Meet Our Lower & Middle Grades Teachers

Amy was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois, where her love of  teaching began with teaching her siblings in the basement using a cinder block wall as a blackboard. As a student at Gustavus Adolphus College, she spent multiple semesters abroad in Denmark and the Philippines studying Marine Biology, led the GLBT rights group on campus and brought the Safe Zone Program to the school, which is still running strong today.

Amy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science and Biology with minors in English, Theatre & Dance, and GLBT and Women’s Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College, a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of Minnesota and a Waldorf Teacher Certificate from Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Education Program.

Amy began her journey in Waldorf teaching as a long-term substitute at the Dupage Waldorf School and then found a new home at the Minnesota Waldorf School where she spent nine wonderful years serving the MWS community with passion and love taking a class from 1st grade through the 4th grade and then another class from grade 2 through grade 4. Amy then moved to Colorado where she taught the First Grade class at the Mountain Song Community School in Colorado Springs.

Amy is passionate about helping families and students find balance, curiosity, and joy through Waldorf methods and is a vigorous advocate for social justice, equality, and equanimity in thought and action. In her time in Waldorf schools, she has taken up numerous leadership roles and has been an influential and formative force in her community.

When not teaching, spreading laughter, or enjoying the outdoors, she enjoys crafting, gardening, cooking, playing board games, sewing with her family and spending time with her teenage son.

Alexa is known for her ability to lovingly shape and form her classes and provide engaging learning experiences that keep students enthusiastic throughout their lower grades experience. Her therapeutic education background and interest in differentiated learning support her work with individual students and the class. You will find Alexa and her class outdoors each morning — singing, passing beanbags, and folk dancing, regardless of the weather.

In addition to teaching in grade school, Alexa’s tenure at DWS includes three years of teaching high school science. She utilizes her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Cornell University to instill a passion for the biological sciences and a genuine love of animals. This high school experience helps to inform her of where the students are as they begin first grade and where they are eventually headed as they mature and move toward graduation from DWS in twelfth grade.

Before joining the DWS community, Alexa was part of the faculty and being a parent at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia and Mountain Phoenix Community School. Alexa holds a Waldorf teaching certificate in Elementary Education from Sunbridge Institute.

Alexa is a mother of four children. Three of her children currently attend DWS, and her oldest graduated from DWS. In her spare time, Alexa enjoys being in the mountains with her family, taking long hikes with her two dogs, puttering around with her chickens, and gardening.

Through love, laughter, and enthusiasm, Magally strives to instill a lifelong love of learning in her students. She began teaching Spanish at The Denver Waldorf School (DWS) in 2001 before becoming a class teacher for Grades 1-8. As a native Spanish speaker, Magally loves bringing stories, songs, and dances of the Spanish-speaking and Indigenous Peoples to her students and community through story, song, and dance.

Magally has been part of the Waldorf Spanish Teachers Association for many years. She co-chairs the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America’s (AWSNA) BIPOC Affinity Group. She is working closely with AWSNA to increase the lens of diversity in the Waldorf curriculum in North America. She is also helping to develop programs to support teachers of color in Waldorf schools. Additionally, Magally collaborated with the Longmont Conflict Center and Denver Conflict Center to bring Restorative Practices to DWS.

With a BFA in Dance in Indo-Afro-American culture from the University of Colorado in Boulder, CU Boulder, Magally explores cultures and anthroposophy to enrich her work in the classroom and DWS’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee. Outside of the classroom, Magally sings with her Salsa band and performs in theatrical productions, giving a voice to stories that include those of Spanish-speaking and Indigenous peoples of America.

Jessie brings her love of education to life through her experiences, love of nature, excitement in trying new things, and delight in cooking, crafting, and creating with her heart and hands. Jessie strives to work with integrity and authenticity to meet today’s students, offering them all the highest level of Waldorf education.

Jessie has successfully cycled two classes from first to eighth grade and is taking her current class through eighth after which she intends to join the upper grades loop. Before becoming a class teacher, Jessie led movement and games in the lower grades. In addition to her responsibilities as a class teacher, Jessie holds a participatory role, serving on both the Leadership Team and The Professional Development Committee. Jessie is a Denver Waldorf School graduate with two children at DWS.

Jessie holds a BA in Sociology, History, and Art from Fort Lewis College. She has a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Antioch New England Graduate School. Outside of the classroom, Jessie loves to garden, travel, and swim in the ocean!

Charlie Orphanides, who served previously as the Education Director at The Denver Waldorf School and has spent the last fifteen or so years as a class teacher, Games and Movement teacher, middle school math teacher, therapeutic movement specialist and circus arts teacher. Along with The Denver Waldorf School, Charlie has taught at the Brooklyn Waldorf School and Boulder Valley Waldorf School. Along with his deep commitment to forwarding the work of anthroposophy in the world, he has completed the 5-year In-Service training from the Spacial Dynamics Institute as well as a certification in Bothmer Gymnastics. After studying several modalities in intentional and therapeutic movement, Charlie has most recently immersed himself in a general study of somatic therapies and coaching, particularly around how to address the effects of trauma, both for individuals as well as in the classroom, including the Emergency Pedagogy courses with Bernd Ruf at the Kairos Institute. Along with the realms of movement, awareness and education, Charlie is personally interested in family, healing, creativity and laughter.