Invite Perspectives • Blaze Trails • Nurture an Open Mind • Cultivate Community
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Inspire Learners
Elevate Experiential Education
Build and Nurture Community
Create Dynamic Learning Environments Cultivate and Steward Resources
Art, the Seattle Art Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the U.S. State Department Art Bank Program, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. He has received several awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellowship, and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation award. He was recently named F.H. Sellers Professor of Painting and Drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he will start next Fall.
The magazine’s cover art is a piece he produced in 2016 called Sensate, 20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas. His beautiful design evokes for us a visual message of different pieces coming together, but is also a representation of the myriad voices that have spanned Bush’s 100-year history—each piece uniquely different but finding their place.
Please contact communications@bush.edu with any corrections, errors, or updates. Corrections will appear in the next issue.
“The Bush School is a living organism, deeply rooted in our past and eager to grow and continue to stretch into the future.”
– Head of School Percy L. Abram
Our 100th year at Bush began with the tradition of Convocation in the inner courtyard in August. The speeches by Bush students, the president of the Families Association, and Head of School Percy L. Abram touched on this year’s theme, roots. Bush’s roots run deep and extend far beyond Seattle. The people who make up Bush past and present are connected to each other through tightly tethered and loosely formed networks, creating relationships across generations and eras. The following pages are a dedication to 100 years of Bush and beyond.
Photo K-12: It has become tradition for Head of School Percy L. Abram to take a photo at the beginning of the school year with one member of each grade, K-12. This year, Bush’s 100th, also marked Percy’s tenth year at The Bush School.
Head of School
The year that Helen Taylor Bush was preparing her home to take in those six Kindergarten students, author and civil rights champion James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York; Chamonix, France, hosted the very first Winter Olympics; and George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” was the year’s most popular song. Looking back 100 years, Mrs. Bush left a powerful, lasting legacy for hundreds of educators and thousands of students from modest beginnings with a few students huddled together in those first few days.
One will find Mrs. Bush’s imprint is everywhere at The Bush School. Her influence extends to Bush’s experiential programs, curricular offerings, and pedagogical practices as well as to how we greet one another, ask questions, participate in civic life, and contribute to our community. As a 100-year-old living organism, we learn from the stories and the people that connect us to the past, the environment that surrounds us, and through the roots that ground us firmly to this place.
Bush’s root systems are buried deep below the surface. They carry the decades of memories
from historic events, people revered and unsung, stories to be celebrated, and others to be left untold. One day, 100 years from now, someone will tell the story of the students and educators that inhabited this version of The Bush School. They will recognize that we are in an interdependent cooperative relationship with one another, with this school, and with this city.
I don’t know if Helen Bush envisioned that the school she built would be around and thriving today or if she imagined that we would remember her so lovingly. Each person receiving this magazine is part of that history and helped plant roots that will provide the nourishment for Bush to continue to grow and flourish into the future.
Thank you for taking the time to read this wonderful collection of memories, artifacts, and stories contained in this issue of Experience magazine. I hope that it fills you with the same sense of nostalgia, hope, and optimism for The Bush School as it does for me. We should feel honored to be a part of Mrs. Bush’s story.
Warm regards,
PERCY L. ABRAM, PH.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL
FROM THE Board President
“In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.”
– Abraham Maslow
The Bush School’s 2023–2024 Centennial year brought with it an opportunity to take a step back into time, and into relative safety. It has been a busy season of celebration, reconnection, archive building, and fond reminiscence of what once was.
As monumental a milestone and worthy of celebration reaching the age of 100 is, it’s also an opportune moment for some deep institutional examination. What traditions are worthy of preserving? How must we adapt to an everchanging world? How will we step forward into growth while maintaining our culture? Who do we want to become?
These questions and others will soon be formally addressed. The Board of Trustees, in partnership with the school’s Senior Leadership Team and with input from a broad array of the school’s constituents, will embark upon its next fiveyear strategic plan in 2025. This comprehensive process will result in a clear vision and a companion road map for The Bush School’s future.
As my Board presidency comes to a close, so too does my nine-year tenure on the Board and my family’s twelve-year stretch at the school. I’ll miss the beautiful Bush campus, but more than that, of course, I’ll miss the exceptional people I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work alongside. At the same time, I’m excited for what lies ahead for the school.
I pass the proverbial baton to my successor, President-Elect Karim Lessard ’89, a passionate and engaged Bush alumnus. Karim is a smart, talented, forward-thinking leader and the ideal person to step up to the helm on the eve of the school’s next 100 years. My departure comes with the comfort of knowing that the Board and the school are in excellent hands.
As it is for Bush, it is time for me to step forward into growth. Bush, as E.B. White wrote, “you have been my friend… that in itself is a tremendous thing.”
Warm regards,
LISA CARROLL PRESIDENT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Getting to Know Karim Lessard ’89
When you think of The Bush School, what stands out to you?
Even though I know how much time, thought, and energy goes into creating the culture and learning community at Bush, I’m always amazed by how impressive Bush graduates are. You see it in the students every day—they are thoughtful, creative, ambitious, and compassionate. These are lovely qualities for students, and they make for exceptional adults.
Why Bush? What made you choose Bush as a student and then for your family?
I chose Bush because it felt like a place I might be able to fit in (a tall order for an awkward kid in high school). Similarly, Jack ’22 was considering a couple of different schools for Ninth Grade but ultimately chose Bush because he found his people after the second visit. Other schools were attractive to him initially, but the more time he spent on campus, the more connected he felt. Lucy ’28 might say she was brought along for the ride, but when given a choice, this is the place she wanted to be.
What’s your favorite thing about Bush?
I really like the way faculty forms relationships with the students. I think it fosters asking questions, establishes the groundwork for listening critically to a variety of opinions, and encourages generative conversations.
What is your favorite place on campus?
Benaroya Theater. When you’re in there it always feels charged with energy. Like anything can happen.
When you think of the next 100 years at Bush, what does that look like to you, and what excites you?
I think in many ways the next 100 years at Bush may not look all that different—with the exception of a new Commons and Middle School, of course! However, I am excited to see how actual education will evolve and shift over time. Our mission and vision will
remain constant, but how that shows up in methods and experiences will look dramatically different. I’m looking forward to seeing that unfold in our unique community.
In your mind, how do you want to lead Bush into its next 100 years?
With profound enthusiasm for what’s possible and the determination to make it real.
How would your friends and family describe you? Loud? Incessant? Maybe optimistic.
What are your favorite books?
Favorite book I read at Bush: The Hero With 1000 Faces
Favorite book I read to the kids (besides the Harry Potter series): The Count of Monte Cristo
Favorite book I’ve read recently: The Sympathizer
What is something surprising that people don’t know about you?
I can fix anything.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
To be able to fix anything in less than an hour. Wait, no, that’s wrong. Interdimensional travel.
What is your favorite place in Seattle, and why?
The Olympic Sculpture Park, because it’s just the most Seattle place. When you’re standing on the footbridge, you are surrounded by some provocative sculptures and displays. As you extend your attention, you become aware of the trains passing by, the city traffic, the airplanes in their final approach, the ferries crossing the Sound, and the container ships loitering; at the same time you are struck by the physical beauty of the city. It’s the intersection of these experiences that define Seattle for me.
THE BUSH SCHOOL
Senior Leadership Team
2023-2024
Percy L. Abram, Ph.D. Head of School
JūLondré Brown
Director of Community, Equity, and Inclusion
Adam Choice
Director of Enrollment Management
Leslie David ’85
Executive Assistant to the Head of School
Ethan Delavan
Director of Technology, Systems, and Extended Day
Sharon Hurt
Assistant Head of School for Advancement
Jo Ito
Athletic Director
Matt Lai
Upper School Director and Interim
Middle School Director
THE BUSH SCHOOL Board of Trustees
2023-2024
Lisa Carroll
President
Salone Habibuddin Vice President
Atul Bali
Co-Treasurer
Amy Fernandes
Co-Treasurer
Karim Lessard ’89
Secretary
Emily Alhadeff ’94
Loren Alhadeff ’97
Steve Banks ’94
Maneesh Batra ’90
Zane Behnke ’00
Craige Blackmore
Wesley Burns
Steven Caplow
Chris Chickadel ’93
Irene Fisher
Allison Harr
Geoff Harris
Patti Hearn
Kathy O’Kelley
Julie Okerstrom
Daniel Pak
Jennifer Schorsch
Omar Shahine
Quentin Streets
Judi Yates
Sarah Smith Assistant Head of School for Academics
Rather Stanton Chief Finance and Operations Officer
Aliya Virani Lower School Director
Ex-Officio
Percy L. Abram, Ph.D. Head of School
Mary ‘Sis’ Pease ’41*
Trustee Emerita
Sena Johnson Families Association President
*deceased
The Bush School kicked off this Centennial school year with a visit from a special guest, Helen Bush Sittler, the granddaughter of The Bush School’s founder, Helen Taylor Bush. She came to campus on a beautiful fall day to reconnect, share stories, and donate a photo to the archives—a sepia tone photograph of her grandmother at the helm of a tandem bike with her husband John Bush, as students look on in the background. Her leadership, pioneering spirit, and deep care for children and their education are evident in the photo and in all she did to build this school.
Leading up to this milestone year, a small and committed group of alumni representing classes spanning fifty years gathered in monthly meetings over three years to help shape the Centennial experience. This issue of Experience magazine is an extension of our collective vision and work: We hold people and their stories at the center of this 100-year history; we celebrate all that we are and all that has been accomplished; and we are inspired by our shared values first articulated by Helen Taylor Bush—an emphasis on learning by doing, awareness of and respect for each student’s interests and readiness to learn, and encouragement of creative teaching across the curriculum.
The Bush School’s values today are steeped in history while speaking to today’s and tomorrow’s students and families. We invite perspectives, nurture an open mind, and cultivate community so that our students can blaze trails , just like Helen Taylor Bush when she opened her doors 100 years ago. We are a school where passion meets ambition, kindness meets curiosity, and experiences spark intellectual exploration. These elements set students on a path for a meaningful life full of achievement.
This issue is our Centennial story wrapped in alum Cameron Martin ’89’s art. His piece, titled “Sensate,” gives us the impression of a mosaic, which is symbolic of the various perspectives and voices culled to enrich our understanding of Bush’s past, present, and future direction. The magazine is organized by eras rich with facts, images, and voices of the time. From Midge Bowman ’51 to young students of the school’s 100th class, there are stories of courage, commitment, and community.
As Bush moves boldly into its next century, I hope that this Centennial year has created paths and opened doors through which you connect with one another and across generations, because we are all bound by our Bush roots now and always.
The future of Bush is bright, which is evident in the words of this year’s Kindergarten students. Bush’s 100th class made birthday wishes for their school, which you can read in the closing feature of this magazine. My wish for you is that you find connection while reading through the timeline and eras and that you see yourself in the stories, places, memories, and reflections—because you are a part of this profoundly beautiful and evolving mosaic.
This Centennial edition illuminates 100-plus voices, but the narrative continues, and through our online archive you will find over 17,000 entries to explore. Please visit archives.bush.edu. If you have not already, I encourage you to submit your own story.
Enjoy reading!
SHARON HURT ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR ADVANCEMENT
The Bush School founder Helen Taylor Bush and her husband John Bush pedal a tandem bicycle as students look on from campus grounds.
Within These Pages…
BY MARY ALBL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TIFFANY KIRK, ALUMNI AND DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER
This publication is organized by Eras —each section a characterization of The Bush School during a given timespan. Readers are introduced to each era with a brief historical summary for context, after which they encounter a personal narrative written by a member of the Bush community. The pages following each narrative contain Voices: the memories and reflections of Bush alums, students, families, faculty, and staff, as told by them. A historical time line runs along the bottom of the pages.
We are grateful to our storytellers—Elsa “Midge” Bowman ’51, Virginia Wyman ’67, Sheri Stephens ’75, former Board President Chris Bayley, current Head of School Percy L. Abram (whose tenth year coincides with the school’s one hundredth), and the Class of 2036 (the one hundredth Bush Kindergarten class)—for their thoughtful and reflective contributions.
Our goal with this very special Centennial edition of Experience magazine is for our readers to engage with the century of The Bush School as it is and as it has been lived by generations of students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni. Some voices come from oral histories and interviews preserved with care in various digital folders and archive closets. Some are memories collected in Alumni Day video memory booths. Others are emails, letters, and reflections pulled from yearbooks, or official documents marking important events in the school’s history.
As readers move through the history of the school, the media sources evolve—from historical documents and yearbooks to memories recalled through video clips and social media posts. Perhaps most entertaining are the voices of the alumni and faculty who interact with us in the comments of our “Who, What, Where” social media posts, providing information about photos found in the Bush online Archive.
For more information about the history shared here, visit the Bush online Archive at archives.bush.edu.
VOICES KEY
Growth has been a constant at The Bush School throughout its 100 years, and the same is true for the school’s commitment to providing a progressive, experiential education. Helen Taylor Bush’s educational philosophies laid the foundation, from the school’s humble beginnings serving six children in her home on Dorffel Drive in 1924, to its quick expansion to serving grades K–12 by 1935. “Education is an active process, not a passive one. The school subscribes to the process of learning to do by doing,” Mrs. Bush wrote in 1928. Play and self-discovery were emphasized in the Lower School, and the arts played a large role throughout all grades in the school’s early years. From the beginning, Mrs. Bush was also committed to expanding opportunities for all students. According to a financial statement from 1933, “of eighty-one students enrolled, fourteen paid half-tuition and eleven paid nothing.” Thus the values from these early years set the stage for Bush’s long history of striving to provide access and opportunity to a progressive and student-centered education.
HEAD OF SCHOOL: Helen Taylor Bush 1924-1948
ENROLLMENT
1924 six students
1936 141 students
An Education Pioneer
BY ELSA “MIDGE” BOWMAN ’51
In 1945 my grandmother offered to send me to the Helen Bush School. I arrived at the front door in late August, a skinny little twelve-year-old with thick glasses and a love of reading. The wooden buildings looked a little like barracks (it had been Lakeside School initially) and there was a sign with the school’s name stuck rather haphazardly in the grass by the sidewalk. I was ushered into a small classroom and given a test. Before I left, they told me I was admitted and where to get a school uniform.
Mr. and Mrs. Bush ran the school, he as the business manager and she as the academic head. Mrs. Bush had a low, throaty voice—quite beautiful, really. She seemed uninterested in what she wore. All I remember were the perennial dark blue dresses, much like the one she wears in the picture by Walter Isaacs. Mr. Bush’s office at the end of the front hall smelled of cigar smoke, spicing the otherwise female atmosphere of the place.
At my young age, I didn’t realize Helen Taylor Bush was an educational pioneer, a student of John Dewey and experiential education. She believed in global travel, math and science for women, and the importance of the arts. She also believed that students should be apprentices and work with actual artists, writers, dancers, scientists, linguists, poets, actors, and athletes.
My first Bush Christmas program made an indelible impression. The gym had been transformed into a glorious medieval manor house with “stained glass” windows of cellophane and the smell of evergreen boughs and garlands everywhere. The whole school participated. As a Seventh Grade student, my part was in a dance choreographed by Miss King. The beauty of the pageantry was impressive to my small person, but even more important was the awe of seeing the whole school: faculty, students, and parents sharing this experience. It gave me a new sense of family and of how intertwined our lives had become.
In 1948 Commencement was held in the gym, and we suddenly realized the seriousness of Mrs. Bush’s health as she was carried onto the stage. A diagnosis of advanced cancer had forced her retirement the year before, yet with great effort, she returned to give one last address to students, parents, and faculty. Ana Kinkaid, a Bush parent, wrote the following reminiscence:
“Too weak to walk in the graduation procession, she had to be carried into the gym and rested on a chaise lounge on the side of the stage. Mrs. Bush waited as others spoke, then gathered her strength and went slowly to the podium. At first her voice was shaky. But as she continued, her strength returned. She spoke without notes of what had motivated her through the years: an unfailing belief in the great ability of children.
As she continued to speak, many people there realized they were not listening to a farewell speech but an impassioned plea to believe in education as a beginning, a starting point from which to discover the wonder of life. Students who were present that day recall, ‘It just poured out of her. I remember being inspired. I can still hear her voice.’”
I too remember that day, not knowing that I would one day follow in her footsteps as Head of School.
Note: This excerpt can be found in the Bush online Archive, in Elsa “Midge” Bowman’s memoir, “In Action Faithful and In Honor Clear.”
Reflections of the Helen Bush School written by Helen Taylor Bush’s son, Kenyon Bush.
Helen Taylor Bush opened her school on Dorffel Drive. 1925
Mrs. Bush added a First Grade class to the school, and a new grade each subsequent year.
Voices of an Era
“At the core of Mrs. Bush’s philosophy was her belief in the value of experiential learning. In every subject, the children were encouraged to discover things for themselves. She envisioned a school that furnished ‘a real-life environment, making school just as thrilling as the world was to the pre-school child—and more understandable.’”
– Anne M. Will ’68, author, The First 75 Years
“We all worked together to help mother make a go of it. We painted chairs. My father built furniture and kept the books.”
– Eleanor Bush, daughter of Helen Taylor Bush
“I had many friends whose children went to Kindergarten at her school, which she had in her own home, and it was very near us. So I decided to send my daughter there for Kindergarten, and we loved everything that went on there from the beginning… And she always dreamed about having boys and girls clear through high school. She would see all her dreams fulfilled now.”
– Ruth Haight, founding Bush parent (mother to Mary “Sis” Pease ’41), grandparent, and staff
“When you were with Mrs. Bush, you were in school. She would explain about natural things. She made you look and realize the order of things in nature, the kinds of birds, the virtues of bugs.”
– Ward Beecher, member of the first Preschool/Kindergarten class on Dorffel Drive
Mrs. Bush rented the property on 36th Ave. from Lakeside (where the campus still resides).
The school was formally named the Helen BushParkside School. Parkside was the Lower School and the Helen Bush School was the Upper School. 1930
John Bush, husband to Helen Taylor Bush.
Mrs. Bush’s home and first location of The Bush School, on Dorffel Drive. The house still stands today.
Left to right: Eleanor Bush (daughter to founder Helen Taylor Bush), Helen Taylor Bush, Stanley Taylor (brother to Helen Taylor Bush), Kenyon Bush (son to Helen Taylor Bush).
ON FACULTY
teacher), Jeannelle Barber, Handa Heimena, and Martha Bartholomew (Second Grade teacher) in the music room, circa 1940s. Photo gifted by Marylee Griffith.
“I’d say one of Mrs. Bush’s greatest strengths was that she had a marvelous talent for attracting great teachers… Marjorie Livengood was one of them. Wil Pree Tyler, the English teacher, wonderful woman… Jenny Chessex, French teacher, wonderful. Naomi Hill, a history teacher, fun. Joan Cobbett, history teacher. I learned really more in that class, sophomore year in high school, than I learned freshman year at Stanford in history of Western civilization. They would let you go at your own pace, you see… These teachers, the ones I mentioned, all became close friends.”
