Bishop John T. Walker School For BoysA School of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington

Countdown:
20 Days to Annual Dinner!
A Message from the Executive Director On March 2, over 300 friends and supporters of the Bishop Walker School will gather in the grand ballroom of the Willard Intercontinental Hotel to mark our ninth year of educating deserving boys in our community. We are delighted that Dr. John Sylvanus Wilson, the 11th president of Morehouse College, will join us as our keynote speaker. As is our tradition, the Bishop Walker School chorus will favor us with selections in the spirit of the evening.Our Annual Dinner is an opportunity for our generous supporters to come together in celebration of our shared mission. Thanks to the generosity of our event sponsors, the proceeds from this energizing and fun evening will directly benefit our ongoing programmatic operations.

I am pleased to announce that we will be holding a silent auction at the Annual Dinner again this year. Several of the most popular items from last year have been donated again, such as the Chesapeake Bay Weekend in Annapolis or the Date Night Package—which includes gift certificates to nine incredible DC restaurants. We also have a few new exciting items for the auction, including a Vacation at the HF Bar Ranch in Wyoming’s Bighorn National Forest, a Vacation at Half Moon, a Luxury Resort & Spa in Rose Hall, Jamaica, a 3 Hour Seated Dinner for 8 with Wine and Beer catered by Susan Gage, Two Passes to a Taping of Tucker Carlson Tonight at Fox News Studios, and much more. To view a full list of the silent auction items, please click HERE.

If you haven’t already purchased tickets and would like to be a part of this festive gathering of friends, I’d encourage you to do so right away – seating is limited and we expect a sold-out crowd. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please contact our Director of Development, Suzanne Burrows at sburrows@bishopwalkerschool.org or 202-591-3074, or visit our website by clicking here. We’d be honored to have the gift of your presence on this special evening.

Gratefully,

James R. Woody - Executive Director and President Almost one hundred years ago, ten thousand African Americans travelled to Chicago for a three-week celebration of the progress their people had made since "the destruction of slavery." Among them was Carter G. Woodson, a historian who had recently been awarded his doctorate from Harvard University. With the support of other African-American intellectuals, he met the surging demand of the post-war generation, prideful and yearning for a way to commemorate the many contributions and cultural heritage of African Americans.

For decades, the month of February (birth month of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass), has been commemorated and institutionalized so that names of artists, inventors, and intellects have become, for many, recognizable household names. Interestingly, Dr. Woodson expected the need for a month-long celebration to become unnecessary, hoping that African-American history would, indeed, be woven into the fabric of American history...

Many years have passed and, with them, iterations of his dream...

And though the history of African Americans has been peppered with conversations about race, rights, and respect, African-Americans have contributed significantly to the cultural mosaic that is America. Some believe the reputation does not represent the truth; there are still hills to climb and lives that don't seem to matter. Nevertheless, the truth will be what it is every day, regardless of perception or the flipped page of a calendar.

Thank you, Carter G. Woodson, for spearheading the initiative that allows our country to take time to honor the legacy of African Americans. Hopefully, the past will guide us in a direction worthy of our ancestors and heedful of the children who will follow.


Tawana C. Purnell - Head of School
The BWS Art Department has had an exciting second trimester! The boys wrapped up their study of the historical context of art through ancient studies and art creation, and have now transitioned into understanding the meaning and method of art. Every student has passionately been working to capture the essence of Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance in their art using vibrant color and creative shapes.
Students are learning the “why” of creating art by studying Jacob Lawrence and other artists who tell a story in their work. Students will continue to be pushed to create their own story in their work. Our sixth graders are currently creating their personal stories and compiling them into a showcase piece inspired by the styles of famous black artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Romare Bearden. The Art Department is looking forward to a fun second half of the school year!

Lena Bushrod - Art Teacher BWS achieved another first for our athletic department recently: our first pep rally! To kick off the 2017 basketball season, grades 2-6 gathered in the Washington View cafeteria for an afternoon of school spirit and festivities. Most boys made signs cheering on their classmates, and one boy even dressed up as the BWS mascot: The Kings.


Although BWS has had an exhibition basketball team that has played in single games, this is the first year that a BWS team will play a full season. The team is made of boys from 3rd-5th Grades, and they compete against other elementary schools in the area. So far, the team is 4-1. GO KINGS!