Dear Bullis Families,
In my second letter of the year to you all (my school-days-per-letter average is apparently dropping), I send news about several important topics.
Departures
In the school world, retirements and significant departures are moments of joy and sadness. Joy for colleagues that have chosen to tread different paths, including retirement, and sadness of course, that while these beloved, long-tenured colleagues will always be Bulldogs, they will not be ever-present. Today, I write with the news that Ty Lloyd, Kathleen Lloyd, Xiumin Overall, and Esty Foster will be moving on from Bullis this year.
Ty and Kathleen will realise their dream of moving to Scottsdale, Arizona! Ty will be the Head of Technology and Kathleen will be the Assistant to the Head of School at Notre Dame Prep. Throughout their combined tenure, Ty and Kathleen lived on campus and raised their son Brenden, who graduated from Bullis in 2017 and the Virginia Military Institute in 2021.
Ty has been a member of our IT Department for 22 years and is our Senior Systems Administrator. One of Ty’s great strengths is his willingness to pitch in and lend a hand whenever he sees someone struggling to complete a task. This goes beyond his work in technology to helping everyone that he sees around campus. Ty is a USAF Veteran who has passionately led our annual Veterans Day celebrations.
Kathleen is moving on after 24 years and, as the Director of Girls Athletics, Physical Education Teacher, and Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach, has had a profound impact on Bullis athletics. She has worked tirelessly to support athletics and our student-athletes, many of whom have become collegiate athletes.
Xiumin will be retiring after years of supporting the Bullis community in countless ways—as a parent, trustee, and, of course, our Director of International Family Services. Xiumin's sons, Jesse and John, graduated in 2007 and 2011, respectively, and since 2014, Xiumin has been integral in the recruitment and cultivation of international (and especially Chinese) students and their families. Xiumin is looking forward to a well-deserved retirement.
Esty Foster will be retiring at the end of the school year after an incredible 40 years of service to Bullis! In his time, Esty has served as the English department chair, English teacher, and now as a part of our learning support team. Esty’s daughter, Adrian, graduated from Bullis in 2007. He is looking forward to his retirement and the opportunity to spend more time with family.
I want to take this opportunity to thank each of them for their years of service to the school. The amount of hard work and dedication they put into everything that they do will leave a lasting impact on our community. I hope you join me in wishing them the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Assembly
Last week, in honor of MLK Day, we gathered in the New Gym for an all-school assembly for the first time since before COVID. Under the leadership of Upper School BSU students and DEI Director Dr. Waters, students and faculty put together a terrific, unique assembly celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King. The assembly was marked by student leadership and participation from students across all divisions. There were inspiring speeches, personal stories, art, and poetry. And there was this dance, too, performed by Lower School students. It was a moving community moment, and I was proud of our students and the teachers who supported them.
ChatGPT
As you likely know, Artificial Intelligence is beginning to impact many walks of life, and education is no exception. Released in November 2022, ChatGPT is a chatbot that has the ability to perform a host of functions across a wide range of areas, like composing music, stories, and student essays; correctly answering test questions; writing poetry and song lyrics; writing computer programs; and playing games, among many other activities. (https://hbr.org/2022/12/chatgpt-is-a-tipping-point-for-ai)
In a school context, there are concerns that ChatGPT can complete tasks that we believe are important student learning objectives. Some institutions have banned the use of ChatGPT by students, citing concerns about cheating and a negative impact on learning. Others argue that the technology should be incorporated into classroom teaching and student learning. (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/technology/chatgpt-schools-teachers.html) (https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-01-19/chatgpt-ai-education-testing-teaching-changes)
One of Bullis’ strengths is that teachers know their students, their writing voices, and their work product and can, for the most part, recognize incongruencies. Nevertheless, even at the dawn of this new technology, our educational landscape is being impacted, and it is necessary for the Senior and Academic Leadership teams to investigate and formulate a way forward. Certainly in the Upper School, we believe our students know that turning in work fully or partially produced by AI would be regarded as a form of plagiarism and, more importantly, would not result in the learning objectives intended. Please join us in helping all our students understand this. I/we will report back on this issue in the near future.
Maryland State Thespian Festival
Last weekend, 32 Bullis Middle and Upper School students and 4 Bullis teachers attended the 2023 Maryland State Thespian Festival at the University of Maryland College Park. During this 2-day event, over 800 students, troupe directors, teaching artists, and chaperones participated in workshops, college and scholarship auditions, individual and team events, and one-act performances. Three of our students served as Student Thespian Officers, acting as ambassadors for the International Thespian Society and running workshops, organizing troupe events, and raising money for theatre-related charities. In the competition portion of the event, our students did amazingly well, achieving “superior” and “outstanding” ratings across a multitude of categories, including scenic design, acting, musical theater, props, and physical work. Additionally, eight seniors were recognized as All-State Thespians, a distinct and monumental achievement. It was also a great weekend for our teachers, who ran workshops, acted as adjudicators, and prepared their students for performances. Thank you to Marcia Franklin, Anthony Brooks, Chelsie King, Charles Johnson, and Everett Lum for all of your hard work, and congratulations to our Bullis thespians!
Final Thoughts
Life has been and will continue to be busy. The Wine Tasting event on Friday was terrific and the Bubba Bunting ’98 Memorial Wrestling Tournament and celebration were so moving–we honored not just Bubba, but also legendary Bullis wrestling coach, Alex Liederman, who recently passed away. I write this letter on the first day of the Lunar New Year–Sunday. Last night, many of our international students gathered for a delightful New Year gathering in the Dining Room. It was a joyful celebration of this important cultural event. Sadly, also on Saturday night, similar celebrations in Monterey Park, California, were violently disrupted by yet another mass shooting, resulting in the deaths of ten people. We are beyond saddened by this tragic event and its horrific impact on our country and, especially, our Asian-American communities. Our hearts are with them.
As ever, please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can help with anything.
Warmly,
Christian G. Sullivan
Head of School