– Diana Ingman ’40
“And we had the finest of the artists in the northwest on our faculty. Eleanor King, who was a protégé of... Martha Graham’s. Bill La Grille was an artist who was pre-hippie, pre-beatnik. He wore sandals and bare feet to school at a time nobody else did. Mrs. Bush encouraged him to give us the finest art experiences, which included nude models in this drafty, old art shack.”
– Dee (Idalice) Dickinson ’45
“Mrs. Livengood was interested in our whole person. She took an active interest in each student…. She talked to them, and the school was interested in the whole person, and they were not just a brain to be filled.”
– Barbara Edenholm ’45
Mrs. Bush bought property at Snoqualmie Pass to support experiential learning.
“The teachers were your friends, as well as the other students.”
– Virginia Gall Morrow ’37
“The thing that I remember was that Mrs. Bush believed that everybody could learn. And I was one of those people that used to say, ‘I can’t.’ Little kids say, ’I can’t do this.’ And she said, ’We don’t have that. We don’t use that word in this school.’... And when I said I couldn’t teach all the things she wanted me to teach, she said I could. So I think that’s the overriding quality.”
– Mary “Sis” Pease ’41, Bush Lifer, teacher, parent of alums, Upper School Director, Trustee Emerita
“My personal memories include the chemistry exchange teacher from England (a new idea in those days), Madame Virginia Chessex helping me cram two years of French into one to meet college requirements… Mrs. Wil Tyler, who brought English and thinking alive simultaneously… What avant garde things we did in art with Mrs. Virginia Pratt. I’ll never forget the rich music program taught by dear Marjorie Livengood, who offered music theory and harmony at a college level, as I later discovered. I also have fond memories of John Bush, who seemed omniscient behind the scene. There were fun times, too, such as dances when we decorated the gym and one, particularly memorable, at which I met my husband of 25 years. I enjoyed ski trips, athletic competitions between faculty and students, and rather elaborate plays in costume—all of which balanced our work.”
– Betty Lou (Coffey) Hoyt ’39
VIRGINIA:
“She’d come home. ‘What happened at school today, Chi Chi?’ She’d tell us everybody in her whole class and then we would know, they taught us what they did… Will you do it, Chi Chi?”
– Ann “Chi Chi” Wyman ’64 and Virginia Wyman ’67 on reciting Kindergarten roll call
The first student produced newspaper, now known as The Rambler, was published.
The first Tykoe, the school’s yearbook, was published.
Faculty members Frances Emerick, Louise H. Speer, Faith Voorhees King (Lower School Principal), La Von Hendrick, Elizabeth Child Turner (Piano teacher), William La Grille (A rt
“Best laugh: when Mrs. Bush kicked her shoe out the open window while trying to imitate a student who was swinging her leg. I won’t say the student name, unless you twist my arm. Yes, we were lucky enough to have Mrs. Bush teach our algebra class. Best singing: when we sang at the lunch table classics like ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’. Again probably not enjoyed by faculty trying to have peaceful lunch. Worst Behavior: Playing bridge in the back rows of a literature class.”
– Patricia Hopper ’49
“I was in the third graduating class of the Helen Bush School. In those days Bush was the greatest thing that could have happened to a child. We used to study the Daily Worker in school. I was always bringing home socialist agitators to meet my father.”
– Biliie Sloan Neill ’37
“So when my mother [Barbara Peyser Duniway ’45] was here during World War II, it was all girls, of course. Marjorie Livengood was here, and they all adored her… And they slept at Gracemont because the war was on and there was gas rationing, and so it was unpatriotic as well as not really feasible to be driving across town… And her class was very small, I think only around a dozen girls. She said that they went to the arboretum to pick flowers for their bouquets for graduation and they called it ‘borrowing the flowers’ and their teacher was leading them in this effort…. Anyway, and then my sister went here and my cousins went here, so it became a family thing.”
– Roxanne Duniway ’82
Mrs. Bush purchased the original Taylor Hall, which became the residence hall for Upper School girls.
The “Three Graces” statue was created by students from the Class of 1938 to represent the school’s ideals of “Truth, Beauty, Purpose.”
– Barbara Small Keever ’37
Lower School class photo from 1929.
A letter penned by alumnus Captain John Wooleton ’36.
1953 Junior Prom, held at the Sunset Club.
An excerpt from the 1945 Tykoe, written by then freshman Martha Dickinson ’79. Freedom of expression and quick wit have a long history at The Bush School.
Mrs. Bush partnered with the principal of Lakeside School, Robert Adams, to establish the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS), now called Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS).
“In 1935 the first class…graduated from the Helen Bush School. The graduates were Rosemary Ostrander, Phyllis Ross, Marijo James, Barbara Clark, Connie Fox, and Barbara Burton. Rosemary Ostrander and Connie Fox had been in the class from Kindergarten.”
– Susan T. Egnor, author of Fifty Years: The Bush School
“We lost some of the joy of this momentous year with the sudden death last fall of our director and dear friend, Helen Taylor Bush. It places upon us old-timers, grads, and faculty who knew her, the responsibility and the privilege of interpreting her vision, the Helen BushParkside School, to the public. I say her vision, instead of institution or enterprise, because that is what it was. I become more convinced of this as I see schools all over the country emulating the educational practices and philosophies so basic in her thinking.”
– Marjorie Livengood, The Rambler, April 8, 1949
“I would say that if the student body wishes, it can keep Mrs. Bush from ever really dying… When the girls at Bush live up to her principles of fairness, understanding and magnanimity of spirit, they will be sustaining her life in their own.”
– Meg Greenfield ’48
“Some people have plaques erected in honor of their goodness and generosity. I don’t think this would do at all for Mrs. Bush. Let’s start a Helen Taylor Bush Scholarship, something that’s alive, this is a real memorial, that girls who attend after us will know we loved her so much.”
– Jenness Summers Brewer ’39
On September 22,
Betty Evans ’38 and a fellow student sculpting “The Three Graces” statue, which still stands in the Middle School courtyard.
The Gracemont house, Carriage House, and its grounds were purchased.
Helen Taylor Bush died. Marjorie Livengood became the second Head of School.
A letter written by then-President of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) Mrs. Stuart R. Strong, after Helen Taylor Bush’s death in 1948.
This portrait of Bush founder Helen Taylor Bush, which hangs in Gracemont Alumni Hall, was completed by artist Walter Isaacs in 1945, just three years before her death.
The HELEN BUSH School
1949–1967
After Helen Bush passed away in 1948, longtime faculty member and administrator Marjorie Livengood took over as headmistress at the Helen Bush-Parkside School. By 1953, the school boasted an eight-acre campus, two Upper School dormitories, and an enrollment of about 330 students. With a fully enrolled school, a competitive admissions process was also introduced. In contrast to the loose structure and flexibility of Helen Bush, Marjorie Livengood’s tenure reflected the conservative and staid mores of the time. The Upper School curriculum was a traditional college preparatory program. Uniforms had to be clean, and students had to attend chapel every Wednesday morning. However, as the 1960s progressed, societal values began shifting. When Mrs. Livengood retired in 1967, significant changes were on the horizon for The Bush School.
HEAD OF SCHOOL: ENROLLMENT:
A Love Letter
BY VIRGINIA WYMAN ’67
From 1955 to 1967, my years at The Helen Bush-Parkside School were magical and a stellar scholastic experience. My four siblings were ahead of me at school, so it felt like another version of home. Academics were prized and the priority of the curriculum; we were very lucky. I am still reading the classics today, to which Bush gave us a marvelous introduction.
Headmistress Marjorie Livengood was an outstanding administrator. She offered enough transparency so that we all felt as though we knew what was going on and that we were a part of it. Upper School Assembly on Fridays before lunch offered the opportunity for any random administrative communication from her, although presentations at weekly Assembly were usually extracurricular in subject and interest. Chapel was held on Wednesday mornings, with school uniform jackets mandatory; the presenters varied in denomination and message.
From the students’ perspective, the school appeared to operate seamlessly. There was long-term stability in both faculty and staff. For all my twelve years, Marjorie Livengood was Headmistress, Verna Ostrom the Business Manager, Dorothy Miller the Drama Teacher, Elizabeth Turner the Music Teacher, Dorothea Jackson the Piano Teacher, Elsa Johnson the Dietitian, Mr. Kearney the Janitor, Frank Pidge the Bus Driver, Ed Simpson his assistant and groundskeeper, as well as a plethora of excellent faculty who devoted their time and attention to their students.
“My greatest academic teacher was Midge Grove. She taught us History in the Ninth Grade and English in the Tenth Grade. As I told a friend of hers whom I met in a restaurant in Paris, “With all apologies to my mother, she is the reason I am smart!”
Mainstream academics included history, a variety of mathematics and geometry, foreign language, english language and its grammar, creative writing, and a variety of sciences. All subjects had outstanding teachers throughout the scholastic curriculum.
The Lower School, Preschool through Sixth Grade, called Parkside School, was administered separately from the Upper School. Robert Dickson was the principal and, again, there was long-term stability among the faculty. In my grades one through six, my teachers were Gertrude Greider, Mary Dickson, Doris Matthews (when Sputnik was launched into outer space!), Mary Anna Woodward, Carol Hager, and Robert Dickson. In 2011, fifty years after our Sixth Grade graduation, my class held a fiftieth year reunion, the only Lower School class in the school’s history to do so! We were fifteen in attendance.
My greatest academic teacher was Midge Grove. She taught us History in the Ninth Grade and English in the Tenth Grade. As I told a friend of hers whom I met in a restaurant in Paris, “With all apologies to my mother, she is the reason I am smart!” Midge Grove did not let anyone slip through the cracks: if you were in her class, you performed. A small committee organized her ninetieth birthday party, inviting all of her former Bush students over the two sequences of her years teaching at the school to attend the celebration. Head of School Dr. Percy L. Abram, relatively new to the school, proudly joined us. She made a difference in all her students’ lives, exposing us to large concepts of thought and ideas, all the way down to the smallest detail of grammar. Her system of “correction folders” would not allow her students to advance until their previous work was perfectly correct. I still live by this goal.
Another outstanding teacher was Margaret McCall, who taught Latin—among other subjects—over many years. Beyond its own fascination, studying Latin also showcased both the grammar and etymology of the English language, creating a rich trifecta of learning. I took Latin for four years.
Glee Club catapulted itself to greatness when choral conductor Dr. Joan Catoni Conlon (Miss Catoni) came to teach in 1962, staying with us for just a few years. We sang Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Britten, Buxtehude, Mozart, Purcell, and many other great composers. In her first year, Miss Catoni collaborated with Lakeside School’s Glee Club teacher, and the joint glee clubs performed Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” at the University Presbyterian Church. In the next year, on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Board of Directors, an all-school event held in the gymnasium, the Glee Club sang Benjamin Britten’s “Festival Te Deum.” It was a remarkable piece and performance. Fourth Grade student John Sobel wore lederhosen that day and sang the solo with the voice of an angel, looking like one, too; all on a beautiful spring afternoon. A fine performance creates a lasting memory. In addition, because the Glee Club performed “Panis Angelicus” every year at graduation, we were able to execute its timing and crescendo with exquisite precision.
I should not overlook the contribution of Mrs. Miller, who taught drama to all six grades, seventh through twelfth! Every year there was a senior play, a junior play, and one or two other classes whose plays were also performed for the Upper School. My class’s senior play was “The Wizard of Oz”; my role was the Cowardly Lion. In the Eighth Grade we performed “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” and in the Tenth Grade we tackled “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In addition, sports were not overlooked at the school. Beyond calisthenics, we played volleyball, basketball, baseball, and more. Honorable mention to Rosmond “Rody” Lea ’65, the school’s star athlete, who once in gym class aced a whole volleyball game with her serve!
My favorite extracurricular activity was the ski bus ride to Crystal Mountain. When the sign-up sheet was low, I darted amongst the student body to garner interest in filling up the sign-up sheet so we could go skiing that Saturday; an early lesson for me in marketing. I assisted Frank [Pidge] the bus driver in laying out the tire chains in the snow when necessary and wiped the fog from the windshield on cold, wet nights driving home. The eagerly anticipated and long-awaited two new school buses purchased in the mid-sixties were top-of-the-line!
My class voted me to be class speaker at our graduation. I sang the praises of Marjorie Livengood, whose last year at the school coincided with our last year. I said what I expressed here: that she ran a streamlined and respectful ship with authority, order, and grace. As I stated above, we were extremely lucky. My Bush education serves me every day, including in the writing of this piece.
Voices of an Era
“There were times—most notably in the 1950s and early 1960s—when the school’s programs became less flexible and more structured, reflecting in part the thinking of the times. But never was there a deviation from an emphasis on the interests and talents of each individual student or on the respect given the faculty to develop their own curriculum within the Bush frameworks. As new trends in education appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the school was able to reflect those trends and once again became more flexible and experiential in its programs and atmosphere.”
– Ann M. Will ’68, The First 75 Years
ON FACULTY
“So here we were, and the parakeet who lived in the classroom was flying around. I was giving the test, and the parakeet landed on my head just as Les came in with prospective parents. I was mortified and didn’t know where to look. I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ Here I was with the bird on my head. And I heard later, that’s when they said, ‘We’re sending our kid to the fourth grade.’”
– Joan Marsh, Fourth Grade teacher, 1964–1991
“I went to Bush from ’65 to ’69. Part of that time I was a boarder. My experience here was defined by my meeting, and knowing until her death, Meta O’Crotty.”
– Elaine Daly Jacques ’69
“She (Marjorie Livengood) was a very funny woman, which a number of people never had the chance to see. She came across, of course, as one kind of person to the students, naturally. But once in a while, we would have a faculty skit or some such thing, and Marjorie came up with the most incredibly clever things and didn’t mind being foolish, which I think is one of the marks of a good person.”
– Meta O’Crotty, Upper School English teacher, 1949-1994
Marjorie Livengood in the early years of her tenure as Headmistress (1948-1967).
Joan Marsh, Fourth Grade teacher 1964-1991, with a student circa 1980s.
The 1949 Tykoe yearbook dedication to Helen Taylor Bush, who died before the start of the 1948-1949 school year.
On April 18, a fire destroyed administrative offices, the gym, the chemistry lab, the library, and other classrooms. 1949
Reflection penned by Janet (Lister) Wallace ’48.
“So everybody had to do something from the 20th century and then teach the class. But that was my scheme, you see, to get all these different topics covered… This boy did Reaganomics, which I really didn’t understand myself. And he got up there, had charts on the board, and he explained the whole thing. And I, I finally understood it. And that was, that was wonderful.”
– Mary “Sis” Pease ’41, on establishing what became the U.S. History paper requirement
“Two of the busiest people around school will be Mr. and Mrs. Angell. Formerly of the Catlin Gabel School, Mr. Angell will be replacing Mr. Dickson as the head of Parkside and conceivably as ‘Ye High Keeper of the Senior’s Court Key.’ The Parkside Library will be Mrs. Angell’s new domain, and although she has been in Seattle for just two weeks, she has aIready selected sixty new books! Be warned that Mr. Angell’s pet peeve is ‘incomplete homework’ and his wife’s is ‘noisy studying!’”
– September 1963 Rambler
“Our sincere best wishes go with Frank Pidge always. Each girl in the school loves him for a different reason. Some know him as the most cheerful companion to have on our school ski trips, during which the fun includes snowball fights and lunchtime joking in the ski bus. Dad’s Night, at which he is the boarders’ favorite ‘father,’ is only one of the many times during the year when Frank is like a father to us. He is invariably interested in all we do and never fails to show us his kindness and patience. We will remember him always with warmth and happiness.”
– Class of 1961 dedication in 1961 Tykoe
1950
“The fall before I got there, one of the very large classroom buildings had burned down. And it was a part dormitory. No one was hurt, but the building was burned.”
– Meta O’Crotty, Upper School English teacher, 1949–1994
“And that’s down where the present Middle and Lower schools are?”
– Liza Benedict Hobbs, Upper School English teacher 1976–1984
“Yes, yes. And it faced the courtyard, the courtyard that we still have… what is now the Middle School actually, is the site of that old house that is gone.”
– Meta
Mary “Sis” Haight Pease ’41, Upper School History teacher and college counselor 1966-1991.
Frank Pidge, Bush bus driver 1940-1973, with students circa 1960s.
Remnants of the April 18, 1949 fire which occurred in an Upper School building on The Bush School campus.
Meta O’Crotty started Flight, the annual student publication of literary and artistic work.
ON THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“I think there was some pressure on the school from us, particularly my class, actually, to try to become more relevant to the pressing issues of the day. And I think over time that’s happened actually. But back then, the intensity of feeling need for change around racism and sexism and environmental, everything was rising so rapidly... And in the evening after school, we were allowed to bring in Black Panthers and other speakers. It was just a few of us from my class who did that. I wasn’t actually the organizer, but in retrospect, it’s pretty amazing that they let us do that.”
– Phoebe “Fifi” (Caner) Warren ’71
Present-day Taylor Hall was purchased as a smaller boarding house, later becoming the Head of School’s home.
Excerpt from a piece written by a public relations consultant, as part of the 1964 Board of Trustees’ effort to address long-range plans, including improving the quality and amount of information about Bush available to the public.
An excerpt from a Helen Bush School student handbook circa the 1940s, detailing free-time allowances and upper classmen privileges.
1966
The Marjorie C. Livengood Library was built. It was replaced by the present-day Lower School building in 2006.
1967
John B. Grant became the third Head of School.
“We were not the first class to have People of Color, but we were the largest class for a very long time… There were more People of Color in my class when we started in Seventh Grade, which was Upper School then—there were five of us. The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were just passed in 1964 and 1965. We came in, in Seventh Grade, in 1969. So everything was new, and that’s why I call us the bumper crop class.”
– Michelle Purnell Hepburn ’75
“Senior Lounge! We were the class of ’66. We lost our Senior Lounge privileges at the end of the year because we put Ex-Lax in the juniors’ cake. Unfortunately, it was right before SAT tests. Oooee, we were in trouble!”
– Sharon Nichols ’66
A reflection written by an unknown student circa 1961-1962.
“I accepted an invitation to serve on the Board of Bush in approximately 1973 to ’75… At that time, there was almost a movement of students to make dramatic changes in the way the school was run. And they, in a very organized fashion, came to the Board and said they did not want to wear the uniforms anymore… A great deal of time was spent on this. The Board took the students very seriously. And so what we ended up with is a very successful transition from having to wear uniforms to just regular clothes and much more casual than in the past… And it’s so good to see the school thriving as it is right now.”
– Mary “Sandie” Ferguson Boyd ’54
ON LEADERSHIP TRANSITION
“1967 is an historic year for the Helen Bush School. It is the last year of Mrs. Marjorie C. Livengood’s twenty-year career as principal of the school. In appreciation of the contributions Mrs. Livengood has made to the Helen Bush-Parkside School as its principal, alumnae, friends, parents, students and faculty of the school have established the Marjorie C. Livengood Scholarship… Mrs. Livengood’s years at Bush have been distinguished by the growth in excellence of independent education. The high standards she has contributed will be lastingly appreciated and her presence greatly missed.”
