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Celebrate Bush

Celebrate Bush 2021: We Are Bush

This year, Celebrate Bush is free, virtual, and live-streamed from Fremont Studios on Saturday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. The celebration will honor teaching, learning, and community at Bush. We are Bush strong and this night will highlight the stories and people that inspire us. The event will feature a Class Art Auction and culminate with Raise the Paddle for Financial Aid. All proceeds raised at Celebrate Bush support financial aid and help to ensure that a Bush education is affordable and accessible to talented students of all backgrounds, regardless of a family’s ability to pay tuition. 

In recognition of the extraordinary commitment of faculty and staff this year, The Bush School is launching Share the Love. This is an opportunity for the community to write a note of gratitude to a faculty or staff member or make a gift to the Share the Love Fund. This flexible fund will support faculty and staff appreciation efforts throughout the remainder of the year (food, gift cards, and other ways to make our teachers feel the love). The opportunity to contribute a gift or a note in support of Bush faculty and staff will kick-off on February 4, and wrap up with Celebrate Bush on March 6. 
 
A special thanks to this year’s co-chairs, Kate Bayley ‘96 and Toni-Ann Lupinacci, we couldn’t do this without your leadership and commitment!





Celebrate Bush 2021 FAQs

List of 10 frequently asked questions.

  • What is Celebrate Bush? 

    Celebrate Bush, our annual party with a purpose in support of financial aid at The Bush School. 

    This year, Celebrate Bush is free, virtual, and live-streamed from Fremont Studios on Saturday, March 6. The celebration will honor teaching, learning, and community at Bush. We are Bush strong and this night will highlight the stories and people that inspire us. The event will feature a Class Art Auction and culminate with Raise the Paddle for Financial Aid. All proceeds raised at Celebrate Bush support financial aid and help to ensure that a Bush education is affordable and accessible to talented students of all backgrounds, regardless of a family’s ability to pay tuition. 

  • What is this year’s theme? 

    This year's event theme, We Are Bush, is a celebration of teaching and learning; inspiration and resilience. You will hear more about the theme in the weeks to come leading up to the event. 

  • When does the event start? What is the flow of the evening?

    The virtual live stream begins at 7:00 p.m. with musical performances from Bush students and appearances by our co-chairs, Kate Bayley and Toni-Ann Lupinacci, Head of School Percy L. Abram, and more. 

  • How do I RSVP?

    We offer free online registration. Registration on the event website opens February 4, 2021 and includes step-by-step prompts. Need help? Contact Events and Community Engagement Manager Amelia Kramer.

  • What if I cannot afford the price of the tickets?

    This event is a celebration of our entire community and we want everyone to be able to attend. This year it is free to the entire K-12 community, but please be sure to register in advance.

  • I am new to The Bush School, and I haven't met many parents from other grades yet. Should I still attend?

    Absolutely! Celebrate Bush is a K-12 event and gives you the chance to meet more members of our incredible school community. You can also meet other parents virtually at Families Association Connections in February prior to the Celebrate Bush event. 

  • What does Celebrate Bush support?

    All proceeds from Celebrate Bush directly support financial aid to ensure that a Bush education is affordable and accessible to talented students of all backgrounds, regardless of a family’s ability to pay tuition. The Bush School budgets $4M per year on financial aid and Celebrate Bush is an important part of making that funding possible.

  • How will money be raised the night of the event?

    On March 6, fundraising will be accomplished through a combination of a class art auction, Raise the Paddle for financial aid, and a new opportunity called Share the Love Fund (read more below).

  • What is Share the Love?

    In recognition of the extraordinary commitment of faculty and staff this year, the Bush School is launching Share the Love. This is an opportunity for the community to write a note of gratitude to a faculty or staff member or make a gift to the Share the Love Fund. This flexible fund will support faculty and staff appreciation efforts throughout the remainder of the year (food, gift cards, and other ways to make our teachers feel the love). Families can give a gift or share a note in support of Bush faculty and staff. The opportunity to contribute a gift or a note in support of Bush faculty and staff will kick-off on February 4, and wrap up with Celebrate Bush on March 6.

  • What if I want to donate money, but I don't feel comfortable participating in a live streamed Raise the Paddle?

    You can donate in support of financial aid at any time. You can include a donation when registering for the event or donate on the Bush Giving page select "Celebrate Bush Raise the Paddle for Financial Aid" in the drop down (here you can let us know if you prefer to be anonymous). All donations made prior to the event will be included in the night's fundraising total. For questions about giving to financial aid, contact Director of Development Sharon Hurt.

Letter from the Chairs

Dear Bush Community, 

Bush is our school home. It is a safe, warm, and nurturing place that believes in our kids and lifts them up so they can learn to be their best selves—whether they want to play music and dance, build robots, solve complex problems, or get out into the world to help others. There is a reason I came back to this campus after having graduated as a Bush Lifer in 1996. There is a reason I wanted to anchor my family in the magic within the Blazer walls, in the teachers and in the kids that experience education.  

This is the year to show up, dig deep, and do the work. If there ever was a year to help organize the love and nurturing I have felt since I was six years old—from this home away from home—this is the one; and I am thrilled that Toni-Ann has joined me to co-chair Celebrate Bush in this incredible year. 

We feel true, immense gratitude for the exceptional teachers who listen and work with these kids every day. For Percy who holds us all together while keeping it very real; and for community members like Mark and Dave who greet us daily crossing the street with a smile and the perfect  joke. How did we get so lucky? 

In a year where we all feel a bit upside down, some far more than others, and when our smiles or frowns are hidden by a mask, I hold some serious comfort in knowing our school has us. We appreciate our teachers, every single one of them, for getting these kids interested and involved in making the world a better place. Now is our chance to come together and show the gratitude we feel in our hearts for being a part of such a community.  

We Are Bush is here for us. It’s a night for all of us to celebrate the school we call home. COVID-19 has forced us to do things differently, and Celebrate Bush is no exception. Regardless of the format, 100% of the proceeds go toward financial aid. We Are Bush and we are a community that comes together to support one another. This event stands for something much bigger than just you or me. We Are Bush stands for seeing each and every student's truth, respecting that truth, and elevating it.  

I hope you can join us on Saturday, March 6 to see the magic that exists now more than ever. Come see for yourself and experience the pride we feel. If you can support on the night and raise your paddle for financial aid, thank you. If you can login and enjoy an hour in the virtual event space, thank you. If you are a new Blazer or one from the 90’s like me, everyone is welcome. I am hopeful we can all rally and show up for these kids and the teachers that got all of us through this past year.   

We Are Bush will be a virtual sixty minute event coming into your homes live from Fremont Studios. We look forward to welcoming you with some live guests and amazing video content that tells the story of big and small triumphs of this year. 
 
Love,
Kate Bayley ’96 (2nd and 5th grade parent) and Toni-Ann Lupinacci (2nd and 5th grade parent)

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