As an independent school, Shining Mountain Waldorf School depends greatly on the generous volunteerism of our community members. Active parent involvement contributes to the quality of each child’s education, as well as providing the volunteer with a sense of personal fulfillment and connection to our rich and vital community. Your gifts of time, energy and resources support our children, build relationships and strengthen our program.
There are three main tiers of volunteerism at SMWS: Class Level, Fundraising & Outreach Event Level and Operational Level.
Class Level: This level of volunteerism is the most important level of volunteerism at our school, as you are directly supporting the teacher and your child’s class. Each class typically has one class parent who works closely with the class teacher in helping to maintain communications, support classroom needs and organize activities. Class parents will often ask for volunteers to help with classroom work, such as volunteering to lead reading groups, coordinating the yearly class play, or providing support for the many curriculum based festivals and class events we celebrate at a Waldorf school, (i.e. Martinmas and Santa Lucia in the lower school and Pentathlon in 5th Grade).
Fundraising & Outreach Event Level: There are a number of school-wide events that occur during the year, including Halloween Wonder Walk, the King Winter Celebration, the Annual Gala Fundraising Event and the SMWS Circus, for which the Fundraising & Outreach Coordinator will request volunteers for event support.
Operational Level: The office and administrative staffs of the school periodically will request volunteers to assist with various office tasks throughout the year. Building and Grounds also needs ongoing support from volunteers in setting up for festivals and events, and maintaining our school’s grounds.
ALL-SCHOOL VOLUNTEERISM SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR:
Halloween Wonder Walk: Shining Mountain hosts the Halloween Outreach Event each year. This event is a magical experience targeted to our SMWS Early Childhood, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade students. The intention of this event is to be a gift to the children of Shining Mountain, as well as the main fall outreach event for the school, with invitations extended to all area Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired preschools, Waldorf home schools and beyond to the greater Boulder community. This event is held by the Development and Admissions offices with support from our Early Childhood Education Faculty, and relies heavily on parent support.
King Winter Celebration & Holiday Bazaar: The King Winter Celebration is an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the season as winter approaches. Parent volunteers will help decorate the campus for this event which includes activities for children Pre-kindergarten-5th Grade. Class fundraisers for this event include the Snowflake Cafe, wreath and mandarin sales. The Holiday Bazaar, one of our major fundraisers of the year, takes place in our Festival Hall, providing a venue for many local artisans to offer their wares for holiday shopping. Revenue from the bazaar supports operational expenses at our school.
Gala/Fundraising Event: The Gala is both our largest fundraising event of the year and our community’s largest social gathering. Parent volunteers work in conjunction with the Development Office to put on a great party which also includes various opportunities to support our school, such as silent and live auctions, raffles, and an annual Special Appeal.
Shining Mountain Circus: The Circus Program at SMWS is a well-loved spring extracurricular activity for middle school students. The semester long program culminates in a public performance in the late spring. Middle school classes may take this opportunity to sell refreshments to raise funds for class trips. The Circus performance is another outreach opportunity and Admissions/Development may plan concurrent events.
Mary Eaton Fairfield
Fundraising & Outreach Coordinator
phone 303.951.8574 | mobile 303.956.3230 | fax 303.444.7701
maryf@smwaldorf.org