Experience Spring 2016

experience THE MAGA ZINE OF THE BUSH SCHOOL

SPRING 2016 / MAKING A DIFFERENCE

IN THIS ISSUE: Making a Difference Profiles A Day in the Life of Percy Richard Sherman Visits Bush Celebrate Bush

Contents

SPRING 2016 / MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Experience Magazine EDITOR

Martin Voss

Director of Communications

DESIGN

Tricia Caparas

Graphic Designer

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From th e Head of Sch ool

CONTRIBUTORS

Percy L. Abram, Ph.D. Head of School

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From the Board President

Associate Director of Development for Alumnae/i Relations

M a k i n g a D i f fe r e n ce

Jo Ito

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Dylan Young ’88

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Risa Lavizzo-Mourey ’72

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Cheyenne Brashear ’17

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Alana Al-Hatlani ’14

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Ben Pryde ’12

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Chris Chickadel ’93

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Leslie Loper

Sheila Addleman Libby Lewis Martin Voss

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Working with Elders

THE BUSH SCHOOL

Athletic Director

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Richard Sherman Visits Bush

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A l u m n a e/ i E v e n t s Alumnae/i in College Brunch

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Alumnae/i Holiday Party

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In Memoriam

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C e l e b r a te B u s h

alumni@bush.edu communications@bush.edu (206) 322-7978 3400 E. Harrison Seattle, WA 98112

MISSION

To spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS

C l a s s N o te s

ON TH E COVER Madeline ’16 works with a resident of Aegis Living on a brain exercise during an AMP session. Read more about Bush students making a difference by working with elders on page 14.

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Susan Radtke

The Bush School

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A t h l e t i c s U p d a te

Experiential Programs Manager

PHOTOGRAPHY

A Da y i n t h e L i fe o f P e r c y

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Kristin McInaney

Director of Development

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Dana Brandsey

THE BUSH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE

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Critical, independent, and creative thinking

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Ethical judgment and action

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Intercultural fluency

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Local and global citizenship

From the Head of School At Convocation this fall, I urged our audience to reflect on how they would use this year to make a meaningful impact in the world. I invited them to invest themselves in their passions and to encourage those around them to Make A Difference in their school, their community, and the world.

This challenge sets high expectations for our students. However, they witness this commitment to service by the teachers, parents and guardians, and peers in our community daily. Our school’s mission places “contribution to their communities” as a priority for students. For more than nine decades, The Bush School has developed engaged, compassionate, and resourceful students devoted to a life of achievement and purpose.

Through innovative programs and institutional support from our Board of Trustees, The Bush School makes a difference with many small and big acts nearly every day.

Our students have designed instruments to assist firefighters contain catastrophic fires, created apps that translate text to voice to help those with visual impairments gain access to information aggregation sites, arranged monthly teams to feed the city’s homeless teens, and raised funds to stop the spread of malaria. These efforts—thoughtfully woven into the curriculum—teach our students that service is an integral part of their education, and even small actions can make a lasting impression.

“For more than nine decades, The Bush School has developed engaged, compassionate, and resourceful students devoted to a life of achievement and purpose.”

As our students move through each of our three divisions— the developmental progression from play to passion to purpose—they discover how true intellectual engagement develops from authentic experience. This is at the heart of experiential education, and our deeply invested and engaged graduates are the natural outcome of this process.

As we look into the future, The Bush School endeavors to extend the reach of our programs beyond Seattle, most immediately into northern Washington’s Okanagan County, through the realization of our satellite campus in Mazama. We will continue to build on the school’s history of service and find new ways to merge scholarship and experiential education to make a difference. This is critical to the faithful implementation of our school’s mission.

We are hopeful that you will join and share with us how you are making a difference in your communities.

Percy L. Abram, Ph.D. Head of School

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From the Board President It is an exciting time to be at The Bush School and to participate in the community as a member of the Board of Trustees. Last year we welcomed Percy Abram as our new head of school, and this year the Board and administrative team are working to frame the next several years of the school’s evolution with a focus on three areas: an updated strategic plan, a new campus master plan, and a new satellite campus in the Methow Valley.

Bush’s last strategic plan was written more than 10 years ago. While many of the priorities and initiatives set forth in that plan are still true today, it is due for an update. Trustees Audrey Haberman and Tracy Stanton are leading a task force composed of parents, alumni, faculty, and staff to update our strategic plan by removing pieces that are no longer relevant and adding new areas as appropriate.

In addition, we are working to shift toward a model of planning in which we have a few areas of longterm focus coupled with an action plan we update annually.

In parallel, work is underway to update our campus master plan, ensuring that our facilities continue to support our students, faculty, and staff. Bush began this year with the highest enrollment in school history—630 students. Our Middle School classrooms are long overdue for an update, which would provide faculty with flexible, adaptable space that accommodates more students in core Middle School classes while preserving a low studentto-teacher ratio. As we do this, we are looking at the impact of increased students on the Upper School as well as the Commons and other shared buildings. This effort is led by Trustee Mike Galgon and includes parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and individuals who worked on our last campus master planning project.

And last, we have entered an agreement to purchase the North Cascades Basecamp in Mazama, which we intend to utilize as a satellite campus. Students learn best through experience, on and off the Bush campus. In the past, part of this experience came in the form of trips where students would spend a term away from the school. For a variety of reasons, some of these programs have become impractical. A campus in the Methow Valley will allow our students to explore place-based learning—whether in arts, conservation, agriculture, or the outdoors—in the context of a different community. In the short term, the property will be used to enhance our current experiential programming. In the long term, we expect to develop unique programming that goes beyond our current offerings and allows students to spend a term at the campus, immersed in the local community.

All three of these areas are connected. Our updated strategic plan will inform the priorities of our campus master planning and the programming we create for the Methow campus. Our campus master plan will give us an updated view of what is possible on our campus, which will help us prioritize our investments as we update our strategic plan. And the Methow campus unlocks a new set of possibilities for the enrichment of our program in a way that supports the core of our mission.

This work will take many years to complete, and we are confident it will enhance the experience of our students and provide the tools and facilities that allow our faculty and staff to do their best work.

We expect to have many opportunities for you to participate and contribute, and know we can count on your support along the way.

Chris Jones President, Board of Trustees

The Bush School Board of Trustees 2015–2016 Chris Jones President

Tracy Stanton President Elect

Harold Malkin Vice President

Eric Fahlman Treasurer

Lisa Carroll

Tim Panos

Chris Chickadel ’93

Steve Rosen ’84

Life Trustee

Mike Galgon

Barbra Richardson

Percy L. Abram, Ph.D.

Alden Garrett ’73

Peggy O’Neill Skinner

Head of School

Becky Guzak

Jerry Parrish

C’Ardiss Gleser

Audrey Haberman

Curtis Vredenburg Rix

Ann Kawasaki Romero

Katharine Wellman

Karen Marcotte Solimano

Justin Moon ’91 Secretary

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Mary “Sis” Pease ’41

Parent Association President

Making a Difference Paul Redd, Jr. was sentenced to seven years to life with the possibility of parole in 1976. Instead, he spent 35 years at Pelican Bay State Prison, and at least 33 of those in solitary confinement. Since being transferred to Corcoran State Prison, Redd, Jr. has helped to start a national program called Power, Love, Education, and Justice for Liberation (PLEJ).

Through PLEJ, prisoners educate students about current practices in prisons, the privatization of prisons, the exponential growth of prisoners in the United States, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Nine Bush Upper School students started the fall 2015 term by interviewing Redd, Jr. over the phone during the Prison Transformation AMP. By the end of the AMP in December, the students had interviewed Jesse Krimes, currently an artist in Philadelphia but previously imprisoned in solitary confinement for seven years for minor drug possession; Dr. Erik Trupin, professor of psychology at the University of Washington and advocate for youth in solitary confinement; and a group of students from Brooklyn Friends

School who have spent the last two years writing to Redd, Jr. while studying the criminal justice system and engaging in various advocacy efforts in New York.

