Omar Antonio Anduaga-Bocanegra, High School Spanish Teacher
Omar was born in Tacna, Perú, but he lived in Lima all his life. He graduated with honors from Law School at the Pontifical Catholic University of Perú. Worked for several years in the Superior Court of Justice as the Judge´s Assistant and studied Diplomacy while writing his Thesis to become a certified Lawyer. He was also a Professor for International Relations in the University from which he graduated. Currently he is the Administrator of the Elementary Spanish Program in Boulder, and he is a Spanish language editor for Spanish textbooks. He is also studying in the Political Science Program at CU. His current job allows him to learn different teaching methods for languages like TPRS. Languages are his passion, and they allowed him to understand different cultures when working as an International Lawyer. His native language is Spanish but he also speaks English, Portuguese, some French, Latin and Japanese. In his spare time he works on the blog for the Waldorf Spanish III course, and enjoys drawing, reading biographies from French State men, and writing articles about royalty for a magazine in Spain.
Claude Baud, High School Spanish Teacher, Grade 12 Sponsor
Claud teaches Spanish to grades 9–12. He received a business degree at the École de Commerce in Lausanne, Switzerland. He also attended the École Hotelière in Chalet-a-Gobèt, Switzerland. He received his Waldorf teacher training in Spring Valley, New York, in 1989. While working at a Camphill Village in the French part of Switzerland, he was introduced to Anthroposophy. He studied Italian and Spanish in Italy, Spain, and Mexico. He also worked as a maitre d’ in the States, and as a French, Italian, and Spanish interpreter in Hawaii.
David Blair, Humanities Teacher, High School Chair
David joined the SWMS faculty in 2004 after serving for 22 years as class teacher and in the high school at the Green Meadow Waldorf School in Spring Valley, New York. Born in Philadelphia, David grew up with dreams of pitching for the Phillies. After graduating in 1976 with a BA in Political Science from Rutgers University, David completed the Waldorf teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento in 1982. He has directed high school plays at GMWS and SMWS, and has written plays for grades 1-8. He also has had teacher training and mentoring experience. David enjoys sports and has coached baseball, softball and basketball in Waldorf high schools. He completed the Spatial Dynamics training and participated in the Olympic Peace Project in Greece in 2001.
Paula Blum, Middle and High School German Teacher
Paula will be teaching German in grades 5-7, and levels I and III German in the high school. She holds a Master of Arts in German from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The Goethe-Institut San Francisco has designated her as a teacher trainer for German in the 13 Western states. She has taught German and Health in NZ, English as a Foreign Language in Germany and ESL in the US. She was Department Chair of Languages at Pakuranga College in Auckland and Department Chair of ESL at the Harker School in San Jose, CA. Before coming to teach at SMWS, Paula was developing ESL curriculum for Intercambio de Comunidades, a Boulder non-profit. Paula loves to read, garden, ski, dance and travel.
Joan Bremner, Middle and High School Art and Architecture Teacher
Joan teaches Art Classes in the high school, Practical Arts in the middle school, and the 12th grade Architecture block. In addition she is the Senior Project coordinator and 12th grade class coordinator. She grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio and has lived in Colorado for 25 years. Joan has a B.S. from Miami University in Housing and Interior Design and a five year Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Kent State University. In 1985, she studied architecture in Florence, Italy under ‘Super Studio Architects’. Joan has practiced and studied architecture in various forms during the past 25 years. She has taught at SMWS in the middle school and/or high school since 2004. She is currently enrolled in the summer teacher training for High School Art/Art History at the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton NH. She and her husband Dave have three sons: David, Chris and Andrew.
Eowyn Ciccone, College Counselor/Alumni Relations and High School Educational Support Coordinator
Eowyn joined Shining Mountain in January, 2010 as our College Counselor, Alumni Relations Director and High School Education Support Coordinator. She grew up surrounded by the beautiful Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, attended SUNY New Paltz, and earned a BA in Secondary Education English and a MEd in Curriculum and Supervision from UNC Charlotte. She has served as an educator and High School English teacher for 15 years. In addition to education, Eowyn’s interests include the healing arts, spiritual studies, meditation, and crafts. When she is not working with our high school students, Eowyn can be found outdoors, biking, hiking, boating, camping, cross country skiing, and connecting to nature.