– 1967 Alumnae Bulletin
A letter from Headmistress Marjorie Livengood to alumni of the Helen Bush-Parkside School announcing her plan to retire from her position in 1967.
An Era of Growth
1968–1984
The societal upheaval of the late 1960s was reflected in the changes at The Bush School during this time. In 1970, under the leadership of Head of School John B. Grant (1967–1972), the school made the decision to go fully co-ed and officially changed its name to The Bush School. Around this time, the school briefly flirted with moving the campus out of the city to Sammamish before ultimately deciding to stay in Seattle. Uniforms were finally discarded under heavy pressure from the student body. The boarding program also ended.
Teachers were given more flexibility in the way they presented curriculum, and although students continued to be challenged by academic rigor, the definition of such became more holistic in nature and emphasized practical application. With Head of School Les Larsen at the helm (1972–1987), the Wilderness Program was introduced, as were international trip programs and the Action Module Program (AMPs), the precursor to the modern Cascades offerings in the Upper School. By the 1980s, the school had expanded to about 500 students, and a series of capital campaigns and master plans helped fund and build Schuchart Gym, renovate Gracemont into classrooms, and expand the Arnold Art building to meet the needs of the student body. The school emerged from the turmoil of the late 1960s and early 1970s ready to adapt to the next chapter in its history.
HEADS OF SCHOOL: John Grant 1967-1972 and Les Larsen 1972-1987
ENROLLMENT: 350 students in 1967
370 students in 1974
Tilling and Planting the Seeds of Change
BY SHERI STEPHENS ’75
The Bush School experience between 1969 and 1975 was a shifting kaleidoscope of cultural, political, gender, and racial change. My own odyssey began with the fitting of a navy “Jackie Kennedy” skirt suit with a Peter Pan-collared blouse. Thankfully, there were no mandatory white gloves and pillbox hat! So many new rules, regulations, and behavior expectations to navigate: stand up for teachers and seniors, no trespassing in the senior hall or courtyard, and assigned lunchtime seating with longsuffering upper-class student monitors. Yet despite the sheltered hallways of our school, we still felt the impact of world events.
The academic year in 1969 began with six students of color in our entering Seventh Grade class. Subsequent class counts varied greatly thereafter, but the die was cast. Some teachers wore miniskirts, and we students were quick to roll the waistbands of our uniforms to shorten the hems. I read books about inner-city poverty and the Black Power movement and saw antiwar protests and race riots on the nightly news. Once a year, we were called to assembly to watch a documentary film on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I will never unsee the footage of flesh sloughing off the limbs of the innocent victims of war. Thankfully, sheltering students from events and history that might upset them was not the Helen Bush way.
Eighth Grade saw the rejection of uniforms and the proliferation of bell-bottoms, beads, headbands, and fringe in our hallways. Senior classes dropped proms and marched out to “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles on graduation day. I let my hair “go natural” and read books such as The Feminine Mystique, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and Angela Davis We voted to end uniforms and admit boys. I voted “yes” and remember feeling excited to participate in creating change.
“Understanding the importance of intentionality took many years to develop. I like to think the path of equity and inclusion was set during our tenure.”
Identity formation was sometimes challenging during these years. I found support for my creative development in Dean Warner’s English class and Nelleke Langhout’s art class. I even sold my first paintings in Langhout’s Pioneer Square gallery. The affirmation I received from many at school provided an important mental and emotional life raft.
In our Ninth Grade year I painted my binder in the colors of the African American flag—red, black, and green—and wore my Afro with pride. Five boys started in our class that year. How hard this must have been for the brave souls that chose to be the first boys at Bush. And yet, as an African American student, I felt pressured to assimilate to the dominant culture while also witnessing many changes occur to accommodate our new male classmates. Male teachers were hired, a new gym was built, and even the name of our school was changed. In my Tenth Grade year, I only had one female teacher. This was a significant shift in the school climate that left me, a Black girl, feeling devalued. Understanding the importance of intentionality took many years to develop. I like to think the path of equity and inclusion was set during our tenure.
In our senior year I continued to have allies among the faculty and staff who supported my academic strengths and empowered my creative explorations. For example, my voice was encouraged when I was selected to write a student article for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In Roslyn Grant’s third-year French class, I learned about Francophone countries and literature and had a memorable opportunity to join Grant in Olympia to pack care boxes for survivors of a Honduran hurricane.
The impact of having a diverse student body was evident in our senior year. Our class president, vice-president, and secretary were African Americans, and we marched at graduation to the music of Earth, Wind & Fire. The Senior Project gave us an opportunity to explore and express ourselves, and I produced my third art show. Encouragement and support from Meta O’Crotty led me to apply to Mt. Holyoke College to earn my BA in Studio Art.
Between 1969–1975, the processes of change sometimes swung wildly. Being a part of this era of flux helped to form my belief in women’s education and minority inclusion as well as my understanding of the importance of being intentional and adaptive. It is hard work that takes time, money, and soul searching. These years were for tilling and planting the seeds of change, a sometimes messy process. Through it all, there were faculty and staff who believed in us and empowered us to embrace change and take our place in the world.
A photo from the 1974 Tykoe yearbook. From left: Sheri Stephens, Marie Kurose, Pat Edmond, Leah Heilpern, all alums from the class of 1975.
Voices of an Era
ON THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“So... Gather round, and the class of ’78 will tell a story... In April a few of us were told that the future of Senior Sneak was on our shoulders... In the previous years (not naming names) the tradition had gotten a little rough around the edges, and we were told to be creative, inventive, and in the spirit of fun—and not destructive... The whole class banded together, and the idea of a VW in the commons was hatched—measurements were taken—a VW body was found at a junkyard, transportation was arranged, we hauled it into its resting place—and all signed it on a magical Thursday evening. Friday morning we buzzed the school in station wagons and then headed north to the San Juans for a great weekend!”
– John Maltman ’78
“That’s from the fall of 1976 or 1977. I’m sure of that, because Walt was one of my best friends in Seventh Grade, and I missed him quite a bit when their family moved to Australia for a year after that year. To be clear, there was no such thing as coed sports! Just a bunch of people standing in the goal together, randomly. I’m sure you all vividly recall that we wore those T-shirts for uniforms for both soccer and basketball.”
– Dave Dederer ’82
“I still have tiny scars on my knee from the cyntrex.”
– Yvette Eisenberg ’83
1968
The Phelps Fisher House was purchased. First a dance studio, it is now the Arnold Art building.
“Washington Park/Arb—cyntrex soccer field (look at Ramblers during the era for an editorial about the crushed brick soccer surface that made slide tackles suicidal) thinking most of these folks are Class of ’81. Chris Suzuki in the rugby shirt as goalie—and many more familiar faces.”
– John Maltman ’78
“I used to have to go home after a game and sit in the bathtub to soak out all of the tiny shards of cyntrex!”
– Linda Dahlgren ’81
1969
The Board of Trustees purchased three plots of land on East Republican Street, which became the site of Schuchart Gym.
Students preparing to transport a vehicle onto campus grounds to fulfill the tradition of a senior class prank during the 1986 Senior Sneak.
Students pose for a photo while playing soccer on the Washington Park cyntrex field, circa the 1970s.
“That whole group was so darn talented. I remember Joel and Kermit doing a version of “Slip Sliding Away” at a *field day* event and they brought the house down. Great singers and Edie had the best voice I ever heard. Also: this show has to be Top 3 of the 1975-1988 period. The other two: Bye Bye Birdie and the King and I.”
– Michael Lawson ’88
“Wow, this is so fun to see! Such happy memories... Edie and I were both too nervous to audition alone, so they let us sing a song together (only at Bush)! And Alec, I was only brave enough to audition because The Fantasticks was so... fantastic!... the year before, and I wanted IN!!”
– Heidi Godt ’84
“As an little tyke audience member, I thought these guys were famous!”
– John “Jeff” Fell Ryan ’91
“OMG I remember being in the audience for that one. Blew my little 8-year-old mind!”
– Hayden (Lemly) McManus ’87
“We also did ‘Murder at the Vicarage’ there (which I have on VHS). For my role, they had me smoke a cigarette INSIDE and under 18! “
– Tiffany Stevenson ’84
“I remember I played two roles: 1. Protero the dead body. And 2. The police man. That was great. Also, it was my first book read in English.”
– Javier Arellano ’84
“That’s me in the audience with the red zip up sitting in between John Hughes and Matti Almers. Ame Weik and Megan Basetti are sitting on the floor. I think I also see Rob Stark and Erika Punt on the far right. I think I was in First or Second grade so 1978/1979? P.S. that was not a bowl cut; I had a Dorothy Hamill-inspired hairdo!”
– Samantha Muse ’90
“That was a bowl cut, Mom.”
– Max Muse ’21
1970
The Helen Bush-Parkside School was renamed The Bush School, as the Upper School became coed. The change made Bush Seattle’s only K-12 coed independent school, a distinction Bush still holds.
1971
The Board passed a motion to discontinue the school policy of student uniforms, responding to student petitions against them.
The cast of the 1982 Upper School production of “Godspell.”
Students acting in the 1980 Eighth Grade production of “The Mouse That Roared.”
“Best SLIDE evvvvvvver, and I see the building next to it that we did the egg drops from.”
– Kate Bayley ’96
“That slide was amazing! So unsafe but so amazing.”
– Liz Lewis Symington ’07
“Fun fact: The big slide was designed and fabricated by Don Rosen at Alaskan Copper Works.”
– Steve Rosen ’84
“I remember the excitement on the days of installation. What a project. The best school slide in Seattle!
– David Douglas, faculty 1974–1999
“The only tricky part was it was made out of aluminum, so you had to be careful on hot days.”
– Steve
“Could fry an egg on hot day.”
– David
“I loved studying in Gracemont and finding a quiet corner—and then, if I was lucky, Meta O’Crotty would stride by (float, really, she was so quiet on her feet) and ask what I was reading, and when that happened… it was a great day! So many memories!”
– Kari L. Kaplan ’81
“Gracemont was so cool back in my day (though it’s still cool now). There were hidden rooms on the upper floor to explore… and hide from teachers if you wished. Also loved the garden room where Mr. Rorshack taught history. All those wonderful windows.”
– Susan L. Ackley ’82
After much debate, the Board of Trustees chose to remain in Seattle instead of moving to Lake Sammamish, citing ties to the neighborhood and broader cultural resources accessible in the city.
The Lower School play field in 1979. The large metal slide is pictured to the right of the white building.
Two Upper School students stand in the Gracemont entryway in 1972. 1971
The first fully coed Sixth Grade class advanced to Seventh Grade.
A bicentennial letter celebrating the school’s fiftieth year and announcing plans to renovate Gracemont Alumni Hall. Signed by 1975 Alumni Association members Marjorie Livengood, Mary “Sis” Pease ’41, Midge Bowman ’51, Meta O’Crotty, Margaret McCall, Rosemary Ballinger ’35, Eva Stangle, Deehan “Dee” Wyman ’65, and Alden Garrett ’73.
1971
The Board of Trustees approved the Middle School becoming its own division. Mike Douglas became the first Middle School director.
1972
Les Larsen became the fourth Head of School. He established Convocation, which started the same year.
“Looks like I had the lead article! I remember this day well—we hung ‘welcome home’ signs through the city, all along the route to the school. It was a big deal!”
– Kim Hillman Bassett ’78
“Started my Grade 6-12 Bush journey in the fall of 1975… this was the talk of the school in my Sixth Grade year, and for me as a young feller, the trip fired the imagination and manifested the school’s ethos in an entirely concrete and readily comprehensible way.”
– Dave Dederer ’82
“I was four years in Parkside and six years in Upper School, so that’s a lot of time at the school. All the way through the uniform years. For a couple of years we had a summer uniform for hot weather—a shift dress in a choice of colors designed by Louise Rauscher Mooney’s late mother.”
– Mary VanArsdel ’71
September 13, 1976, Rambler article
ON COED ENROLLMENT
about the Bush Bikers returning from their 25,000- mile work journey. Pictured are Matt Rice ’75, Mark Boyar ’75, Bob Ellis, Upper School French teacher, and Steve Ellis, brother of Bob Ellis.
The Mothers’ Club became the Parent Faculty Student Association.
The first male student graduated from The Bush School. 1973
The first official Wilderness Program was integrated into the curriculum and went to Grand Lake. A reflection penned by alumna Paula Wolf ’73.
“Two boys were in our class. It was very exciting. It was my first year at Bush and it was my senior year. And it was really fun. Everybody was so friendly and welcoming, and I just remember how great the people were, the warmth of the place and the warmth of the teachers, particularly Mrs. O’Crotty, who was our English teacher… I remember the great librarian and everybody just was open and there was so much learning to take place here.”
– Susan McInnis ’73
“It was the competitiveness in sports that began to creep in because of the boys. And we had to work very hard to keep that whole idea of everybody participating when we were out to win… Also, the first year they came, the girls came to me ... In the spring, before we went co-ed… and said, ‘Yeah, we want boys here.’ And then they came and boys were horsing around a little more, and the girls would come and say, ‘You’re not disciplining, you’re making concessions, you’re letting them off. And we don’t like that. Let’s not have boys.’ And I said, ‘No, we’ve got them.’”
– Mary “Sis” Pease ’41
“Mm-hmm. We did.
– Chris Wright ’70
“And then we realized that we were making concessions to the young men in discipline and other ways that the girls were right and that we had to be even-handed with that. Well, they were going down the hallway and jumping up and punching holes in the ceiling and … We were sort of being nice. I didn’t let them shoot the squirt guns in the front hall. Things like that. No, I think even in classrooms, we were making concessions to the boys. And the plant, it wasn’t a plant built for boys. I mean, we had to adjust to that locker rooms, everything.”
– Sis
“Oh, the chairs in the library. Boys are constitutionally unable to sit slack. They have to push back. And so, we lost ... They just kept breaking chairs. Nothing we could do about it. Can’t change that.
– Shirley Loper, Lead Librarian 1969-1996
ON FACULTY
“[Mike Douglas] was running the Middle School, and he was the guy with a backpack…there was Rob Corkran, who was the real inspiration and the fire for Wilderness, all the way to always proposing a Wilderness camp that should be a place where kids could go and experience pristine wilderness. None of the ski resort-type thing or luxury camping or anything, just to find trees and water, just the way they came.”
– Les Larsen, Head of School 1972–1987, interview by Elsa “Midge” Bowman ’51
“Well, I would attribute the idea [the Wilderness Program] to Mike Douglas, who was the first Head of the Middle School and thought that a participatory approach and getting kids out in the field was really instrumental in terms of a Middle School education… He’d taken some kids to Hawaii the year before on an extended field trip. And he hired me specifically with the intent that I do a lot of outdoor work.”
– Rob Corkran, faculty 1972–2006
Bush faculty on a retreat. Manvel “Marty” Schauffler (Middle School History teacher), Rob Corkran (Middle School History, Geology, and Wilderness teacher), Les Larsen (Head of School), Gary Emslie (Middle School Director), Suzanne Forrest (Middle School French teacher), Phil Rohrbough (Upper School History and Foreign Trip teacher), Tom Duffield (Wilderness and Foreign Trip teacher), Philip Mallinson (Upper School Math teacher), and others.
The Bush Bicycle Club set off on a 15,000 mile bicycle trip across twenty-two countries. Fifteen months later, four members of the original group completed the trek in full.
1975 1977
The Carriage House was formally renamed Cunningham House in memory of alumni Jeri Lee Cunningham.
“When I was researching a bunch of stuff ten years ago, one of the philosophies that I came up with that Helen Bush really proclaimed was learning by doing one of the first things that came to my mind was the Wilderness Program and the Sea-Cliste stuff. And then, I think Les Larson had a lot to do with it.. But there was an interesting coincidence that he seemed to create a congenial atmosphere for people like Rob and Bob Ellis and Terry Egnor… He tended to recognize people who would [brainstorm those ideas] and make this a place where they wanted to [implement them].”
– Tom Duffield, faculty 1978–2008
“And there was just… total freedom. I mean, I was the only one teaching life sciences when I began. And so there was no one to tell me what to do… If you’re a beginning teacher, sometimes you kind of crave a little bit more guidance. But I got used to it very quickly because I loved the freedom of it… I loved it all.”
– Peggy Skinner, faculty 1972–2011
“I was not a good student. But I loved my time at Bush. I came away with a love of learning because I had teachers who took the time to show me how to embrace Shakespeare in a semester-long course. My French teacher, Monsieur Ellis, gave me a love for the language and the culture. But the one I think of often is Peggy Skinner’s biology class. I didn’t know it at the time, but my life ended up being defined by science as I chose to become an RN in my 50s. Peggy tried so hard to engage me and get me to work harder… it did ultimately pay off.”
– Monica Gilva ’78
Sheffield and Patricia Phelps donated their house to the school as a performing arts center. It is currently the Middle School Music building.
“So many [memories]! 1. Living for a year on campus with Headmaster Les Larsen and wife Nancy... 2. Staying late everyday working on projects in the Art Building, until Mel the custodian came over to lock up... 3. After hours in the library, discovering Meta O’Crotty teaching the adult Mel to read! 4. Being trusted and supported by all the teachers.”
– Gretchen (Steffy) de Limur ’77
“I remember current events with Gardiner in an old Gracemont classroom. This was an early morning class, and he was always excited and energetic and engaged. He made us think! Gardiner and Ms. Osaka were two of my favorite teachers at Bush—their dedication to students and learning and community inspire me still.”
– Lisa Ide ’80
“Tom Highsmith sparked my interest in science. He taught us about structure and function. I appreciate that - my first intention to be a doctor developed there… I didn’t have a class with her [Mary “Sis” Pease ’41], but she told me ‘well at least apply to Stanford.’ It was life changing. I did not imagine where I would be today. I knew I wanted to be a doctor. Thank God for the science classes. The spark was always there.”
– Monica Anselmetti ’82
The George Taylor Dinner was established to honor faculty and recognize recipients of the George W. Taylor Faculty Endowment fund, a fund that continues to support and faculty sabbaticals.
Peggy Skinner, Upper School Science teacher 1972–2011.
From left: Peggy Skinner, Upper School Science teacher; Janice Osaka, Upper School History teacher 1975–2016; and Gardiner Vinnedge, Upper School History teacher 1977–2017.
“Not sure how many of y’all know how important it was to have a Brother as a representation of us in middle school.”
– Rochelle D. Gayton ’79
“A lot of firsts, but not sure why Bush never told his story. I learned it from working with a fellow USCG reservist.”
– Doug Helton ’80
“Confirming: Bubba Morton! When my family gave each of my teachers the same holiday gift, he asked where was his... and by golly, we indulged him, although he wasn’t one of my teachers. Lesson learned: never hurts to ask!”
– Cynthia Dahlen ’73
The Urban Courtyard was completed by integrating a portion of 36th Avenue that ran between the Middle School and the Arnold Arts building.
1984 Schuchart Gym was completed.
Bubba Morton, Middle and Upper School P.E. teacher and boys athletics coach 1972–1976, with students during a P.E. class circa 1970s.
