Lower School Faculty
Dorothea Altgelt, Class Teacher, Grade 5
Joined SMWS: 1994
Education: PE Teacher Certification, Stuttgart, Germany; Bothmer gymnastics; Spatial Dynamics; Rhythmical Massage
I love teaching children about another culture and another language. It’s like planting a seed for greater tolerance, which has the potential to expand their awareness of world citizenship.
Theresa Baker, Handwork
Joined SMWS: 1988
Education: University of Colorado, Classical Antiquities
Theresa is a Boulder native and an avid reader. She loves stand-up comedy and rarely travels unless it’s on the back of a motorcycle.
Joshua Berman, Spanish Teacher, Grades 1-7
Joined SMWS: 2008
Education: Brown University
After graduating from Brown University, Joshua learned to speak Spanish as a Peace Corps Education Volunteer in Nicaragua; there he worked with rural teachers to integrate environmental activities into the national curriculum. Joshua has also worked as a bilingual Outward Bound instructor for twelve years, in both wilderness and urban settings. Joshua is also an accomplished writer.
Carma Feigal, Kindergarten Teacher
Joined SMWS: 2003
Education: Concordia College, Vocal Music Performance and Business Administration
Carma was born and raised in Minnesota where she studied vocal music performance and business administration. She moved to Colorado where she and her husband Mark are raising their two musical and athletic sons, Ray and Luke. Carma received her Early Childhood Waldorf teacher training in Sacramento, California and is currently teaching the mixed age White Dove Kindergarten class at SMWS.
Mary Beth Fifer, Early Childhood Program Director, Rainbow Garden and Aftercare Teacher
Joined SMWS: 2005
Education: BA, Elementary Education, State University of New York at Geneseo; SUNY at StonyBrook, New York
Mary Beth loves handwork and has a small Waldorf toy business—Beth's Babies and Things—and is thrilled to be a grandmother!
Cherie Flandrick, Kindergarten Teacher
Joined SMWS: 2007
Education: BA, Sociology and Spanish; MA in Counseling Psychology; graduate of Early Childhood Program of Rudolf Steiner College
Marilyn Fox, Class Teacher, Grade 3
Joined SMWS: 1992
Education: BS, Mercy College of Detroit
Marilyn Fox has been involved in Waldorf education since 1976. She grew up in the Midwest and has lived in many places around the country where she has taught in several Waldorf schools. Her special interests are art, especially painting, and the outdoors. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, sea-kayaking, and painting from nature.
Nancy Gershman, Class Teacher, Grade 6
Joined SMWS: 1986
Education: BA, Elementary Education, Connecticut College
I love teaching and helping children awaken to the world.
Claudia Gregori-Samson, German, Grades 1 – 5
Joined SMWS: 1990
Education: BA, Elementary Education, Switzerland
I like to broaden children's minds, to help them say and experience things in a different way.
Keith Hayse, Woodworking
Joined SMWS: 1998
Education: BS, Electronic Engineering, Indiana State University
In the woodworking shop we transform the materials the earth provides. I am blessed to facilitate joyful, meaningful work and the development of an artistic eye.
Debra Holland, Violin Teacher, Grades 3 – 8
Joined SMWS: 2002
Education: BA, University of Arizona
Debbie loves to adventure down into the Maze area of Canyonlands, where her Grandfather herded cattle by himself as an eight-year old son of a Mormon rancher. She is famed for her dutch oven biscuits over a campfire.
Seth Houston, Chorus, Grades 3 – 12
Joined SMWS: 2006
Education: Seth is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Michigan, with degrees in composition, religion, and Buddhist studies. He is currently in the graduate program in choral conducting at the University of Colorado.
David Kennedy, Class Teacher, Grade 8
Joined SMWS: 2007
Education: Waldorf Teacher Training, Emerson College, Sussex, England
Joe Mason, Class Teacher, Grade 7
Joined SMWS: 2002
Education: BA, Education, Colorado State University
I love working with adolescents and having the opportunity to meet them on all levels.
Glenda Monasch, Eurythmy and Resource Program Director
Joined SMWS: 2006
Education: Glenda is a graduate of the Teacher Training College of Witswatersrand University South Africa, Emerson College UK, the Goetheanum in Switzerland, and the Therapeutic Eurythmy Training UK.
Kelly Morrow, Class Teacher, Grade 2
Joined SMWS: 2002
Education: BS, Elementary Education and Special Education, SUNY Geneseo; MS, Reading Specialist, Nazareth College
I love the depth of Waldorf education through which I am able to experience each child as a developing human being, striving to unfold his or her gifts and learning to relate to others and the world.
Thyria Ogletree, Eurythmy
Joined SMWS: 1998
Education: Oklahoma State University; Pedagogical Eurythmy, Antioch New England
I love having the opportunity to transform story, poetry, and music into movement.
Craig Rubens, PE, Lower School Games
Joined SMWS: 1998
Education: BA, Prescott College; Spatial Dynamics Institute
I love seeing youth find joy in movement and develop strength and inner confidence in their physical abilities.
Donald Samson, Class Teacher, Grade 4
Joined SMWS: 1990
Education: BA, Comparative Literature, UCSB; Teacher Training at Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento
Donald has been teaching in the grades at SMWS since 1990. He has long been fascinated by languages, both modern and ancient. He teaches both Hebrew and Greek in the grades. He has translated two books of biblical stories from the Swiss storyteller Jakob Streit, both available from AWSNA. He is also author of the fantasy novel, The Dragon Boy, a supplemental classroom reader for ages ten and up, also available from AWSNA.
