by Kevin Cody
American Martyrs Catholic School in Manhattan Beach has enrolled 57 students from Pacific Palisades in the past two weeks. The students and their families are evacuees from the Palisades Fire. Almost all homes, businesses and schools in their community of 23,000 were damaged or destroyed by the fire, including Corpus Christi School.
Corpus Christi, like American Martyrs, is a Catholic elementary school. The majority of American Martyrs’ new enrollees attended Corpus Christi, American Martyrs Principal Kris Knowles said.
Though Martyrs’ enrollment is at capacity, with 709 students, Knowles said the American Martyrs community has warmly welcomed the new students.
And though the Palisades is on the opposite end of the Santa Monica Bay, nearly 30 miles, and an hour’s drive away, for many Corpus Christi parents, American Martyrs was their first choice for their kids’ new school because of the many bonds between Corpus Christ and American Martyrs families, Knowles said.
Tuesday, two weeks after the CJ Schellenberg family fled their Palisades Highlands home because of the fire, their seven-year-old boy joined other Corpus Christi evacuees at American Martyrs.
“Our son was so happy to be back in school, he nearly skipped to his first grade class,” his dad said.
Though CJ Schellenberg grew up in the Palisades, and attended Corpus Christi, he and his family already knew many American Martyrs, as well as other Manhattan Beach families.
Schellenberg went to Loyola High School, a Catholic school in downtown Los Angeles, which many American Martyrs graduates also attend.
So many Manhattan Beach students attend Loyola that the school has arch rival status with Mira Costa High School. Schellenberg played on the 2005 Loyola volleyball team that lost to Mira Costa during the regular season, and then defeated Mira Costa in the CIF Division 1 Southern Section title match. He made more Manhattan Beach friends as a four-year-starter on the volleyball team at USC, a favorite university among Manhattan residents.
Schellenberg described his home in the Palisades Highlands, where the fire started, as a “partial loss.” He and his family are staying in a Manhattan Beach hotel, but plan to find a long term home in Manhattan Beach, he said.
“Corpus Christi and Martyrs are similar. The communities are similar. I have lots of Manhattan Beach friends. And the welcome we received has been very warm,” Schellenberg said.
Another factor in Schellenberg’s choice of American Martyrs and Manhattan Beach is the fond memories he has of Principal Knowles as his seventh and eighth grade teacher at Corpus Christi in 1999 and 2000.
Knowles was named principal of American Martyrs in 2019.
AMS 5K will benefit fire victims
Proceeds from the 44th Annual American Martyrs 5K will benefit Palisades Fire victims, race director Brian Tinker announced this week. Tinker also announced this week that Skechers will join other local businesses in sponsoring the race.
The race includes a stroller competition, a costume contest and an elite division.
The race will be held, regardless of weather, on Saturday, February 22, starting at 8 a.m. at 17th Street and Laurel Avenue, in front of American Martyrs School. A Wellness Expo and beer garden will follow. For more information, visit AMS5K.com. ER