Official baseball card featuring Bush P.E. teacher and boys athletics coach Bubba Morton. Before teaching at Bush, Bubba played in the major leagues from 1961-69, including stints with the Tigers, Milwaukee Braves and California Angels. During his 15-game tenure with Milwaukee in 1963, his roommate was Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
Building Bush
1985–2006
As The Bush School matured, it began to grapple with the consequences of its own success. Reminiscent of the founding years when Helen Taylor Bush took bank loans to pay faculty, administrators were forced to consider how to manage rising overhead and maintain quality instruction without drastically increasing tuition, a common issue among independent schools. Increasing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity at Bush also became an important objective during this time. In 1994 the administration formed its Diversity Implementation Program to both increase representation in the student body and create more diverse perspectives in the curriculum. One of the core goals of its 1999 long-range plan was to “recruit, retain, and support a diverse student body, faculty, and staff.” The school hired its first K-12 diversity coordinator in 2001. Under these initiatives, the percentage of students of color would steadily increase at Bush.
Creativity among students at Bush flourished, thanks to the addition of Benaroya Theater to the Urban Courtyard. A formal music program in the Upper School encouraged musically inclined students in their pursuits, and some graduated to earn local and national acclaim.
The late nineties and early 2000’s ushered in a campus expansion that well positioned Bush for the twenty-first century. In 1999, Wissner Hall was built on the Upper School campus. In 2006 the culmination of a $34 million capital campaign resulted in a completely new Lower School building, playground, library, turf field, parking garage, and gym. The project required the removal of the Livengood Learning Center, displaced Lower School students for an academic year, and was a huge undertaking that required the full support of the Bush community.
Heads of School:
Les Larsen 1972-1987
Fred Dust 1987-1996
Midge Bowman 1996-1997
Tim Burns 1997-2000
Frank Magusin 2000-2014
Enrollment:
530 students in 1986
523 students in 1999
A Home Away From Home
BY CHRIS BAYLEY, BOARD PRESIDENT 1990–1994
It is an honor to reflect on the life and leadership of The Bush School during the two decades when I served on the Board of Trustees–four of which I served as President–and it really all boils down to how the school became an extension of our family life. My daughters Elizabeth ’92 (Kindergarten through Sixth Grade) and Kate ’96 (a Lifer) attended Bush, and we lived and breathed the everyday experience of the community. This was a pivotal time when the school needed to “lean in” to its identity, core values, and strategic plan for the future.
My tenure overlapped with the tail end of Les Larsen’s headship, as well as the transition to Fred Dust (recruited from the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago). With Les at the helm, we held a major retreat for faculty, Board, and staff. Our objective: come together and share what we love about our school, how we want to serve our community into the future, our strengths and weaknesses. It was a remarkable, rare opportunity for all of us to discuss the school’s magic, how to foster a greater emphasis on academic excellence, as well as important details like the daily schedule and independent study.
Over time, I became impressed by the faculty in regards to their excellence as teachers and how they care for each student. Middle School Science teacher Peggy Skinner exemplified this: She was an advisor to the College Board; she recruited several students to the Fred Hutch Human Genome Project; and, in 1996, she was named Outstanding Biology Teacher for Washington State. The art teachers have been working artists (Dennis Evans during the 1980s and ’90s and, now, Bill Baber). Our teachers have a history of living and practicing what they teach—what a gift of inspiration for our students.
Caring for each student manifests vis-à-vis teachers going the extra mile with key concepts to solidify not only a student’s understanding, but also their confidence. From her teachers, Kate learned self-advocacy; she met before and after school with Janice Osaka or Peggy for Q&A (and remains grateful to this day for their time). Formal academic counseling expanded: In 1986 the school had one part-time learning specialist for all 530 students; by 1994 there were three, one for each division. Rather than pulling a student out of class, counselors support classroom teachers, forming small study groups and suggesting strategies for students who learn differently.
During my tenure, families didn’t have the array of independent school choices that exist now. Parents like Cynthia and I wanted our children to go to public school, but in the time frame before John Stanford became superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, many schools struggled with classroom size and a dearth of teachers. Among the elementary schools near us, Bush felt like an inspired choice for its history of community, teaching excellence, and progressive mission.
Now we live in an era where there are at least a dozen local independent schools for families to consider. Most have serious scholarship programs and work hard to recruit families from all parts of our greater Seattle community. When I look at Bush now, I see an incredible, positive shift in being more inclusive. With two granddaughters who are students at Bush, I love that they are now my teachers—I’m one of those “elders” who still has much to learn when it comes to everyday linguistics vis-à-vis the diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. I’m also quite envious of current students who have an array of opportunities to learn outside the classroom (such as local experiential opportunities, travel programs, and the Methow education program).
Since my tenure on the Board (a time when our main independent school competitor was Lakeside), Bush has solidified its core mission and expanded its reach to a broader community while remaining an academically competitive school choice among a greater pool of independent schools. I have always been proud of how Bush has remained true to its ethos. Yes, it is the more “alternative/artsy” school, but our academic rigor is remarkable. Bush is a community of strong individuals that want to help make a difference. Now more than ever, we can use that.
My granddaughters are currently in Ninth and Sixth Grade. This home away from home is still a huge part of our lives and will be long after they graduate—the friends and teachers you meet at Bush remain steadfast in your life forever. I’m thankful that Helen Bush had the foresight of creating a progressive space. I’m thankful that our capable current Head of School Percy L. Abram and his team have taken this mission on—we continue to push ourselves by a) asking the hard questions and b) working together in our 100th year. Seattle has become a busier city than I could have ever imagined; having a community like Bush right in the middle of it all brings me great pride.
A generation of Bush: Chris Bayley, former Board President, surround by granddaughters, Finley S.-W. ’31, (left), Dorothy Grey S.-W. ’28 (right) and daughter Kate Bayley ’96.
Voices of an Era
ON THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“I’m in there with a bunch of Class of ’92 folks, but I have no memory of this either, maybe around 1990?”
– Morgan Montgomery Jones ’92
“Aren’t Joaquin Mason and Erik Carlson back by Tony as well?”
– Kirsten Simpson Duke ’93
“Kirsten Simpson Duke, that is Erik Carlson in a fetching turtleneck.”
– Britt Carlson Hunt ’99
“Erik rocked the fetching turtleneck straight through to ’92, if memory serves.”
– Molly Scofield ’92
“Um, yeah. That was our car. My sister, Michelle ’89, and I (Class of ’91) both drove that glorious beast. I’m not sure when that pic was taken, though.”
– Joshua Cohen ’91
Students and faculty pose around a vehicle shared by Bush students Joshua Cohen ’91 and Michelle Cohen ’89.
“I spent a lot of time with one of my friends, Ben Lukoff, also Class of 1993, in the music room, in between breaks, lunch, playing on drums, playing on guitars, learning how to play music, mostly from Ben… and Huntley Buyer, who was faculty at the time. And he would step in and it was amazing getting that encouragement, it, having that space… Being in these small places was really inspiring and comforting and a place to learn and grow.”
– Chris Chickadel ’93
“1992, I believe. Our crew team. That was a fun group. I remember being part of a quad and I think we got pretty good. The entire team competed in several regattas locally and I think we went to Canada for at least one, if I recall correctly. Being out on the lake first thing in the morning was so placid and I have very fond memories of rowing at Bush. I think I rowed my sophomore and junior years—’92, ’93. I remember van rides listening to Pearl Jam and U2.”
– Karis Campbell ’94
“I think those are the good memories, that at Bush you got to try out things that you maybe never would have normally tried and were able to find out what you actually like to do. And everyone encouraged you to do it, even if you were a total failure, right? They were like, ‘But you tried, right?’ And so I think that kind of sets you up for life. We had a whole diversity committee we started, and we started talking about issues of race and background and diversity, and that didn’t exist and we just started it up, right? So I think you could just do all those things.”
– Sarah Potter ’92
“Spring ’85 on Lake Union (Pocock Rowing), first days of crew practice when we were learning how to row. Dana Wasserman Wootton, Bill Stam, and Pat Cockburn.”
– Kelly Killeen Forebaugh ’88
“I think Pocock still has that barge... many people have learned how to row on it/in it!”
– Dana Perkins, Upper School English teacher, 1998–2015
“I rowed in it. I think at the time the barge was at the Conibear Boathouse, and Bush was rowing out of the old Pocock factory before Chihuly took it over. I also rowed in it when a freshmen at UW. They called it Old Nero, and as far as I can tell, it (or its predecessors) have always been called Old Nero.”
– Scott Mackay ’86
Benaroya Theater was constructed.
Dust became the fifth Head of School.
The 1984 Bush Rowing team practices on Lake Union.
A Bush crew team circa 1990s poses before boarding a van for a regatta.
“Looks like a Sixth Grade Shakespeare production with Class of ’86? ’87?”
– Christopher Ferris ’85
“That’s me—the jester! ‘As You Like It’!”
– Paul Uhlir ’87
“We talk a lot about Bush, where the younger kids really look up to the older kids. And I clearly saw these guys as God-like, and my voice as a freshman had not changed yet. So I could do a perfect rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ from ‘Annie’ in front of the entire Upper School. On whatever this day was, Jay (Sesnon ’81) called me up and basically said, ‘Steve is now going to perform “Tomorrow” from “Annie”.’ And I stood up in front of the whole class with the highest pitched voice and sang it, because I didn’t want to disappoint Jay. And I felt like I had to… I still have a huge place in my heart for him because he was a big kid giving attention to a little kid. And I just looked up to you guys so much.”
– Steve Rosen ’84, Parent, Board President 2020-2022
“When this theater [Benaroya] got put in, I remember how much it changed the campus and, in some ways, what we could do. I remember I was in a play, ‘Oedipus Rex,’ with Mark Jenkins. He was leading us at the time, and we actually had to perform the play out in the courtyard and in here. I remember him getting choked up during the performance because he said it worked so well. And I just remember feeling like, what an amazing space that was so intentional.”
– Karim Lessard ’89
The first Fall Festival was held. 1989 1996 Elsa “Midge” Bowman ’51 became the sixth Head of School (interim).
The 1981 Sixth Grade cast of “As You Like It.”
The Program for the 1981 Sixth Grade production “As You Like It.”
“Brings back memories! I recognize my friends and family as adults in the background (James DeLong and Marc Wilson). This was a bit before I walked onto the raised cement platform in the inner courtyard and started talking to these elementary kids and the rest of the school at the start of my senior year. That’s exactly the sea of faces I remember. Will Niccolls ’98 also gave a speech that day.”
– Holly Muenchow ’98
“Yup, that’s me in the middle with the less than amused expression. I don’t remember what we were doing at that moment, but we were at Camp Moran on Orcas Island for their Outdoor School Program!”
– Paige Iopollo ’10
“I got this! From left to right front row: Elizabeth Moore, Paige Ioppolo, Amelia Fisher-Linnett. Back row: Maia Murphy-Williams, Claire Bartholomew, Hannah Black, Mackenzie Johnson, and Lela Wulsin. If it’s Seventh Grade retreat, it would’ve been fall of 2004.”
– Laine (Atcheson) Nance ’10
Tim Burns became the seventh Head of School.
Wissner Hall, the STEM-focused building, was completed.
Seventh Grade retreat at Camp Moran in 2004.
1993 Convocation held in the Middle School courtyard.
supporters on the sidelines at a soccer game. David Swanberg ’85, Hal Hardinge ’85, John Stam ’85, Ian Eisenberg ’82, Leslie David ’85, Sally Johnson ’85, Colin Green ’85, Joe Dyer ’85, Brent Hardwick ’85, Lori Weyand Mason ’86, Shannon Moon, Rebecca Orhbeck, Leigh Hoppin Niemann ’86, Ellen Tousley ’86, Heather Black ’86, Leila Ruth, and Uta Ohm.
“And there in the middle is the ubiquitous McGilvra soccer jacket!!!”
– Bethany Oesting ’89
“And what is that funky chapeau I’m wearing??”
– Lori Mason ’86
“Lori Mason, you always had such a sense of style!!!! Love the chapeaux!!! And the entire outfit!”
– Rachel Meyer ’86
“Rachel Meyer, only you could appreciate my dramatic flair on that.”
– Lori
ON CAMPUS
“Cunningham House was originally the garage for the lovely old mansion that we call Gracemont…It’s colored by people’s perception and what they remember about a room... We’ve heard it from a teacher who taught in the building, and remembered the windows and how they let light and air in. We’ve heard from children the memories of learning something about themselves… As time passes and the school grows, and as we develop different needs, we have a plan that will include putting a new building on the site where Cunningham House is now. And when we are ready to do it, we will have to take Cunningham House down, and in its place we will build a spectacular science and technology building. Because the Cunningham House was named for [former student] Jeri Cunningham, we did not want this school year to end without first paying tribute to Jeri and the building itself.”
– Timothy Burns, Head of School 1997–2000, a 1998 address to the community
Frank Magusin became the eighth Head of School. 2000
2006
Construction on the Lower School campus was completed.
Student
Cunningham House, previously known as the Carriage House, was renamed in memory of Jeri Cunningham in 1973.
“We were tasked during this AMP to come up with our idea of the master plan for Bush. And so I remember Chris Bondy ’82 and somebody else were tasked with what we know today as—I don’t know what they call the theater today, but we called it the Black Box. I and somebody else, a couple other people, were tasked with the art building and what does that look like? So in a weird way, our small ideas of the time became part of what it is today. And we couldn’t be prouder of how the campus has continued to develop and take advantage of the space without really ruining some of the environmental pieces of it.”
– Chris Dederer ’81
“Let me just share with you one little anecdote that for me speaks to this issue of becoming good citizens… of helping kids develop their sense of voice… Last November I had a group of five third-graders make an appointment to come talk to me about the plan [for a new Lower School].... So, they came in, very serious... and they each had a little sheet of paper. And what they had done is poll all the third graders about what the third graders wanted on the playground… So we talked about what they wanted and I pulled out the drawings, the preliminary representation, to say, well, “Where do you think we ought to put this?”... I had to give them a little lesson in how to read architectural drawings and then we had to talk about scale… they had no idea, and [so] one of them suggested that we go out to the inner courtyard and just mark it off to get a sense of how big it is, so we did that... And there was one student who ran around in the space, pretending to play tag, to see if it worked. And they all said it was too small…They thought my foot was about a foot long, so I paced off what was in the drawing… and we took that and reduced the footage back down to inches, which was very difficult because they hadn’t started division yet… It turned out that we couldn’t find a space that they thought really would work unless we moved a building. And they all agreed it probably didn’t make sense for us to try to move the building. But what we did do is we were able to move the sandbox and a tree planter, and get most of the space needed to make what they wanted. So as we’ve been working with the architects, that design is now in the plan for the playground… It’s an example of how the school I think, in its bones, helps kids get a sense of themselves and speak up about it.”
– Frank Magusin, Head of School 2000-2014
Build Bush Phase Two relief, created by Bush students circa the 2000s.
“OK, this is the Middle School trip to Washington, D.C., in the spring of 1986 when I was in Eighth Grade. Then-Senator Dan Evans gave us a tour of the Capitol building, including the very top of the inside of the dome!”
– Sara (Noble) Carter ’90, Upper School faculty and administration 2004–2022
“So good to see Schauff as group leader here!”
– Carmine “Chick” Chickadel, Upper School English teacher 1989–2000
“I was a French teaching assistant at The Bush School from 1988 to 1989… I stayed with different families whose children were studying at The Bush School: Suzana Sawrey, the Turnovsky family, the Uhlir Family. I actually wrote my master’s dissertation on progressive education with The Bush School as a case study. I went back to Seattle in 1991 to work at the University of Washington as a teaching assistant and stayed at the Uhlirs’ and Turnovskys’… I am now an associate professor in American studies, and all this was made possible thanks to the teaching experience I gained at The Bush School and the University of Washington and to the families who hosted me. All the best.”
– Christèle Le Bihan-Colleran, Teaching Assistant 1988–1989
Middle School trip to Washington D.C. in 1986. Left to right: Manvel Schauffler, Jim Hamilton, Sara Noble Carter ’90, Gabriel Valenica ’91, Stan Savage ’91, Greta Hardin ’90, Erin McMonigal ’90, Gabe Bender, Austin Jenkins ’91, and others.
“She [Sally Pritchard] absolutely was a force and such a special and influential presence for us at Bush.”
– Julia Erickson ’97
“I started at Bush just in time to help build sets for ‘Lysistrata,’ which was (at that time?) Sally’s final Upper School show. It was a great experience and opened me up to a wonderful theater community at Bush!”
– Mandela Gardner ’04
“Both my brother and I performed for seven years at Bush with Sally. Not only was she a family friend, she sparked in us the love of theater, the love of the arts.”
– Jennifer Palmason Kaiton ’97
“Willie [Bascus] made a major impression on my life. He ran the ’86 and ’87 Bush Blazer teams into the ground so that we’d be the best conditioned squad, then unleashed a full-court trapping press that would break opposing teams’ backcourts. It worked a lot. I still dream about those practices. ‘Get on the bass line’ is burned into my head—as a call to get up… and run! I know he meant it in the moment as a call to the conditioning part of practice, but damn if it wasn’t a call to keep moving that’d stick with me into adulthood. Rest in peace, Willie.”
– Bryan Cohen ’88
“I have great memories playing ball for Willie. He was the reason I kept playing in high school. He will be missed.”
– Benjamin Kawaguchi ’88
“A tough coach with a heart of gold—the best. He helped forge many of the boys into men by pushing them beyond their talents. He made us all see ourselves as more. I watched it firsthand. Willie asked me to become the scorekeeper and manager of the basketball team. He leveraged my presence on the bus and in the gyms to keep the boys from being too wild, and it was an honor to work for him, and we shared many winks and smiles. His spirit lives on in each of us that was a part of his life.”
– Molly (Sedlik) Hasson ’87
“My favorite memory, it’s a powerful memory… It was the last day of school as a senior, and I had just been slacking in one of my math classes. Janice Osaka could’ve easily [said], ‘Hey, happy to see you graduate, get out of here, Steve.’ Janice kept me in class doing makeup work for, like, four hours after. And it was a sunny day… I didn’t appreciate it at the time, because I wanted to be out with my friends partying. But she taught me accountability, and that carried on into college and somewhat into my elder age… I had so much makeup work to do, and she was not going to let me walk across the stage without finishing that work. So that’s a favorite memory, but really, it’s deeper.”
– Steve Banks ’94
Willie Bascus, Upper School P. E. teacher and Head Boys Basketball coach 1982-1988.
Sally Pritchard, Kindergarten and Middle School Drama teacher 1972-2002 with Kindergarten students circa the 1990s.
“I think one of the best parts I’ve experienced being at Bush is track and field. That’s where I was able to shine—shot put, my record still stands… And I came back to coach. And John Ganz especially, he was my coach, my mentor. He was always there if I had stuff going on in my mind that I couldn’t get out or express to anybody else. He was really there.”