These conversations brought light to structural flaws in the United States’ incarceration system and, true to Bush’s mission, sparked in students a desire to engage in their own advocacy efforts to give a voice to those who are otherwise silenced.

Students organized two activities: a holiday card signing event during which Upper and Middle School students were invited to create cards for LGBTQ+ prisoners sent via the organization Black and Pink, and a slam poetry evening during which poets and storytellers spoke about social justice and the industrial prison complex in an evening of music, art, and vulnerability.

This instance of the Bush community working to make a difference is powerful, but far from isolated. The following pages highlight just a handful of examples of how members of The Bush School community make a difference and show that, by endeavoring to do so, the effect is often reciprocal.

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Dylan Young ’88 Alumni Making a Difference

“Bush was an overwhelmingly supportive and normal experience,” says Dylan Young ’88. “This alone may seem a trite statement. However, I was a C7 quadriplegic back in the 1970s and ’80s and people tell me having a normal experience was a remarkable thing. Kudos to Bush.”

Dylan is living life. He has placed first or second at the national level in four different sports: wheelchair track, wheelchair rugby, masters rowing, and disabled sailing.

“I was a founding employee of a company that went public on the NASDAQ, and today I am a personal trainer with a graphics design certificate,” says Dylan. “I serve my sailing club as an officer. I know how to cook. I am studying German, and I travel as much as I can.”

“Certainly, I consider myself very fortunate,” says Dylan.

“I think what I most assimilated from Bush is the virtue of having a well-balanced life. I can be focused, but I do not let any one thing dictate or define my life. I feel everything should be given a finite amount of time.

I enjoy the creativity found in doing things well but efficiently. And hence I enjoy the down time this creates.

This philosophy frees me up to consider my next move and tackle the next thing.”

“I did not expect all of these achievements. I believe it is a message of Bush to do many things and not focus solely on academics. I will often press on through mediocrity based on a feeling that I simply belong there.

I have conjured a Bush motto: Every effort is worthy of some praise. Maybe this motto will be obtuse to many, but it reflects the memory of my Bush experience. The motto gives you the confidence to try new things and the positive vibes to carry on in good or bad experiences.”

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“I have always strived to be well-rounded,” says Risa Lavizzo-Mourey ’72. “That was nurtured by my time at Bush, where the curriculum included everything from Latin, to physics, to volleyball, and theater.”

Risa’s well-rounded background as a medical practitioner, professor, and policymaker coalesces with her philanthropic spirit as the president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a position she’s held since 2003.

“Bush was an all girl’s school at the time,” remembers Risa, “and it empowered its students to be leaders. For example, while I was there a group of students started a recycling program at the school long before recycling became embedded in our culture. In addition, the school placed a strong emphasis on critical thinking, and taught me how to write clearly and cogently. All these skills have proved invaluable throughout my life.”

Risa also credits Bush with rounding out skills beyond the academic. “Bush bolstered my confidence at a critical time in my life, the Middle School years. The faculty were outstanding mentors, and from them I learned the power of mentoring. As a result, I have always tried to mentor others, at work and in other professional settings.”

Risa LavizzoMourey ’72 Alumni Making a Difference

At Robert Wood Johnson, Risa is “trying to give more people the opportunity to have a long, healthier life, without regard to where they live, their income, or the color of their skin,” and she sees an obvious thread to this work from her time at Bush. “Bush reinforced that one should have a strong moral compass and help others,” says Risa. “I have drawn on that ethos not only by entering health as a profession but by choosing to work on issues like improving health equity or practicing medicine in underserved communities.”

Risa is encouraged by Bush’s evolution since her time at the school. “Bush has become more inclusive. When I was a student, the student body and faculty were far too homogeneous. And the interaction with the surrounding community was infrequent. Now there is an emphasis on intercultural fluency which is an essential part of a high-quality education.”

“Making a difference means dedicating yourself to making positive change,” says Risa.

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Ask Upper School Director Ray Wilson if there’s a student in the Upper School who is making a difference, and he responds without hesitation: Cheyenne Brashear ’17.

Cheyenne Brashear ’17 Students Making a Difference

“Cheyenne defies stereotypes,” he says. “She works to break the cycle of negative perception. That trait is not on the radar for a lot of people.”

To make an impact in a community as intricate as Bush’s, Cheyenne fills virtually every free moment of her time with involvement in a club or activity.

“I don’t have the privilege of lunch anymore,” she jokes as she rattles off her commitments, many of which meet mid-day: Blazers of Color, Student Awareness Council, an effort to revive The Bush School Newspaper (The Rambler), Athletic Student Council, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and the Environmental Committee. (“That one is new, I just started with that one.”)

Cheyenne’s participation across these activities is characterized by an indefatigable conviction in the power of initiating conversations about social justice. “I see the need for these types of dialogues to take place, especially if we’re a campus that strives for the dreamy ideals of intercultural fluency,” says Cheyenne. “Intercultural fluency is about more than having a black kid in the room. It’s about understanding race relations in the country, and how facsimiles

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of those issues manifest themselves at Bush. As much as we’d like to look at black students at Bush and assume we’re equal, it’s not always the case.”

“As a student of color it’s important, if not vital, to me that we have these conversations about what my reality is like if I step outside at night in a hooded sweatshirt.”

“Cheyenne makes you think,” says Wilson, who is also her advisor and taught her in his Sociology of Malcolm X class last school year.

“She seeks language to be inviting while holding you accountable.

She finds a way to keep people present. Even last year as a sophomore in the Malcolm X class, she was pushing seniors to lean into discomfort in a safe way.”

“She is more conversant and well-informed about social justice and the vocabulary behind things like racial identity than any high school student I have ever worked with,” says Co-Director of College Counseling Alice Huang, who is an advisor to Blazers of Color. “She’s operating at a college level—probably a grad school level, actually.”

“My first year at Bush was her first year here, too” recalls Director of Intercultural Affairs Jabali Stewart. “She had just come into Seventh Grade with Rainier Scholars. She was in the courtyard with Zoe Hardwick ’17, another Rainier Scholar, and I approached them and invited them to stop by and chat sometime. Cheyenne looked at me like I was crazy and walked away!

“The following year, she started coming in a lot with a small group of friends. Quickly they recognized that we could have real talks, and Cheyenne started to show she had a desire to dig in deeper, and to push and explore the issues beyond just a conversation during break.”

As a freshman, Cheyenne became involved with the Student Awareness Council (SAC), a group in which students and adults can safely practice conversations on difficult topics around social justice. As a sophomore and now a junior, Cheyenne has co-led SAC and overseen a steady increase in participation that Stewart attributes to Cheyenne’s outreach.

Championing conversations about race and equality is an important aspect of Cheyenne's role in the Bush community, but featuring her for it risks painting her into a corner. “I’ve built this idea of myself as the girl who talks about race, and in many ways I think when people look at me they identify me as the token black girl,” she says. “It’s actually part of my hesitation of even doing this profile. I don’t want to be the black girl who only ever talks about race. It’s been a challenge to not become complacent in the image that’s given to me.”

While being interviewed, Cheyenne started off somewhat reserved, almost pensive. But as the conversation progressed, she became more open about the toll of pushing challenging viewpoints into the everyday narrative of the school. “These conversations require vulnerability. They are emotionally taxing. They challenge the foundation on which we’re raised and the values we’re taught by our parents. To take a look at your personal views in a critical light can be hard.”

Director of Intercultural Affairs Jabali Stewart can pinpoint these pitfalls from a different perspective. “When you focus on social justice, it’s easy to become righteous, frustrated, or indifferent,” says Stewart. “When others don’t match your level of righteousness on a given issue, you get frustrated. And if that happens enough, you start to expect that people won’t care and you become indifferent.

“Cheyenne pays the price. She’s not shy about the passion that she has, and she can be burned by it. But she always comes back to, ‘How do I do this better?’ That’s a big part of her drive, asking ‘How do we do this better?’”

