Belonging at Bush- Thursday, September 10

Dear Bush Families,

 

It has been so fun to have students and families back on campus. For those I haven't met, I'm Susan Woods, Director of Community, Equity, and Inclusion (CEI) and this year I am joined by Morgan Whitt, our new CEI Coordinator. Together, we work across the K–12 community with students, families, faculty, and staff to help create the conditions for belonging at Bush.

At Convocation, we heard a lot about resilience, our theme for the year and I've continued thinking about what resilience asks of students and what it asks of us as a school.

 

We want students to develop the resilience to navigate challenges, recover from setbacks, advocate for themselves, and keep going when things are hard. At the same time, we don't want students, particularly those who have historically been marginalized, to become resilient in accommodating environments that ask them to do all of the adjusting.

 

Through a CEI lens resiliency is something we intend to practice as a school, too. When students tell us that something isn't working, our role isn't simply to help them become better at navigating it. We need to listen, understand what is happening, and be willing to adapt when change is called for.

 

Belonging doesn't mean removing challenges. It means sharing responsibility for how we respond to the challenges. We want students to grow in their capacity to meet challenges, while continuing to grow as a school in our capacity to recognize and change the conditions that are within our control.

That idea of shared responsibility for belonging is a good introduction to the work Morgan and I will be doing with the Bush community this year. Some of that work happens alongside students and teachers, through Friday Afternoon Meeting Groups, affinity spaces, community engagement, and our work with divisions. Some happen through individual conversations and support. And some create opportunities for our whole community to come together.

 

Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing the work our students are doing and the stories our families are willing to share – how your family celebrates, what culture and tradition mean to you, moments of belonging in our community. We’ll also intentionally create space for cultural understanding and learning, particularly around identities and traditions that may not yet be visible in our community. This approach means our CEI work is grounded in who we are while also expanding what we know together. 

It was great to meet and talk with so many of you at the Family Association Volunteer Fair following Convocation. 

Families expressed interest in connecting around a number of shared identities and experiences, including:

Interested in learning more? Follow this link to see what's forming and tell us where your interest lies. We'll connect you with other families who are organizing.

You're also invited to join us on Tuesday, September 22 at 9:00 a.m. in the Community Room for CEI Connect: Family Affinity Gathering to meet other families and help create what these spaces will look like this year. What happens in these groups depends on each group. Coffee and pastries provided. Please RSVP by following this link.

 

Morgan and I are looking forward to the year ahead and to continuing this work with you.

 

Warmly,

 

Susan Woods

Director of Community, Equity, and Inclusion