Welcome It is a pleasure to introduce you to the dynamic, inclusive, and joyful learning community of The Bush School. The Bush School provides a progressive, student-centered program focused on engaging teaching and participatory learning. This learning environment is designed to produce caring and informed students, artists, athletes, thinkers, and citizens who aspire to live rewarding and purposeful lives. At Bush, you will challenge yourself, explore new opportunities, and discover your passions—and you will do it all alongside our outstanding students and faculty. Bush teachers are innovative, thoughtful, and kind. Their work is grounded in research, shaped by experience, and focused on student success. As a Bush student, you will develop confidence through play and discovery in and outside of the classroom. You will spark a passion for learning, and cultivate a sense of purpose through a curriculum that balances academic challenge, open inquiry, and a commitment to equity and inclusion. Great schools can produce great students, but it takes a community to make a great person. I invite you to visit our school and see for yourself how our engaging programs and curious learners shape this incredible community. I look forward to seeing you on campus and sharing with you more of what makes The Bush School so incredible.
Percy L. Abram, Ph.D. Head of School
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Welcome! It is a pleasure to introduce you to the dynamic, inclusive, and joyful learning community of The Bush School. The Bush School provides a progressive, student-centered program focused on engaging teaching and participatory learning. This learning environment is designed to produce caring and informed students, artists, athletes, thinkers, and citizens who aspire to live rewarding and purposeful lives. At Bush, you will challenge yourself, explore new opportunities, and discover your passions— and you will do it all alongside our outstanding students and faculty. Bush teachers are innovative, thoughtful, and kind. Their work is grounded in research, shaped by experience, and focused on student success. As a Bush student, you will develop confidence through play and discovery in and outside of the classroom. You will spark a passion for learning, and cultivate a sense of purpose through a curriculum that balances academic challenge, open inquiry, and a commitment to equity and inclusion. Great schools can produce great students, but it takes a community to make a great person. I invite you to visit our school and see for yourself how our engaging programs and curious learners shape this incredible community. I look forward to seeing you on campus and sharing with you more of what makes The Bush School so incredible.
About Bush Established in 1924, The Bush School is the oldest independent coeducational K–12 school in Seattle. Our mission is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities. Bush is recognized as a national leader in progressive education, providing a challenging academic program combined with experiential learning opportunities. Our program, built upon foundational values of trust and respect, inspires students to become curious, joyful learners and compassionate and ethical citizens.
Vision The Bush School is committed to preparing students to lead purposeful lives, setting them on a path to change the world. Founded on the principles of progressive education, our experiential program inspires students to drive inquiry, actively engaging their teachers, curricula, and environment.
Educational Foundations Critical, independent, and creative thinking Ethical judgment and action Intercultural fluency Local and global citizenship
Values Head of School Percy L. Abram, Ph.D.
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Trust, Collaboration, Curiosity, Inclusivity, Challenge
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Bush by the numbers 660
students enrolled K-12
36%
16 students
average class size
to 21% of students
7 art studio spaces offering 15
different arts electives each year
73%
of Middle School and Upper School students
participate in Bush Athletics
2 campuses
connected by 1 scenic highway, 1 mountain range, and countless
moments of wonder
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Thailand, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, and the Arctic Circle
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average teaching experience
student to teacher ratio
need-based financial aid provided
great K–12 community!
16 years
8:1
$3.5 million
Middle School intercultural trips to
1
students of color
of Bush faculty members
45
K-12 family groups
that include students, faculty and staff from all three divisions
903 or iginal songs
produced by Upper School students in the music department through Broken Records,
Bush’s in-house record label
1,242 miles
run by
Lower School running club
7 sea kayaks to explore
with 14 seats used
Lake Washington, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, and Ross Lake
10,781 feet
scaled by students in the
Mt. Baker climbing AMP
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We are a K-12 Community 6
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Find strength in connections At The Bush School, we value the relationships that are built between teacher and student. We know that these relationships are not just what makes learning possible, but also what makes learning dynamic, energizing, and engaging. Relationships are at the core of all we do which makes a difference for student growth both socially and academically.
Lifelong learning Our unique school educates students from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade on one campus. Children grow up at The Bush School, in a tight-knit community with members from all stages of life, where there’s always someone who can give help or provide guidance. Since we encourage lifelong learning, parent education, alumni programs, and community events are a natural part of the Bush experience.