While she can articulate outcomes that would indicate her efforts have been fruitful at Bush—“We’d have gender neutral bathrooms and be completely handicapped accessible”—for Cheyenne, the process is just as important as the product. “Success is looking at how much a student has grown over time in terms of willingness to engage. To see someone become more open-minded is a success for me. That’s why I continue to do it.

“We need to clarify that our mutual agenda as a school community is to strive for intercultural fluency. I don’t think that’s clear all the time, and I am working actively to facilitate a sustainable model for the social justice work on campus.”

“My niche has been within this community,” says Cheyenne, “but I strive to make differences in Seattle, in Washington, and beyond.

“Lately I’ve been working on making myself more visible as an activist in the city. Part of that has been presenting at the Northwest Association of Independent Schools Conference in the fall on educating sustainability with colleagues. I also presented at Seattle University on Black Lives Matter alongside the Seattle Chapter.

“It’s really meaningful to move my activism off campus and to use my resources as I develop my activism this way,” says Cheyenne.

“I think it benefits the school, because it puts me in a frame of mind where I am asking how can I make my changes within the Bush community even greater than something that’s stagnant and dormant in a classroom. How can I relate discussions to what is happening in the real world so they have greater implications, so it’s not just a discussion? So that laws are being passed? So the discussion extends to people who have power and privilege to make changes?”

“I think a lot of times we’re living up to the next small step,” says Cheyenne. “I’m pretty unrealistic and romantic in that I dream big. I see what I want, and I want to go do it—forget the systems that are in place, I’m going to do my thing.

“I hope to be regarded as one of those people who, and excuse my language, was a total badass. After I graduate I don’t want people remembering me here and thinking ‘She made so many good changes!’ I want the dialogue to be ‘She did what she needed to do and she graduated. And now she’s out there slaying the world.’

“I know the work I am doing makes people uncomfortable. Not everyone is happy that I keep bringing up these issues, but I hope they remember me as someone who made them uncomfortable a lot and made them think about things they don’t want to think about.”

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encourage internships that allow you to do hands-on work in fields in which you’re interested.”

“Coming from Bush,” says Alana, “I honestly don’t know if I could enjoy an atmosphere that didn’t similarly celebrate individual passions.”

Alana’s path to pursuing food journalism and its litany of nuances started out with a simple goal. “My path started with food because that’s what I have always wanted to do,” remembers Alana.

“Culinary school is still an ultimate dream of mine and the entire reason I have a savings account.

“NYU is one of the few colleges in the nation that has a food studies department which teaches both food science—the actual cooking and science behind it—as well as food theory—food anthropology, history, and literature. It’s an interdisciplinary department that I have declared a minor in, but also want to incorporate into my major.

“The journalism bit came later. I have always loved writing, and after taking a reporting class my freshman year, I decided I wanted it to be a part of my concentration as well. My concentration could be defined as ‘food journalism,’ but I’m certain I want to tack on more to it than that. For example, I have recently fallen in love with anthropology and would love to mix that in. Very typical of a Gallatin student, I keep stumbling into more things I want to study.”

Alana Al-Hatlani ’14 Alumni Making a Difference

“Even within academics there was plenty of room for my odd passion for food,” remembers Alana Al-Hatlani ’14 of her experience at The Bush School. “Civics, a class that doesn’t immediately make you think ‘food’ for a class assignment on the role of the press, allowed me to pitch my own food magazine. Mine of course channeled Anthony Bourdain and was a travel/food magazine centered on exploring a single city each month.”

Now a sophomore in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU, Alana is continuing to pursue her ‘odd’ passion for food and food journalism in a familiar environment. “The program I’m in at NYU I chose much because of the ways it resembles Bush.

Not just in the small size—the classes are no bigger than 15— but in the atmosphere,” says Alana. “Professors go by their first name and want to know what your passions are outside of class—how their political theory class can speak to your emerging concentration in food, anthropology, and journalism. They

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With the gift of hindsight, Alana sees how unique her Bush experience was. “AMPs in particular never struck me as something extraordinary,” says Alana, “It seemed common sense to want kids to learn outside the classroom and pursue elective interests, but I now realize that in most high schools that was not emphasized.

While Home Economics is long gone, AMPs like the Joy of Cooking which allowed me to learn how to make fresh pasta or the Big Broadcast where a partner and I produced our own version of the Food Network favorite, Iron Chef, are opportunities that most schools would never make time for.”

More than the breadth and depth of enrichment opportunities, Alana appreciates the personal and supportive environment Bush fosters. “When [Upper School math teacher] Janice Osaka hires you to compete for her in the faculty cupcake competition, you certainly feel supported,” says Alana. “Or, when you come to [Upper School history teacher] Gardiner Vinnedge with senior project ideas ranging from a food truck to a cooking blog for college kids, and like an episode of Shark Tank, he helps you flesh out the ideas— even to the part of the plan 10 years down the road when you’ve sold the blog and its app to Facebook for $40 million and you retire in the French Riviera—you feel incredibly validated.

“As I worked at the Seattle Weekly writing for the food and drink editor while home this summer and found myself stuck on a big piece that my editor had me working on, the person I sought to help me figure out the piece was Gardiner, who was still as supportive even when I was no longer in his classes.”

Ben Pryde ’12 Alumni Making a Difference

“Making a difference means leaving a place better than when you first arrived,” says Ben Pryde ’12. “This can mean making physical improvements to an environment, or touching the lives of the people there.”

For Ben, making a difference has come in large part through practicing intercultural fluency. “It always starts with listening more than talking,” says Ben. “It’s being able to accept and understand differences, and then turning those differences into strengths to work toward common goals.”

Ben put intercultural fluency into action during his time at Bush, working closely with the MLK Community Center, Bush’s neighbor.

“I performed my Eagle Scout Project there and got to know what the Center’s goals were,” says Ben. “I knew that there were improvements that needed to be made, but I spent most of my time listening and understanding what the Center’s vision was for the buildings and how they wanted to help the community. They had a deep understanding of the needs of the community, and it was my job to figure out how to make those needed physical improvements happen.”

Ben organized a day of service during which more than 25 Upper School students and community members came together to paint the gym, mow the lawns, and prune hedges. “We worked together using their vision and The Bush School’s students and skills to make an old elementary school into a better gathering place for the community,” remembers Ben. “We were different and we brought different things to the project, but used those differences to work toward the common goal of improving the Community Center.”

“Bush’s emphasis on intercultural fluency taught me to be respectful of differences in culture and then want to understand different cultures’ and people’s viewpoints on issues,” says Ben. “It has also enabled me to be successful working in the classroom and workplace with people who are different from me.”

Ben will graduate this year from the George Washington University with a major in economics and political science with a public policy focus, and a minor in business administration and sustainability.

“Last semester I interned for Senator Patty Murray and this semester I am interning with a real estate investment firm that raises money through crowdsourcing enabling small investors to invest in the marketplace,” says Ben. “After graduation, I plan to

stay in D.C. for a few years working in either the real estate field or as an economic analyst.”

Ben appreciates that Bush prepared him to explore deeply the material in his studies. “My experiences at Bush taught me critical thinking skills that prepared me well for college,” says Ben. “The importance of understanding the concepts as opposed to exclusively knowing the right answer allowed me to be successful in advanced courses. Additionally, Bush’s emphasis on cooperation and respect toward others has enabled me to work effectively with many different types of people. In the real world, you will more often than not be working in a group or team setting with people who come from different backgrounds than you, and your success will be determined by your ability to work as a team—not by what you may know individually.”

Additionally, Ben found great value and enrichment in Bush’s athletics program. “Participating in track and field in Upper School gave me discipline and a sense of confidence in myself that has allowed me to take on many challenges since graduation,” says Ben. “Track taught me the value of goal setting and hard work to be successful. Though one objective of track is to be first, another objective is to outperform yourself each time. What makes someone good at track is not constantly holding the bar in comparison to others, but is, in fact, holding the bar at the point where you want to be. That idea of self-improvement or the drive to become better—not to beat others, but to beat myself—has driven me to success from a personal and academic standpoint.”

