Our lineup of online events are open to all, as we aim to highlight the benefits of Waldorf education. For more on all happenings at The Denver Waldorf School, please refer to our school calendar.

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Gear and Item Exchange

May 15, 2022 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
denver waldorf school gear swap

Join us for the first-ever DWS Gear and Item Exchange

Rather than buying things brand new, extend the life of the earth’s resources by reusing and recycling items that other families are ready to pass on! Hosted by the Denver Waldorf Racial Justice Parent Group, the Gear and Item Exchange is your opportunity to sort through your own spring and summer belongings — clothing, gear, household items, toys; think camping items, bikes, balls, hoops and cleats — to give, sell or exchange with other families.

Date: Sunday, May 15, 2022

Time: 2-5pm

Location: DWS

Bring a blanket or table to display your items. Popsicles will be served, and cash donations for popsicles will go to your choice of either our school’s scholarship fund or solar campaign.

Why a Gear/Item Exchange?

Racial justice is climate Justice, and climate justice is racial justice. Climate change disproportionately impacts BIPOC communities around the world — communities that generally contribute less to greenhouse gas emissions and lack the resources that wealthy, predominantly white communities have to adapt to climate change. And did you know that a majority of Goodwill donations end up in the landfill?

Plus, a gear and item exchange is a great way to actively involve your children in becoming part of the conversation that climate justice and racial justice are inextricably linked.

About the Denver Waldorf Racial Justice Parent Group

The RJPG formed in the Fall of 2020 as a response to the growing desire within the DWS community to ensure that the relevant and needed topic of racial justice was talked about throughout the school year and remained a topic of discourse that lifted up all people—including and centering around BIPOC voices.

We are committed to exploring the issues of racial justice through fostering a safe, open, warm and non-judgmental container by which to deepen our awareness through studying, growing and taking action together.

Textile Waste in America

epa textile waste

Learn More

Have questions about the Gear and Item Exchange? Please reach out to Emily Duhaime.

Details

  • Date: May 15, 2022
  • Time:
    2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
  • Event Category:
Our goal is not simply to have students recall information. The result we aim for in Waldorf education is to cultivate lifelong curiosity and develop the capacities to be creative, independent thinkers.

We recognize that this doesn’t happen through memorization alone, but through meaningful experience. In our studies of science, for example, our teachers use what is called a phenomenological approach, guiding students to carefully observe natural phenomena, make hypotheses about what they are seeing, and draw conclusions through their own thinking.

Concepts are broken down into lived experiences, allowing understanding to emerge before definitions are introduced. Rather than telling students what to think, we invite them to discover and connect ideas for themselves. Learning becomes more than something to recall - it becomes true understanding that they will carry with them long after the lesson ends.
Each day in our Waldorf kindergarten classrooms you will find the children engaging in purposeful work. Whether working alongside our teachers in preparing snack, washing dishes, caring for our toys, digging in the garden, or helping with laundry - our kindergartners participate fully in practical, meaningful work. 

Developing their sense of pride and purpose, the students come to learn that small acts done with great love grow a community, build their foundation for growth, and show reverence for the world we share.

Schedule a tour today to see what our Early Childhood Program is all about. And new this fall - we look forward to introducing our Nursery Program (serving 2.5 - 4.5 year olds) at a satellite location in University Park.
More and more schools across the country are implementing screen time limits in the classroom to meet the backlash against reliance on digital devices. But - keeping iPads, Chromebooks, and personal devices out of our elementary classrooms has always been a mainstay of our Waldorf education. Before technology becomes a tool for learning, we focus on fostering the human capacities that make learning possible - imagination, curiosity, and wonder. Schedule a tour and come see what Waldorf education is all about.
The creation of a main lesson book is a unique element of Waldorf education. Rather than using traditional textbooks, our students create their own main lesson book as a compilation of all of their findings during the block course. They combine art, writing, diagramming, and more to collectively demonstrate their understanding of the subject. It not only serves as documentation, but also as an active learning tool to synthesize the material from the lesson. Learning is not passive in our classrooms, but rather is alive, engaging, relevant, and deeply meaningful. // shown here are pages from our 7th grade students’ main lesson books
In our Waldorf education, participating in the arts are not elective. Rather, they are an essential and integral part of our curriculum. While some may think that this means that Waldorf schools are “art schools” or are only for students interested in pursuing the arts, the way that the arts are integrated into our learning is for all! 