“ ADAP TING HOLES FROM A BOOK TO A PLAY WITH THE THIRD GRADE IS A REALLY COOL EXP ERIENCE. NOT ONLY ARE WE TALKING TO THESE LIT TLE KIDS, AND REMEMBERING HOW FAR WE’ VE COME… WE ARE ALSO SEEING HOW THEMES THAT THESE STUDEN TS ARE WORKING ON REACH FROM LOWER SCHOOL TO UPP ER SCHOOL.” — Saffron ’18
Examples of K–12 programming Museum in a School: Upper School students enrolled in the Museum in a School AMP are learning how to explain works of art and how to teach art projects. Their students? A Bush School Second Grade class. K–12 Arts Festival Fall Festival Science Design Labs Service at Bush Fifth Grade Homework Club K–12 Family Groups
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K–12 CO M M U N IT Y
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Bush Terms, Defined: Intercultural Fluency: The ability to interact across cultural lines with ease and compassion. Local and Global Citizenship: Understanding the many communities that each of us is a part of—our grade, school, family, neighborhood, city, country, and world—and seeking to play a positive role in each community.
Equ ity and Inclusion We believe that the intellectual, emotional, social, and psychological development of our students happens most effectively in a community that embraces and values diversity, whether based on cultural and ethnic background, nationality, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion or creed, ability/disability, learning differences, age, or generation, in addition to beliefs and values, and attitudes and opinions. We believe that a community that welcomes, respects and values different experiences, perspectives and points of view establishes a platform for the development and exchange of new ideas, innovation, creativity, problem solving, improved decision making, and critical thinking, as well as a more dynamic educational and life experience.
Curriculum and Program Bush faculty nurture and teach intercultural fluency and local and global citizenship in ageappropriate and developmentally-appropriate ways. Our curriculum is designed to enable our students to gain the knowledge, skills, and compassion needed to interact productively with others, to understand one another, and to act with equity, justice, and compassion.
Professional Development To ensure that our faculty and staff is equipped to effectively assist in furthering these principles, the school provides our faculty and staff with the necessary skills to succeed. The school enables faculty and staff to teach and model the skills, attitudes, and behaviors that allow people with different backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs and world views to work together and effectively serve all our students.
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L O W E R S C H O O L ( K– 5 )
To know and be known
“In the Lower School, we emphasize learning through play. This type of learning encourages questioning, collaboration, messiness, and fun!” — Pri Alahendra, Lower School Director
“ I HAVE A BROTHER AND SIST ER HERE AT BUSH. WE ARE ALL VERY DIFF EREN T BUT THAT IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT BUSH. BUSH LE TS YOU EMBRACE THOSE DIFF ERENCES AND HELPS THEM BLOSSOM.” — Ben ’24
Build a foundation Social, emotional, and academic growth is fostered through a curriculum that encourages skill-building. Through literacy, math, social studies, science, language, the arts, technology, and physical education, we teach critical and creative thinking, ethical judgment and action, intercultural fluency, and local and global citizenship.
Confident, joyful learning The Lower School involves each student in an environment of inquisitiveness and connectedness. At Bush, we believe that every time we consider a new idea, do something in a different way, or try something out of our comfort zone, we exercise the possibility to imagine. Every time we build, create, tinker, and muck around with materials, we open a window to that world of imagination.
Lower School faculty nurture curiosity and love for learning Students in the Lower School delve into a highly personalized, inquiry-based program under the tutelage of talented teachers who honor and cherish childhood. With contagious passion and meaningful incorporation of play into each lesson, Bush's Lower School faculty cultivate in each student a passion for discovery that carries them through their entire lives.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL (6–8)
An awakening to what is possible “ AS STUDEN TS WE ARE FORCED TO FACE OUR F EARS, BUT IN DOING SO WE ALWAYS HAVE SOME THING VALUABLE TO HELP US G E T THROUGH THE TOUGHEST CHALLENG ES THAT WE ARE PRESEN T ED WITH: OUR T EACHERS FOR SUPPORT AND G UIDANCE. BECAUSE OF OUR T EACHERS, WE G E T TO HIKE UP MOUN TAINS TOG E THER, SAIL ON BOATS, TRAVEL THE WORLD, HOLD ON TO ROCK WALLS WITH T WO FING ERS, AND STAND IN FRON T OF BIG CROWDS... ALONE.” — Tula ’21
Take risks, discover strengths Each student is provided a wide variety of opportunities in experiential learning that balances the pursuit of individual interests with risk-taking in new arenas. Learning extends beyond the classroom walls to encompass the collective goals of exploration, interaction, investigation, and service to the larger community.
Turn ideas into reality Middle School at Bush builds on the foundation of joyful learning in the Lower School by challenging students to discover their strengths and to turn their ideas into reality. The Middle School program harnesses the growing capacity for critical thinking and self-awareness in young adolescents, meeting all students where they are and enabling them to find success in a progressive and demanding educational program.
