a long list of other attributes God equips us with for the moments we are experiencing. My prayer for us all is that we would continue to “Be Still” in whatever form is warranted as we experience all that life brings us and that we would maintain the confidence that God is faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
In His service and with deep gratitude,
Ken
Thank You, PELC Families!
May 28, 2025
Dear PELC parents and families,
As we come to the close of another wonderful school year, we want to take a moment to reflect, celebrate, and express our heartfelt gratitude for the trust and partnership you’ve shared with us.
It has been an absolute joy to watch your children grow, explore, and flourish in so many ways. From first friendships and new words to creative artwork and learning through play, every milestone has been meaningful. Each child has brought their unique personality and light into our days, and we feel honored to have been a part of their journey.
This year, we embraced the spiritual theme “Be Still,” a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and notice the small, sacred moments in our days. We saw this lived out in the quiet curiosity during story time, the stillness of little hands planting seeds, and the peaceful confidence that grew as children learned to trust and be known.
We also shared many joyful moments through special events that brought our community even closer:
- Fall Fun Day gave us all the joy of autumn with games, crafts, and big smiles.
- Our Christmas Program filled hearts with warmth and wonder as the children sang and celebrated the season.
- Family Night was a beautiful evening of connection, laughter, and shared memories.
- And, of course, the excitement of Dump Truck Day gave us wide eyes and loud cheers—what a thrill!
We are proud of the curiosity, kindness, and resilience we’ve seen blooming in each classroom. We know that none of this would be possible without the love and support you provide at home. Thank you for entrusting us with your little ones and for being such a vital part of our Puyallup ELC family.
As we prepare for summer and look ahead to the new school year, we send our blessings to those moving on to new adventures, and we look forward with excitement to welcoming returning families back for another fun-filled season of growth and learning.
Wishing you a joyful, restful summer with much laughter, connection, and memory-making!
With gratitude and warmth,
Heather Churchill and Jennifer Lewis
Infant/Toddler Program Supervisor and Preschool Program Supervisor
Farewell, Elementary School
May 21, 2025
Cascade Christian Schools has really made a huge impact on both my life and my faith. Whether spontaneously praying with you during reading or coming over to help you personally, the staff at CCS are here to make sure you feel known and valued. I came to CCS in second grade during 2020, not really knowing what to expect. It was hard to start out the year online, but my teacher, Mrs. Vilhauer, taught us well and made personal connections with us. Making friends was easy, even for a once shy second grader like me. Over the years, I have made so many memories and friends. There was one time when we all got to eat Goldfish crackers in fourth grade, and another time when we surprised Mrs. Peterson with flowers on Principal’s Day in sixth grade. I will miss you in the adventures ahead, Puyallup Elementary!
“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” —Psalm 126:3 (NIV)
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