Superintendent’s Blog: The BSD-Apollo 13 Connection, Part 3 – Creating “Katherine Johnson Conditions” in the BSD

Dear BSD Students, Families and Staff, 

I know some of you may be thinking, “Are we still talking about Apollo 13?” Good news for you: this is the third and final installment of the comparison. But hang on to your spacesuits, because while we’ve talked about exploding oxygen tanks, duct tape fixes, and slingshot trajectories, this part of the BSD-Apollo 13 comparison is the one that will give us the rocket fuel to complete our mission. 

After talking with HR Director, Genisha Branch, about another remarkable movie (and true story), Hidden Figures, I started wondering if there was any historical connection between the two. It turns out (some of you history buffs already know this) that Katherine Johnson, made famous in the film Hidden Figures, was responsible for calculating the slingshot trajectory around the moon as a contingency plan in case the Apollo spacecrafts ever lost propulsion. Her determination to overcome discrimination and eventually succeed in living into her brilliance as a Black woman in a segregated, male-dominated field was a critical factor in making it possible for Apollo 13 to be able to make it home.  

Our district’s mission is to affirm and inspire each and every student to learn and thrive as creators of their future world. Think about that. Not most, but each and every student. Learning and thriving. Becoming creators of their future world. We have so many Katherine Johnsons (students with unimaginable potential just needing the right opportunities and courageous removal of barriers) sitting in every single classroom. Our Beloved Community work here in the Bellevue School District is about just that – creating “Katherine Johnson conditions” for our own community so that each and every child can live into their genius, lead, and solve the challenges before us.  

The true story of Apollo 13 is incredible and inspiring for its representation of human ingenuity, teamwork, and shared commitment to the mission. And, although the retelling of the story of Apollo 13 doesn’t usually (or ever) mention Katherine Johnson, the Apollo 13 story wouldn’t be the story we celebrate if Katherine Johnson wasn’t able to thrive and contribute at NASA.

When each and every person has the opportunity to develop and share their unique giftedness and brilliance, the whole community — the whole world— benefits.  

We’re on a trajectory around the moon that is accelerating our financial recovery. We’re in lean times, but we’re leaning in together to conserve our limited resources for the journey. And, we’re on the greatest mission ever: to ensure the thriving of each and every student for their personal good and for the good of our future world.  

“Failure is not an option.” Let’s get this done together. 

For Our Future World,  

Dr. Kelly Aramaki 
Superintendent