Middle School faculty are expert guides on the journey from childhood to adolescence During this time in life, the brain is more tuned to new experiences and more sensitive to change. At Bush, this is an opportunity to support student growth through positive challenges. Our Middle School faculty model trusting adultstudent relationships, help students respond to stress, and create caring environments that support emotional and academic skill development.
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UPPER SCHOOL (9–12)
Charting a path towards a life of pu rpose “ WE ARE UNIQUELY INDEP ENDEN T, STRONG -HEART ED, AND PASSIONAT E P EOPLE. WHAT BUSH PROVIDED US IS A VOICE, T EACHING US TO ARTICULAT E OUR THOUGHTS, CHALLENG E P ERSP ECTIVES, AND TAKE ADVAN TAG E OF OPPORTUNITIES. BUSH IS A SCHOOL THAT ALLOWS YOU TO EMBRACE YOUR IDEN TIT Y AND INDIVIDUALIT Y.” — Liam ’17
Independent thinking and intellectual engagement In Bush’s Upper School, students ask questions, test out big ideas, make mistakes, seek out mentors, and create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. Students develop skills as independent thinkers and collaborative learners through a combination of high academic expectations and signature experiential programming. The Upper School prepares students exceptionally well for college and for life, inspiring involved, active citizens who want to make a difference in the world.
Connect to communities At Bush, students are asked to participate actively in learning, communities, and the world because we believe deep learning takes place inside and outside the classroom. Students are called upon to consider the greater good and learn about themselves in relation to others. They take risks, have real
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responsibility, and engage in service learning. These experiences are powerful tools for developing values, building confidence, and charting a path toward a life of purpose.
Upper School faculty are collaborative, innovative, and balanced The best learning results from genuine connections between faculty and students. Through these critical relationships, students learn the art of collaborative work, independent research, advocacy, and authentic leadership. Faculty are encouraged to bring their full selves to the job, teaching their passions inside and outside of the classroom to create a program that is balanced and academically fulfilling.
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THE METHOW CAMPUS
Pulling back the Cascade Cu rtain “ BY CREATING A PLACE-BASED IMMERSIVE EXP ERIENCE FOR COMMUNIT Y ENGAG EMEN T IN THE ME THOW, WE GIVE BUSH STUDEN TS EXPOSURE TO AUTHEN TIC EXP ERIENCES THAT MOVE BEYOND ASSUMP TIONS AND LABELS.” — Head of School Percy L. Abram, Ph.D.
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The Bush School campus extends beyond the urban landscape of Seattle across the Cascade mountains to The Bush School Methow Campus. In the fall of 2016, the school acquired a twentyacre campus and educational facility in Mazama, WA. This campus, located in the region known as the Methow Valley, provides students with immersive experiences that highlight the interdependence between community, environment, and self.
With so many perceived barriers— political, religious, social, racial, economic—presently dividing our nation, The Bush School has staked out a unique leadership position to help bridge what is commonly referred to as the Cascade Curtain. Building on a rich history of forging relationships across cultures, borders, languages, and ideologies, students are able to deepen their understanding of place, build intercultural fluency, and nurture enduring community relationships in a rural region of north central Washington.
“ MY FAVORIT E PART OF BEING IN THE ME THOW VALLEY IS WHAT ’S AROUND ME. ONE OF MY FAVORIT E MOMEN TS OF THE TRIP WAS WHEN WE WERE SNOWSHOEING TO THE RIVER, BECAUSE I TRIED TO IMAGINE WHAT THE FOREST WOULD BE LIKE IN THE SPRING. WE WALKED ON THE RIVER WHERE IT WAS JUST SNOW AND ROCK, BUT WHEN SPRING ROLLS AROUND IT WILL BE AN ALL-POWERF UL RAPID FLOWING RIVER.” —Oliver ’22
Ways you might experience The Methow Campus Eighth Grade and Twelfth Grade Retreats: leadership, team building River Leadership E-Week: river stewardship, rafting, and guiding Methow Filmmaking E-Week: exploring the region and telling stories through film Learning About a Place Trip: interviews, writing, creating a podcast Blazing Trails and Building Relationships Trip: engaging with local non-profits Open Houses for Families: K–12 family weekend in the Methow
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EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS
Learn by doing “ THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE STUDEN TS WITH EXP ERIENCES IN WHICH THEY ENGAG E WITH THE WORLD. STUDEN TS ARE PLACED IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP, TAKE MEASURED RISKS, AND BUILD AN AUTHEN TIC INNER CONFIDENCE FROM THE SUM OF THEIR AC COMPLISHMEN TS.” — Kristin McInaney, Experiential Programs Manager
Experiential learning promotes the pursuit of passions, interests, risk-taking, and innovation. Students learn about the subject matter and themselves by being involved in activities and taking ownership of their learning. Our experiential programs are built on a foundation of trust, which has been a defining characteristic of The Bush School since the beginning. Faculty trust students to stay engaged and push themselves to achieve their greatest potential. This approach frequently results in learning that is rich and unexpected. Field trips, international travel, and wilderness outings are the most visible examples of experiential education at Bush. However, hands-on, inquiry-based learning is just as prevalent in the classroom. Faculty design and execute intentional, instructive experiences with clear objectives, authentic assessment, and thoughtful reflection.
