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Notes from the Head and the Heart- Thursday, November 5
Dear Bush Community,
As I sit down to write my monthly communication on a chilly Sunday afternoon two days before our mid-term elections, I find myself reflecting on a conversation with our son Benjamin ’25 two weeks ago. As a new voter who attends college on the other side of the country, we shipped his ballot overnight so that he would have sufficient time to complete and return it back to Washington State in time for his vote to be counted. Upon receipt of the ballot, his teammate and friend goodnaturedly shared his surprise that he (and we) care so much about voting that we’d make the effort to get his ballot to him. Our son was stunned to learn that his friend, whom he has immense respect and affection for, had never voted, nor intended to ever vote, sharing that “none of it affects me or interests me so I don’t bother.”
Rather than yelling at his friend and judging him harshly for his indifference (as a different teammate chose to do), Benjamin chose to engage in thoughtful dialogue and conversation about the responsibility that feels inherent to him in the opportunity and privilege of living in a society in which we are allowed to vote. He also shared the impact that he hopes to have in exercising his right to vote and why he believes it is important for all who are able to vote to do so. He remained curious and worked to understand the origins of his friend’s perspective, listening deeply and remaining open to the reality of others’ viewpoints. By the time he called us for our weekly check-in, he was still perplexed by this dismissal of the importance of voting but renewed in his conviction of how important it was to him to get his ballot back to Washington in time (and as an aside, he shared that he was voting differently from his parents on a few issues on the ballot-always good reassurance that we raised an independent thinker).
The Power and Impact of a Bush Education
Our son’s response to this conversation made for a proud parent moment to be sure, but even more so, served as a reminder of the power and impact of his thirteen years at The Bush School. For it is here at Bush that faculty across all three divisions impressed upon and inspired within him the importance of engaging deeply in one’s community and seeking ways to be of purpose and service to others in life. The Bible, John F. Kennedy, and Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man) have all riffed on the same concept that “with great privilege comes great responsibility,” and the adults in our community, knowing what a privilege it is for all of us to be in an educational community like Bush, have taught the skills and mindset needed to answer for oneself: where do I want my impact to be?
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These are the messages embedded within our strategic plan priority around community and civic engagement and equity in action, and it’s thrilling to see our school community increase its commitment of time, effort, and energy in these areas. Last week, I witnessed students in Upper School History Faculty Nancy Bowman’s Civics class eloquently present to the entire Upper School on the structure, frameworks, and systems at the root of our election process, offering a layperson’s explanation to what it all means. Recently, Middle School Director Rob Blackwell and I met with a Middle School student who has an idea that she believes will decrease stress and increase joy and belonging in the Middle School community, and emerged with a plan for how she can get her peers’ feedback on this idea. In Lower School, our students have worked collaboratively to decide what some of the terms of engagement (rules) should be on our new playground. On Friday, November 20, our entire Upper School division will go out into the community on service projects with many of our long-established nonprofit community partners who are meeting a variety of needs throughout the region.
Preparing Students to Lead with Purpose
In all of these examples, I am inspired by our students’ leadership, and it is my hope that students are developing a vision for how their values inform their actions, the voice and skills needed to deliver impact, and the confidence and sense of belief that their contributions matter. For it is in the intersection of these ideas that Bush has the opportunity to truly prepare our students for lives of impact, meaning, and purpose. The belief that one can actually make a difference in their community and in the larger world around them, matched with skill development for impact, is where hope resides. Wherever one falls on the political spectrum as we near another election day, I trust that we can all agree on the importance of hope’s presence for every single one of our Bush students as they move toward their future.
With appreciation for your partnership and trust,
Sarah Smith
Head of School
The Bush School is an independent day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 775 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities
3400 East Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98112 (206) 322-7978
The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment, recruitment, admissions, or administration of any of its programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In addition, The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment on the basis of age or marital status