Bruni highlights the importance of student empowerment. He argues that students should be the driving force behind their college search, and that they should be invested in making informed decisions about their future. Sharing examples of successful people who attended an array of colleges and universities, Bruni helps to dispel the notion that the name on your diploma determines your future success.

Students are free to use the space anytime whether they have a project to execute for a class or just want to quietly create during an open window in their schedule. But to maximize engagement and brand the Open Studio’s existence, I found it helpful to partner with our student-led arts and crafts club as we were rolling it out.

The arts engage our senses, they ask for our understanding, they offer a refuge from linear and literal expression. The arts broker dialogue between artist and audience, maker and material, and collaboration in community. It is no surprise that objectives in the arts have a seamless overlap with social emotional learning.

How can independent schools provide the best overall experience for their students? How do we leverage student data in a meaningful way? Over the next year, we will continue to streamline our infrastructure and focus on further designing tools to assist data-driven decision-making to best support our students.

Good writing skills are not only invaluable to your social-emotional growth; they are invaluable to your professional life. Yes, because we can communicate effectively. But also because becoming a good writer goes hand-in-hand with becoming a clear and empathetic thinker who prioritizes connecting with others.

Stories are about meaning. Meaning is created through words and narrative. And to understand how literary devices work is to understand how words can make you think of a whole bunch of different ideas--simultaneously.

We want to help you. We want to learn your story. If attending our school is a financial stretch for your family, please apply for financial aid. Even if you’re on the fence, unsure if you even qualify for aid, apply!

Our partnership with the Seattle Latino Film Festival has also helped us bring a broader range of voices to our students. We are happy that after a pandemic-related hiatus, we will again be hosting a screening for the festival this year.

We wanted to emphasize and refine what we do best, know our individual students well and engage them in relevant and relational advising work that helps them become the best versions of themselves they can be.

The clubs are dynamic, exciting and constantly evolving, and it is a delight to witness what our students put together given space and support. The Downtown School doesn’t offer after school sports, or classes in music or drama; our students do.

Our application for the 2023-2024 school year launched on September 1, and we will soon be welcoming prospective students and families to campus for a variety of events. Our admissions team can’t wait to get to know this admissions season’s prospective families!

At The Downtown School, we believe that every young adult is blessed with something golden inside of them. It is worth identifying, naming, owning, and channeling. As an educator, I can’t think of more important work. Our community is the most connected, elevated, and strong when every student sees their strengths, and uses these gifts to have a positive impact.

I’ve spent a great deal of my adult life working to be sure that everyone around me knows and feels like they belong. I use gender neutral pronouns, not to be correct or cool, but to help people know I see them for who they are. I try hard to celebrate people’s strengths and assets, not call out their deficiencies. I affirm a wide range of beliefs and values. I have committed my personal and professional life to making the spaces I inhabit more welcoming–to everyone.

Despite our early reticence with the art of public speaking, we are so honored that our classmates chose us to make this speech. If you had told freshman me that I would be giving a speech at graduation, or that these are the things you and your classmates will face during the four years, and that these are the mistakes you will make and this is how you will get back up, it would have been unfathomable.

I often assert to my teacher friends that The Downtown School is what is right in American education today. Before joining DTS, I had taught for 20 years. Since joining The Downtown School, my passion and enthusiasm for teaching and education have been reinvigorated.

I hope this little metaphor helps you frame your gold-flecked imperfections, your identity-shaping flaws. They are an indispensable part of what we’ve loved about you, because they are part of who you are. You are beautiful. You are glorious. And you are enough. We’ll miss you.

Be proud of yourself as you grow…because you know you always will grow. Let yourself take risks. Remember, you tried to fit an entire rattle into your mouth! You were born to take risks. Finding the balance between allowing yourself to grow, taking risks while staying reasonably safe, pushing yourself, and loving who you are regardless of success or failure. This is hard. This is the work of a lifetime.

On Wednesday, June 8th, the DTS Astronomy & Advanced Physics students hosted the first annual DTS Star Party! The students dazzled their peers with informative presentations and their passion for the night sky.