– Muslimah Shabazz ’94
“One time I had somebody ask me, ‘You’re not always going to be a P.E. teacher, are you?’ And I said, ‘Why not?’ I mean, I have the best job in the world. You come into the gym, and you tell me that you would want to do anything else but teach P.E. to Kindergarten through Fifth Graders. They’re just my people. I understand them. I love watching them learn new things and realize all that they can do with their bodies. And it’s just really exciting. I just wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
– Tami Hutchison, Lower School P.E. teacher 1998–present
“I think that as I looked around, in those moments, at other schools where I could go and do this work, it just was apparent to me that Bush was the place where they let me do the work that I needed to do and trusted that I would do that. And it is a lot of trust. They can’t kind of look at what we do in the way they can a classroom teacher, say. And so, I just really felt like this was the place that kept drawing me back to do the work in the setting that I had chosen to do that.”
– John Ganz, Upper School counselor 1986–present
The 1993 Washington State “B” Track Meet. Muslimah Shabazz ’94 placed fourth for shot put and still holds a Bush shot put record.
“Solid hold right here. Charlotte’s Web sessions, Mr. D. singalongs, and show and tell.”
– Kate Bayley ’96
“Wow, this is a very fond memory. My weekly visit to sing with first graders. Oh how I enjoyed that time with Carol and her kids!”
– David Douglas, Lower School teacher and administrator 1973-1999
“I became so much of who I am and how I see the world, through my years at Bush with the amazing faculty, the sculpture and painting studios with Bill Baber, the journey to NYC and Yale for Model UN with classmates, rock climbing P.E. classes with Dave Dederer, lifelong friends, and for me the poetry and English classes with Carmine Chickadel, Michael Nipert, Frances McCue, and Lois Fein.
– Chelsea Phillips ’95
“I love this scene so much! My mom Ann Palmason and Dave Douglas would pop into classrooms and share their music on the fly sometimes. Definitely a uniqueness we had at Bush.”
–Jennifer Palmason Kaiton ’97
“I try to give everyone, my students and everything, the best I can possibly do… The Bush School above all else is a kind, welcoming, warm place to be. Both of my sons were students K through Twelve at The Bush School, and The Bush School helped us in many, many ways. So I wanna give The Bush School a lot back, which I’ll continue to do until I retire. Which might be NEVER!”
– Bill Baber, Upper School art teacher, 1977–present
“I feel like Bush is my life. Imagine a world where you get to work with your favorite person in the world, and that person is your father.”
– Will Baber ’00, Upper School Art teacher and Upper School tech coordinator 2006-present
“Never retire, Bill! My best piece of art was for one of your classes! And Will! I used to babysit you waaay back in the day! Thank you, Babers!!!”
– Rachel Meyer ’86
“I was an undergrad art major because of you, Bill Baber.”
– Anne Anhalt ’93
Lower School Director David Douglas plays guitar to a Lower School class in the 1990s.
Bill Baber teaching ceramics circa the 1990s.
Strength in Community
2007–2024
The modern era of The Bush School saw a focus on increasing diversity, both in the community and through intercultural fluency within the curriculum. In 2007–2008, twenty-four percent of the student body were students of color. Fifteen percent of enrolled students received financial aid, and the financial aid budget was just over $1.4 million. By contrast, in 2023–2024, forty-eight percent of the student body are students of color. Twenty-two percent of enrolled students receive financial aid, and the financial aid budget is now $4.8 million. Diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts are woven throughout the current Lower School curriculum, and the Upper School has increased its elective offerings, notably in English and history, to include a wide array of global perspectives. Much of this growth and diversification is attributed to sustained commitment by the Board of Trustees as well as the leadership of Heads of School Frank Magusin (2000–2014) and Percy L. Abram (2014–present).
In the grand tradition of wilderness education at Bush—and harkening back to the 1934 addition of a Snoqualmie ski lodge for student learning, The Bush School purchased a twenty-acre campus in the Methow Valley in 2016. The campus provides students with in-depth and longterm learning opportunities in eastern Washington and has established a foothold in the surrounding communities. The campus is currently used for retreats, E-Weeks, Cascades, and summer programs, and plans for a semester school are in development.
Creating access for a diverse community of students guided by teachers who uphold the ideals set forth by Helen Taylor Bush remains the hallmark of a Bush education.
HEADS OF SCHOOL
FRANK MAGUSIN 2000-2014
PERCY L. ABRAM 2014-PRESENT
Belonging
BY PERCY L. ABRAM , HEAD OF SCHOOL
I’ve always wanted to work in schools; it is the place where I feel most content and at home. The rhythms of the year, the synchronous laughter in the faculty room, the promise of new beginnings, the opportunity to shape the hearts and minds of children, and then to be awed by what they accomplish fills me with immense joy. To work among engaged students and inspired teachers daily seems like quite a luxury, primarily because it is.
In 2014, as I transitioned from the beaches of Santa Cruz to the majesty of the Pacific Northwest and The Bush School, my sense of wonder and hopefulness was equaled only by an uneasiness about beginning life in a new school, a new state, among new colleagues, and in a community so grounded in tradition. The school was entering into its ninetieth year in Seattle. As I explored the city that first summer, it seemed as if every person I encountered had a connection to Bush. Its alumni were omnipresent. Its influence was ubiquitous. In all honesty, it was quite intimidating.
I wasn’t certain how those first few days would go, how the community would receive me and my family. Immediately, those fears proved unfounded. The Bush School is not only a revered educational institution with a rich history of experiential learning and academic distinction. It is also a school that believes deeply and invests earnestly in building a sense of belonging. I felt it from the first moment that I stepped onto campus. I continue to feel invigorated by the palpable energy that is everywhere, from parents eating breakfast with their students in the Commons to the Seventh Grade students inexplicably running laps around the Middle School Courtyard to the frenzy and excitement of club day in the Upper School. The Bush School community is truly sui generis. It is a living organism that is reflective, generous, and constantly on a path to improvement. Bush is a beautiful contradiction. It is both forward-thinking and steeped in history. It is both modest and meritorious. Like most venerable institutions, its success comes from its history of great leadership, timely strategic decisions, and caring community members.
The past decade has ushered in immense change in the world and on campus as well. As Seattle’s population grew, so too did our community, welcoming students from across the city— from new zip codes, communities, and backgrounds—all with unique and compelling stories to tell. Over those years, Bush’s enrollment increased by 25% to 715 students, and we graduated its largest class ever—eighty-six—in 2023. The school’s footprint expanded during the decade, adding the Upper School South building on the Seattle campus and a satellite campus in the Methow Valley. These two transformational projects made the school more representative of the demographics of Seattle and connected the school more deeply to the institutions and people on both sides of the Cascade Mountains.
Through each era of the school’s history there is one constant: change. The changes that took place prior to my arrival set the school on a course to become this current, best version of itself. We are a smarter, more generous, and more inclusive community today. We’ve cultivated a sense of belonging for students of diverse backgrounds and talents who will no doubt continue to blaze new trails and, hopefully, take the trail back home to Bush from time to time. It is a pleasure to serve this now century-old institution. As I complete year ten, the feeling of belonging has intensified; The Bush School is now part of my DNA. I hope a little of me is imprinted in the school as well.
ON FACULTY
“My hero is my kindergarten teacher, Janet [Bisignano]. She has been teaching for thirty years. She is my hero because she is patient and kind… Thanks to Janet, I love to read, write, add, and subtract.”
– Ada M. ’26
“One of my good friends in middle school convinced me to take this weight-training elective... and we were the only girls in it, but I remember Theo [Coxe] at one point saying, ’you are just as strong as these guys.’”
–
Sally Boggan ’09
“Janice [Osaka] tells me that there was a certain feeling in the ranks that the last thing Bush needed was another history teacher, and that she may or may not have been one of the people who shared that view. I like to tell people that our eyes met and the music of Borodin filled the room as we fell in love.”
– Gardiner Vinnedge, Upper School History teacher 1977-2017
“I remember current events with Gardiner [Vinnedge] in an old Gracemont classroom… He made us think! Gardiner and Ms. Osaka were two of my favorite teachers at Bush—their dedication to students and learning and community inspire me still.”
– Lisa (Ragan) Ide ’80
“It’s hard to find words to describe the impact Floyd [Webb] has had on our program and its athletes. His loyalty, care, and commitment to Bush athletics are unmatched. He has supported our program’s participants for over three decades, and his unwavering dedication to helping our athletes reach their full potential has remained strong. When alumni athletes visit campus, many have the same first question: ‘How is Floyd doing?’ His influence on the athletes he worked with lasts a lifetime.”
– Jo Ito, Athletic Director 2014–present
“The special thing about Bush, and this job in particular, is that it is not just about getting a kid into college. It’s understanding who they are and what motivates them to go on to that next thing. One of my favorite parts of my job is just getting to be part of the lives of seventeenyear-olds. You never know where they will end up or who they will become.”
– Melissa Lanctot, Director of College Counseling and Student Success 2008–present
Theo Coxe, Middle School P.E. teacher 1983-2017, poses with students after allowing them to cut his hair post-win circa 1990s.
Gardiner Vinnedge, Upper School History teacher 1977-2017, ice skates with Janice Osaka, Upper School Math teacher 1975-2016. The two met at Bush and married.
“I have a good memory of [Michael] Nipert, Ninth Grade English, being in the sunroom in Gracemont, and him singing ‘The Tyger’ poem and getting really into it and standing on his chair. Everyone thought it was a joke, and we were not really sure, but he was dead serious.”
– Claire (Frances) Bell ’23
“Jill [Wangsgard] especially was very instrumental in giving me the confidence to do what I’m doing now.”
– Whitney Phillips ’02
ON LEADERSHIP TRANSITION
“It has been our great fortune to have had Frank Magusin as our Head of School for the past thirteen years, and he will leave the school in a markedly better place as a result of his leadership.”
– Jerry Parrish, Board President 2012–2014
“My time at Bush has been extraordinary. I have been truly blessed to have been chosen to head the school; to have had the privilege of working with a remarkably talented and dedicated group of faculty, staff, and Trustees; and to have served a wonderful community of students and families. As I have commented often, of all the schools in which I have worked or that I have come to know in any meaningful way, Bush is the school I most admire for its philosophy, for the way it treats students, and for the quality of education it provides young people.”
– Frank Magusin, Head of School 2000-2014
“One of the fondest memories I have is when we got to have the advisory dinner at Frank’s home. Sitting around with other classmates for a good hour playing Bop It was a lot more fun than I had expected. I will greatly miss having Frank as my advisor, but I have learned so much from him and about the Bush School from his advisory.”
– Natalie Andreen ’15
“When Percy became Bush’s new Head of School in 2014, he had this vision of creating a more diverse community, especially in terms of racial and ethnic representation within our student body and our family community. And so he looked to the admissions team to carry out that vision… Bush is certainly ‘walking the talk,’ for lack of better terms. It’s a place that really is committed and is doing the work… at every single level of the school… It’s something that we know we have space to improve, and we’re committed to getting there.”
– Adam Choice, Director of Enrollment Management
Notes from former students written on the wall of the music room for Upper School Music teacher Jill Wangsgard 2000-2023.
Frank Magusin speaks at the 2012 Convocation in the Middle School courtyard.
An article in the 2013 edition of Experience magazine introducing Percy L. Abram as the incoming Head of School.
“We would walk to the lake and put our feet in the water and do building and choice time on the lake. Things like this taught the students to take care and be stewards of your immediate environment—not just the school, but outside of it as well.”
“We toss around the word ‘community’ so often, but it really is true… For example, in 2010 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer… And even though it was summertime, my families from that grade that had just finished putting together a Meal Train for me... And that was just above and beyond what I had expected, and I was just floored by that generosity that they had.”
– Cecily Metzger, Second Grade teacher and Department Head, 2003–present
“During my senior year, the Blazer Nation was born, and we ended up finishing third in the state. The state playoff games were cold, dark, and wet (typical for Seattle), but students and faculty showed up in masses to support us. It epitomized the spirit and community of The Bush School.”
“After thirteen years at Bush, the automatic response to the question, ‘What do you like about Bush?’ is ‘community’... It’s a group of aspiring, inspiring, and inspired individualists—people who are really excited about something. And they might not show it, but if you ask them about it, they want to tell you about it—and they want you to be excited about it, too.”
– Finley Tevlin ’15
“One of my favorite things—I am instantly in a different mood—is when I greet the students every single morning. And a lot of times I roll out my little speaker and play some music, and we all start dancing. And it warms my heart every single time.”
– Leah Brown, Lower School counselor 2017–present
“I just love my job. I love that it’s different every day, that I’m around kids, that I get here before everyone else, that I get to fix and build things. You are as old as you feel, and the kids can feel that. They know I’m young at heart, and they connect.”
– Dave Eggenberger, Facilities manager 2009–present
“My favorite part of Bush is that every kid here treats the day like it’s the best day in the world, and they always welcome it no matter what circumstance it is. If you’re new, if you’ve been here for a while, they just treat you like you are a king or queen. It’s just like everyone loves you for who you are, and no one judges you.”
– Alice B. ’31
“I would describe Bush as one of the biggest communities I’ve ever seen. Starting from people in Kindergarten all the way to Twelfth Grade. It’s just so amazing how many people can come together and be one big family.”
– Anusha S. ’25
“I don’t think there’s a lot of places quite like Bush, so I feel very lucky to have been able to go here and be a part of this community for so long, and to be here at the 100th year mark and while change is happening.”
– Clara F. ’24
– Maggie Graham ’10 2007 2014
The Big Rock was installed as a wayfinding marker for the campus.
Percy L. Abram, Ph.D., became the ninth Head of School.
One of several illustrations made by Marcella Rogerson ’23 which celebrate Bush traditions throughout the school’s 100 years.
“Bush is just such a wacky place. You can be and do whatever you want, and that makes you feel so comfortable with the people you’re around and the friendships you make. It just makes it so much easier to continue those friendships.”
– Kevin Martinez ’16
“It’’s a family-oriented school as well.”
– Max Melendez ’16
“Totally. I’m the youngest of five, so all my siblings went here, and then my niece is coming in as a Kindergarten student next year. So it’s just completely family orientated and everybody knows everyone. And my brother was a senior when we came in as freshmen. Took us under his wing, and it just was very family oriented.”
– Libbie Blume ’16
“And it’s just all these overlaps. My sister is two years older, so she would’ve been a year younger than her brother. And Kevin has an older brother who went here.”
– Max
“My brother was a senior when we came to Bush, and even in Middle School with high schoolers, it was still super easy to mingle and talk to people.”
– Kevin
“All the kids knew each other… It wasn’t about high school versus Middle School. Everyone knew each other.”
– Libbie
“And everyone always has that experience. There’s, like, the quintessential experience of Bush is having a teacher, Bill Baber or a teacher like [Michael] Nipert, and everyone gets to have that experience and have this collective group sharing these memories.”
– Max
Twelfth Grade students from the Class of 2022 and Kindergarten students from the Class of 2034 spent the afternoon together in the spring of 2022 in an annual tradition called, “The Big Cheese.” Members of the senior class who have attended Bush all thirteen years, Lifers spend one day in the spring going back to the Kindergarten classrooms for the afternoon.
“There was some disagreement happening, and lots of people were airing their grievances with each other, and another student walked into the library and she slammed her hands down on the table and she looked at her group of students and she was like, ‘This has to stop. You’re not listening to each other.’ They talked me through how it all went, and I was like, ‘That is so Bush.’ They advocated for themselves, they advocated for each other, and they eventually got to a place where they were curious about where the other people were coming from, which was really cool.”
– Julie Barber, Lower School Academic Dean and former Fourth Grade teacher 2011–present
“I remember when we used to have Third Grade buddies when I was in Kindergarten, and I distinctly remember that I had two older boys as my buddies. I guess that’s actually technically a tradition. You have an older buddy when you’re in Lower School. I think it’s a really good way to get to know the Lower School better.”
– Anjali Berryman ’23
“I just was chatting outside with a former student who was in my English class… Anytime he did an art project, I was like, ‘I really like your art.’ And so he started just dropping off projects from art or things that he did... He’s gone on to high school, but I still check in and say, like, ‘Oh, what classes are you taking? What are you making now?’ I get to know him as he moves through all different kinds of experiences in the Upper School.”
– Sarah Cohen, Middle School English teacher 2013–present
The Bush School purchased the Methow Campus, a twenty-acre educational facility in Mazama, Washington.
ON THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
“Venue, a popular thrice-yearly event, showcases Upper School student bands, solos, instrumentals, and class compositions. Some especially talented Bush students have gone on to perform in major Seattle venues.”
– Alexandra Halsey, parent of alums
“Given the size of the crowd, the Venue was clearly a great success, and I look forward to more in the future.”
– Amanda Lee ’09
“There’s no replication. You can’t replicate Venue. Each time it is new. I see the joy at the end. When students come back, they are ecstatic they did Venue. They have a different perspective that gives you joy as you can look backward and forward, and that’s pretty cool.”
– Jill Wangsgard, Upper School Music teacher 2000–2023
“The ultimate risk for young artists is to perform for their peers. Open-mic celebrates everything that makes Bush so remarkable: risk, excellence, creativity, passion, and a supportive student community that makes it all possible.”
– Michael Gettel, Middle School Music teacher 1988–2016
“One major project that the class has completed over the years has been designing their ideal school. Some of their ideas I’ve tried to incorporate here at Bush, so their plans were very much worthwhile.”
– Ray Wilson, Upper School Director 2013–2021
“Wow. I’ll never stop being grateful for this trip and all the experiences we had… History teacher Erik Gearhart led our journey. This must be near Arctic Village, Alaska. We went on the trip in May of 2010 as part of Experiential Week, primarily to learn about the costs of drilling in ANWR and the relationship indigenous villages have to oil corps. During this trip we participated in a walkout of a Shell oil presentation, tried muktuk, learned about traditional hunting practices, and tested our ability to live out of a single backpack as Seventh and Eighth Grade students.”
– MacKenzie Patton-Donnelly ’14
2020 The Bush School faced the challenges of a global pandemic. Head of School Percy L. Abram was interviewed by The New York Times, recognized for taking quick action to move to virtual instruction.
Students pose for a photo during an Arctic Climate Change trip to Arctic Village, Alaska in 2010.
“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, [which is] about more than having a Black kid in the room. It’s about understanding race relations in the country, and how facsimiles 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 Brashear ’17
“Along with bringing great toys to the courtyard, seniors are proud of their openness to talk about important issues. As one senior put it, the grade has the mentality that, ‘it’s OK to not be OK.’”
– Matthew Pottinger ’22
2022
“Going to a private school, especially a predominantly white one as a student of color, can be a little tough. [Next year in college] I think I wanted to experience a slightly more diverse environment but still get... honestly, just an amazing education that I couldn’t have gotten, probably wouldn’t have gotten, if I hadn’t come to Bush.”
– Donaji Torres-Marquez ’21
“Meeting with the alums... they reminded me of Bush students. I thought, ‘It makes sense that you guys went to Bush; you’re super cool.’ And they just gave us great advice, and I felt that sense of curiosity.”