Pat Connelly, High School Dance Teacher
Pat Connelly worked for many years as a competitor, performer and choreographer, before founding Blue Moon Dance Company in 1995. Her swing dancing skills helped her win three titles, a third place and a runner-up with three different partners in the Rock & Roll Revival contests. Three consecutive entries, commissioned by different dance companies (modern, jazz and ballet), were awarded a place in the Colorado Choreographers Showcase and another work was chosen for the Aspen Dance Festival, a juried showcase. She is serving a third term as a board member and treasurer for the Boulder County Arts Alliance. Her original choreography for “Nearly Invisible”, commissioned for Turning the Wheels Productions, was produced in several cities throughout the United States. She specializes in partnering, acrobatic lifts and social dance forms and has taught in the Boulder Valley School District LifeLong Learning program since 1999. She has participated in the YWCA “Dancing with the Boulder Stars “ benefit since its start six years ago. Blue Moon Dance Company members have taught with Pat at Shining Mountain Waldorf High School since 2006. A former SMWS student, Beth Moger, joined the company during her senior year.
Catherine Cunningham, High School Humanities
Catherine is excited to join the high school faculty this year teaching humanities. She graduated cum Laude from the University of Colorado with a BA (Hons) in History and she became a member of Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. This summer she graduated from her High School Teacher Certification classes at Rudolph Steiner College and she is currently working toward her MA in Waldorf Education. Before she studied history, Catherine trained as an actress in Boulder/Denver, New York, Florence, Italy, and London, England. Catherine will teach History, English, and Theater block and track classes, the Yearbook elective, and co-sponsorship of the class of 2015. Catherine currently teaches Aerial Dance with Frequent Flyers Productions in Boulder and works with Visionbox Studio in Denver
Daniel Diehl, HS Humanities, Co-Sponsor of the Class of 2015
Dan joined the high school humanities department in the 1995-96 school year. Dan has a bachelor’s degree in history and did training at the Waldorf Institute in 1988-89. He teaches History and English blocks and track classes, and 12th grade Stone Carving. He is active in high school theater productions and is co-sponsor of the class of 2015. Dan also coordinates the senior community placement program. Dan’s wife, Dawn, was a class teacher in our lower school for twenty years. Dawn and Dan’s two adult children graduated from SMWS.
Ralph Doane, German, Grades 8 – 12, Circus Arts, JV Volleyball
Co-Coach
Ralph was born in 1969 in Worcester, England, and graduated in 1993 with a BA cum Laude in Linguistics from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. He worked for eight years at a private boarding school in Regensburg, Germany, as a house master and ESL teacher. He teaches German in grades 8-12 and is the girl’s varsity volleyball coach. His hobbies include volleyball, soccer, climbing, snowboarding, and juggling. With his wonderful wife, Christine, he is the proud father of Evan Leander Doane – his latest hobby!
Nick Hilliard, High School Math Teacher
Nick Hilliard grew up roaming the rolling hills and oak-hickory forests just west of St. Louis, Missouri. His parents were, and still are, deeply involved in education and they planted the seed that grew the same passion in him. Nick graduated from the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2004, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He began teaching the next fall at an urban public high school in St. Louis, and has been in the classroom ever since. As a science teacher, Nick was disturbed that his students often lacked the mathematics skills necessary to understand the science concepts. He began teaching mathematics and while doing so discovered a love for math that had not been present in him as a high school and college student. Nick moved to Boulder in 2006 to be closer to the activities and landscapes he loves. He is an avid skier, runner, and climber, and he tries to squeeze in a yoga class whenever he can. Nick is excited to be a part of the Shining Mountain faculty and community and is looking forward to the school year.
Betsy Kabrick, High School Science and Math Teacher
Betsy grew up in Columbia, Missouri, where she got her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Missouri. She completed her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she discovered she really loves teaching! Betsy moved to Boulder to study massage therapy in 1994 as a way to counterbalance her intellectual development, fell in love with hiking in the forest, and decided to stay. She has been maintaining a part-time private practice in intuitive massage therapy for over 15 years. Her son, Luke, is 13 years old, and her daughter, Joni, is 11. She adores ballroom dance, and when she is not dancing, she likes to hike, do yoga, and meditate. She is very excited about teaching science and math at Shining Mountain Waldorf School!
Matthew Messner, High School Math and Science Teacher
While working as a computer scientist after receiving his degree (Cognitive Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 1997), Matthew suddenly found himself called to teach. The call came by telephone. A local community college asked if he would be willing to create a computer programming course for adults. He was, and a year in their good company convinced Matthew to devote himself fully to teaching. From there his path led to summer camps, a progressive pre-school in New York, an experiential boarding school in North Carolina, and a Friends school in Virginia. Along the way, he discovered Waldorf education and became a student of it (Math and Physical Sciences, Center for Anthroposophy, 2009). This past year, Matthew completed a yoga training (Kerala, India), guest taught high school blocks (Merriconeag Waldorf School, Maine), and designed lighting for the Threefold Mystery Drama Group (Spring Valley, New York). Outside the theatre and classroom, what Matthew loves most are movement and mountains. He is delighted to be here.