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Chris Chickadel ’93 Alumni Making a Difference

“Bush was a new world to me when I started as a freshman in 1989,” remembers Chris Chickadel ’93 of coming to the school when his father, Chick, became the head of the English Department. “By the time I graduated, The Bush School was etched on me like a family member.

“The community, the friendships, what I learned, and the experiences I had at Bush make up a large part of my phenomenology. Now, as an alumnus, parent, and trustee, it’s come full circle and I can see those same connections and eyeopening ‘firsts’ happening for my kids in Middle School.”

When not volunteering at Bush, Chris makes a difference as a principal oceanographer at the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL-UW), and as an affiliate assistant professor with Civil and Environmental Engineering in the UW College of Engineering. “My research focuses on remote sensing of ocean, estuary, and river processes,” says Chris. “I use optical and thermal cameras on airplanes and other airborne platforms to study circulation (fluid motion), mixing, and surface temperature evolution over scales of tens of kilometers down to centimeters. My research connects many societally important issues including mapping river temperature for salmon habitat, understanding mixing and plankton blooms in estuaries, and measuring waves and currents that affect coastal erosion.

Chris’ time at Bush was an invaluable incubator for his career trajectory.

“My choice to be a scientist was helped along by the rich science and math programs at Bush,” says Chris. “Teachers like [former Upper School teacher and current Trustee] Peggy Skinner and [Upper School math teacher] Janice Osaka helped me to see myself as a potential scientist, and they encouraged me at every turn.

“The continual involvement of my whole family in independent schools has always kept Bush in my consciousness, and it’s reinforced by my close ties to friends and mentors. Bush is a hard thing to forget and it keeps me connected.

Right now, I have an even greater stake in Bush as a trustee and parent.”

“Bush was a great microcosm of life,” concludes Chris. “I think many people feel that way. For me it was a challenging experience while at the same time a safe place to take risks and try new experiences. It was exactly the the environment I needed. Now as a trustee, I fully appreciate the work and dedication the board, head of school, faculty, and staff put forward to keep the school operating at such a high level and still continue to push it forward for the students.”

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For more than 20 years, Leslie Loper has been the engine that powers the Bush athletic program.

After holding several different titles in previous years, including athletic director prior to the birth of her two daughters, Leslie was named assistant athletic director in 2014.

Leslie tirelessly schedules athletic contests, coordinates complex transportation details, deals with mounds of paperwork, issues and collects uniforms that often go missing, and, most importantly, communicates all vital information with faculty, coaches, parents, and athletes.

Leslie’s impact on the athletic program and the school goes well beyond her job responsibilities.

Her passion and care for Bush’s athletics are indefatigable. “She does whatever it takes to advance the program and ensure that each team and individual athlete is taken care of and supported,” says Athletic Director Jo Ito. “She makes a difference every day by keeping the students and coaches at the forefront of her attention. Does the team have the right uniform color for a given match? Did everyone have a snack before the practice or game? Has enough time been budgeted for the bus ride to the opponent’s gym? Her diligence has a huge impact on Bush students and has earned respect among our peer schools.”

Leslie Loper Faculty & Staff Making a Difference

In the face of a seemingly unending to-do list, Leslie’s contagious smile and positivity provide a model for students. Her extremely active lifestyle, overall athleticism, and approachability allow her to create instant connections with students, parents, and coaches. People love to stop by her office and chat. Regardless of how busy things are, she takes the time to listen, guide, and counsel.

If the conversation is about lacrosse, all the better. Leslie is a living legend in the local club lacrosse scene. After enjoying a successful high school career, she went on to play Division 1 at Penn State University. Although she still enjoys playing occasionally, she is mostly focused on coaching the sport these days and is revered in the local lacrosse community. “We are so grateful to Leslie's family for allowing her to pursue her passion of advancing the Bush athletic program,” says Ito.

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Upper School: Aegis AMP

Working with Elders Students Making a Difference

A lively chat amongst the Upper School students in the Working With Alzheimer’s AMP during the short drive to Aegis Living on a Wednesday afternoon in October quickly gives way to meaningful reflection on the richness of the work. “This is a cool opportunity,” says Alec Yusov ’16. “This is the first AMP I’ve been in that gets this involved in the community.”

“It’s easy to stay motivated in this AMP,” adds Giacomo Agostini ’17. “We’re studying neurological disorders and working with people directly affected by them.”

Aegis Living is a national leader in senior assisted living and memory care facilities.

Residents meet each week with Bush students who serve as de facto occupational therapists piloting the Aegis Brain Level Engagement program (ABLE). ABLE aims to help slow the process of degeneration in the brain, commonly known as dementia, and aid patients in becoming more functional in their daily lives.

Bush students work with residents to complete initial charting, administer brain exercises, and close the session with another charting. This includes asking residents to complete worksheets featuring questions such as “Where were you 50 years ago (approximately)?” and “What is more valuable, creativity or intelligence? Why?” Students are instructed to not help or correct the residents.

The visits quickly established a social connection—residents are eager to hear about life as a Bush student, the process of applying to college, and more, while the students actively solicit advice and wisdom from the residents’ life experiences.

However, by late October, the Aegis residents who had just weeks earlier been enthusiastic participants were becoming more sparse as their fatigue and frustration with ABLE set in. For a handful of the students, the task at hand shifted from

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administering ABLE to leveraging their personal connection with the residents to encourage them to rejoin the process. So, as the number of residents who convened for the ABLE program waned, some students began composing handwritten notes of support to the Aegis residents, highlighting in those notes the meaningful exchanges they had enjoyed.

Writing these notes, students reflected on personal connections as their main takeaway of the AMP. “The residents have so many fun and interesting stories,” says Dani Schulman ’16.

“One man is a World War II veteran. He has so much wisdom that he shares with me, and I never would have met him were it not for this AMP. It’s a beneficial situation for everyone.”

“We’re helping them, and vice versa,” agrees Tenzin Crowley ’16. “It’s about the connection.

Even after the first session, I remember thinking that I didn’t expect that deep an interaction.

These interactions help us gain perspective on our lives.”

Middle School: Oral History Through the Oral History with Elders E-lective, Middle School students have the opportunity to meet, befriend, and interview elders at Fred Lind Manor on Capitol Hill, ultimately recording interviews with elders on iPads and creating videos.

“It’s a cool experience to connect with someone older than you and talk about the differences in what life was like when they were 12,” says Rose Molloy ’22. “It’s not very often you get to hear about experiences that are different from things today. I love to learn about history, and I don’t know if I’ll get this opportunity again.”

Oliver Carter ’22 agrees. “I signed up for this E-lective because I wanted to learn more about what the elders did, and how they did it. What were their lives like back when they were young?

I like learning about the history of the world and communities and people.”

Rose’s elder, Adola, is 93. “She is the youngest of nine siblings,” says Rose. “It’s a little hard to get a story out of her, because sometimes she forgets.

She was married, but her husband passed away after four years of marriage. She was left to raise four children on her own.”

Oliver’s elder, William, is 85 years old. “William was born in South Carolina and only had an eighth grade education. He was employed in Germany after World War II and joined the Army in peacetime. He was in an all-black regimen. His battalion leader made him and his battalion go to school for four hours a day, which was uncommon for a battalion leader” says Oliver. “Not everyone took advantage, but William did. Later, the Army said anyone with an IQ lower than 70 would be discharged. Almost half of William’s platoon was discharged, but William passed and was able to stay.” Learning more about military administered and culturally biased IQ tests as a form of institutionalized racism to deny people access to the opportunities in the military, Oliver says, “I think that’s very unfair. If you go through history, it doesn’t really make sense. People sent their slaves to war in the Civil War. And in the case of William’s battalion, it’s like people wanted the opposite thing.”