– Tula Rosen ’21
The Upper School South building was completed, becoming the first Passive House school in the West, one of the first Net Zero certified schools in the nation, and the first K-12 Salmon-Safe campus in the country.
The January 2010 Rambler publication highlighting an increase in cell phone usage in classes.
“Rex [Karjian ’22] and I had this dream for state once we were named captains and started talking in August; our minds were set on winning state. I feel like the team was in a ‘one game at a time’ mindset, and we really tried to instill a mentality of not being overconfident. For me and the seniors, we’ve always had that dream of winning state.”
– Kaito Hikino ’22 on winning the first Boys Soccer state title in school history
“When you look in the gym, there’s no cross-country state banners, and being the first one is obviously special; that will stay up there for a long time.”
– Duncan F.-S. ’25 on being part of the first Boys Cross Country team to win a state title
“If there’s one thing that rings true about Bush, it’s that there are so many different ways to be brilliant. At Bush, there are so many different stages to stand on, and the possibilities for building your own stage are endless.”
– Sofia Abow ’23, 2023 Commencement speech
“I learned that everybody has a little different personality. That makes me feel good. That it’s not just one type, one color. It’s a million types. It’s a million colors. It’s a million feelings. All in one big amazing loved family. It’s The Bush School.”
– Finley S.-W ’31
ON PERSEVERING THROUGH A PANDEMIC
“We began the school year by offering in-person schooling to our youngest learners, collecting critical data that allowed other schools in our region to follow suit. Together we headed out into the streets fueled by courage and demanding justice as our nation faced a racial reckoning.”
– Polly Fredlund, Assistant Head of School for Community Engagement 2013–2023, the 2021 edition of Experience magazine
Middle School students take a break in the Middle School courtyard in fall 2021.
2024 The 2023–2024 school year marked the one hundredth year of The Bush School. Bush remains the only coed K-12 private continuous school in the Seattle area.
The 2023-2024 K-12 photo, featuring one student from each grade and Head of School Percy L. Abram.
March 22, 2020
Percy Abram, the head of the Bush School, a private school with nearly 700 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, has been able to manage his anxiety through work.
In mid-February, when the number of coronavirus deaths in China was nearing 100, Dr. Abram, 49, and his team began to cancel field trips to China, India, Costa Rica and Morocco, as well as an exchange program with Chinese students. They have since canceled on-campus classes, re-conceived a fund-raiser to raise money for student financial aid into an online auction and worked the phones to make sure the permits to start a construction project in the fall move through the bureaucracy.
The head of a private school is in the business of the future: providing parents with a strategic vision of what their children’s lives could become through education and promising students a path to college and beyond. But all he can do now is try to guide them through the next few weeks.
“All I’ve really known is that the answer to work and to emotional strife has been to work harder and work more,” said Dr. Abram, whose wife, a medical doctor, has stresses of her own. Now he realizes that may not be enough.
“Soon, there is no ‘harder’ and no ‘more,’ and that leaves me with uncertainty I will have to face,” he said. “The city is going to slow down, my meetings will slow down and I will have to slow down and process my emotions.”
A half-marathoner, he has been taking long runs, releasing his tension through sweat and, occasionally, by screaming in the woods where he cannot be heard. He is keeping up with his regular therapy appointments. “That is something that I will not let go of,” he said.
“Most of my friends I met in, like, Sixth Grade and Seventh Grade, obviously. When COVID hit, it kinda interrupted that, and I had to take a step back and find new ways to form connections with people. So, like, I met a lot of my friends through extracurriculars and sports and stuff. And then I started forming those connections outside of the sport. So I feel like a lot of my friendships formed and evolved from extracurriculars at Bush.”
– Neeyah F. ’26
“The Class of 2022 is not defined by uncertainty. Our circumstances may be, but our identity lies not within the barriers we have faced, but in how we have faced them: with courage, humor, and compassion.”
– Eli Kopstein ’22, 2022 Commencement speech
As an art teacher, stretching myself creatively has kept me motivated and centered during this stressful year. I have had the opportunity to try new media, revisit old projects, and develop a lot of brand-new curriculum designed for a virtual classroom.”
– Rebecca Pleasure, Middle School Art teacher 2019-present, the 2021 edition of Experience magazine
Eli Kopstein ’22 addresses her classmates during their 2022 Commencement ceremony.
“My best memory is that it [the Zen Room] was where we planned the Nepal and Tibet trip for the spring of 2000; it’s the perfect little space for working together.”
– Todd Lengacher, Upper School Math teacher and administrator 1995–2013
“So one of my favorite places on campus was the fishbowl, the lobby to Benaroya theater… It was amazing to see. It was students from basically all grade levels in the high school—Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve. It has all the mingling together and socializing. And it just made it feel like we had, like, a secondary family.”
– Mo Fries ’16
“There are so many things to do outside: hiking in the woods where bears hibernate and owls live, snowshoeing up to the top of a mountain, building a snow shelter and sleeping in it. You can do all of these things in Mazama.”
– Noah Chabot ’23
“For me, my Cascade at the Methow Valley (campus) was an invaluable experience, being immersed in a unique part of the world… Through the experience, I learned a lot about reaching out to people and what it was like to meet people who come from very different backgrounds from me. Being able to step into their world, even if it was only two weeks, was an experience that I will cherish forever.”
– Ayaan B. ’27
“Once upon a time, the current Lower School building was considered new, and now all of those spaces are part of the amazing everyday experiences for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. And with this new building, the spaces will contribute to better, more collaborative learning here in the Upper School and be an inspiring place for its students.”
– Carolina Harr ’22
“I was looking out the window, and it was like I was in the forest. The wind was blowing, and I had this experience where I took in the environment in a new way. This space is really connected to the outside.”
– Kristin McInaney, Experiential Programs manager and administration 1998–present
“I mean, I think my favorite place is John [Ganz] and Maria [Mathiesen]’s office, because... It’s so fun because we can go during lunch and do homework. There’s candy. That’s definitely a plus. Yeah, but it’s just a good place to hang out, take a break from the school day.”
– Charlotte P. ’25
“To honor our past and ready the school for the next 100 years, the Board of Trustees authorized a complete restoration of our beloved Gracemont that began this summer and will be completed next summer. I am thrilled this distinguished and beloved building will be aptly named Gracemont Alumni Hall, shining bright as we celebrate the school’s Centennial in 2024.”
– Steve Rosen ’84, Board President 2020–2022
Students tour the Upper School South building in May 2022, during its grand opening to the Bush campus community.
Gracemont Alumni Hall beautifully lit up for the 100 Years of Leadership Dinner, which occurred just before the building’s reopening post-renovation.
ON CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
“I was so honored to be asked to co-chair this committee filled with alums spanning decades of the school’s rich history. The Centennial Task Force was such a fun and interesting ‘class’ reunion. We started each meeting with a memory prompt, which made getting to our work very difficult. Our stories varied, but the core was the same: teachers that went above and beyond, curriculum that challenged us to think critically, experiences that showed us a world view, and the friends we made along the way. I hope people walk away from the Centennial year with feelings of renewed connection with old and new friends and appreciation for the education and experiences Bush provided. My time at Bush really helped shape parts of my life, and I’ve seen the same for my own children. When my now senior started Kindergarten at Bush, I was so excited that his graduating year would be the Centennial.”
– Emily Alhadeff ’94
“I hope people come to the events, and I really hope they feel like they belong. I’ve heard stories about people who don’t feel a part of the community or didn’t even while they were at the school. They didn’t have a place. And I think this is just bringing back community. When I think of The Bush School community, it’s not just the Bush campus. It’s not just Gracemont, it’s not just Lower School or the Middle School, it’s the surrounding areas.
I spent a lot of time growing up in Madison Park, and I can remember going to some of the coffee shops and Scoop Du Jour, and I remember finding out that Eric Washington Class of ’89’s family owned it. And I want people to walk away with this feeling of belonging, and this pride about the Bush School and the tradition that we stand on and that we have in our own community.”
– Steve Banks ’94
The Centennial Task Force, from left: Jackson Lone ’15, Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ’75, Emily Alhadeff ’94, Steve Rosen ’84, Chris Chickadel ’93, Steve Banks ’94. Not pictured: Catherine Pease Barnhart ’71 and Monica Anselmetti ’82.
“My mother [Mary ‘Sis’ Pease ’41] was born in 1924, which is the same year the school was born, and she went to Kindergarten here… Our family goal was that we would get her to the Centennial no matter what. She would’ve been 100. And we had plans to carry her in if we had to, but she didn’t make it. And I really joined the Centennial Task Force largely because of her. I wanted to bring things full circle. It would be great if everyone could come away from the Centennial year with a sense of the 100 years. A goal I have personally is, and I know members of the committee share this, is to connect across generations and across experiences. As a group, we’ve talked about this a lot. How has the school changed, and how has it not changed? What things are continuous?”
– Catherine Pease Barnhart ’71
“I joined the Centennial Task Force for two reasons. Number one, it’s not often that anything here in Seattle is 100 years old, so to celebrate Bush… I’m very proud of my time at Bush, and I know how much Bush meant to me in my career, in my college career, in my grad school career, in my post-grad career. And secondly, I wanted to have a person of color perspective on the Centennial Task Force and in planning the Centennial… It’s so fun to hear Emily [Alhadeff] or Chris Chickadel talk about their children being at Bush… That is just, it’s so amazing. But I am so thankful to also have Mrs. Pease’s daughter, Catherine, on the Centennial Task Force. Sis Pease was during my era… And I have a special love for Mrs. Pease.”
– Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ’75
“I think that the biggest piece that I hope that people leave [the Centennial] with is a renewed appreciation, maybe some new perspective about what the school is and how it’s changed. And I really hope it’s also with a desire to be involved with the school as much as they can… Because I think it’s a place that’s nurturing a lot of people, and it needs more people to keep nurturing it. So I hope that continues with newly minted alums as well as alums that have been around for a while… I’ve really appreciated working with the fellow alums on the Centennial Task Force and hearing their experiences… We have graduates from the seventies through the teens, and it’s been really interesting to hear both the commonalities, those constant threads of, ‘This is Bush and Bush still does this, and can you imagine we still have these incredible outdoor programs,’ to all the things that have changed.”
– Chris Chickadel ’93
“It’s been really fun to get connected with the larger Bush community that when you’re a student you’re maybe not as connected with. I think that the group of folks who’ve been working on the Centennial together is just a really great collegial, fun group… I would love for folks to feel like the programming that they engage in during the Centennial year, really, no matter what it is, just gives them an opportunity to reflect on their experience in school at Bush for however long they were here, and think about what the school provided to them, what their overall feeling about the school is. I think the Centennial is, for the school, just a moment to kind of stop and think about what we want the next 100 years to look like, and let the last 100 years of folks who’ve come through let their experiences guide some of that.”
– Jackson Lone ’15
“The nature of any school is to celebrate present day milestones and achievements such as the new Upper School, sports championships or the Methow Campus initiative. What we don’t often make space for is celebrating our history and the building blocks that have put us in the position we’re in today. This is what inspired me to join the Centennial Task Force. To be a part of honoring the past so that we as a large community can have a better appreciation of all the ways Bush has worked to send good citizens out into the world.
Mostly my hope [for the Centennial year] is that positive memories will come rushing back once people step onto campus and start reconnecting with old friends—that we will all feel that joyfulness of being with the people who knew us in our formative years.
There has been nothing better than hearing everyone’s unique point of view of what the school meant to them. It’s been such a reminder that this has always been a place that affects people uniquely by meeting them where they are at as they progressed through the school. So many great stories of impact, growth, mistakes, forgiveness and reinvention.”
– Steve Rosen ’84
100 YEARS AND BEYOND
100 Years of Kindergarten
The Bush School’s future is built on the foundation of its progressive roots. Experiential learning, a commitment to financial aid, and the inclusion of diverse learning perspectives have remained a consistent part of Bush’s values. As the school looks towards the future and builds the leaders of tomorrow, these global perspectives will only become more important. In keeping with its history, Bush will continue to refine its practices and adapt to the changing times. As we look forward, we can look to our founder, Helen Taylor Bush, who understood the importance of staying true to the mission of providing an experienced-based, progressive education to students.
“A school is an environment created and directed by teachers for the better growth and development of children,” Mrs. Bush said. “The teachers appreciate the rich contributions of the past, and the richer possibilities of the future; but the children live primarily in the present. Let us help them to live fully.”
Left: Then-Kindergarten members of the Class of 1965 play outside, near Gracemont Alumni Hall, circa the 1950s. Above: Bush Kindergarten students (the Class of 2036) pose for a picture on the steps near the Lower School playground last spring.
100 YEARS AND BEYOND
A Treehouse, Cake, and Lots of Love
CLASS OF 2036
On Wednesday, August 27, 2023, thirty-eight Kindergarten students stepped foot onto The Bush School campus for their first day of school. Wide-eyed and eager to blaze their own trail, students spent their first morning at Bush listening to Head of School Percy L. Abram speak to how special and historic this academic year would be, as Bush’s Centennial year. He also emphasized that the Class of 2036 was the 100th class to start at The Bush School, making them an important part of the school’s history too.
As we’ve celebrated and honored Bush’s Centennial year in many fun and unique ways, we thought it would be special to ask the Class of 2036, the 100th class, what their wishes for Bush’s future are.
“IF YOU WERE BLOWING OUT CANDLES FOR BUSH AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY, WHAT WOULD YOUR WISH BE?”
My wish for The Bush School is …
“For more trees!”
– Ivy C.
“For more books!”
– Amara M.
“A jungle gym and things you could do outside at recess, like slides and swings. I wish that people at The Bush School can feel loved, brave, kind, and included.”
– Dylan G.
“Continue to grow.”
– James N.
“A cave you could explore in. I wish people at The Bush School to feel happy.”
– Thomas V.
“A veggie garden.”
– Maxwell S.
“A pet guinea pig.”
– Leo A.
“Tree houses, slides, swings, and more monkey bars and more balls. I wish that people who are sick feel better.”
– Wynne C.
“To stay nice and tidy and stay healthy. I wish that people at The Bush School feel happy.”
– Maria F.
“More of the webs and the monkey bars. I wish that The Bush School had a class pet that is a bunny.”
– Paige O.
“For more kids.”
– Anouk F.
“For a lot of love… and a treehouse and also a sandbox. I wish people at The Bush School feel excited!”
– Elizabeth G.
“A big cake that they could blow out the candles on.”
– Emmy G.
“To stop aging!”
– Nina R.
“For more solar panels.”
– Arthur D.
“To last forever!”
– Ashima H.
“To stay the same!”
– Olive M.
A WISH FOR BUSH
Throughout the year, community members ranging from faculty and staff, students, alumni, board members, and parents and guardians have shared their wish for the next 100 years of The Bush School. The tree was unveiled at Convocation and has been at key Centennial events throughout the year available for individuals to leave their wish. The tree will be planted at the Bush Methow Campus.
A Year of Events
Throughout The Bush School’s Centennial year, the community gathered to remember and discover Bush history, celebrate the present, and look boldly to the future. Events such as Convocation, Fall Festival, Blazer Bash, Celebrate Bush, and Commencement are yearly Bush traditions, but they held special significance in the school’s 100th year. New events including the 100 Years of Leadership Dinner, Blazers of Color, Bush Day of Service, Centennial Seminar, and the Block Party were new initiatives that underscored the shared values of Bush through collaboration, curiosity, and our century-long commitment to progressive education.
“It has been my greatest joy to see alums, current students, and the whole Bush community reconnect with the school’s history through archive exhibits and events,” said Bush Archivist and Centennial Coordinator Cali Vance.
In total, more than ten Centennial events were celebrated on campus throughout the year.
Top left: Rafa N. ’36 gives a high five while entering Convocation.
Top right: Head of School Percy L. Abram delivers his Convocation speech to The Bush School community.
Middle left: Dylan G. ’36 enters Convocation with the Bush Kindergarten class.
Middle right: Middle School student speaker Anya S. ’28 delivers a speech during Convocation.
Bottom left: Class of 2024 student speaker Alex Cheng ’24 smiles from the podium during his address.
Bottom right: Head of School Percy L. Abram adjusts the microphone for Lower School student speaker Kyle A. ’31.
Page 87: Reed Ziegler ’24, Jourdan Soules ’24, Zoe Tolbert ’24, Angie Bennion ’24, and Clare Molloy ’24 pose together in front of the Middle School courtyard.
Convocation
It was a special morning on Wednesday, August 30, as The Bush School kicked off its Centennial year with its fifty-first Convocation. Head of School Percy L. Abram, Board of Trustees President Lisa Carroll, Families Association President Sena Johnson, and a student speaker from each division welcomed a fresh-faced and buoyant crowd of parents, guardians, faculty, and staff to the first day of the one hundredth year of The Bush School, touching upon the historic nature of this year and honoring our “roots”, the theme of the academic year.
Kindergarten students received pins recognizing them as the one hundredth Kindergarten class to enter Bush, while the Class of 2024 students were presented with pins acknowledging their graduation during the Centennial year. The entire community was introduced to the Centennial Wishing Tree and were invited to add their hopes for the next 100 years of The Bush School to its branches throughout the year.
Convocation was established by former Head of School Les Larsen in 1972–his first year at Bush.
Top left: Duke B. ’36 enjoys a snowcone during the Centennial Fall Festival.
Top right: Upper School students relax in the shade of an inflatable slide.
Middle left: Mia E. ’26, Cass F. ’26, Eddy V.-S. ’26, and Gus S. ’26 pose together holding churros during Fall Festival.
Middle right: Emma Dubery ’15, former faculty Chick Chickadel, and Anna Nielsen ’15 pose together in front of an inflatable during the Centennial Fall Festival which invited alumni back to campus.
Bottom left: Lower School Academic Dean Julie Barber and Sofia H. ’36 smile while sitting at the Fall Festival face painting booth.
Bottom right: Upper School students Estelle C. ’25, Kara M. ’25, Héloïse W. ’25, Cooper W. ’25, Page 89: Melina M.’32, Eliza S.-R. ’32, Second Grade Teacher Cecily Metzger, and Beniamin J. ’32 smile together on the Lower School turf field.
Fall Festival
This year’s Fall Festival was full of fun, food, families, and alums! Nostalgic favorites like the senior barbeque, freshpressed apple juice, and cotton candy were complimented by Centennial additions including a Bush alum luncheon, history trivia, an opportunity to hang a handwritten note on the Centennial Wishing Tree, and Centennial tattoos and stickers.
Above: An active audience participates in a lively discussion about what it means to be a POC identifying leader.
Below left: Daniel Pak, parent to Bush students Jahyoo P.
and Asa P.
lights up the panel with his thoughts on mentorship during the Blazers of Color | Mentorship event.
Below middle: Students were the most curious members of the audience, posing thoughtful questions for the Blazers of Color | Leadership panelists.
Below right: Dr. Mia Tuan shares parts of her story with openness and candor, to the great benefit of all in attendance.