Danny Meyer, Band Teacher
Danny Meyer was born in Colorado and began playing the saxophone at the age of 10. He has performed throughout the United States and has had the privilege to play alongside notable musicians such as Ron Miles (Bill Frisell, Don Byron), Art Lande, DJ Logic, and Kent McLagan (Jane Ira Bloom), Colin Stranahan (Kurt Rosenwinkel), Oro Solido, Theo Peoples (Four Tops, Temptations), John Popper (Blues Traveler). A graduate of the University of Colorado School of Music in Boulder, Mr. Meyer has developed his own original music projects as well as contributed to notable local ensembles such as the FreeBear, Art Lande’s Funko Moderno, the 9th and Lincoln Jazz Orchestra, the Legacy Jazz Orchestra, the Future Jazz Project, the Lelah Simon Quartet, the Carmen Sandim Sextet, the Bijouix Barbosa Trio, amongst others. Danny Meyer currently teaches full-time and is on staff at the Parlando School for the Arts, Shining Mountain Waldorf School, and the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts.
Glenda Monasch, High School Eurythmy Teacher
Glenda teaches eurythmy in the high school, public eurythmy classes for wider community, and provides therapeutic eurythmy for the children and families of SMWS. She grew up in South Africa surrounded by the song and rhythmic dances of the cultures around her, and sought this playful sounding life first professionally as a kindergarten teacher and then as an eurythmist. She is a graduate of the Teacher Training College of Witswatersrand University SA, Emerson College UK, the Goetheanum in Switzerland, and the Therapeutic Eurythmy Training UK. She has extensive performance experience, and is a trainer of eurythmists, previously in the London School of Eurythmy UK and now in Sound Circle Eurythmy here in Boulder, which she co-directs with her husband of 34 years. Glenda taught eurythmy in the Seattle Waldorf School before moving to CO where she now lives with David-Michael and their son Mio in Gunbarrel. She is the resident therapeutic eurythmist in the graduate anthroposophic medical training in the US and sees patients in her private practice.
Jenny Schiff, High School Dance Teacher
Jenny Schiff is a sought-after choreographer and teacher with roots in Los Angeles, Denver, and Boulder. Beginning her professional career at the age of eleven, she has worked with some of today’s finest choreographers including; Joe Tremaine, Doug Caldwell, Mia Michaels, Marguerite Derricks, Rudy Perez, Karon Brown-Lehman, Donald McKayle, and Cleo Parker Robinson. Jenny uses her extensive knowledge of both the commercial and contemporary dance world to offer her students a unique class experience. She has been a guest artist at Colorado College, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop and Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan. Currently she directs The Schiff Dance Collective, teaches, and choreographs throughout Colorado.
Ben Seidman, Chorus Teacher
Ben Seidman was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied theater at the Tisch School of the Arts, and lived in New York for seven years working in music and theater. Recently, Ben completed a masters program in teaching music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He is very joyful to join the Shining Mountain Community where his philosophies on life and education fit in beautifully!
Jim Thomas, Trained Family Counselor, Advisor Program Consultant
Jim has been consulting for Shining Mountain School since 1998 starting as the advisor to the High School Advisor Program. His work quickly expanded to include parent evening talks, organizational consultation, support to our administrative team, facilitating a board retreat, and consultation for the Middle School Support Team.
Jim Thomas, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, is also an International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy Certified EFT Trainer, Supervisor and Therapist (he is one of just 30 EFT Trainers in the world). EFT is the fastest growing, best researched intervention for distressed relationships in couples and families. Director Emeritus, Denver Family Institute, Jim grew up professionally working with at-risk youth and multi-problem families at the Denver Children’s Home and Tennyson Center for Youth. His private practice is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and Jim enjoys training, supervising and providing therapy all from a positive, strength-based focus on fostering healthy connection, inspiring growth, and opening hearts from the shackles of shame, trauma, and oppressive cultural messages.
Jamie York, Middle School and High School Math Teacher
Jamie York grew up in Connecticut and Maine. After studying computer science, teaching at a boarding school, running a tennis camp, traveling, and serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, he settled in Boulder in 1993, and shortly thereafter started teaching middle school and high school math at SMWS. He has been there ever since, except for a brief hiatus at a Waldorf school in Holland. Jamie is also the author of a series of books titled, Making Math Meaningful. Jamie consults at Waldorf schools, teaches math workshops across North America, and in the summer, he serves on the faculty at the Center of Anthroposophy (in Wilton, NH) as part of their Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program. In his spare time he most loves camping, skiing, and studying math, history, and philosophy. Jamie and his wife Karen have two children: Arie and Shanti