Rose and Oliver feel that practicing this type of intercultural work has changed their daily outlook and approach. “I think a little bit more when I am having a conversation now, to hear the details,” says Rose. “I’m more patient, too. I have realized if you go too fast, sometimes you don’t get all of the information.”

Lower School: Nikkei Manor Social studies in Second Grade at Bush focuses in on the concept of community through an inquiry-based lens.

“Since we’re an experiential school, it doesn’t really make sense to study community in our classroom,” says Second Grade teacher Kate Norem. So students travel to Nikkei Manor, an assisted living community in the International District, to interact with residents. “One thing we often forget to talk about when we talk about diversity and intercultural work is diversity of age,” says Second Grade teacher Cecily Metzger. “Many of the Nikkei Manor residents are in their 90’s, and most of them are of Japanese descent. Some were in internment camps. It opens up a whole other element of intercultural fluency for students.”

Students interact with residents socially, asking simple questions such as “Can you tell me about friends you had when you were young?”

“The residents light up because they get to think back and remember,” says Norem.

“The kids remark at how different it was not all that long ago.”

After each visit, students reflect on their time at Nikkei Manor in open and honest classroom discussions. Early in the year those discussions center on the discomfort of talking with strangers of a completely different generation, background, and native language. “The students in general are keyed in to how different everything at Nikkei Manor is from what they’re used to. But, we find commonalities and, over the course of the year, great relationships are built. It’s amazing. Students will be disappointed when a particular resident isn’t there or is unavailable for the visit.”

“By the end of the year,” says Metzger, “we’ve found commonalities and solidified a relationship.”

“A lot of people may think this is not interesting or fun,” continues Rose. “But it’s really interesting. Adola was going to go to college, she’s very smart. World War II changed things, so she started working on building airplanes. I want to get a story about what it was like as a woman during World War II.”

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10:51 a.m.

12:26 p.m.

10:29 a.m.

A Day in the Life of Percy Photographer Libby Lewis shadowed Head of School Percy Abram in November 2015. See what a Tuesday at The Bush School looks like through the eyes of the head of school.

11:42 a.m.

11:26 a.m.

12:10 p.m.

12:27 p.m.

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12:47 p.m.

12:28 p.m.

2:31 p.m.

2:26 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

3:14 p.m.

3:09 p.m.

3:20 p.m.

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Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman paid a surprise visit to The Bush School in December to speak with Bush’s Rainier Scholars students and then with the entire student body in successive assemblies.

Richard Sherman Visits Bush

One of Sherman’s primary focuses off the field is education. He founded Blanket Coverage, the Richard Sherman Family Foundation, in 2013 to provide students in low-income communities with school supplies and clothing. Sherman, who during the visit was a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, visited Bush as part of a campaign to raise the visibility of the importance of education and of his foundation.

Sherman met with 14 of the Rainier Scholars students at Bush in an informal discussion setting, during which he learned more about Bush and Rainier Scholars.

Students asked him about his path from Compton, California to the NFL, and what advice he would give his younger self.

“Understand that at this point in your lives, the opinions of others seem so powerful, and so meaningful, and so important,” said Sherman. “But it’s not. It’s really not.

Those people who judge you off of what you wear, or how you look, or say you’re ugly or you’re cute, those people do not matter in your life.”

Sherman’s overall message throughout the day was the power of believe in oneself. “A lot of people said I couldn’t go to Stanford, said I couldn’t make it to the NFL. Only one percent of people who play football make it to the NFL. Well, I’ve been a one percenter a lot more times than not. As long as you believe there’s a chance, there’s a chance.

The moment you stop believing there’s a chance for you to make it, there is no chance.

I don’t care if it’s a 90% chance: if you don’t think you can make it, then it’s zero. That goes for a lot of aspects of life. Whether you’re in middle school and you just want to make the debate team, or whether you’re going for a job, or you want to go to medical school, you have to believe before anyone else does.”

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SPRING 2016

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Alumnae/i Events 1. Green Lake Neighborhood Meet-Up

Alumnae/i and parents of alumnae/i soaked up the sun during a group walk around Green Lake in fall 2015.

Left to right: Kathleen O’Grady P’15, Dana Brandsey, Elizabeth Atcheson P’10 P’08, Alexandra Gobeille ’07, Laine Atcheson ’10 01

2. Blazer Volleyball Night vs. UPrep

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Current students, alumnae/i and parents of alumnae/i cheered on the women’s varsity volleyball team as the ladies took on the UPrep Pumas.

Sally Boggan ’09 3. New York Happy Hour

Blazers in New York enjoyed an evening with Head of School Percy L. Abram, Ph.D at Le Parker Meridien Hotel.

4. San Francisco Happy Hour

Members of the Bush School community gathered at B Restaurant and Bar in San Francisco for an evening of good company and conversation.

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Front row: Susan Radtke, Sylvia Bargellini ’09, Julie Su ’91, Alex Meyer ’09 Middle row: Zubin Gidwani ’88, Philberta Leung ’98, Percy Abram, Susan Kese, Ray Wilson, Jay Franklin ’90 Back row: Chio Kese, Evan Holm ’98, Christopher Kese ’98, Roger Nelson ’98 5. College Care Package Stuffing Party

Spanning the classes of 2011–2015, Parents of alumnae/i returned to campus to build care packages for The Bush School’s youngest alumnae/i.

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Left to right: Becky Guzak P’13, Dee Simon P’13, Erin Roberts, Jamie Rawding P’13, Jackie Ritmire P’13, Kathleen O’Grady P’15, Kelly Fahlman P’15, Alden Garrett ’73 P’11, Elizabeth Robinson P’15 6. Blazer Basketball Night

Current students, alumnae/i, and parents of alumnae/i supported The Bush School basketball teams by cheering on the Blazers as they took on the Eastside Prep Eagles. Alumnae/i enjoyed complimentary concessions and watched as Jay Franklin ’90 and Steve Banks, Jr. ’94 competed in a 3-point shootout contest during halftime of the men’s varsity game.

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06

Alumnae/i in College Brunch Zarina Aglion ’15 (Colorado State University), Grant Friedman ’15 (Middlebury College), Josh Manning ’15 (Oberlin College), Amelia Keyser-Gibson ’14 (Haverford College), Carolyn Perry ’14 (Emory University), and Galen Weld ’14 (Cornell University) returned to campus in January to speak with the Class of 2016 about their college experiences.

Alumnae/i discussed ways in which Bush prepared them for college, elements of the college selection process that they may not have fully considered, the process of selecting a major, homesickness, the experience of the first day of college, roommate advice, and general wisdom.

The main piece of advice from the alumnae/i to the seniors was to relax about the process and to enjoy the final months of being a Bush student, especially the senior project. “Don’t freak out if the picture isn’t clear right now,” said Carolyn Perry ’14. “It’ll be fine.”

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Alumnae/i Holiday Party Bush School alumnae/i, faculty, and staff had a wonderful evening filled with merriment as they rang in the holiday season at The Garage.

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1.

Kathy Stephenson ’83, Mark Stephenson ’81

2.

Ken Schubert ’89, Karen Foster-Schubert ’89, Muslimah Shabazz ’94, Julia Smith ’92

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Cassidy Gammill ’10

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Shakespear Feyissa ’94, Mateaa Redmond ’99

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Chris Filer ’99, Middle School art teacher Juan Gimelli-Hemme

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Paul Kasin ’97, Josh Donion ’97, Loren Alhadeff ’97

11. Justin Moon ’91, Percy Abram

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Sonia Sidhu ’09

12. David Swanberg ’85

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Upper School math teacher Tom Bergeron

13. Kris Brauer ’09, Amanda Lee ’09, Kari Siceloff ’09,

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Lower School P.E. teacher Tami Hutcheson, Lisa Black ’88

10. Kelly Forebaugh ’88, Rob Purcell, Sarah Swanberg ’88

Sally Boggan ’09, Damien Detraux, Sonia Sidhu ’09

14. Steve Banks, Jr. ’94, Muslimah Shabazz ’94

SPRING 2016

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PHOTO CREDIT: VAN SCHILPEROORT

Athletics Update

The Blazers had successful fall and winter seasons this school year, with high levels of student participation: approximately 40% of Lower School students, 75% of Middle School students, and 66% of Upper School students played a fall or winter sport.

