Festival of Life Renewed
This is our school’s spring celebration. It is meant to be inclusive for all living on our Earth, celebrating the health-giving rhythms of the year and bringing attention to the efforts toward sustainably honoring our planet. Bringing together several spring traditions, we gather in the sun to play, sing, and dance as our whole school community unites in celebrating the renewal of life and the passing of winter. All families are invited to join the students on the school playground to watch students sing, dance the maypole, and enjoy spring activities. Parent Council will be providing goodies and sponsoring some fun eco-friendly activities.
Adventures in Anthroposophic Education: Born in Revolution- Education Towards Freedom in Uncertain Times
Presented by Tom Clark:
The Waldorf School was created in 1919 during the German revolution, a time of
political, economic, and social chaos. During this turbulent time, Rudolf Steiner
inaugurated an education toward Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood, that became
the Waldorf School we know today. In our turbulent times as well, it is a challenge for
parents and teachers to create an environment and an education in which those
values can become an integral part of the lives of the students.
This presentation will offer an experience and an understanding of how in each class,
Waldorf teachers strive to nurture these qualities of Freedom, Equality, and
Sister/Brotherhood so essential for our children today.
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Tom Clark has been a grade school teacher at DWS since 1985 and has taken three classes through the grades. Since 2010, he has been teaching art and science in the high school and science classes in the middle school. Tom brings experiential learning to the students through hands-on projects and with activities bridging the worlds of art and science. He is a Waldorf teacher trainer and mentor.
Alumni Panel
Join us in the music room or online Tuesday, February 11 at 2:30-3:30PM for a conversation with a panel of wonderful DWS Alumni who will share about their journeys post high school.
Watch on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94927461447?
Meeting ID: 949 2746 1447
Passcode: 617660
The panel will feature DWS Alumni:
Michael Coury-2007, Jake Smith-2014, Isabella Clark-2018, Julia Etkin-2019
Read their Bio's below
Michael Coury- 2007
I attended the Denver Waldorf School from kindergarten (Parzival Shield) to high school, graduating high school in 2007 (almost 20 years ago, wow!). Betsy Doyle White was my class teacher from 1st-8th grade, and Annemarie Brown was our high school class advisor. After graduating, I attended the University of Denver, where I received a BA in International Studies and Russian. I stayed at DU a bit longer to earn my MA in International Studies.
After college, I worked briefly as a criminal intelligence analyst for the Colorado Department of Safety. In 2020, I moved to Maryland with my husband, where I now work as the Director of Communications for Maryland's Office of Overdose Response, which is an office of the Maryland Department of Health. Our team works to promote collaboration between state and local agencies that implement programs related to substance use and overdose.
Julia Etkin- 2019
I attended the Denver Waldorf School from 1st grade, in Betsy Doyle White’s class, through 12th grade, graduating from DWS High School in 2019. I attended Union College in upstate NY and graduated Summa Cum Laude with my Bachelor's degree in Science, Medicine, and Technology with Political Science and Law in 2023. I then completed my Postgraduate Fellowship at Yale School of Medicine. I am a Dean’s Scholar at Harvard Medical School, pursuing my Master of Science in Bioethics (MBE), and hold a research position at the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard.
“Attending the Denver Waldorf School from 1st through 12th grade cultivated my ability to think critically, approach challenges with creativity, and engage deeply with the interconnectedness of disciplines, namely science and government. This foundation continues to shape how I approach my studies and research today, as I explore the ethical and regulatory implications of drug development and healthcare delivery and policy at Harvard Medical School.”
Jake Smith- 2014
I graduated from the Denver Waldorf School in 2014 after attending K-12. Following graduation, I attended Colorado State University, where I earned a degree in Health and Exercise Science, graduating in 2018. Following my studies, I moved to Seattle to work as a personal trainer. While I enjoyed the role, I found myself seeking greater challenges and opportunities for growth. To transition into a more dynamic industry, I pursued a Master of Business Administration at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, while working full-time. I graduated in 2024. During this period, I began contracting at Microsoft as a Project Manager for the Go-to-Market and Strategic Planning team. After 1.5 years in that role, I was offered a full-time position as a Cybersecurity Sales Specialist at Microsoft, where I have now been for over a year.
“My time at Waldorf instilled valuable lessons that extend beyond academics—it taught me how to learn, adapt, and approach new challenges with curiosity and excitement.”
Isabella Clark- 2018
I began at the DWS at age 4 in Woodrose Kindergarten. Mrs. Vermouth was my teacher from grades 1-8 and I graduated from the high school in 2018. After graduation, I received an art scholarship to Southwestern University, and spent two semesters there before opting out to run my own art business. I spent two years discovering what kind of artist I wanted to be, starting out by painting pet portraits for friends. This was followed by many interesting projects from crosswalk murals, to bodypainting retreats, to logo design, all which landed me where I am today. I have settled into being a children’s book illustrator where I get to spend my time with the medium I love: watercolor. I am currently working with three authors, one of which I have partnered with long term, for 13 series and 39 books of mindfulness tools for children! The first book in the first series, called Courage finds his Calm, is being published this coming August by Morgan James Publishing!
“Through teaching me to think critically, Waldorf fostered problem-solving skills and a self-reliance within me that has made me resilient to life’s challenges and given me the strength to face anything life has thrown at me. However, I think the very best thing Waldorf gave to me was a loving and supportive community throughout my childhood that nurtured me into becoming a healthy adult.”
You can find us at Awakentheone.org.
You can find me on instagram at @izzyssketchbook and my website at isabellaclark.com
Adventures in Anthroposphic Education: A Healing Moment in Our Time- An Introduction to Eurythmy & Eurythmy Therapy
Eurythmy comes from the Greek word meaning “Harmonious movement or rhythm” .
What does it mean for our children and for us to be in “harmonious rhythm" in our
bodies, in ourselves, and in relation to others, our environment, and world?
Together we will experience Eurythmy as a performance art, and explore how we might
find some of its pedagogical and therapeutic benefits.
We look forward to having you join us!
With guidance from Rudolf Steiner, Eurythmy grew out of the soil of Anthroposophy as a
renewed form of social movement art, that makes visible speech and music in
performance, supports healthy child development in Waldorf pedagogy, enlivens
individual practice and group work. Later, to address more acute imbalances and illnesses
in their patients, specialized indications for a Eurythmy Therapy were given to
anthroposophical doctors and eurythmists.
Bride Alona McWilliam, a Waldorf alumni, is a graduate of
Eurythmy Spring Valley, NY and is currently completing a Masters
in Therapeutic Eurythmy through Alanus and Oslo Universities.
She recently moved to Colorado for an internship at the Denver
Center for Anthroposophical Therapies, mentored by Dr. Adam
Blanning and therapeutic eurythmist, Glenda Monasch. In the last
few months of study and thesis work, she looks forward to
continuing to deepen her eurythmy therapy experience in 1:1
practice, group work, and community engagement.
Contact her at [email protected] with any questions or if interested in individual Eurythmy therapy sessions.
RSVP by Feb 12th