Methow Campus

Welcome to the Bush Methow Campus

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 twenty-acre 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.

Methow Happenings 2018-2019

Class Retreats

Middle School Wilderness Trips

Middle School E-Weeks

Middle School Family Camp Week

Upper School Winter AMPs

Upper School Spring AMPs

Senior Projects

Nordic Team Weekend

Cross-Country Team Retreat

Athletic Student Council Retreat

Faculty Workshop

Sixth Grade Faculty Program Planning Trip

Regional ISEEN Faculty Workshop

Family & Alumni Weekends

Community Soup Nights

Local Schools Events

Local Non-profit Board Retreat

Local Non-profit Visiting Student Group

Local Summer Camps

List of 6 items.

Bread and Jam: July 22-25, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Sixth to Graduate

Transportation from barn available
Logistics: Mon-Thurs, 9am-3:00pm
For campers Sixth Grade through high school graduates
How does a baguette get its shape? Why does some bread have big holes in it? What is sourdough anyway? Learn the answers to these questions this summer while becoming a master bread baker! Together we will make a variety of breads and learn about how grains on a farm become the bread on our table. Alongside baking, we will explore our local food system and make jam from berries we harvest. Be ready to take home plenty of bread, recipes, jam, and your own sourdough starter.
College Essay Writing Workshop, August 27-29, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Twelfth or Graduate

This class is only for Liberty Bell students:
Logistics: class meets Tues and Thurs, 9am-4pm August 27 and 29. Students should plan to work independently at home on Wed, August 28.
This two-day, intensive workshop tackles the writing portions of the college application process, focusing on northwest regional schools. Hands-on and fast-paced, the College Essay course will help you tell your best story, presenting to colleges an engaging portrait of who you are. By the end of these two days, you will: understand the components of a strong college admissions essay, analyze the nuances of northwest area college topics and questions, be able to edit your own and others’ work for topic, form, and voice, and most important, complete a final draft of an essay. Enter the fall of your senior year with your essay done!
Journalism Camp, July 29-August 1, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Sixth to Graduate

Transportation from barn available
Logistics: Mon-Thurs, 9am-3:00pm
For campers Sixth Grade through high school graduates
Is there something you’re curious about in your community? This camp is for diving into important local topics that interest you. Join us to investigate, form, and report a story. Together we will work on asking meaningful questions and explore the ways in which we can keep our communities informed. You will have the opportunity to learn from local journalists, use multiple kinds of media to present your story, and have your work shared throughout the Methow Valley.
Methow Camp Week 1 Camouflage Camp: August 5–8, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Third, Fourth, Fifth Grade

Location: Bush School Methow Campus, 255 Lost River Rd. Mazama, WA
Logistics: Mon-Thurs, 9am-3:00pm (Flex ½ hour drop off/ pick up)
For campers going into Third, Fourth, or Fifth Grade
In this week of wild wilderness games we’ll spend our days playing in the woods around The Bush School’s Methow Campus. While using our senses and developing our naturalist skills, we’ll learn lots of new group games and explore how animals survive in the forest. Learn tracking skills, native plant identification, and discover strange insects in the ponds as you become an expert naturalist. Don’t wear bright colors this week or you’ll be too easy to find.
Methow Camp Week 2 Animal Detectives: August 12–15, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., First and Second Grade

Location: Bush School Methow Campus, 255 Lost River Rd. Mazama, WA
Logistics: August 12–15, Mon–Fri, 9:00am–3:30pm (Flex ½ hour drop off/ pick up)
For campers going into First or Second Grade
Join us for a week of exploring all the amazing animals that live in the forests of Mazama. We’ll follow wildlife tracks, hunt for animal homes, use binoculars to check out our feathered friends and even go on a bug safari! With scientific tools, games and stories we’ll unravel the clues of who lives here. Using our imaginations, we’ll even make some creative animals of our own. Get your detective hats ready, this mystery is sure to be an adventure!
The Art of the Book, July 8-11, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Sixth to Graduate

Transportation from barn available
Logistics: Mon-Thurs, 9am-3:00pm
For campers Sixth Grade through high school graduates
What makes a book and how are books made? This camp is an introduction to the world of book arts which include papermaking, printmaking, and bookbinding. Together we will learn how to make books by hand. With the help of Methow Recycles we will turn recycled materials into useful, unexpected, and beautiful books. Each camper will make their own journal and multiple creative pieces of their own design. Expect plenty of creative freedom while learning fascinating new skills!

Facilities

List of 5 items.

Classroom Building

The classroom is next to the cabin. This building has one entrance with a large barn door that can be opened during the summer months. One wall has greenhouse windows, which bring light into the space. There is a built-in wall screen for movies and presentations.
Methow River

A short walk takes students to the bank of the Methow River. In the summer and fall, the river goes underground, and students can walk across the riverbed. In winter, a bridge is laid across the river to connect the ski trails. And in spring, the river flows above ground.
Outdoor Spaces

The twenty-acre campus features a full garden, large lawn, fire pit, and trails.
The Cabin

The cabin sleeps eleven in three rooms. This sleeping space has a small kitchen, a fun loft, and is away from the bustle of the main lodge and located in the center of campus.
The Lodge

The lodge sleeps eighteen in six rooms. The main floor of the lodge is where students gather to cook, play games, and eat meals. Downstairs is a classroom with a Bush student-created mural. During the winter months, cross country skiers can stop into the downstairs "warming hut" for a break from the elements.

Explore the Campus Through Photos