The Denver Waldorf Middle School Panel
If you missed our live Middle School Q&A on December 3, 2020, catch the recorded session below to learn more about what makes our middle school an exciting place for students to grow their curiosity and love of learning.
Waldorf Middle School Curriculum Overview
Middle School Q&A on December 1, 2020
With former Denver Waldorf 8th Grade Teacher Vernon Dewey who is now our Education Director.
Step Inside The Denver Waldorf Middle School
We offer two ways for families to learn more about our middle school curriculum and community:
For more information, please contact Admissions Manager Brooke Camfield.
POSTPONED: Parenting Gender
POSTPONED
This event has been postponed. Please check back for updates!
About Our Panelists
Waldorf educator Nancy Blanning is joined by Ryan Bittinger and Sondra Locket to discuss how to walk with your children as a compassionate and supportive companion. Moderating by Jenny Thompson.
About Waldorf Educator Nancy Blanning
Nancy is a Waldorf early childhood educator, parent, and grandparent of nearly 40 years and specializes in supporting healthy development for young children. This includes physical and sensory development but also holds a deep concern that every child be accepted for his/her/their individual expressions in this life. She is also a Waldorf teacher trainer, mentor, consultant, author, and conference presenter.
About Sondra Lockett
"A mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend and a working professional, but is there such a role as a professional mom? I am blessed to have two children that have taken me on two completely different journeys. Over the last 15 years, I have learned more from my children than I could ever teach them about being true to oneself, practicing patience, offering compassion and letting the world unfold as it should. For the last 4 years, my family has been led on a trans journey by our youngest child that has further opened our hearts, expanded our minds and created an extraordinary and necessary shift in our family dynamic." Sondra
About Ryan Bittinger
Ryan Bittinger is a Psychotherapist recently returned to his home in Colorado after studying and working in Scotland. He has experience working with young adult students (16 +), including trans and queer youth. His specialty in the therapy world is helping adults heal from trauma. Ryan is also queer and nonbinary, and has been a queer activist for about a decade, offering basic training for others about how to work with the LGBTQ+ population. As a researcher, Ryan also explores how queer folks make sense of their place in society and within the queer community.
About The Bridge
The Bridge is a bimonthly webinar series hosted by The Denver Waldorf School on the benefits of Waldorf education. By connecting one another, we aim to join in the worldwide effort to educate for humanity.
About The Denver Waldorf School
The Denver Waldorf School is an urban pre-K through 12 independent school in Colorado. Founded in 1974 on Rudolf Steiner’s humanitarian curriculum, DWS believes education should foster what it is to be human, cultivate lifelong curiosity, and inspire a love for the world. We are currently enrolling for in-person learning:
Want to learn more about us? Schedule an in-person tour of our Denver campus or join us online during our virtual events.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
POSTPONED: Parenting Gender
POSTPONED
This event has been postponed. Please check back for updates!
About Our Panelists
Waldorf educator Nancy Blanning is joined by Ryan Bittinger and Sondra Locket to discuss how to walk with your children as a compassionate and supportive companion. Moderating by Jenny Thompson.
About Waldorf Educator Nancy Blanning
Nancy is a Waldorf early childhood educator, parent, and grandparent of nearly 40 years and specializes in supporting healthy development for young children. This includes physical and sensory development but also holds a deep concern that every child be accepted for his/her/their individual expressions in this life. She is also a Waldorf teacher trainer, mentor, consultant, author, and conference presenter.
About Sondra Lockett
"A mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend and a working professional, but is there such a role as a professional mom? I am blessed to have two children that have taken me on two completely different journeys. Over the last 15 years, I have learned more from my children than I could ever teach them about being true to oneself, practicing patience, offering compassion and letting the world unfold as it should. For the last 4 years, my family has been led on a trans journey by our youngest child that has further opened our hearts, expanded our minds and created an extraordinary and necessary shift in our family dynamic." Sondra
About Ryan Bittinger
Ryan Bittinger is a Psychotherapist recently returned to his home in Colorado after studying and working in Scotland. He has experience working with young adult students (16 +), including trans and queer youth. His specialty in the therapy world is helping adults heal from trauma. Ryan is also queer and nonbinary, and has been a queer activist for about a decade, offering basic training for others about how to work with the LGBTQ+ population. As a researcher, Ryan also explores how queer folks make sense of their place in society and within the queer community.
About The Bridge
The Bridge is a bimonthly webinar series hosted by The Denver Waldorf School on the benefits of Waldorf education. By connecting one another, we aim to join in the worldwide effort to educate for humanity.