Some of the most memorable moments of the fall and winter seasons: Varsity cross country runners embraced the opportunity to lead Middle and Lower School cross country runners through a combined practice across divisions. Students from the lower divisions were excited to learn what it takes to be a member of the varsity team.

The Middle School boys cross country team finished second at the CrossTown Middle School League Championship meet, and the girls team finished third.

Henry Heck ’17 and Lucas Standaert ’16 qualified to represent The Bush School at the District Golf Tournament in May. Ela Nickels ’19 and Tom Fahlman ’17 qualified for the State Cross Country Meet in Pasco and finished 17th and 21st respectively. Ela was named Rookie of the year by the Emerald City League while her coach James Batey won the prestigious Coach of the Year Award.

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The varsity girls volleyball team won the Emerald City League Sportsmanship Award.

Numerous Upper School athletes were honored with All Emerald City League recognitions: Boys Ultimate All-League First Team: Jack Kineke ’16, Handler Hoon Park ’16, Cutter Girls Volleyball All-League Second Team: Julia Stromatt ’16, Outside Hitter Girls Soccer All-League Second Team: Mia Agostini ’19, Defender

Cross Country Boys All-League First Team: Tom Fahlman ’17 Ethan Widlansky ’18 Oliver Dunn ’17 Eamon Oldridge ’17 Noah Cape ’19 Girls All-League First Team: Ela Nickels ’19

More than 30 Lower School students honed their basketball skills at the weekend One on One Basketball Program.

The K–12 Pep Rally celebrated all fall and winter teams and individual athletes.

Under the leadership of parent volunteers Angie Christensen and Jannan Kippes, the Bush Booster Club (BBC) expanded their role in the school.

The Athletic Department is busy preparing for the upcoming summer athletic activities. The goal is to expand the summer offerings and to increase opportunities for our student-athletes to stay active during the offseason, resulting in increased preparedness and excitement as students return to school ready to compete in league play.

Last year, Bush offered Soccer and Basketball Blazers Summer Sports Camps.

The Athletic Department hopes to expand the summer offerings by adding volleyball and ultimate camps this year. Following the camps, summer workouts in various sports will be offered and the fitness center will be available for students to use. Details for all summer activities will be available on the Bush website.

The newly formed Upper School Athletic Student Council worked on various projects.

The athletic program strives to continue to provide opportunities for development and growth, and in turn, life-shaping experiences that can only be provided in a sports setting.

Founded in the spring of 2015, the Upper School Athletic Student Council is a group of athletically dedicated student-athletes well versed in leadership and focused on the betterment of the program. The Council, which comprises 16 Upper School students, has been working hard to promote athletics at Bush, having already hosted a 3 on 3 basketball tournament and a dodgeball tournament.

The Council spent an afternoon sorting and packaging more than 25 boxes of old uniforms for donation and resale. Some of the goods were offered for sale leading up to the K–12 Winter Pep Rally, and more than $450 worth of apparel was sold. The earned money will be utilized to fund future ASC projects.

In order to optimize efficiency, the council operates with three committees and three officers to divide tasks. The three committees are: •

Apparel Donations, which sorts and handles old uniforms and clothing for donation or sale;

•

Broadcasting and Marketing, which spreads the word about the Council’s agenda and manages public advertising boards;

•

Events, which coordinates the multi-department athletic events.

From the Athletic Student Council (ASC)

Each committee has a chair, which reports back to the council as a whole and leads the committee’s projects. The responsibility of overseeing these committees and running the meetings goes to acting president, Max Melendez ’16. Other administrative duties go to the two other officers: secretary Emma Gautier ’16, and treasurer Eli Tan ’17. The ASC looks forward to a successful first full year of operation, and hopes to inspire more students to become engaged in the Bush athletics program.

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Mary Deming Yorke ’39 January 4, 2016 No obituary available.

Ray G. Adams ’40 June 2, 2014

In Memoriam This reflects all alumnae/i who have passed away from January 1, 2014 to January 15, 2016. Please accept deepest apologies if someone is inadvertently missing from this list, and contact alumni@bush.edu.

WWII Veteran, Ray G. Adams of Bellevue and alumnus of Parkside School died on Saturday, June 21, 2014. He was born on February 10, 1923 to Ernest Alexander Adams and Mabel Pearl Parks Adams, descendants of early Redmond Pioneers. Ray is the father of Norman, Kathryn, Karen, Marilyn and Mark, and the Grandfather to 14, Great Grandfather to 26, and Great Great Grandfather to 18.

Diana Sick Ingman ’40 March 31, 2014 Diana “Dinny” Margaret Louise Sick Ingman 1923–2014 died March 31, 2014 after a brief illness. She cherished her time under Helen Bush's tutelage, embracing it as "progressive education." She was a student in one of Mrs. Bush's first classes, conducted in Mrs. Bush's basement. Dinny went on to Stanford University and then graduated with a B.A. in journalism from the U of W. She worked as a journalist for the Seattle Times, beginning her career with front page stories from France at the outbreak of WWII.

Patricia Osborne Wright ’40 December 19, 2015 Patricia Osborne Wright ’40 passed peacefully away at home in Seattle, Washington. Patricia was the great-great granddaughter of Arthur Denny and Mary Boren Denny, who led the covered wagon group that founded Seattle.

They arrived in Seattle on the schooner “Exact” at Alki Point on November 13, 1851. Patricia, known as Pat, grew up in Seattle and graduated from Helen Bush School in Seattle. During World War II she attended the University of Washington and was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority.

Barbara Van Waters Strom ’41 October 17, 2015 Barbara Van Waters Strom died October 17, 2015, after a full and happy life. She graduated from Helen Bush School and attended the University of Washington. When her children were grown, she obtained a bachelor of nursing degree with honors, Magna Cum Laude. She was first in her class and was a member of Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Jesuit Society at Seattle University and began a nursing career at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center 1975.

Elizabeth Smith Black ’42 May 5, 2015 Elizabeth Smith Black died peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by her family and friends. She entered Helen Bush School as a sophomore, graduating in 1942 as salutatorian. Elizabeth attended Wellesley and the University of Washington, majoring in history and enjoying the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority friends she had known since her youth. Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband of 69 years, Lyman. She is survived by her three daughters, Marnie Black ’70, Susan Black, and Lynn Cooper ’64.

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Sylvia Clise Duryee ’43

Martha Holloway Cram ’46

December 20, 2014

June 30, 2015

Sylvia Clise Duryee died peacefully at her home in Seattle, Washington, held by her daughter, with her beloved cat Katie on her lap. Sylvia was a lifelong teacher, always trying to educate those around her, show them how beautiful the world is, and call them to love, save, and preserve it. Sylvia attended Helen Bush School, graduated in 1943, went to the University of Washington School of Art, was admitted to the Lambda Rho Art Honorary, and left with an M.A. in Ceramics. Sylvia is survived by her two children, Cornelia Moore ’77, Schuyler Duryee, and her four grandchildren, Renee Duryee, Tallis Moore ’10, Philip Duryee, and Theo Moore.

Martha Holloway Cram ’45 passed away peacefully in her home with her husband Bob beside her. She attended McGilvra Grade School, Garfield High, Helen Bush School, and Smith College in North Hampton, Massachusetts where she graduated with a degree in Art History and a minor in Architecture. She is survived by her loving husband Bob, three children, Robin Hall ’73, Sara Cram ’74, and Doug Cram, and five grandchildren.

Shirley Dishman Gorman ’43

No obituary available.

Janet Fisher ’51 August 2014

January 2, 2015 Shirley D. Gorman ’43 passed peacefully away surrounded by family. She graduated from Helen Bush School and attended Whitman College, where she joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and met the love of her life, William Gorman. Shirley loved animals, especially dogs, and she was never without a German Shepherd, Schnauzer, or Bouvier (and, sometimes, even cats). She is survived by her husband Bill, Lael Gorman, Carolyn Prince, Kimberly Rodgers, and her grandchildren, Colin, Kevin, Blake, and Casey.