’27
’30,
Blazers of Color
Our Centennial year featured a new event series titled Blazers of Color–panels featuring identifying People of Color (POC) leaders focused on the topics of mentorship and leadership. On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, Bush parents and alums sat on the Blazers of Color | Mentorship panel. The panel included Chara Amlag, co-owner of Hood Famous Bakeshop; Steve Banks ‘94, founder and president of Banks Sports Ventures; Wes Burns, owner of Transformational Advisory Group; Tisha Pagalilauan, partner at Cascade Law Group and elected fellow of the American Bar Foundation; Daniel Pak, co-founder and executive director of Totem Star and singer, songwriter, and producer; Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ‘75, associate dean of inclusion and diversity at the University of Washington Foster School of Business; Jeff Shiu, senior managing director at Macquarie Group and global head of Innovative Equity Ventures in Macquarie Capital; and Gerald Tolbert, M.D., clinical assistant professor for emergency medicine and assistant dean for student support in the School of Medicine at the University of Washington. The panelists shared their thoughts on and experiences with mentorship to a room packed with Bush alums, parents, students, and faculty and staff.
On Thursday, February 8, Bush hosted leaders from the greater Seattle area including Donna Moodie, Executive Vice President of Community Roots Housing and owner of famed Seattle restaurant Marjorie; Krish Srinivasan, President and CEO at PCC; Dr. Mia Tuan, Dean of the University of Washington College of Education; Stephanie Ellis-Smith, owner and CEO at Phila Engaged Giving; and Nick Brown, JD, former U.S. Attorney for Western Washington and candidate for Washington Attorney General. The panelists reflected upon their journeys and approaches to leadership, answering questions from several Bush students. Both panels were moderated by Head of School Percy L. Abram.
Above: Blazers of Color | Mentorship panelists, from left: Moderator Percy L. Abram, Daniel Pak, parent to Bush students Jahyoo P. ’27 and Asa P. ’30, Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ’75, Gerald Tolbert, M.D., parent to Bush students Zoe Tolbert’ 24 and Timi T. ’30, Chera Amlag, parent to Bush alum Ajani Quibuyen ’22 and student Amado Q. ’30, Wes Burns, parent to Bush student Skylar B. ’34, Tisha Pagalilauan, parent to Bush alums Addison ’22 and Asher ’24 Zamudio, Jeff Shiu, parent to Bush student Gregory S. ’30, and Steve Banks ’94.
Below left: Blazers of Color | Leadership panelists from left: Donna Moody, Percy L. Abram, Ph.D., Dr. Mia Tuan, Nick Brown, JD, and Krish Srinivasan.
Below right: Panelist Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ’75 inspires as a Blazers of Color | Mentorship panelist.
Top: Former Board Presidents gather for a photo near the Archive display. Back row, from left: Dale Nienow 1999-2004, John Holt 2010-2012, Jerry Parrish 2012-2014, Lisa Carroll 2022-2024. Front row, from left: Donald Rosen 1981-1984, Tracy Stanton 2014-2016, Irene Fischer 2006-2008, Michelle McCarthy Beck 2008-2010, Phoebe Haffner Andrew 1980-1981, Merrily Hauser Chick ’61 1984-1988.
Middle left: Dee Wyman ’65 applauds fellow Board members past and present during the 100 Years of Leadership Dinner.
Middle right: Irene Fischer and Maggie Finch embrace during a tour of Gracemont Alumni Hall.
Bottom left: In attendance were relatives of Bush founder Helen Taylor Bush. From left: Granddaughter Helen Bush Sittler, great granddaughter Thea Sittler, great grandson Taylor Sittler, great grandson Loring Sittler.
Bottom right: Heads of School Fred Dust 1987-1996, Les Larsen 1972-1987, and Percy L. Abram 2014-present stop for a photo during a tour of Gracemont Alumni Hall.
Leadership Dinner
The 100 Years of Leadership Dinner was held on Thursday, November 16, 2023, with more than 100 current and former Trustees, Board presidents, Families Association presidents, and Senior Leadership Team members in attendance. Individuals had the opportunity to tour the newly renovated Gracemont Alumni Hall and partake in a program and dinner in the Multi-Purpose Room in Upper School South, celebrating the important contributions of leadership past and present. Also in attendance was founder Helen Taylor Bush’s granddaughter, Helen Bush Sittler, and great-grandchildren Thea, Loring, and Taylor Sittler.
The 100 Years of Leadership Dinner was held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Upper School South building.
Top: Upper School students walk to class after the reopening of Gracemont Alumni Hall.
Middle left: Upper School English teacher and College Counselor Rebecca Delacruz-Gunderson shows off her new office, including its preserved brick and upgraded windows.
Middle right: Upper School teacher Marilina Kim, and students meet in the sunroom, surrounded by carefully preserved plaster molding, original wood walls, and refinished floors.
Bottom left: Upper School counselor Maria Mathieson and support service dog Starsky, settle into their refreshed space in Gracemont Alumni Hall.
Bottom right: Upper School students Luca F. ’27, Leo N. ’27, Charlie A. ’27, relax in the refreshed “Zen Space” on the second floor of Gracemont.
Page 95: Max Alhadeff ’24 and Margo Van Nimwegen ’24 admire the new skylight, which allows for more natural light in Gracemont.
Gracemont Centered
After more than a year of renovations, Gracemont Alumni Hall officially reopened on Tuesday, January 2, coinciding with the start of classes in the Upper School for the spring semester. The oldest building on campus, Gracemont received substantial renovations to enhance accessibility, improve learning spaces, and provide seismic upgrades and structural reinforcement. Gracemont, the carriage house (now Wissner), and its grounds were graciously given to founder Helen Taylor Bush at a low price by the Heffernan family in 1944.
Top left: Kirubel D. ’27 takes a layup shot during the Boys Varsity Basketball game.
Top middle: Rafe F. ’25 and Jahyoo P. ’27 celebrate during the Boys Junior Varsity Basketball game.
Top right: Alyeeah M. ’30 cheers players on during the Blazer Bash.
Middle: Alumni pose with Blaze during the Blazer Bash alumni festivities.
Bottom: Bush Board member Steve Banks ’94 and Muslimah Shabazz ’94 pose with a marquee sign during the Blazer Bash.
Page 97: Kara M. ’25 dribbles the ball during the Girls Varsity Basketball game.
Blazer Bash
The annual winter Blazer Bash was held on Friday, January 5, and had a strong showing of alumni athletes and fans in attendance to watch the boys and girls basketball teams in action, view the new Wall of Champions in Schuchart Gym, and take part in activities and community! Festivities also expanded into the Mag Gym with games, a free-throw contest, and more.
Top left: Celebrate Bush attendees enjoy dancing to live band Hit Explosion.
Bottom left: Assistant Head of School for Advancement Sharon Hurt and Head of School Percy L. Abram greet attendees at the top of the Seattle Convention Center Summit escalator.
Top right: Bush parents Rob Williams, Geneva Williams, Jesse Proudman ’03, and Rebecca Proudman beam with excitement during this record-breaking fundraising event.
Middle right: Celebrate Bush attendees take part in the live auction.
Bottom right: Head of School Percy L. Abram speaks to the crowd.
Celebrate Bush
Celebrate Bush: Eras was held on Friday, March 8, at the Seattle Convention Center Summit. Co-Chairs and Bush parents Joelle Alhadeff and Rachel Stroble, along with a team of thirty-one volunteers, brought energy, enthusiasm, and joy to the “party of the century.” Together, the Bush community raised $993,000 in support of financial aid—shattering all previous records for the event!
Since 1980 Bush parents, faculty, staff, and students have collaborated on an annual auction to support the school, then called the Bush Auction. The institution of an annual fundraiser began with the Bush Basket rummage sale organized by the Mother’s Club in the early 1960s.
Celebrate Bush continues to be a collaborative effort involving families, faculty, staff, and students.
Bush Day of Service
To honor its long history of instilling the values of service to community and local and global citizenship, The Bush School hosted the Bush Day of Service on Wednesday, April 3. All students in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade participated in service-learning activities, both on and off campus. Collectively, they completed over 1,500 hours of service during the day, thanks in large part to meticulous planning by Upper School Dean of Students Sara Fischer, Program Manager Rachel Ladd, and Lower School Academic Dean Julie Barber.
“All acts of kindness and service, even the seemingly most inconsequential ones, leave an indelible impact. We are forever changed in noticeable and imperceptible ways,” Head of School Percy L. Abram said.
“We know the value of this community-based work will stick with our students far beyond a single day,” Rachel said.
Lower School students who stayed on campus worked on projects to beautify campus, assist in a book drive, and make crafts for hospice patients, among other activities. All Fifth Grade through Twelfth Grade students–totaling more than 400–traveled off campus to support over twenty-five longtime community partners throughout the city, including Teen Feed, Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, the Ronald McDonald House, Little Free Pantry, and Aegis Living, among others. The day concluded with the entire student body plus faculty and staff reconvening on campus for cross-divisional Family Groups, to debrief on their experiences and reflect upon the impact and importance of service to community.
Page 100: Third Grade students sort and count books donated by members of The Bush School community for the Friends of the Seattle Public Libraries organization.
Above left: Kai N. ’34, Edie T. ’34, Anna G. ’34, and Charlotte S. ’25 display gardening gloves during the Bush Day of Service.
Above right: Zachary W. ’26, Heran M. ’34, and Rose H. ’34 hold garden supplies during the Bush Day of Service.
Centennial Seminar
On Friday, May 31, former Bush faculty members Peggy Skinner, Theo Coxe, and Chick Chickadel returned to campus to reconnect with former students and colleagues as Centennial Seminar panelists. Moderated by Upper School History Teacher Susanne Eckert, these beloved faculty reflected upon their time at Bush and their teaching philosophies, while also discussing how their time at Bush influenced their journeys since leaving the school. More than forty alums were in attendance, sharing gratitude about the impact these teachers had upon their lives and excitement about their return during the 100th year of The Bush School.
Top left: Centennial Seminar panelists from left: Peggy Skinner, Upper School Science teacher 1972-2011; Chick Chickadel, Upper School English teacher 1989-2000; Theo Coxe, Middle School P.E. teacher 1983-2017.
Top right: Head of School Percy L. Abram and Steve Rosen ’84 at ease hearing about the experiences and perspectives of the panelists.
Bottom left: Upper School History teacher 2000-present Susanne Eckert moderates the Centennial Seminar, offering current-day perspective to the panelist’s reflections.
Bottom right: Jim Hamilton, Middle School English teacher 1972-1991 and Lower School substitute teacher 1999-present, joined the audience to listen to the reflections of his former colleagues.
Improv Comedy Show
Worthy of a standing ovation, the Bush Alum (One Night Only) Improv Comedy Show! set the stage for what would become a weekend defined by alum celebrations. Held the evening of Friday, May 31, more than 100 alumni and friends filled the seats of Benaroya Theater to laugh with some of the funniest and most recognizable Bush alumni. Ben Weber ’90 (Sex and the City, Twister), Ben Ryan ’97 (“Recovered Child Actor!”), Meeghan Holaway ’84 (Holidate, The Spirit, Criminal Minds), Ben Johns ’91 (improv actor), and Heidi Godt ’84 (Mamma Mia!, Grey’s Anatomy, The King of Queens) headlined the iconic event, which was dreamed up and planned by alum Scott Palmason ’00 (The Tonight Show, Scrubs).
Top: Heidi Godt ’84 leads an audience participation activity, to the delight of her castmates and attendees.
Bottom left: From left: Ben Weber ’91, Meeghan Holaway ’84, Ben Ryan ’97, Ben Johns ’91, and Heidi Godt ’84. Not pictured is alum Scott Palmason ’00, who was the driving force behind this hilariously fun event.
Bottom right: There was a packed house for this first-ever Bush alum improv comedy show, with more than 100 in attendance.
Top left: The Last Minute Maybes, including Kathleen Kinney, Bush parent to Henry K. ’25, and Steve Kawasaki, Bush parent to Bing K. ’26, opened the Bush Block Party, setting the tone for this high-energy event.
Top right: Student band Cork, featuring Benjamin H. ’25 on guitar, left the audience speechless when they showcased some truly impressive guitar and vocals.
Middle left: Bush alum band Sweet Water brought the audience to their feet with their highly anticipated Bush Block Party performance. From left: Cole Peterson ’87, Chris Friel, Adam Czeisler ’86, Rich “Credo” Albrecht ’86.
Middle right: Former faculty Ann Palmason, David Douglas, and Lisa Parker revived their beloved Hootenanny tradition on stage, to the delight of generations of Bush alums.
Bottom left: Bush alums and Sweet Water superfans crowd the stage during their afternoon set.
Bottom right: Bush student band Gilded Ficus were the day’s final performance, playing to families, fellow students, and alums. From left: Eddy V.-S. ’26, Hejyule B.-R. ’27, and Marley Rosen ’24.
A party worthy of 100 years! On Saturday, June 1, more than 1,300 people came out to celebrate the culminating event of The Bush School’s Centennial year—the Bush Block Party. The outdoor event, which spanned the majority of campus, featured music, food, games, and many memorable community moments.
“The Bush Block Party was reflective of the enthusiasm so many Bush community members brought to the year-long Centennial celebrations,” said Bush Alumni and Donor Relations Manager Tiffany Kirk. “We saw more alums than ever before return to campus–many of them flying in from out of state! Current families, faculty and staff past and present, and neighbors of The Bush School not only showed up in huge numbers for the event, but offered enthusiastic support at all stages of the planning and execution.”
The five-hour celebration included a robust live music lineup that hit all the sentimental chords, including the Hootenanny—a tradition that had alums spanning generations giddy with excitement. Performed by former faculty members Dave Douglas, Ann Palmason, and Lisa Parker, Ann shared that the Hootenanny “came out of the joy of singing with students in the Lower School. For seventeen years, we kept the songs rolling on spring evenings in the Inner Courtyard when families brought a picnic dinner, sat on blankets, and sang along.” Legendary Bush alum band Sweet Water brought attendees to their feet when Adam Czeisler ’86, Cole Peterson ’87, and Rich “Credo” Albrecht ’86 were joined onstage by their founding drummer Paul Uhlir ’87. The Last Minute Maybes, a band featuring Bush parents Kathleen Kinney and Steve Kawasaki, opened the event with an energy echoed by student bands Cork—which featured the immeasurably talented Benjamin H. ’25 on guitar—and Gilded Ficus, including students Hejyule B.-R. ’27, Linus D. ’27, Cam M. ’25, Marley Rosen ’24, and Eddy V.-S. ’26.
Attendees were surrounded by Bush history throughout the event. Inside Benaroya Theater, a short film documenting the early history of experiential education at Bush was on loop, while Chick Chickadel led two Art Talks discussing the impressive collection of art on campus as well as the history of artists as faculty and supporters of Bush. Returning alums toured Gracemont Alumni Hall and the Upper School South building, while many members of the Bush community stopped by the Centennial brick installation to view their inscribed bricks.
Top left: Students lined up for their chance to take a swing at the 17' High Striker on the Lower School turf field.
Top right: Ya’Seen M. ’30 (left) and Nunu R. ’30 celebrate a ring toss win.
Middle left: Head of School Percy L. Abram speaks to the crowd.
Middle right: Bush community members look on at the unveiling of bricks at the Upper School campus as part of the Centennial Brick Campaign.
Bottom left: Ryan L. ’35 (left) and Noah C. ’35 team up for a round of inflatable Skee-ball in the Kids Zone on the Lower School turf.
Bottom right: A festive directional sign and large decor near the event entrance were graciously crafted by Will ’00 and Bill Baber.
Top: Part of the Bush Archive on display inside Benaroya Theater.
Bottom left: Sarah S. ’25 (left) and Ruby R. ’25 enjoy the various food trucks at the Block Party.
Bottom right: left to right: Sofia H. ’36, Coco H. ’36, and Sylvie S. ’36 wait patiently for their chance to pet miniature horse, Firenze, brought by owner Virginia Wyman ’67. Firenze provided the perfect opportunity to share a bit of Bush history: in 1935 the Helen Bush School mascot was a pony named Gin Figg.
One-of-a-Kind Group
On Friday, June 7 the seventy-one members of the Class of 2024 graduated in front of a large crowd of Bush community members, family, and friends, at the Seattle Convention Center Summit.
“Our journey through high school is definitely one of the most unique over Bush’s 100 years, and not only because we were the first class to go through U.S. History with Chat GPT, but because from the beginning, this class was never supposed to be like any other,” said senior class speaker Max Alhadeff ’24. “And we have delivered in the best ways possible.”
Described as silly, sweet, friendly, ambitious, talkative, eclectic, and close-knit, the Class of 2024’s first experience of high school was during the height of the pandemic. A school day was spent online, and in-person connections and regular school days on campus didn’t occur until their sophomore year. Despite those challenges, the Class of 2024 navigated the unknown, and were able to blaze their own unique trails. Head of School Percy L. Abram used the words “rare” and “classic” to describe the seniors.
“We learned how to foster connections through these tough times, finding the meaning behind the saying “through thick and thin” at a quicker rate than most,” said Yahya Ahmed ’24 in his opening Commencement remarks. “We were thrown into this thunderstorm of uncertainty and irregularities throughout the year, but we fought through it in remarkable ways we could’ve never imagined; be it through spontaneously camping overnight in school or collectively deciding on getting a class fish.”
Top: Commencement opening student speaker Yahya Ahmed ’24, with members of his family after the ceremony at the Summit.
Middle left: Evelyn Delahunty ’24.
Middle Center: Asher Zamudio ’24 is all smiles after graduating.
Middle right: Senior class speaker Max Alhadeff ’24.
Bottom left: Reagan Holloway ’24 walks off the stage after Commencement.
Bottom right: Nabila Kadir ’24, Hedia Lewis ’24, and Meklit Alemayehu ’24 pose together during Commencement celebrations.
CLASS OF 2024 MATRICULATIONS
Arizona State University
Barnard College
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College (2)
Carleton College
Claremont McKenna College
Colby College
College of the Holy Cross
Colorado College
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Fordham University
Hamilton College
Kenyon College
Lewis & Clark College
Montana State University (Honors)
New York University
Northeastern University
Oberlin College (2)
Occidental College
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Princeton University
Rice University
Rollins College
San Diego State University
Santa Clara University
Savannah College of Art & Design
Scripps College (2)
Seattle Central College
Seattle University
Seton Hall University
South Carolina State University
Stanford University (2)
Syracuse University
Tufts University (4)
University of Chicago
University of Colorado, Boulder (3)
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
University of Vermont (3)
University of Washington (5)
University of Waterloo
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College (2)
Villanova University
Wake Forest University
Washington University, St. Louis (2)
Whitman College (2)
Williams College
Top: Carlos Abram ’24 and Head of School Percy L. Abram share a father-son moment as they partake in a special handshake.
Bottom: Student speaker Juliet Willems ’24 gives the closing remarks to the Class of 2024.
Around Campus
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2023–2024
Athletics
It was another historic year for The Bush School Athletic Department with a record number of athletic participation opportunities provided for students, including the launch of the Middle School Nordic ski program.
