Community, Equity, and Inclusion

List of 9 items.

• Affinity Groups

  Affinity Groups give community members the opportunity to be around people with whom their lived experience is the baseline instead of something they have to explain. These are groups based on a shared layer of identity, such as ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc.
  
  Resources:
  

  • VIDEO: Independent School Seniors On The Importance of Affinity Groups
  • VIDEO: Expanding Affinity Potential: Affinity Groups in Elementary, Middle, and Early Childhood Education

  There are a number of long-standing Affinity Groups and new groups founded based on community interest. Some of the current Affinity-based programming at Bush:
  
  Lower School Student Affinity Groups

  The Lower School Student Affinity Groups take place monthly during our Lower School Community time during the school day. Students who identify with an affinity attend group gathering while other students attend our Lower School DEI community activity. There are a number of affinity groups based on different identities, including the Black Students Affinity group, the Muslim Student Affinity group, the Jewish Students Affinity group, The Latine/Hispanic student Affinity Group, the White Students Affinity Group, the Asian Students Affinity Group and the Bi/Multi-Racial Student Affinity Group.

  
  Upper School Student Affinity Groups

  • Asian-American Culture Club
  • Black Student Union (BSU)
  • Blazers of Color (BOC)
  • Blazers Understanding Whiteness (BUW),
  • Center for Intercultural Action (CIA)
  • Latinx Club
  • MOSAIC Multicultural Affinity Group
  • Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA)
  • Oy Vey
  • and more

  
  Family Affinity Groups

  Family Association volunteers serve as the leads for parent/family affinity groups:

  
  

  • Afro-Diaspora Family Group
  • Asian-American/Pacific Islander Family Group
  • Bilingual Affinity Group
  • Jewish Affinity Group
  • Latinx Affinity Group
  • Learning Differences Support Group
  • LGBTQIA+ Family Affinity Group
  • Muslim Family Affinity Group
  • White Anti-Racist Parents/Guardians. 

• Bias-Related Incident Support

  Bush Community members can request Bias-Related Incident Support for help with incidents of harmful impact. We believe it is important for the school to be aware of potentially harmful interpersonal interactions, particularly when it comes to identity markers such as race, socio-economic background, gender, sexual orientation, ability, language, religion, nationality, etc. The form includes a description of bias-related incidents, and when submitted at the link above, activates our support system. 

   

  The responses will be sent to a Bush Divisional Director and Assistant Head of Academics Sarah Smith and Coordinator of Community, Equity, and Inclusion Delia Tran will follow up. The goal is a restorative response that repairs harm. 

   

  A link to the bias incident form can be found on the Bush Community Portal on the Resource Board on the Office of Community, Equity, and Inclusion, and in the handbook for each division.

• Cascades & Upper School Curriculum

  CASCADES

  The Bush Upper School Cascades Program is a three week interdisciplinary course of study held each January, led by interdepartmental teaching teams. The thematic, immersive experiences have a strong focus on social justice including the following courses.

  
  

  Design Thinking

  Designing and Building Small Interactive Gardens at The Bush School

  
  

  Global Citizenship

  Taiwan: Language and Culture

  Cambodia: A New Generation
  Kaitiakitanga in Aotearoa New Zealand: Māori Cultural Immersion and Outdoor Adventure 

  
  

  Social Justice

  Practicing Social Justice though Interactive Stories
  
  

  Sustainability

  Death Valley: Photography, Geology and Geography
  Rock Climbing and Land Management in Joshua Tree National Park
  Methow Valley Filmmaking: Exploring Sustainability & Community Engagement Through Documentary Film 

  
  

  UPPER SCHOOL CURRICULUM

  The Upper School curriculum is designed to engage students’ critical, creative, and independent thinking. Teachers introduce multiple perspectives throughout the curriculum and class discussions, and develop a course of study that engages deep intellectual engagement. Diversity, themes related to equity, inclusion, and justice are woven throughout all courses in the arts, mathematics, science, English, history, and health and wellness. The following is a sample of current courses in English, history, and mathematics which capture the broad range of topics introduced through the Upper School curriculum. 

  
  

  English

  Asian American Voices; Black Voices; Feminist Theory; Immigrant Voices; Queer Shakespeare

  
  

  History

  Constructing the American Woman; Contemporary Migration Crisis; Cultures in Conflict; Indigenous North American Studies; Latin American Studies; Mexico City Journeys; Queer Communities: Global Histories; The World of Food: The History, Culture, and Justice of Feeding People Around the World

  
  

  Math

  Statistics and Social Justice

• Gender Expansive Policy

  The Bush School’s guidelines to support Transgender and Gender Expansive Students is intended to address student needs and to ensure a safe, affirming, and healthy school environment where every child can learn. The guidelines are meant to support transgender and gender expansive students in the school environment. The current policy cannot and does not anticipate every situation that may occur; every student is different and may have divergent needs. Support and accommodations for each student will be individualized based on the specific requests and needs.

  
  

  Click here to read the Bush Policy for Transgender and Gender Expansive Students.

• Lower School Dialogues 

  The Bush Lower School hosts three Community Dialogues for Bush Lower School Families. Community Dialogues are an opportunity for parents/guardians and caregivers of Lower School students to come together to discuss topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and all things identity. Working together community members can deepen their knowledge, understanding, and skills around navigating potentially challenging conversations with our youngest student population. Here are the topics and dates for this school year.

   

  Session One - Thursday, November 15, 8:30-9:30 a.m. 

   

  Session Two - Tuesday February 11, 8:30-9:30 a.m. 

  
  

  Session Three - Tuesday March 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m. 
  
  Session Four - Tuesday April 8, 8:30-9:30 a.m. 

• Middle School Q Group

  The Middle School Q Group is a nonjudgmental affinity group for students who are exploring their gender or sexual identity. The mission of the Q Group is to provide support to queer and questioning students, and to create an inclusive environment where gender and sexual diversity is celebrated.
  
  “The Q Group is important to me because it is a a safe and friendly place where I can discuss important things in my life.”
  - Bush Sixth Grade Student

• Muslim Prayer Room

  The Bush School has a Muslim Prayer Room on campus open to students, families, faculty, and staff. This room is available to all Bush Muslim community members who would like a space to pray during the day. The Bush School joins a growing community of schools including universities and higher education institutions around the world who have established a Muslim prayer room to create a space for Muslim community members who may need a quiet space to pray.

• Pronouns at Bush

  In English, the general language of instruction at Bush, pronouns are commonly used to refer to ourselves or others. Names and pronouns are pieces of personal identity, and using correct pronouns-much like pronouncing someone's name correctly-is an affirmation of identity.

  
  

  Click here to read more about the use of pronouns at Bush

• The Percy L Abram Fund for Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Peace  

  The Percy L. Abram Fund for Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Peace provides funds to support educational programming at Bush that elevates these values and inspires students to build a just, inclusive, equitable, and compassionate community and nation. The fund was created by Board Chair Karen Marcotte Solimano and her family. The end of her tenure at Bush also coincided with a global health pandemic and social justice uprising, both of which have spotlighted the deep-seeded racial inequities in the United States. Karen and her family made a decision inspired by the leadership, intellect, integrity, and authenticity of Head of School Percy Abram to ensure that his vision for equity and inclusion continued on for generations to come. To help advance this shared vision, the Solimanos have seeded an endowment in Percy’s honor to fund anti bias education and training for the next generation of problem solvers, thinkers, leaders, and their families.