Annual Report 2016-2017

List of 2 news stories.

• 

  Donor Profile: Brandon Gillespie ’93 and Ashley Stansbury ’93

  Brandon Gillespie ’93 and Ashley Stansbury ’93 met as students at Bush in the 80’s. Today they are parents of three Blazers: Madden ’23, Ellody ’25, and Tya ’25. Below are reflections, in their own words, on the impact Bush has had on their lives and families for three generations, and the role of philanthropy in expressing their gratitude and commitment to the school’s future.
  
  “In the time we attended The Bush School, particularly in the later years, the school was still realizing its full identity. And, like many people in their high school years, we were also finding our way as individuals and shaping our views of what our future would hold. That created a dynamic relationship between us as young adults, and the school itself that was very special. It was a journey for everyone involved, including the school. And we all came out the other side better prepared to fulfill our full potential. Knowing that we had experienced such growth in our time at Bush inspired us to give back with the hope that others would benefit in a similar way.
  
  “Bush has been a part of our family’s community for three generations. For us, it is a very special place and it has so much to do with the people we are today. It has helped us to form long lasting relationships with peers and teachers, challenged us to take risks, inspired critical thinking, and encouraged us to do good things in the world. We give because we want others, including our three daughters, to benefit in the ways we have, as Brandon’s mother did before us, and maybe even as our grandchildren could in the future.
  
  “Since we were students at the school, we feel that Bush has done an amazing job of clarifying its mission, educational foundations, and beliefs around the importance of building a community that encourages exploration, values diversity, and pushes our children to develop into independent, engaged leaders. We hope that our future philanthropy will further these efforts through funding priorities such as the new Methow Campus, an expanded technology program, and increased diversity within the community. We love the benefits of experiential education and watching our children grow into well-rounded, confident, and capable individuals.”
  Read More
• 

  Recipient Profile: Kristin Gimelli Hemme

  At The Bush School, faculty who have taught at Bush for seven years or more are eligible to take a one-semester sabbatical, funded via the George W. Taylor Faculty Endowment Fund.
  
  The 2016–2017 George Taylor Sabbatical Grant recipient was Kristin Gimelli Hemme, Eighth Grade Science Teacher. Kristin has been at Bush for nineteen years as an active leader in the Middle School faculty, currently serving as Grade-Level Coordinator for the Eighth Grade.
  
  During Kristin’s sabbatical, she focused on developing new backpacking skills in order to lead Middle School wilderness and E-Week backpacking trips. She attended the Mountaineers Backpacking Basics Series and a Staying Found class. She learned about gear, how to manage weight, how to navigate using maps and a compass, and got to explore new areas of the Pacific Northwest. Kristin returned to Bush in the fall of 2017 prepared to lead backpacking trips and teach map and compass skills.
  
  For Kristin, the time was also valuable as a way to recharge and pursue personal interests. She explains, “It gave me a lot of time to be self-directed and accomplish things that I wanted to accomplish, both personally and professionally.” Kristin, who has led Organic Gardening E-lectives and E-weeks in the past, was able to dedicate time to her own garden, and to read about new research on how microbes interact in our gardens. She attended a three-day peace circle training class in May, learning to mediate soulful, intentional conversations. Kristin found that “stepping out and doing that class on sabbatical meant that I had a greater appreciation of it.”
  
  At Bush, teachers are encouraged to bring their whole selves to the classroom, and taking a sabbatical can provide time to pursue outside passions. As Kristin reflects, “It’s important because you have time to explore your own interests and creative pursuits that you can share that with students and bring back into the classroom.”
  
  None of these benefits would be possible without the generous donors who established and contribute to the fund. “Thank you,” Kristin says, “for providing the funding and for having the vision to see that something like this would be really helpful for teachers and really valuable for the school as a whole. This is something that is very needed.”
  Read More