In September, the old Ben Rush Elementary School buildings will be part of history and the new school building will be complete.

“Rush has always had a strong sense of community, with traditions and values, such as the Peacebuilder program, that have been built by many amazing former faculty, families and students and passed on to our children to enjoy today,” said Ben Rush PTA Vice President Shanna Barr. “We wanted to find a way to embrace that legacy into the new school.”

To that end, the new entry walkway of the school will be made up of engraved brick pavers available for purchase with proceeds going to the PTA fund.

“Our hope is that this walkway will be a sea of bricks covered with the names of as many Cheetah alumni as possible so that this important part of the Ben Rush family will literally be a permanent part of the new school,” Barr said.

Taryn Bergstrom, a former Cheetah, added, “While I am very happy about the strides that Lake Washington School District continues to make for its students, the reality is that none of the school buildings – elementary, junior high or high school – that my friends and I attended will even exist anymore. My brothers and I were really excited to be able to buy a brick and have our names at the new school. We are proud to show that we are still a part of Ben Rush. This will be something I will show my children someday. I may have graduated from Rush in 2000, but I will always be a Peacebuilder.”

The first engraved bricks will be installed this summer and in place for the grand opening ceremony of the new school this fall.

Bricks can be ordered online at BenRushPTA.org.