Barbara Jean Gilbert Larson ’53 April 17, 2015 Jean Gilbert Larson was a member of Helen Bush School class of 1953, and was one of the few who began her Bush experience in Kindergarten and continued through all 13 years. She remained close to her Helen Bush School friends, and when they got together they would sing “Truth, Beauty and Purpose,” trying to remember all the words. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Bob Larson, and a daughter, Amy Larson.

Janna Pratt Goodspeed ’44

Sally J. DeLong ’55

September 15, 2015

May 2, 2014

No obituary available.

No obituary available.

Joan Frayn Carpenter ’45

Joan Holloway Grant ’55

October 10, 2014

July 27, 2014

Joan Carpenter ’45 (Joan Stuart Frayn) passed away at dawn on October 10, 2014 at Bayview Manor in Seattle, Washington. She was born on February 22, 1928, at Swedish Hospital and grew up in Seattle. She attended both Helen Bush School and Smith College on scholarships. In 1949, Joan graduated from Smith with a degree in Chemistry. She was a dedicated volunteer and mother following a job at IBM as an early programmer. Joan was preceded in death by her husband James Franklin Carpenter.

Joan Holloway Griffin Grant ’55 passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She graduated from Helen Bush School and attended Smith College, the University of Washington, and Seattle Pacific University. A life-long teacher, she was on the founding board for the Hyla School on Bainbridge Island. She is survived by her husband, Bob, her children Jay Griffin, Jon Griffin, Gaye Shumaker, and Jill Sundberg; step-children Chris Grant and Barron Grant; and nine grandchildren.

Sally Ayres Shroyer ’45

Gretchen Davis Hawkes ’55

April 9, 2015

May 3, 2014

Sally A. Shroyer ’45, taught mathematics for 25 years. She graduated from Helen Bush School in 1945. She earned her B.A. from Sweet Briar College and an M.S. from American University.

Among the schools where she taught were Mt. Vernon Seminary, National Ballet School, National Cathedral School, and American University. She taught the first class in calculus and also brought the first computer to National Cathedral School in 1972. She is preceded in death by her late husband of 64 years, Louis Shroyer III and survived by her two sons Andrew and Lewis.

Gretchen Davis Hawkes ’55 passed away peacefully on May 3, 2014.

Gretchen attended J.J. McGilvra Elementary, Helen Bush School, and went on to the University of Washington and graduated from The Katherine Gibbs School in Boston, MA. She is survived by her children Carole Hawkes Wallace ’79, Peter Davis Hawkes, three beautiful grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, and wonderful and ever-so caring friends.

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Allison Beck ’65

October 30, 2014

December 4, 2015

Janice A. Stanley was born in Seattle on July 8, 1937. She was a granddaughter of pioneer Dietrich Hamm who operated the Butler Hotel, an early Seattle landmark. She was a graduate of Helen Bush School. Her greatest joy was in helping people less fortunate, knitting hundreds of hats for needy children and the homeless.

Predeceased by her husband Robert Stanley, she is survived by her daughter Deborah Young, her sister Elsa “Midge” Bowman ’51, her niece Megan Bowman ’78, her nephew Matthew Bowman ’81, and three grand-nephews Henry Bowman, Sean Bowman and Miles Ajemian.

No obituary available.

PHOTO CREDIT: D'ARCY MCGRATH

Janice McPhee Stanley ’55

Pamela Harkins Parr ’56 February 16, 2014 Pamela Jean Parr, nee Harkins ’56 passed away peacefully on February 16, 2014 at a hospice in Greater Glasgow, UK.

Melinda McColloch Lepose ’58 April 28, 2014

April 30, 2015

Melinda McColloch (Mindy) Lepsoe ’58 died from complications from RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) with which she struggled so valiantly for 16 years. She attended Helen Bush School and St. Nicholas High School, Colorado Women's College in Denver, and Seattle University. She loved life, was outgoing, and will always be remembered for her great sense of humor, indomitable spirit, and the giving of herself to others. Melinda was preceded in death by her sister, Marcia McColloch Edwards ’56.

After enrolling in Helen Bush School in Fifth Grade, Anne was instrumental in changing the school uniform to allow knee high socks, served on the Fashion Council, and was honored with the Helen Wyman Award. Following Bush, Anne attended Western Washington University, lived abroad in France and England, and earned a degree in industrial design from the University of Washington. Professionally, Anne collaborated with architects Craig Stillwell and Stuart Silk. Personally, Anne was the lead ambassador for Project Violet, a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center program seeking to develop a class of disease-fighting compounds derived from nature. Anne is survived by her mother, Norma, her daughter, Claire Bigbie ’96, and her grandson.

Barbara Bonamy ’61 June 10, 2015 Barbara Bonamy ’61 passed away June 10, 2015. She attended Helen Bush School and the University of Washington. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, Seattle Tennis, Seattle China Club, Seattle Asian Art Museum, and Washington State China Relations Council. Barbara leaves behind nieces, Kerry Serl, and Stacy MacGregor.

Sandra Banks Whitaker ’65 April 9, 2014 Sandra Dee Whitaker, “Sandee,” a longtime resident of Mercer Island, died at home surrounded by those who loved her. Sandee was born in 1947 in Seattle to Dr. Bert and Dee Banks. She attended elementary through high school at Helen Bush School and graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Sandee loved spending time with her family and friends. Her real love was her family, as was evident on her face every time she looked at her grandkids. She is survived by the love of her life, Bill Whitaker, her two children Corinne Whitaker Johanson and Stacey Whitaker, and her grandchildren Bryan, Ainsley, and Mason, and Callie Corinne.

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Kimberly Hanson Huggins ’73 January 20, 2014 After a brief but courageous battle with aggressive breast cancer, Kimberly Huggins ’73 passed away at home surrounded by her family. Kimberly was born in Tokyo, Japan, but attended Inglemoor High and Helen Bush School, graduating early to attend Loyola University of Chicago. Kimberly loved to entertain and was noted for her fabulous dinner parties and the guests and friends she attracted. Kimberly is survived by her husband of 28 years Charles “Ky” Huggins, two daughters Gillian and Sydney Huggins, her mother Rosalind “Teddy” Hanson, brother Tim Hanson and brother Tracy Hanson. She was preceded in death by her father Vinton Hanson.

James “Tony” Perez-Giese ’91

Kelsey Hastings Golitz ’06

January 2, 2016

August 9, 2014

Tony Perez-Giese ’91 passed away while traveling in Thailand with his fiancée Clara Savage ’97.

Kelsey Hastings Golitz ’06 passed away peacefully in her sleep after a four-year arduous battle with Ewing Sarcoma. From a young age, she excelled in athletics and honed her skills to be competitive in several sports. In 2001, Kelsey helped her softball team secure second place in the girls 13–14 age softball World Series. As a 2006 Bush graduate, she led her basketball team to the state tournament. In 2010, she graduated in Economics and Anthropology from Union College in upstate New York. Upon graduation, Kelsey built a career in retail as a buyer for Wayfair and as an Assistant Manager for Joss and Main. Kelsey is survived by her mother Rebecca Hastings and her father Dr. Michael Golitz, a sister, Alex Golitz ’10; grandmother Yolah Hastings and grandmother and grandfather Carol and Frank Golitz.

Tony enrolled at Bush in Sixth Grade. “He was the rare breed of charismatic cool kid who was kind to everyone, deftly able throughout his life to make someone feel they were the most important person in the room,” remembers Ben Ryan ’97.

“He was a born storyteller, a world traveler, an agriculturalist, a card-carrying reverend, a true friend, and a Bush Blazer with a heart of gold,” says Ben. Tony double-majored in literature and sociology at the University of California, San Diego. He began his writing career at Westword in Denver where he won the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism.