About The Denver Waldorf School
The Denver Waldorf School is an urban pre-K through 12 independent school in Colorado. Founded in 1974 on Rudolf Steiner’s humanitarian curriculum, DWS believes education should foster what it is to be human, cultivate lifelong curiosity, and inspire a love for the world. We are currently enrolling for in-person learning:
Want to learn more about us? Schedule an in-person tour of our Denver campus or join us online during our virtual events.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Waldorf Group Meditation Practice
Meditative Practices for Strength, Equanimity, and Courage
After a stressful pandemic year that has pulled at the fibers of our physical, social and moral well-being, it’s time to rebuild. Join us in community to build new insights and intention during our monthly group meditation practice with Dr. Adam Blanning.
Date: Wednesdays, Jan. 6, Feb. 3, March 3, April 7, May 12, and June 9
Time: 7:30-9pm MST
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free!
The webinars are hosted by the Denver Waldorf School, but are open to the whole community. Please register once to reserve a seat for all six sessions.
Exploring Rudolf Steiner’s Six Meditative Exercises
We will be working through Stairway of Surprise, by Michael Lipson. This is an accessible guide to working with Rudolf Steiner’s six “basic” (or subsidiary) exercises, which build a foundation for healthy spiritual life.
Please order your own copy of the book.
Each session will include:
- An introduction to a new meditative exercise
- Break-out time in small groups
- Sharing of experiences
The meditations build on each other, so we encourage you to join right at the beginning.
About Dr. Adam Blanning
Adam Blanning MD is a Denver Waldorf School parent, and practices integrative and anthroposophic family medicine. He is president of the Anthroposophic Health Association (AHA), an umbrella organization for therapeutic associations working to bring anthroposophic insights into the realms of medicine, nursing, naturopathy, body therapies, artistic therapies, movement therapies and counselling. Dr. Blanning lectures and teaches nationally and internationally on topics relating to holistic medicine and the dynamics of human development, with a special interest in supporting children.
About The Denver Waldorf School
Founded in 1974 on Rudolf Steiner’s humanitarian curriculum, DWS believes education should foster what it is to be human, cultivate lifelong curiosity, and inspire a love for the world. Want to learn more about the benefits of Waldorf education? Join us online during one of our many virtual events.
DWS is also currently enrolling preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school students. Tour our school to see the Denver campus and meet us in person!
Webinar Registration
Special Subjects: Educating the Whole Student
Educating the Whole Student
Learn more about the subjects that round out Waldorf academics to educate the whole student and inspire a life-long love of learning. From handwork and sculpture to athletics and world languages, the Waldorf curriculum allows students a well-rounded experience to prepare them for the world beyond the DWS doors.
Date: December 10, 2020
Time: 9:30am MST
Location: Online via Zoom
We will follow the presentation with a live Q&A. Please register to reserve a seat.
Who You’ll Meet
- Deb Wolf — Handwork (knitting and sewing)
- Mike Quinn — Athletics & PE
- Dawn Archer — Games
- Sara Fierer — Strings
- Mariko Murase — Music
- Mckenna Fuentes — High School Spanish
- Natalia Lopez-Gomez — Lowers Grades Spanish
- David Dunn — Woodworking & Industrial Arts
About The Denver Waldorf School
Founded in 1974 on Rudolf Steiner’s humanitarian curriculum, DWS believes education should foster what it is to be human, cultivate lifelong curiosity, and inspire a love for the world. Want to learn more about the benefits of Waldorf education? Join us online during one of our many virtual events.
Webinar Registration
Special Subjects: Educating the Whole Student
Educating the Whole Student
Learn more about the subjects that round out Waldorf academics to educate the whole student and inspire a life-long love of learning. From handwork and sculpture to athletics and world languages, the Waldorf curriculum allows students a well-rounded experience to prepare them for the world beyond the DWS doors.
Date: December 10, 2020
Time: 9:30am MST
Location: Online via Zoom
We will follow the presentation with a live Q&A. Please register to reserve a seat.
Who You’ll Meet
- Deb Wolf — Handwork (knitting and sewing)
- Mike Quinn — Athletics & PE
- Dawn Archer — Games
- Sara Fierer — Strings
- Mariko Murase — Music
- Mckenna Fuentes — High School Spanish
- Natalia Lopez-Gomez — Lowers Grades Spanish
- David Dunn — Woodworking & Industrial Arts
About The Denver Waldorf School
Founded in 1974 on Rudolf Steiner’s humanitarian curriculum, DWS believes education should foster what it is to be human, cultivate lifelong curiosity, and inspire a love for the world. Want to learn more about the benefits of Waldorf education? Join us online during one of our many virtual events.
Webinar Registration
Bread Baking in Early Childhood
If you need a hand in the kitchen tomorrow, remember that your kindergartner can handle the bread baking! Not just during Thanksgiving, but every week we bake bread together in our kindergartens in preparation for snack time. It is a time for our little ones to understand how our food is made, to participate in purposeful work, to use their creativity to shape the dough, to appreciate the entire process and all of the smells and tastes that go with it, and to celebrate the importance of gathering around the table. We are grateful that we have been able to enjoy the company of your children in this unusual year.