Kathleen Starr, Orchestra, Grades 7 – 12
Joined SMWS: 2002
Education: BA, Indiana University; MA, Music, University of Massachusetts
Marcus Turner, Winds Teacher, Grades 5-12
Marcus attended VanderCook College of Music, the only institution in the country to only offer one major: Music Education. VanderCook’s rigorous education offered Marcus the opportunity to learn 17 different instruments including winds, strings and percussion. While at VanderCook, Marcus fostered his interests in many aspects of music and after graduation made the decision to attend graduate school at the University of Colorado, Boulder. At CU, Marcus is a doctoral candidate in the field of musicology specializing in ethnomusicology. His interests of study at this point are Irish myth and folklore transmitted through music and combining the fields of education and ethnomusicology into one cohesive curriculum allowing teachers of all music a comprehensive method of including music of the world in their classrooms.
Lisa Wipke, Resource Teacher
Joined SMWS: 2005
Jamie York, Middle School and High School Math
Joined SMWS: 1994
Education: BS, MS, Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
I love to see the transformation that the students make going from the beginning of middle school to the end of high school.
High School Faculty
David Blair, High School Humanities Teacher
Joined SMWS: 2004
Education: BA, Political Science and History, Rutgers University; Spatial Dynamics Institute
Kate Crowe, High School Math Teacher
Joined SMWS: 2008
Education: BS, Mathematics, Smith College; MFA, University of New Mexico
Kate is an artist and a mathematician, a lover of people and culture, travel, and the great outdoors. She has taught advanced algebra at The Putney School in southern Vermont, where she also coached cross-country skiing. She has also taught at Highland Hall Waldorf School in Los Angeles. Kate brings an analytical side to teaching art and a creative approach to thinking about math. Kate’s mom was a Waldorf teacher and founder of a Waldorf school in upper Vermont.
Daniel Diehl, History and English
Joined SMWS: 1995
Education: BS, History, La Salle University
I’m blessed to have a “good seat” in the arena of adolescent development. I’m fortunate to intimately witness young people’s emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual transformation.
Ralph Doane, German, Grades 8 – 12, Circus Arts
Joined SMWS: 2003
Education: BA, Linguistics, University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England
Hearing a student communicate in another language is inspirational. Our students have such a broad foundation which allows us to explore language and culture more thoroughly than at other places I’ve experienced.
Seth Houston, Chorus, Grades 3 – 12
Joined SMWS: 2006
Education: Seth is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Michigan, with degrees in composition, religion, and Buddhist studies. He is currently in the graduate program in choral conducting at the University of Colorado.
Jenni Keil, Science
Joined SMWS: 2006
Education: BS in Biology and Chemistry, West Virginia Wesleyan University; Masters in Education with an emphasis on Educational Technology and Curriculum
I get the best of both worlds: doing math every day and working closely with adolescents both inside and outside the classroom.
Terra Malmstrom, Science
Joined SMWS: 2003
Education: BS, MS, Neurosciences, Colorado State University
I appreciate the teamwork I experience with the faculty in support of the students.
Thom Schaefer, Humanities
Joined SMWS: 1998
Education: BA, Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz; Spatial Dynamics Institute
What I love about adolescents is that they’re ever-changing chameleons trying to find their true selves. Every day they can go from being active and extroverted to being very contemplative. I love being with actively changing human beings.
Kathleen Starr, Orchestra
Joined SMWS: 2002
Education: BA, Indiana University; MA, Music, University of Massachusetts
Jamie York, Math
Joined SMWS: 1994
Education: BS, MS, Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
I love to see the transformation that the students make going from the beginning of middle school to the end of high school.
Administration
Agaf Dancy , Administrator
Joined SMWS: 2006
Education: BA, Political Science, Brandeis University; MA Education, Eastern Michigan University
It’s a great pleasure and privilege to support the community of teachers and parents in the education of these beautiful children.
Ellyn Hilliard, Director of Admissions and Advancement
Joined SMWS: 2008
Education: BA, Communications, University of California at Davis; MA in Holistic Nutrition, Clayton College
Ellyn received her BA in Communications from the University of California at Davis and later attended Rudolf Steiner College for teacher training before working for Live Oak Waldorf School as both an administrator and middle school teacher. Ellyn finished graduate work at both Bauman College and Clayton College and has worked in the holistic health and nutrition field. She has two Waldorf graduates, Hailey, 22, and Riley, 21. Ellyn and her husband, Mark, moved to Boulder last summer and enjoy the Colorado outdoors.
Sharon Jarrett, Director of Operations
Joined SMWS: 2007
Education: BS, Business Administration, University of Phoenix
Christopher Sassano, Director, Buildings and Grounds
Joined SMWS: 1989
Education: University of Colorado, Boulder
I delight in experiencing the myriad soul qualities here in students, faculty, and parents. It is a blessing to serve.
Mike Terborg, Athletic Director, High School Basketball Coach
Joined SMWS: 2004
Education: BA, Global Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
The commitment of the whole SMWS community (staff and parents) to the holistic development of our children is remarkable. I love the strength and integrity of that commitment throughout the school, and am thrilled to be a working part of this community.
Ann Whitehill, Development Director
Joined SMWS: 2008
Education: MA Educational Policy and Practice, UC Boulder; BA World History, U of Iowa; Secondary Teacher Certification
Ann has worked in non-profit development in arts and education and taught high school for seven years in the 1990’s at the September School where some of her favorite students were Waldorf kids. She is also a professional potter. Ann has a passion for heart-centered education and the arts.
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