Groundbreaking Violin Performance: Sarah Gillis’ Symphony from the Stars Stuns an Entire Planet
BOULDER, CO, September 15, 2024 — Sarah Gillis, Shining Mountain Waldorf School Class of 2012, made history this week as part of the four-person civilian crew aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission. On Day 4 of the mission, Sarah, who is serving as Mission Specialist, released a powerful musical performance—from outer space, while traveling more than […]
From Classroom to Cosmos: SMWS Alum Sarah Gillis Prepares for Historic Space Mission
Boulder, CO, Aug. 20, 2024—Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS) is thrilled to announce that one of its distinguished alumni, Sarah Gillis (formerly Sarah Levine), will soon embark on a historic journey to space. As a lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, Gillis is set to make history as part of the four person crew on […]
SMWS Board Appoints Meg Gardner as Interim School Director Amidst Exciting Campus Advancements
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Boulder, CO, Aug. 8, 2024 — Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS) is thrilled to announce Meg Gardner as the Interim School Director, a position she stepped into earlier this summer. Meg’s appointment comes at a critical time, just after SMWS cut the ribbon on a state-of-the-art high school building. The new, modern […]
Shining Mountain Waldorf School Alumni Testimonials: Stories of Inspiration
At Shining Mountain Waldorf School, the experiences of our students go beyond the traditional classroom setting, fostering a community built on creativity, curiosity, and mutual respect. Our alumni’s reflections highlight how this unique educational environment has shaped their paths and inspired their futures. From the welcoming, homey atmosphere to the profound relationships formed, Shining Mountain […]
Welcoming Joshua Berman as Director of Middle School Outdoor Education
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT We are happy to announce that Joshua Berman, ak.a. “don Josué,” is stepping into the role of Director of Middle School Outdoor Education at Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS)—in addition to continuing his work as a teacher in the lower school and as Social Media Director. Joshua has been a teacher at SMWS […]
Shining Mountain Waldorf School Unveils New High School Campus in North Boulder: Grand Opening Event Friday, May 10, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Boulder, CO, April 16, 2024 — Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS) is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its new high school building with a community gathering on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Located just west of Broadway in North Boulder (at its new address of […]
Waldorf High School Education for the Next Generation: SMWS’ Four Pillars of Commitment
By Meg Gardner, Incoming High School Director Waldorf education is meant to evolve, grow, transform, and to be relevant to the times in which we live. Since its founding in 1919, it was intended to reflect the people, community, culture, and local geography. How does Waldorf education live and breathe in Boulder, Colorado in 2023? […]
Students Interview Sarah Gillis, Class of 2012, about Upcoming Polaris Dawn Mission
Annabelle Boak and Violet Dempsey, Student Journalists, met with Sarah Gillis for this interview on November 14, 2022, at the CU Aerospace Engineering Building. Sarah and her crew are set to launch and orbit the earth for five days sometime in spring 2023. Learn more about the mission here: POLARIS DAWN. INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT: Annabelle Boak, […]
Breaking Ground! Shining Mountain Waldorf School Announces New High School Campus in North Boulder, Coming in 2024
Release Date: 2/2/2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Boulder, Colorado – Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS) announced this week that they will be building a new high school, designed by local firm, Sopher Sparn Architects, LLC. Construction is due to commence on their property located at Violet and Broadway in North Boulder in April 2023 and the […]
Untold Story: How Waldorf Education Prepares Students for the Online World
By Joshua Berman This article was originally published in The Boulder Daily Camera’s “Raised in the Rockies” Family and Parenting Guide on August 1, 2022 An excited cluster of sixth graders surrounded the table where I’d placed an assortment of devices — an old iPhone, PC and laptop. I was about to remove the side […]
Land Acknowledgement: An Evening With Dr. Joaquin Munoz
By Lori Kran, PhD, Pedagogical Director Last Monday evening Dr. Joaquin Muñoz, a professor of American Indian Studies, presented, via zoom, ideas for how our community could move forward in developing a meaningful land acknowledgement. Close to 40 faculty, staff, and community members attended. I left the presentation feeling hopeful and invigorated for the work we […]
Shooting for the Stars: SMWS Alum and SpaceX Engineer Sarah Gillis
Sarah (Levine) Gillis, Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX and crew trainer for the Inspiration4 mission, graduated from Shining Mountain Waldorf High School in 2012. Less than a decade later, in September, 2021, at the age of 27, Sarah is playing a lead role in the historical SpaceX Inspiration4 all-civilian human space flight mission; their […]
Turning The Curricular Tide: What Happens When The Weight Of The Community Gets Behind You
By Joshua Berman In my 8th grade Spanish class, students listen to podcasts featuring musicians from the Spanish speaking world, most recently, a young Mexican engineering student who raps in his indigenous language of Cuicateco. In 6th grade, my Spanish students participate in a hands-on, Fair Trade bracelet sale that connects them with Central American […]
Field Day 2020: Summer Wishes and Water Splashes!
Here’s an end-of-the-school-year, pre-summer gift from all of our faculty and staff. This video goes out to all our dear families—especially students and parent volunteers who would normally have been out at Field Day today! Be sure to turn up your volume, watch the video all the way to the end, and don’t forget your […]
SMWS | Statement on Racial Injustice
June 02, 2020 SMWS Statement on Racial Injustice from the SMWS Diversity & Inclusivity Committee: • The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are among the many recent incidents in a long history of police brutality and institutionalized racism against Black people in this country. • We are angered and full of […]
Video Premiere! Educating our Children Beyond the Classroom
At Shining Mountain Waldorf School, an independent K-12 school in Boulder, CO, educating our children continues as faculty and staff deliver the comprehensive, experiential curriculum of Waldorf Education into our students’ homes. This video, which was created by Nita Davanzo, Class of ’99, on behalf of SMWS’s Advancement Team, provides a glimpse of the magic […]
New video from AWSNA, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
Waldorf: An Education for the Future On September 19, 2019, Waldorf education celebrates 100 years. Across the globe, Waldorf schools are engaging in creative, social and environmental actions. With these initiatives, Waldorf communities are seeding the future. 100 years is only the beginning. Visit https://www.waldorfeducation.org/waldorf100 to learn more. Join the movement. Seed the future.
Shining Mountain High School Student Exchange in Germany
by Grace Remmert about her exchange during the spring semester of her 10th grade year. My name is Grace Remmert and I’m in the spring semester of my 10th grade year at Shining Mountain Waldorf School, Boulder. I am currently on a three-month exchange to Düsseldorf, Germany and attending the Rudolf Steiner Schule. For those […]
Social Justice in Waldorf Education
What is the conversation at the national level and what is the conversation at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, CO? By Leigh Ann Hill, High School Administrator and co-chair of the SMWS Diversity and Inclusivity Committee The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) offered their annual summer conference, held this year at […]