For anyone at home who would like to make bread with your children, we have shared one of our much loved kindergarten bread recipes below.
Morning Glory Bread
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup organic honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of good organic oil
organic whole wheat flour (you can also mix some organic white flour in)
Mix warm water and yeast in a large bowl, add honey and salt, then add oil. When this is all mixed, add a cup or so of flour at a time and mix well until you have a nice dough. Cover the dough with a clean towel and let it rise for about an hour. When the dough has risen, smush it down with your hand and let it rise again for about a half hour. Then, knead the dough (the children are very good at this) for a while. You and your child can shape it however you would like. They can take small pieces to make what they want and you can braid the dough or shape it into a loaf. Bake it at 350 until it is a golden brown. We love it with sunflower butter and jam or just butter is delicious! We have fruit with our homemade bread for our snack.
Holiday Ham-a-Thon
Holiday Ham-a-Thon: A Fundraiser to Bring Home the Bacon
Join us virtually on Colorado Gives Day, Tuesday, December 8th at 6:00 pm, for a fundraiser benefiting the DWS Annual Fund! Our favorite school hams will be “hamming” it up for your sponsorship, as well as auctioning holiday gift baskets. Viewers can contribute live via Zoom, the DWS Colorado Gives Day Page, or by good-old-fashioned phone call!
Date: December 8, 2020
Time: 6-8pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Register to Save Your Spot
Holiday Ham-a-Thon
Holiday Ham-a-Thon: A Fundraiser to Bring Home the Bacon
Join us virtually on Colorado Gives Day, Tuesday, December 8th at 6:00 pm, for a fundraiser benefiting the DWS Annual Fund! Our favorite school hams will be “hamming” it up for your sponsorship, as well as auctioning holiday gift baskets. Viewers can contribute live via Zoom, the DWS Colorado Gives Day Page, or by good-old-fashioned phone call!
Date: December 8, 2020
Time: 6-8pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Register to Save Your Spot
The Bridge: Diversity and Inclusivity
Up Next on The Bridge: Diversity and Inclusivity
This week on The Bridge, Waldorf educators Magally Luna and Vernon Dewey are joined by racial justice activist Mahdyeh Nowkhandan to discuss the work of diversity and inclusivity in the classroom and in the community at large.
Topic:Diversity and Inclusivity — Fostering a Community for All
Date: December 2, 2020
Time: 7pm MST
Location: Online via Zoom
We will follow the presentation with a live Q&A. Please register to reserve a seat.
What You’ll Learn
The founding principles of Waldorf education are to help the child develop a strong sense of self along with a sense for the community. The DWS Diversity and Inclusivity Committee works to help fulfill this mission in light of our various identities: racial, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and more.
During this webinar, the panel will also cover:
- How and why we developed a Diversity and Inclusivity Committee
- Past and current efforts
- How you can become involved
About the Panel
About Vernon Dewey
Vernon has been working at The Denver Waldorf School since 2008, assisting in the 1st and 2nd Grades before taking on the 1st Grade as class teacher in 2010. He attended Evergreen State College and graduated with a Master’s in Education and a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Antioch University of New England in 2010. In addition to teaching at The Denver Waldorf School, currently as 8th Grade Teacher, Vernon also serves as a founding member and co-chair of the school’s Diversity Committee.
About Magally Luna
Nearly 20 years, Magally joined the DWS community to teach Spanish. Today, she serves in the elementary school as our 4th grade teacher. “I bring a diverse curriculum to my class of cuties,” she says. She has been on the school’s D&I Committee since its inception, starting with conversations with Laurie Clark in the Morning Glory classroom. She is the founder and co-chair of AWSNA’S BIPOC affinity group, — supporting Waldorf teachers of color throughout the nation — and she has taught BIPOC stories, songs, and movement from the Americas at several national conferences.
About Mahdyeh Nowkhandan
Mahdyeh Nowkhandan is a new DWS parent and member of the D&I Committee, and has recently become one of the leads on the new Denver Waldorf Racial Justice Parent Group. She has a background in advocacy work and racial justice, as well as elementary education — including social-emotional and special education. She is a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award, and still she views herself as a life-long learner, non-expert, and an always growing member of the BIPOC community.
About The Bridge
The Bridge is a bimonthly webinar series hosted by The Denver Waldorf School on the benefits of Waldorf education. By connecting one another, we aim to join in the worldwide effort to educate for humanity.
About The Denver Waldorf School
The Denver Waldorf School is an urban pre-K through 12 independent school in Colorado. Founded in 1974 on Rudolf Steiner’s humanitarian curriculum, DWS believes education should foster what it is to be human, cultivate lifelong curiosity, and inspire a love for the world. We are currently enrolling for in-person learning:
Want to learn more about us? Schedule an in-person tour of our Denver campus or join us online during our virtual events.