This past spring, the Boys Doubles Tennis team of Cal Jones ’24 and Bernie Rosen ’24 stole the spotlight on the court, claiming the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) 1B/2B/1A Doubles state title for the second consecutive year. The victory also marked the third straight championship for Cal, as he won two years ago with partner Quinn Chow ’22. In the fall of 2023, Cal and Bernie won the conference
and district crowns. Also at the state level, Duncan F.-S. ’25 won the 1A state track and field 3,200-meter title. On the pitch, the boys soccer team claimed the Emerald Sound Conference (ESC) championship for the third time in the past four years.
The Boys Varsity Cross Country team captured the ESC Championship and finished second at the 1A WIAA State Championships, while on the courts the Boys Basketball team captured the Coho Division title. In Girls Volleyball, Hedia Lewis ’24 was named the ESC MVP and will head to South Carolina State University in the fall to continue playing at the Division I level.
Bush Boys Varsity Tennis Head Coach Cara Holloway, Bernie Rosen ’24, Cal Jones ’24, and Coach Brad Delahunty pose during the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 1B/2B/1A Doubles Tennis Tournament in May.
In the Classrooms
A record number of sixty-eight Eleventh Grade students participated in internships with local businesses and organizations throughout Seattle that ranged from universities and art studios to local medical clinics and bakeries during the Upper School Cascades programming.
Upper School students have had fun and challenging courses ranging from Engineer Your World to Civics: Understanding Our Rights to Marine Biology, where students have explored some of the many threats facing the oceans today and their possible solutions.
Middle School students have spent the year opening their minds to new ideas and perspectives through mastering document-based questions (DBQ) in history and via projects like “Hidden Worlds,” where Seventh Grade students explored the idea that everything has two sides, connecting it back to identity development, a core idea of the English curriculum.
In the Lower School classrooms, the purposeful focus on teacher support and curriculum development was elevated with the appointment of an academic dean,
Julie Barber, and math specialist, Cathy Hamblet. Kindergarten through Fifth Grade students expanded their learning through FUNdations (a phonics program based in science of reading research), implementation of the Illustrative Mathematics program, as well as a continuation of Learning for Justice standards that has anchored Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work.
As part of the Centennial year celebrations, the Bush online Archive launched in February, with over 380 users. More than 18,000 photos, oral histories, documents, annual publications, videos, Broken Records recordings, and ephemera are accessible, providing quick access to Bush history and Archive resources for our entire community. Bush Archivist Cali Vance visited several Lower School classes this academic year, facilitating discussions from campus change to the difference between a primary and a secondary source, while Upper School students have utilized the online Archive by supporting metadata entry, using information for the yearbooks, and exploring all issues of the Rambler. Visit the Bush online Archive at archives.bush.edu.
Bush Archivist Cali Vance brings a former Bush mascot, “the Blazer” and other Bush artifacts to a lesson with Third Grade students.
Arts
In the spirit of Bush’s 100th year, the Lower School drama class put on a spring performance of “The Helen Taylor Bush Story” and “It’s a Book!” This original production was put on by the students in Third through Fifth Grade. The production featured the story of Helen Taylor Bush, founder of The Bush School, in her own words, as well as a host of original songs and scenes adapted from popular children’s books, including It’s a Book, Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, and The Wild Robot
The Lower School and Middle School held their first joint choir concert in the winter, and under the guidance of Middle School Music teacher Matt Swanson, students formed their first bands and performed live. This spring, Upper School students performed “High School Musical,” the first musical production by the Upper School in nearly ten years.
Retirements
Leslie Loper
After thirty-two years, Leslie Loper has officially hung up her whistle and is retiring. Leslie has been a key figure in the Bush Athletic Department since she arrived in 1992. Leslie, who earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from Pennsylvania State University and a K-12 physical education certificate from Seattle University, began at Bush as a physical education teacher and transitioned to the Bush Athletics Office in 1996, where she has served as the Co-Athletic Director, Athletic Director, and Assistant Athletic Director.
“Leslie has made a lasting impact on The Bush School. Her dedication to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle has positively influenced countless students over the years. For two decades, she played a pivotal role in advancing the Blazers athletic program,” Bush Athletic Director Jo Ito said.
In 2017 Leslie left her position as the Assistant Athletic Director to take a position teaching Middle School P.E., where she’s been since. Leslie has been involved in the Middle School not only in health and wellness but in teaching E-lectives, in particular mountain-biking courses, E-Weeks in the spring, and more. Her love of physical activity has been infectious on the entire community, as she’s been involved in the annual Bush Bike Week and a key member of starting up the Middle School Nordic Ski team.
“In the past seven years, she returned to teaching health and wellness classes, further enriching our community,” Jo said. “Leslie has served as a role model and a source of inspiration for both students and faculty/staff alike. Her warm and positive demeanor perfectly aligns with our school’s sports culture, and her presence will truly be missed.”
A Look Ahead
Middle School Director Rob Blackwell
Robert (Rob) Blackwell joined the community as our new Middle School Director, beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year. Rob joins the Bush community after several years of teaching and leading in independent schools throughout the country, most recently as the Middle School Assistant Director at Lakeside. He joins a community of engaged faculty, inspired students, and supportive adults who are eager to see the Middle School continue to grow, refine, and excel in the years ahead. Rob will serve at the helm when the new Center Campus/Middle School building opens in fall 2027.
The Lower School Drama cast ensemble performs during the spring production of “The Helen Taylor Bush Story” and “It’s a Book!”
Upper School students Charlotte P. ’25, Lola Z. ’26, Jourdan Soules ’24, Nicole C. ’27, Niko H. ’27, and Max G. ’26 dance during a musical number in the spring drama production of High School Musical.
Class Notes
BY TIFFANY KIRK, ALUMNI AND DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER
Where has life taken you since graduating from The Bush School? Learn what your former classmates have been up to below, and then submit your own updates to alumni@bush.edu.
1950s
Anne (Quast) Sander ’54 is the recipient of this year’s Blazers Athletic Hall of Fame Award. She holds cherished memories of her time at The Bush School. Her golf journey began in childhood, but she reports that it was her transfer to The Bush School during her Eleventh Grade year and the support of Bush Headmistress Marjorie Livengood that helped pave the way for an extraordinary golfing career. Sander, who was featured on the cover of the August 1959 issue of Sports Illustrated, enjoyed a remarkable forty-year amateur golfing career, including seven USGA championships—a feat surpassed only by Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods. Notably, her victory in the 1961 U.S. Women’s Amateur is tied for the largest winning margin ever recorded in a championship match, regardless of gender.
Reflecting upon her time at Bush, Anne said, “Mrs. Livengood would do anything she could for a student who also excelled in music, art or sports. In my case, she went to the board at Broadmoor Golf Club and obtained permission for me to practice there. Thus, I got to leave school on the bus with Frank, the driver, when he was taking home those from grades 1-6 (the coed part of the school). He would drop me off at Broadmoor and pick me up two hours or so later on his way back to school.”
Elsa “Midge” Bowman ’51 conducted many interviews and wrote several resulting narrative pieces to support storytelling efforts throughout The Bush School’s Centennial year. In addition to being an alumna, Midge served as an interim Head of School, taught many years, sat on the Board of Trustees, and is the parent to Bush alums.
Anne (Quast) Sander ’54 was inducted into the Bush Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, May 31 at the Upper School Athletic Awards Banquet. Anne was joined at the banquet by members of her family.
1960s
Liz Blackford Lawrence ’64 owns and operates Paldom Systems, a web design company, with her husband, Peter Lawrence. Liz and Peter have been married for 56 years.
1970s
“My husband Richard and I have lived on San Juan Island for 22 years. We’re now both retired and settled into our quiet life, with intermittent visits from family and friends. I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with Bush by participating in planning for this year’s Centennial celebration.” – Catherine Pease Barnhart ’71
Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ’75 and Board trustee Steve Banks ’94 were panelists at the Centennial event Blazers of Color | Mentorship last November. Both Michelle and Steve were also members of the Centennial Task Force as well as several subcommittees.
The Class of 1974 celebrated its fiftieth reunion this year. At the helm were alumnae Rebecca Rawson and Joelyn Bahten, planning festivities that occurred on The Bush School campus on Saturday, June 8.
1980s
For the past eighteen years, Brady Smith ’80 has led four different public high schools in New York City as principal (including serving as founding principal in partnership with Outward Bound of a new small school in the Bronx) and is excited to return to the Pacific Northwest. A native Seattleite, Brady earned his Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) at Lewis & Clark College and taught for seven years in Portland, Oregon, before heading east, where he earned his school leader certification at CUNY. He relocated to the family cabin on Lopez Island in August 2023 and is excited to use his skills and experience with budget management, strengthening school systems and structures, and inclusive leadership approaches to serve the community as the LISD superintendent.
Randy Bannecker ’82 recently moderated a panel discussion at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s Business Issues Forum focused on the Seattle comprehensive plan update. Randy is founding partner at Bannecker Public Affairs.
“So amazed to be celebrating the Bush Centennial in the same year as my fortieth anniversary of graduating from Bush! Where did the time go?! My husband, Ron, and I are enjoying life on the top of Capitol Hill in Seattle. I am focusing on my coaching biz (ediehoppin.com), singing with a church choir, and growing as many plants as possible in our cozy backyard. I am sad to miss the June celebration events. Photoshop me into a few pics, please! Grateful to Bush for all of the memories and friendships that are still going strong. Maybe a gathering of ’84 and surrounding years in August, Seattle friends? Happy anniversary, The Bush School! May you continue to help the next generations grow, play, learn, ask questions, develop deep friendships, and share their unique gifts in the world for another 100 years!” – Edith Hoppin ’84
Steve Rosen ’84 was a member of the Centennial Task Force and the Bush Block Party planning committee.
Cole Peterson ’87 and his team won a Seattle ADDY from the American Advertising Federation for their Subconscious Order web app. Cole is the director of creative technology for the global creative data group at VML.
Lara Swimmer ’87 published a book titled Reading Room: New and Reimagined Libraries of the American West. Published by Artifice Press, the book documents a new generation of regional libraries that are redefining public space in the 21st century. Through text and photography, the book examines the place and function of libraries in cities and rural communities. It makes a case for the urgent need for these buildings, which serve as part of a vital community in the post-pandemic digital age.
Elina Erlendsson ’89 and her family have returned to Virginia after spending two years in Iceland. She heads up global human resources for Kerecis, a highly innovative waste-tovalue biotech company based in Iceland’s Westfjords.
Karim Lessard ’89 will serve as President of the Board of Trustees at The Bush School, beginning the 2024-2025 school year. Karim is also serving as Head of School Search Committee Co-Chair along with Julie Okerstrom.
Cameron Martin ’89 has accepted an endowed professorship at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
1990s
Manessh Batra ’90 is a member of The Bush School Board of Trustees.
Ben Johns ’91 published his book, Rogue for Peace. He was recently interviewed about his work on the thriller in an April 2024 Medium article by Francesca Penchant titled “Write Your Memories With a Fictional Lens.”
“I currently serve as a P.E. and wellness teacher in the Riverside School District located in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the last twenty-five years I have been a youth high school and college coach. I have mentored and sent many athletes on to college to play sports, and a few have gone on to the NFL; one became an Olympian.” – Mario Jimerson ’92
Chris Chickadel ’93 was a co-chair of the Centennial Task Force.
Ashley Stansbury ’93 and Paul Uhlir ’87 are engaged to be married. They are parents to three children at Bush ( Tya G. ’25, Ellody G. ’25, and Cophine U. ’25 ) and one alum (Madden G. ’23).
Emily Alhadeff ’94 was co-chair of the Centennial Task Force and is a member of The Bush School Board of Trustees.
Eliza Flug ’95’ s script for Year of the Fox became a film produced by Megan Griffiths and shown at the 2023 Seattle International Film Festival.
Loren Alhadeff ’97 is a member of The Bush School Board of Trustees.
Since ending her time as principal dancer with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Julia Erickson ’97 has taken on performing as a guest artist at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, is teaching at Point Park University, and remains involved in many other projects and performances.
Cooper Schwartz ’98 was moderator for the Affiliate Marketing Think Tank at LeadsCon 2024. Alongside industry trailblazers Jacqueline Anderson, Lauren Garner, and Patricia Marange, Cooper explored the latest trends and topics shaping the affiliate marketing landscape in 2024. Cooper is head of new business and growth at Money Group.
2000s
Will Baber ’00 has completed his eighteenth year teaching at The Bush School, having begun his career at the school in 2006.
Zane Behnke ’00 is a member of The Bush School Board of Trustees.
Scott Palmason ’00 is an accomplished actor and singer in Los Angeles. Scott recently lent his passions and talent for improv comedy to planning The Bush Alum (One Night Only) Improv Comedy Show, a Centennial event starring fellow alums Heidi Godt ’84, Meeghan Holaway ’84, Ben Johns ’91, Ben Ryan ’97, and Ben Weber ’90.
Zach Self ’00 is founder at Built by Self, a design and build firm. He also runs a not-for-profit organization called the Feels Foundation, which recently completed its third grantmaking round, funding seven emerging artists from around the PNW. The organization, the mission of which is to “cultivate
and nurture community and the creative brilliance of Black and Brown artists,” also teaches arts education in seven afterschool programs around central and south Seattle. He has a three-year-old son named Batiz, whom he calls “the best part of my day and life!” Zach was a member of the Bush Block Party and the Blazers of Color planning committees.
Chelsea Ryoko Wong ’01 continues her successful career as a painter in San Francisco. She is the first recipient of the Hamaguchi Emerging Artists Fellowship award at Kala (Berkeley, CA, 2010) and has recently completed murals for Asana (San Francisco, CA, 2021), La Cocina (San Francisco, CA, 2021) and the FB AIR Program (San Francisco, CA, 2019).
“I am a fashion designer. I had two clothing lines, SENA NYC and Asteria Active, and landed three magazine covers with Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, and Gina Rodriguez in addition to having a celebrity clientele. I currently work on custom and most recently worked on projects for Haim, Lizzo, and Jennifer Lopez. To view my work please visit senayang.com.”
– Sena Yang ’02
Charles Amadon ’03 is senior vice president of business development and strategic partnerships at Flex.
Kim West ’04 launched a new band called mega cat. While touring, fellow Bush alum Dave Dederer ’82 joined, performing on guitar.
Molly Fisher ’08 was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame (crew) at Cal-Poly Humboldt on October 27, 2023. In addition to her varsity 8 boat winning the NCAA Division II national championship in 2012 (see photo), Molly was designated as a First Team All-American Rower for two years during her time at Humboldt. She was also awarded National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) First Team All-American in 2012 for holding the school record squat and bench for her weight class (her record still stands).
“As a real estate broker affiliated with Compass, I’ve had the honor of being recognized as one of the Five to Follow” by Seattle King County REALTORS, alongside receiving various prestigious accolades and media features. Beyond my professional achievements, my greatest source of pride stems from my role as a loving mother to my beautiful daughter, Remy, and the joy of sharing life with my supportive husband, Bryan, along with our adorable Amazon-influencer dog, Truffle.” – Michele Liang ’08
2010s
Lauren Koby ’10 is a paralegal to a prominent criminal defense attorney in Livingston, Montana, practicing in state and federal courts, including the Montana Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th and 10th circuits.
Kelsey Scult ’10 developed and hosted a workshop called “Beyond the Screen: Activating Your Film in Non-Traditional Film Spaces” at the 2023 NOVAC: New Orleans Conference.
Jackie Swett ’10 graduated from the USC Gould School of Law in 2021. She is an associate attorney at Donaldson Callif Perez LLP, representing creators in the independent film industry and “helping artists tell their stories their way.” Recently Jackie has worked on Kokomo City, Couples Therapy, Ken Burns’s The U.S. and the Holocaust, and Love to Love You: Donna Summer.
Robert Lewis ’11 is a glass artist producing and selling work through galleries in Arizona.
After graduating from Bush, Elise Wilcox ’11 continued her education at Yale, where she studied biomedical engineering and continued playing soccer. As Yale’s starting goalie during her senior year, she had the highest save percentage in D1 and was named part of Yale’s all-decade team. After leaving Yale, Elise went on to complete a Ph.D. from a joint MIT-Harvard program with a focus on medical engineering. She published two papers from her Ph.D. research in high-impact scientific journals and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Duyen Tat ’12 accepted a position as associate director, head of merchant management at Heyday, leading a team of merchant managers who focus on Amazon growth and operational excellence.
“Hey there! After graduating from The Bush School (’13) and Mount Holyoke College (’17), I spent a year serving as an au pair and studying French in Strasbourg, France. From there, I found my way back to the West Coast, to the San Francisco Bay Area, where I’ve been living and working for the past five years. Though I currently live in San Francisco (with my partner of several years), I work in Napa for a boutique creative communications agency that specializes in wine and hospitality PR and marketing. Always happy to hear from other alums, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!” – Haley Murray Robinson ’13
Jackson Hirsch ’16 released two new songs, “Go” and “Best Intentions.”
Madeline Dalton ’16 has been taking NYC by storm as a performer and a music arranger. She and her collaborator, Adam Dorfman, created “Swingin’ with Sara,” a jazz soireé of Sara Bareilles hits. Their retro arrangements of Sara’s
work played for a sold-out crowd at the Green Room 42, a premier cabaret venue in Manhattan, and they will be performing again at Chelsea Table + Stage in NYC and the Rosen Performing Arts Center in Wayne, New Jersey, this summer. You can follow Madeline’s work on Instagram at @madeline_dalton_.
“I’m an early career journalist that was recently selected for a fellowship at the New York Times. Previously, I was a reporter for the Washington Post. Last May, I graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.”
– Eli Tan ’17
Renea Harris-Peterson ’18 is the coordinator of college counseling and student success at The Bush School.
Rumi Robinson ’18 was invited to attend the Netflix Geeked Week kickoff in Las Vegas and the TikTok creators Oscars party. Rumi continues to produce videos on multiple platforms, focusing on lifestyle, music, TV, and fashion content.
2020s
“I am so happy to share my two magazine covers that I took for Fordham University’s MODE magazine last fall! There are many other talented photographers and writers featured in the magazine; please go check it out! I can’t wait to share with you the upcoming issue soon.” – Elise Ansty ’20
Sophie Rotival ’21 just completed her third season swimming with Swarthmore. She has qualified for nationals all three years, last year earning two All-American Second Team honors. The team just finished an historic season, and Sophie added three more All-American (two First Team) titles to her resume.
Giovanni Rana ’22, also known as Vani, is a platinum-selling and Billboard No. 1 music producer. He has worked with Lil Baby, Polo G, Lil Durk, NBA YoungBoy, Rod Wave, Hotboii, JayDaYoungan, Booka600, Rylo Rodriguez, OMB Peezy, and many others.
Lane Skotdal ’23 is membership chair at YPO Next Generation (YNG) Dallas. Lane is a finance major with real estate specialization at SMU’s Cox School of Business.
In Memoriam
We honor and celebrate the lives of The Bush School community members whom we have lost. Read about these beloved members and leave your own remembrances on the Bush Centennial webpage at bushcentennial.com