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INTERCULTURAL IMMERSION PROGRAMS
MIDDLE SCHOOL
E-LECTIVES and E-WEEK E-lectives and E-Week are part of Bush’s signature experiential programming during which Middle School students discover new interests; develop interpersonal, collaborative, and leadership skills; and take on real or perceived risks in a safe and nurturing environment.
“ I’ VE LEARNED THAT YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN AND PUSH YOURSELF MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN.” — Matthew ’22, Thailand Trip 2017 The Bush School’s Intercultural Immersion Programs are based on the belief that local and global citizenship and intercultural fluency are best learned experientially. Students develop the skills, confidence, and desire to engage with and participate in social, political, and cultural issues.
E-lective: The E-lective program allows Middle School students to find their passions during the school day. Past E-lective classes have included Creative Programming, Debate, Parkour, Digital Photography, Indoor Bouldering, Classical Guitar, Watercolor Painting, Capoeira, Theatre Nouveau, Urban Forest Stewardship, and World through Food.
Intercultural Immersion Programs are designed to help cultivate self-awareness, leadership, humility, and the practice of being global citizens.
Experiential Week (E-Week): During E-Week, students choose a one or two week immersive trip or challenging project in either a natural or urban setting. Past E-Week trips have included Salish Sea Marine Biology, Let’s Make a Movie, Shakespeare and the Circus, Bend Mountain Biking, Makah Nation, Hugo House Poetry Workshops, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Glass Blowing, and History and Water in the Sierras.
Middle School Intercultural Program The Bush Middle School offers intercultural trips in May to India, Thailand, the Arctic Circle, and French and Spanish immersion trips to Costa Rica and Morocco on an annual rotating basis. These programs often include homestays, language instruction, and cultural immersion; our trips allow students the opportunity to form relationships with locals through shared projects and service learning.
Wilderness Program and Outdoor Education:
UPPER SCHOOL
Upper School Intercultural Program Through partnerships with schools and organizations, Bush Upper School students have the opportunity to participate in longer trips and exchanges. As a member of the Network of Complementary Schools, students may apply to attend a member school in the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada. Additionally, Bush has long-standing partnerships with schools in Japan and France that include reciprocal exchanges and homestays. If students are interested in international service learning, Bush offers programs in Belize and Guatemala. All programs are structured around open-ended essential questions, providing curricular focus and opportunities for critical thinking and action.
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Wilderness trips are offered on select weekends to all Middle School students. Trips are led by Middle School teachers and include mountain biking, white-water rafting, rock climbing, backpacking, fly fishing, and snowshoeing.
THREE-WEEK IMMERSION PROGRAM The Bush School divides the Upper School program into two semesters in the Fall and Spring, and two three-week immersions in January and May. During the immersions, students take a single program of study. These classes are designed to take place inside and outside of the classroom, and are taught by interdepartmental teaching teams. As students immerse themselves in one course, they form connections across the Bush community, greater region, and the world through the power of place based education. This signature program engages student voice, collaboration, and leadership through real-life challenges and intentional, iterative innovation. Examples of Three-Week Immersion Programs include: The Social Science of Cancer, Social Justice Filmmaking, Global Public Service Academy, Winter Skills and Expeditionary Travel, and Illustrating Biology.
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THE ARTS
A place to create “ THE POWER OF ART IS NOT JUST ONE T EACHER OR T EACHERS. IT ’S THE HUMANIT Y THAT TRICKLES IN TO THE LESSON. YOU SEE THE SPARK, YOU SEE THE CREATIVIT Y FLOW IN THEM, YOU SEE THE LIT TLE WINDOW OP EN. AND ONCE YOU HAVE THAT WINDOW OP EN, IT WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH LIF E.” — Li-Ting Hung, Lower School Art Teacher
Artistic expression is in our DNA The arts, which have a long tradition at Bush, are a driving force in how we approach experiential education. The artistic process engenders creative thinking and problem-solving abilities, promotes interpersonal skills, and develops aesthetic expression and emotional sensitivity in students.