Tony’s first novel, Pac Heights, was named Underground Book Review’s Best Novel of 2013. Send More Idiots followed.

Matt Agostino ’11

In addition to his fiancée, Tony is survived by his parents Libby Perez and James Giese, and his brother Christian Perez-Giese ’94.

No obituary available.

October 12, 2015

David Lawrence Carr ’93 June 21, 2014 David was the beloved son of Louise and Richard Yarmuth. He was predeceased by his father Burton Carr. He graduated from The Bush School, Seattle University, and was pursuing his passion in the masters program for Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington.

David is survived by his parents, his loving sisters Emily Carr, Rebecca Yarmuth ’93, and Lauren Yarmuth ’95; by his grandmother Louise F. Maison, and by his true love Jennifer Huber. David was loved my many and earned the admiration, respect, and affection of all who knew him.

Fred Goode November 2, 2015 Fred Goode, Upper School English teacher from 1975–1989, passed away on November 2, 2015. Goode is remembered by Middle School Director Jay Franklin ’90 as “a charismatic and at times controversial English teacher. Many loved him, some did not, and others just feared him. But, no one doubted his ability to teach. He is one of the teachers I look back on with great fondness, as he taught me what being a true scholar meant. There was no doubt about how you annotate a book properly, or the power of vocabulary and the English language once you sat through his classes. He brought out the best in many, even at times through unconventional means.”

A graduate of Princeton with honors and degrees in art history and comparative literature, Goode served as a Navy lieutenant in World War II and the Korean War. Goode is survived by five children and seven grandchildren.

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Celebrate Bush The Bush School community came together in March at the Showbox SoDo to party with a purpose at Celebrate Bush: Groovin’ & Givin’.

The event, which featured a silent and live auction and raise the paddle, raised more than $300,000 for financial aid at The Bush School and included a performance from The ShrÜbs, a faculty/ parent band.

Thank you to all who attended, participated in the auction, and volunteered for the event!

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05

1.

David Silverman, Auctioneer

2.

Director of Intercultural Affairs Jabali Stewart, performing with The ShrĂœbs

3.

Jill Rosen, singer for The ShrĂœbs and Celebrate Bush Procurement Chair

4.

Celebrate Bush Co-Chairs Adrien Hefta-Gaub and Curtis Vredenburg Rix

5.

Celebrate Bush volunteers Erin Miller, Carolyn Lathrop, and Lisa Carroll

6.

Ross and Fifth Grade teacher Rosemary Wheeler

7.

First Grade teacher Anna Belknap, Aaron and Hilary Richmond

8.

Katie Wenger

9.

Dean Hove

09

06

10

10. JoAnne Rosen

SPRING 2016

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11

12 13

11. Shelley Hardwick

17. Julie and Mark Okerstrom

12. Bush faculty and staff Sara

18. Nina Maisterra and Head of

Fischer, Sloan Chong, Kristin McInaney, Kelsey Medrano, and Hilary Kaltenbach, with Jill Myers

13. Kate Hinely, Amy and Ray

Fernandes

14. Tisha Pagalilauan, Jennifer

Bullock, Blas Puzon

School Percy Abram

19. Sergio Chin-Ley, Anna Reche,

Shirley Chow

20. Lisa Black 21. Kindergarten teacher Dana

Giachetti with Kindergarten Art Project

15. Court and Michelle Will,

22. Jullie Pottinger and

16. Melanie Terrell

23. Brad Hefta-Gaub

Jared and Jessica Wray

Sharmila Ahmed

14

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THE BUSH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE

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18 19

20

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Celebrate Bush Executive Committee EVENT CHAIRS

Adrien Hefta-Gaub and Curtis Vredenburg Rix 22

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PROCUREMENT

Jill Rosen AUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Lisa Carroll PROMOTIONS

Erin Miller DECORATIONS

Wendy DeLuca Allie Ruettgers ENTERTAINMENT

Kate Hinely REGISTRATION

Shirley Chow CL ASS PROJECTS Michelle Will SPRING 2016

33

Mary VanArsdel ’71 is touring the country with the Broadway tour of A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder, the winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Musical. It will be coming to The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle for three weeks in July 2016.

Class Notes The Bush School alumnae/i are always doing interesting, creative, and meaningful things. We want to know about it! Send news and pictures to alumni@bush.edu.

Mary Newcomb ’73 was selected for the Arts & Passion Driven Learning Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in August 2015. “It was a pleasure to join 80 other passionate educators from around the world,” says Mary. World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project co-sponsored this event to explore the role of passion in learning and how the arts contribute to igniting and sustaining that passion.

After serving as the principal of Kent Elementary School for two years, Page Perey Meyer ’86 accepted the newly created position of director of early learning for the Kent School District. “I recently completed the University of Washington PreK— Third Grade Executive Leadership Certificate program,” says Page. “My husband Mahlon Meyer and I live in Seward Park with our Schnoodle, Sophie.”

Cindy Peyser Safronoff ’88 recently published Crossing Swords: Mary Baker Eddy vs. Victoria Claflin Woodhull and the Battle for the Soul of Marriage, a historical biography on two influential 19th century public figures and woman suffrage advocates who publicly promoted polar opposite views on how women’s rights should impact the institution of marriage during an 1870s American marriage debate. The book has won awards for nonfiction drama and United States history, including the New England Book Festival: 2015 Winner (first place) in Regional Literature, and Runner-Up (second place) in Spiritual books.

Benjamin Lukoff ’93 and his wife Jenni Ross welcomed their daughter Ivy Ruth Ross Lukoff to the world September 9, 2014.

The first book of poetry by Matthew Nienow ’01, House of Water, was accepted

by Alice James Books and will be out in October of 2016. “Aside from that,” reports Matthew, “I left my most recent job as writer-in residence at a small private school to found Good Story Paddle Boards, a company based out of Port Townsend dedicated to designing and producing high-quality hollow wooden paddle boards.”

Molly Kent ’02 recently moved back to Seattle (hooray!) and completed a Web Development Certificate program at Code Fellows. “I am also training for Ironman Maryland 2016 as part of Team Challenge to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America,” says Molly.

IBM acquired Blue Box, the company founded by Jesse Proudman ’03 in June 2015.

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THE BUSH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE

Emily Alhadeff ’94

BUSH IS ON OUR LIST. We believe in supporting our community, and we give to many organizations whose mission and purpose have meaning to us.

Bush is a strong and key component to my family’s community and our giving, and Bush is on our list for philanthropic support.

Many aspects of Bush have changed and grown over the years since I graduated, but the notion of community and respect for our diverse experiences has stayed true. We know that without support for scholarships, supplies, infrastructure, and, most importantly, Bush’s AMAZING teachers, our school would not be as great as it is.

We also know it is important for Bush to stay on the cutting edge of all things in the academic, emotional, and social world of education, and to ability to do that comes only through investment, not just for our kids today, but for future students who will experience the magic of a Bush education.

That’s why Bush is on our list.

ol The Bush Scho

Se Jewish Family

rvice

wish The Stroum Je er nt Community Ce YouthCare The Zoo

re 5th Ave Theat

bush.edu/giving SPRING 2016

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Nonprofit ORG. US POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE WA PERMIT NO. 711

E X PE R I ENC E ED U C AT I O N

3400 East Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98112

Alumnae/i Day

Saturday, June 18, 2016 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Calling all Blazers!

Return to campus to celebrate your Bush School experience.

Enjoy a family-friendly afternoon reconnecting with fellow Blazers, former teachers, and your alma mater.

You won’t want to miss the Bush musicians’ concert, a delicious cook-out, fun activities by the Big Tree, and an alumnae/i soccer game.

This is a wonderful time to reconnect with the people and the campus that made a difference in your life. So, dig out your yearbooks, reflect on your Bush memories, and join us for a summer Saturday afternoon.

Please visit bush.edu/page/alumni for event registration and details.

Individual class parties are scheduled for Saturday evening off campus.