Dear Bullis Families,
This morning was only the second since the start of school when it rained during carpool; the other was opening day (Sam and I take note of rather useless information like that as we stand there in the mornings). Sam, Freddy, and I were rather soggy. Talking of dreary weather, I spent last weekend in London celebrating my father’s 80th birthday. During the trip, I spent time with a Bullis alum, Class of 2009. I cherish opportunities to hear about the experiences of past students and consider new ways to engage Bullis alums with our community and school life. The many recent alumni events illustrate that alums are increasingly engaged with their alma mater, and that is terrific.
The end of the first trimester is upon us. Since our homecoming festivities, our schedule has been jam-packed. We hosted a wildly successful first-annual Alumni Weekend this past weekend, and there’s been a flurry of student activity!
Veterans Day
Today, one hundred and four years after Armistice Day, our country and Bullis honor the heroism of all who have served in our armed forces. We are reminded of our founder, Commander William F. Bullis, who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1924 and served in three of the U.S. Military Branches—the Army, Navy, and National Guard. Bullis was founded as a school that prepared students for the military academies. Regularly, Bullis still sends students to one of the military academies; we continue to be proud of their service.
Today, each division held programming to commemorate Veterans Day. Both US and MS used their weekly assembly time to reflect on the meaning of the day. LS held classroom-based programming, including visits to many of the classrooms by faculty-veterans Ty Lloyd and Mark Colburn. These small group interactions and lessons allowed our youngest students to connect more personally with the information being shared with them. All of the division events helped us honor veterans of the armed forces. We give thanks for their sacrifices and for keeping us safe, and we especially honor those members of our current faculty who have served:
- Jeff Bellistri, US Navy
- Mark Colburn, US Air Force
- Tim Hanson, US Army
- Ty Lloyd, US Air Force
Winter Sports and Activities
As we approach Thanksgiving, our fall sports and activities are coming to an end, and we begin to look forward with excitement to the winter season of sports, activities, and general merriment. I extend a hearty congratulations to the fall student-athletes and their coaches on the completion of their seasons and wish luck to the football team in their final game against Georgetown Prep tomorrow at 5 pm. Here are the details of the fall and winter seasons.
Our Arts programs have had a robust trimester as well, putting forth a full slate of productions, performances, and shows. I want to recognize the incredible work of all of the students and faculty involved in this fall’s production of The Crucible. The acting was incredibly powerful and moving, and the amount of work that went into putting on this production was evident throughout. Three of our beloved teachers—Kim Worthy, Jennifer Tinker, and Robbie Wellington—were stellar in their roles. I am so grateful to so many members of our community for their commitment to the success of this play: our dedicated arts faculty, including Marcia Franklin, Anthony Brooks, and Cheryl Terwilliger; Kerry Hosmer and the US English Department; and Harriet Polun, Tammy McKnight, and the Arts Committee of the Parents Association.
The visual arts show that took place yesterday was an impressive display of our students’ artistic prowess, and we look forward to next week’s US Visual Arts Show next Thursday at 3:30 pm in Blair Lobby. Tonight at 7 pm is the Fall Jazz and Dance Show, the first joint performance of its kind since the fall of 2018. All of the student dancers will be accompanied live by student musicians, and rumor has it that this show will be simply spectacular. I look forward to seeing many of you there tonight and at Georgetown Prep for the game tomorrow.
Illnesses
As medical experts predicted, this fall, we are experiencing higher-than-normal levels of common viruses like cold and flu. Some local schools have experienced dramatically increased percentages of student absenteeism, and Bullis is not immune. We have noticed a significant uptick in illness within our community, and I ask everyone to continue taking appropriate precautions to prevent illness. Additionally, if your child is sick, I beseech you to keep them home.
With that, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. It looks like the winter chill will be setting in on Sunday, but rest assured that Sam, Freddy, and I will be outside to greet you, whatever the weather.
Warmly,
Christian G. Sullivan
Head of School