A culture of creativity The fine and performing arts are a vibrant thread of the Bush experience. Lower School music classes integrate singing, rhythmic and poetic speech, instruments, composing, and dancing. Middle School students light up the stage with plays, dramatic performance, and the muchanticipated Open Mic. Upper School students have rich and varied course options, including Stage Combat, Fire Arts, Electronica, Podcast Creation, and Darkroom Photography.
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TECHNOLOGY
Promoting information literacy “ ADULTS OF T EN REF ER TO KIDS AS ‘ DIGITAL NATIVES’ . HAVING GROWN UP WITH T ECHNOLOGY, KIDS HAVE AN AMAZING ABILIT Y TO FIG URE THINGS OUT. OUR CURRICULUM HELPS THIS HAPP EN NATURALLY, GIVING STUDEN TS AN OPPORTUNIT Y TO EXPLORE THEIR OWN CREATIVIT Y AND BECOME DIGITAL SCHOLARS IN OUR E VOLVING SOCIE T Y.” — Don Fitz-Roy, Middle School Technology Teacher
Collaborate and innovate By working closely with all students on both technical creativity and information fluency, The Bush School’s technology, library, and media literacy curriculum supports the school’s mission and values. We recognize that technology is intertwined into our daily lives and integrate it in every discipline, promoting collaboration and innovation. At all levels, students can be found learning across disciplines: making videos for world language classes, creating personal websites in Fifth Grade, producing sports podcasts in a music elective, and more.
Preparing for the future In a global age, effective use of technology begins and ends with empathic connections. Each division features an engaging and carefully sequenced curriculum in technology and information literacy, ranging from typing exercises to design and coding. By providing a breadth of experiences, students learn foundational skills as they experiment with cutting-edge technologies. Our facilities include a green-screen, virtual reality capabilities, 3D printers, dedicated makerspaces, and robotics labs. Each year, The Bush School hosts a hackathon, robotics collaboration, and media festival with students from the region.
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AT H L E T I C S
Learning and growth for all athletes “ YOU G E T TO LEARN ABOUT ALL YOUR T EAMMAT ES, WORK TOG E THER WITH THEM, AND MAKE FRIENDS IN ALL DIFF EREN T GRADE LE VELS. CROSS-COUN TRY TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK AND SO IT WILL IMPROVE YOUR CHARACT ER AND MAKE OTHER THINGS NOT F EEL AS HARD.” — Lolo ’20, Cross Country
Challenging, Supportive, and Fun At The Bush School, seventy percent of students participate in athletics. Bush follows a no-cut philosophy, which allows any student who demonstrates interest and commitment to be placed on a team. Athletes at Bush are asked to work hard, to be committed to their teams, and, most importantly, to have fun.
Invaluable Life Lessons Coaches emphasize fundamental technical, tactical, and emotional skills needed to succeed in interscholastic play while reinforcing positive values such as sportsmanship, teamwork, perseverance, timemanagement, and ethical judgment. Participants are able to apply the outcome of these invaluable life lessons on and off the playing fields.
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PHOTO BY MIKE MATHIEU
Form rock group the Presidents of the United States of Amer ica
Dave Dederer ’82
Chris Ballew ’83
ALUMNI
What w ill
you r
pu rpose be?
“ T EACHERS ALLOWED ME TO FIND MY TRUTH AND PURPOSE.” — Jay Wyatt ’04 The Bush School alumni pursue their passions. Generations of leaders have come to Bush to help shape their own path to purpose. At Bush, they built relationships, explored big questions, learned to write and think critically, and found inspiration in the arts, coding, advocating for human rights, and more. Here are just a few examples of Bush alumni who are making a difference in the world.
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Found Mira, the first startup to come out of USC ’ s Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology, and Business Innovation Montana Reed ’14 USC ’18, Mira, Chief of Product
Expand health coverage and bu ild healthy communities across the nation Risa Lavizzo-Mourey ’72, President Emerita of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Ready for the next step ? Contact us at admissions@bush.edu to learn more, set up a campus tour, or just talk about how The Bush School might be a good fit for your child. The Bush School 3400 East Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98112 (206) 326-7736
How to Apply Applicants to The Bush School use a web-based program called Ravenna (ravenna-hub.com) to create a student profile, complete an application, and schedule a tour. Ravenna provides a comprehensive checklist which allows each applicant to track the application as each section is completed.
Financial Aid The Bush School is committed to making an independent school education accessible to students, regardless of their financial circumstances. To learn more about the financial aid process visit bush.edu/FinancialAid.
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