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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 the Polaris Dawn Mission, scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center(You can watch the launch streaming live on spacex.com).

UPDATE ON LAUNCH DATE: “We received an update on X today that the launch has been moved to Tuesday, Aug. 27 to allow ample time to complete all the needed preflight checks. The launch will still take place during the early morning hours, between 03:38am and ~06:30 am, a time range selected to minimize overall orbital debris and radiation risk.” 

Sarah’s path from Shining Mountain Waldorf School to space is a testament to the power of a well-rounded education that values creativity as much as critical thinking. During her years at SMWS, Gillis trained as a classical violinist while she was immersed in the Waldorf curriculum, which emphasizes a holistic approach to learning by integrating arts, sciences, and humanities. This unique educational experience not only nurtured her intellectual curiosity but also fostered the creative problem-solving skills that would later propel her to the forefront of aerospace engineering.

Sarah Gillis (third from left) and her family, including Sue Levine (second from left), former School Director of Shining Mountain Waldorf School, at fighter jet training in Bozeman, MT.

Reflecting on her elementary and high school education, Gillis shared, “One of the really important things you get out of a Waldorf education is curiosity—curiosity to go and learn and explore what’s out there in the world. I fell into engineering and a path that I don’t think I would have anticipated, but having an arts background where you’re bringing creativity and imagination into problem-solving creates a really incredible synergy. Between the ability to learn and the curiosity to use imagination to solve problems, somehow, this is where it brought me.”

Sarah Gillis as a student at SMWS High School, with teacher David Blair, around 2010. Photo provided by Rick Levine.

Meg Gardner, Interim School Director at SMWS, expressed the school’s pride in Gillis’s achievements: “Sarah’s journey from our classrooms to the cosmos exemplifies the impact of a Waldorf education that nurtures both the arts and sciences. Her story inspires our current students to dream big and embrace their unique paths.”

In recognition of this significant achievement, Shining Mountain Waldorf School invites local media to explore Sarah Gillis’s remarkable journey and the unique educational environment that played a pivotal role in her development. Interviews with her former teachers, who nurtured her early passions, are available upon request.

UPDATE ON LAUNCH PREPARATIONS: Jared and Sarah will be doing the first commercial spacewalk during the mission. This has required the development of new suits (modeled here by Sarah) and specialized training, and Sarah and Anna put together this clip to share a back-stage view of their training experience.

The crew finished training last week, and added their mission patch and signatures to the side hatch. The crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center today, and gave their first on-site press briefings today. Here’s a closeup of one of the jets…check out the stenciling!

There will be lots more coverage coming soon in many outlets…for a quick look today, here is a nice article about Sarah and Kidd, the two astronauts from Colorado in 5280 Magazine, and more information about what they will be doing on the mission from CNN.

Two current SMWS high school journalists interviewed astronaut Sarah last fall. Photo by Joshua Berman.

About Shining Mountain Waldorf School: Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS) is an independent pre-K through grade 12 independent school located in North Boulder. SMWS is an accredited member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and the Association of Colorado Independent Schools. Shining Mountain’s purpose is to unleash the capacities of young people to imagine and create a better world. Our mission is to cultivate intellectually curious students with a strong sense of self, compassion for others, and the tenacity to live to their fullest human potential. Admissions: https://shiningmountainwaldorf.org/admissions/

About Waldorf Education: Based on the education philosophy initiated by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf education is a culturally rich, age-appropriate curriculum that educates the body, mind, and spirit of the child. Since the founding of the first school, Waldorf education has become a global independent school movement with more than 1,000 schools worldwide in over 60 countries.

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CONTACT:

Shining Mountain Waldorf School

Meg Gardner, Interim School Director, mgardner@smwaldorf.org

Christie Acton, Marketing Director, cacton@smwaldorf.org 

999 Violet Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80304

303-444-7697  shiningmountainwaldorf.org

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- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

“I feel like one of the really important things that you get out of a Waldorf education is curiosity—curiosity to go and learn and explore what’s out there in the world. I fell into engineering and a path that I don’t think I would have anticipated, but having an arts background where you’re bringing creativity and imagination into problem-solving, there’s a really incredible synergy between those.”

- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

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Job Details

  • Job Title: Facilities & Grounds Assistant

  • Program: Administration

  • Reports to: Facilities & Grounds Director

  • FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

  • Date: January 2026

Position Summary

Shining Mountain Waldorf School (“SMWS”) is a PreK-12th grade campus consisting of 8 acres and 15 buildings located at the foothills of North Boulder, Colorado. In conjunction with the Facilities Director, the Facilities and Grounds Assistant provides year-round maintenance, seasonal upkeep, and improvement of school buildings and grounds to support our nature and outdoor school curriculum. Maintenance, safety, and improvement projects are essential to welcome visitors and the SMWS community to the natural beauty of the SMWS campus.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Required skills to address issues relating to campus maintenance: plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, HVAC, care of the grounds, etc.

  • Daily tour of campus and playground for hazards, trash, safety, and wildlife concerns

  • Daily response to requests for repairs and campus assistance

  • Daily late afternoon safety checks for campus and building safety

  • Weekly service and safety inspection of school buses (fuel, oil, tires, etc.)

  • Weekly cleaning and organizing of facilities and grounds workshop

  • Weekly safety inspections of playground equipment

  • Preparation for school events and meetings, including setup and breakdown of tables and chairs

  • Seasonal work, inspecting and maintaining classrooms, air conditioners, swamp coolers, furnaces, water heaters, thermostats, etc.

