The Seattle School community gathered last Saturday, June 6, for the 15th annual Spring Banquet, an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the last academic year. The evening, themed Come Tell the Story, featured a barbecue dinner, a series of narrative reflections and pop-up stories, prayers for the community, and the presentation of the 2015 La Danse award, all followed by a lively time of games and dancing.
“I have a high value for the time we spend as a communal family,” says Dr. Derek McNeil, Senior Vice President of Academics, “a chance to celebrate each other and celebrate together about the year and what has been accomplished.”
Each year at the Spring Banquet, The Seattle School community and four individuals—one faculty member, one staff member, and two students, spouses, or partners—are presented with the La Danse award, named for the painting that hangs in our second floor commons and serves as a central theme for The Seattle School, a depiction of what text.soul.culture looks like in a life lived together. The award recipients are selected by the community for their unique embodiment of these ideas and their dedication to seeing them realized.
The 2015 La Danse award recipients are:
- The Seattle School community
- Matthew Rock, MDiv
- Amber Englund, MACP
- Rachael Clinton, Admissions Counselor for the Theology programs
- Ron Ruthruff, Associate Professor of Theology & Culture
Learn more about the significance and tradition of the La Danse award—and view the recipients from previous years—here.
The banquet also included a campfire-like time of storytelling (complete with tabletop s’mores over candles), featuring stories from students, staff, faculty, and family members. It was a beautiful time of reflecting, celebrating, and wondering together. In case you missed it, or if you want to read the stories again, stay tuned to The Seattle School blog as we share some of the stories in coming weeks.
Photo by Brian Schroeder.