Community Rhythms at The Seattle School
Discover the tempo of our formation together
We are an incredibly diverse community, but collectively we follow rhythms that keep us unified and in step. They set a pace for student life. We deliberately curate our time in community as part of our service to God and each other.
Throughout the day and week, recurring practices and ongoing conversations between leadership and students help us create a mindful, sustainable path for life together. Other rhythms mark the beginning, middle, and end of each year, and create opportunities for us to gather and celebrate as a community.
Daily and Weekly Practices
Nine. Noon. Three.
Every three hours our prayer bells chime three times, as a reminder that we are all connected to a wider community and that God is present in it.
Weekly Eucharist
Each Wednesday at noon, during the fall and spring semesters, our community is invited to participate in communion. We gather in the chapel to pause, remember, and worship.
Belltown Community P-Patch
The Belltown P-Patch—our neighborhood garden plot across the street—is a gathering place where we connect with our neighbors and our landscape while cultivating fresh life in an urban environment.
Annual Practices
BEGINNING
Orientation & (Re)Orientation
In the first week of the fall term, we invite you to orient yourself to the coming year. A concentrated two-day event for new students is designed to introduce the academic, social, and spiritual life of the School. Returning students join new students for (Re)Orientation to envision the year ahead.
Community Weekend and Convocation
The first weekend of the fall term is set aside to reconnect and welcome the incoming cohort. The weekend culminates in Convocation at St. Mark’s Cathedral where we officially invite new students into the community and collectively join in liturgy and Holy Communion. We wrap up the weekend with a community picnic at Volunteer Park.
MIDDLE
Christmas Party
We gather at the end of the first trimester to celebrate Immanuel, God with us—to eat, dance, and play. Each year a silent auction benefits a cause we love.
Artist Residency
Once a year, for seven days, artists in The Seattle School community get 24-hour access to our third floor. They create, explore, discuss, and collaborate. These artists display their work on the second floor gallery and host a gallery show later in the year.
(S)ending Retreat
Each spring we host a retreat for upcoming graduates, to orient you to life post-graduate school. It’s a chance to connect with fellow students and faculty through a variety of workshops that equip you to step into the job search. It is a time to anticipate endings and look towards new beginnings.
ENDING
Spring Banquet
In spring we mark and celebrate coming through another year as a community with feasting, storytelling, and dancing. We honor members of our community who embody the Seattle School ethos with La Danse awards.
(S)ending: Graduates’ Breakfast
The Graduates’ Breakfast is one last time to formally gather with fellow graduates, faculty, and staff over waffles and stories. Following breakfast, family and friends are invited for an open house where they have the opportunity to tour the School and meet the staff, faculty, and fellow students who journeyed with you at The Seattle School.
Commencement
The bookend to Convocation, Commencement concludes your time at The Seattle School. We send you out to embody your call in the world, in relationships, and in practice.