  • Supplement early morning seasonal and evening snow removal and ice management throughout campus in preparation for the student and parent arrival and departure of the school day

  • Delivery and moving of items throughout campus classrooms and buildings

Additional Responsibilities

  • Outdoor work, walking, repairing, and attention to our 8-acre campus

  • School events set up and break down – festivals, concerts, and plays   

  • Driving ability to include driving school truck with trailer   

  • Working knowledge of automotive care and maintenance   

  • Working with faculty and assisting in moving and preparing classrooms   

Education and Qualifications

  • Familiarity with landscaping and irrigation, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, HVAC, and general maintenance items

  • Friendly and approachable temperament working with faculty, staff, students, and community

  • Previous construction, trade, and technical skills

  • Self-starter in recognizing and completing necessary campus needs and maintenance

  • Skill and ability to operate power tools in accordance with proper safety guidelines

  • Basic computer skills

  • Driver’s license required with excellent driving record

  • Available to work a flexible schedule at times when work is needed outside of normal working hours – early mornings and weekends (early/late snow removal, event set up and break down, facilities emergencies, etc.)

Work Setting

  • Status: Full time – 40 hour a week non-exempt position

  • Type: This is an hourly, year-round position

  • Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (may require some early morning and evening hours)

  • Environment: Work setting varies based on assignment – indoor and outdoor work on campus and buildings

Salary and Benefits

  • Pay: Hourly wage of $25.00 per hour – overtime paid (time and ½) when over 40 hours are worked per week

  • Time Off: Personal Time Off (monthly accruals of 2 weeks and 3 weeks after 1+ years)

  • Sick Leave: Colorado Paid Sick Leave (1 hour earned each 30 hours worked up to 48 hours each calendar year)

  • Holidays: Up to 15 Paid National Holidays per calendar year, including a paid week during the December holidays

  • Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability, 401(k) with match (determined annually), flexible spending account, and other ancillary benefits

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the Essential Duties and Responsibilities of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to perform:

  • General construction work-related requirements, including but not limited to: lifting, bending, standing, kneeling, carrying items, working on a ladder, etc.

  • Ability to lift at least 60 pounds

  • Work in tight spaces – work may be in small spaces within buildings, crawl spaces, and frame restrictions

  • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 


Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and three references to hrmgr@smwaldorf.org

Shining Mountain Waldorf School is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing, and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to their race, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, familial status, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited by state or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, where employees are treated with respect and dignity. 


Job Details

  • Job Title: Substitute Teacher

  • Program: Grades 1 through Grade 12

  • Reports to: Campus Operations Director

  • FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

  • Date: October 2024

Position Summary

Shining Mountain Waldorf School, a PreK to High School, is seeking Substitute Teachers. In order to create an encouraging learning environment for students while their regular Teacher is absent, our Substitute Teachers will need to effectively manage and instruct the class. We are looking for individuals who have teaching experience, love the classroom environment, and are available (sometimes on very short notice) to work during the week. Knowledge of Waldorf education is a plus.

Essential Responsibilities

  • Teaching and supervision of students in the event that their regular teacher is unable to lead class.

  • Manage classroom behavior and follow lesson plans provided by the regular Teacher to create a cohesive and consistent learning experience for students.

  • Manage the classroom effectively to encourage student participation, minimize distractions and maintain a positive learning environment.

  • Adapt teaching methods to fit the needs of each individual student.

  • Supervise students in and out of the classroom, including in class transitions, and on the playground.

Work Setting

  • Classroom and playground environment

Salary and Hours

  • Pay: $25 per hour with a 2-hour daily minimum

  • Timesheets are required to be completed

  • Substitute Teaching hours vary and are contingent on SMWS Faculty absences from the classroom and class needs

  • Calls to Substitute Teach may be made on very short notice – evening and morning hours

  • Substitute hours are based on SMWS need for classroom coverage

Education and Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree

  • Teaching experience and classroom experience required

  • Comfortable with students and academic focus

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the Essential Duties and Responsibilities of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to perform:   

  • Sitting and standing for class presentations   

     

  • Lift 25 pounds, bending, stretching   

     

  • Mobility to move about the classroom, walking around our 12 -acre campus, and playground   

     

  • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.  

 
Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest and resume to hrmgr@smwaldorf.org.

Shining Mountain Waldorf School is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to their race, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, familial status, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited by state or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, where employees are treated with respect and dignity.



Kim Rector
Kim Rector

Admissions Director

Kim brings more than 12 years of dedicated experience in Advancement and Admissions within Waldorf Education. Kim’s journey with Waldorf Education began in 2013 at the Austin Waldorf School, where she discovered a deep passion for Waldorf pedagogy and Anthroposophy. After relocating to Colorado in 2014, Shining Mountain Waldorf School quickly became a second home for her family. That same year, Kim stepped into the role of Lower School Receptionist, marking the start of nearly a decade of service and leadership at SMWS.

With over 15 years of experience in non-profit fundraising and event management, Kim was a natural fit for the position of Development Director at Shining Mountain, a role she held from 2017 to 2020. She then transitioned into Admissions, serving as Admission Director from 2020 until her family’s return to Austin in 2023. Kim continued work in Waldorf Education by serving as Admission Director at the Austin Waldorf School for the following three years.

Kim studied Biochemistry at Texas State University and has completed her Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy.

Outside of her professional life, Kim and her husband, Julian, are parents to their three children, Sydney, Suri, and Julian. Together, they enjoy hiking, fishing, camping, skiing, and cooking as a family.