It’s to foster creativity and imagination, it’s for the beauty and joy they bring to learning, it’s for the vitality they bring to our development. We love the arts for the richness they bring to our academics and the range they give to our students - encouraging them to try new things and building all the capacities along the way. So, they create fine art, they hammer away in the artisan courtyard, they find their voice on stage in the class play, they listen to one another as they make music -  they develop their whole selves.
Each day, our kindergartners share a family-style meal with the children helping to prepare the food, set the table, and wash up afterwards. They come to learn the days of the week by the comforting rhythm of the snack schedule - whether it’s “soup day,” “bread day,” or in this case, “noodle day!”

With our youngest and oldest students all gathered together, they learn to develop valuable lifelong social skills, a sense of responsibility, and belonging around our table. The children help chop vegetables, make bread, and set the table - cultivating a shared understanding of all that goes into bringing food before us. Nourishment goes far beyond the meal itself - cultivating gratitude, cooperation, and care!

Schedule a tour today to see what our Early Childhood Program is all about. And new this fall - we look forward to introducing our Nursery Program (serving 2.5 - 4.5 year olds) at a satellite location in University Park.
More than ever, students need an education that fosters resilience, adaptability, compassion, and confidence. They need an education where childhood is honored through creative play, a connection to nature, and purposeful work. They need a learning environment that prioritizes creativity and critical thinking to make a meaningful lesson. They need a human-centered approach that values being well-rounded and develops head, heart, and hands. This is the gift of our K-12 Waldorf education - preparing students not just for college but for life beyond - with readiness to contribute to the world all around them and the capacities to cherish truth, beauty, and goodness. 

Schedule a tour today and come see what we’re all about.
Exploring, playing, gardening, climbing, making up games, drawing, reading, journaling, helping around the home, hiking, swimming, camping, and enjoying the beauty of the natural world- just a few of our suggestions for summer homework for our young students 😊! Soaking in these days of childhood are what build a strong foundation for all the years ahead.
Our Class of 2026 spent their last full week of high school exploring the world beyond, making their final days with DWS an adventure that is not too soon forgotten! After many explorations over the years around our beautiful state of Colorado, their senior trip took them to a landscape far from the mountains - the Florida Keys 🌴!

From snorkeling in North America’s sole living coral reef system to kayaking through mangroves, volunteering with wildlife, and exploring the Everglades, our seniors spent their last days together immersed in the wonder of the natural world.

In Waldorf education, class trips are an integral part of our curriculum. By exploring outside of our classroom walls, students cultivate curiosity, community, and a lifelong connection to the world around them. This journey deepened students’ understanding of marine biology, ecology, and stewardship - all the while creating lasting memories to carry forward into their next chapter!

Class of 2026 - we’re so grateful to have shared the many adventures with you.
This is a peek into 6th grade medieval history, where as part of their studies of monastic life, they each patiently created their own illuminated manuscripts. This coincided with their work that also encompassed learning about the Islamic Golden Age, and practicing Arabic calligraphy as well. 

Art finds its way into all that we do - it is not an extra. Through the arts, subject matter comes to life through experience, creativity, and meaningful connection. As they study history, for example, students are invited not only to study facts about a period in time, but to enter into it through their own hands and imagination.

Moreover, each project supports our curriculum in meeting our students where they are developmentally. In 6th grade, at a time when their developmental stage seeks structure and clarity, this work in calligraphy requires patience, deep focus, and adherence to form. While the completed piece of art is always wonderful to marvel at, moreover, it is about the journey along the way as we nurture our capacities as whole human beings. 

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The Denver Waldorf School

2100 S. Pennsylvania St.
Denver, CO 80210
p) 303-777-0531
f) 303-744-1216
[email protected]

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