Shining Mountain is sustained by its invaluable partnerships with parents, both new and returning. Parents join committees, create and support festivals, fundraisers, and events, and offer their time, energy, expertise, and financial resources to contribute to a healthy school life.

Parent Association
At the hub of parent activities is the Parent Associationl, open to any parent in the school. Meeting monthly, the Parent Associationl:

• Contributes to a positive and supportive learning environment for students and adults alike
• Inspires and supports parent and community participation and initiative in an effort to foster a strong sense of school community. 
• Creates a stronger link and builds a deeper sense of community between the Lower School and the High School
• Facilitates clear and consistent communication between parents and the governing bodies of the school, while reinforcing the existing processes established at SMWS for addressing parent concerns, and the stated mission of SMWS

In addition to serving as a PA representative, parents have the opportunity become a Room Parent (who works closely with the classroom teacher, K – 8) or a Festival Coordinator (who links parent volunteers to each festival).

Volunteering
We are deeply grateful for the many contributions that parents make with their skills, time, energy, and financial resources to support this education for their children. The possibilities for volunteering are innumerable: in the classroom, field trips, festivals, campus clean-up, play productions, administrative committees, fundraising, athletics, boys and girls clubs, gardening, and community service.

Committees
Parents with expertise in certain areas are encouraged to share their skills and join any of the following committees or administrative bodies:

• Parent Association
• Board of Trustees
• BOT Finance Committee
• BOT Marketing Committee,
• BOT Development Committee, Annual Fund, Auction
• Festivals: Michaelmas, Halloween Journey, Winter Faire, May Faire
• Master Planning Task Force
• Buildings and Grounds, Gardening

New Family Welcome Committee
Each new family is matched with a host family who shares its knowledge and experience of SMWS with the incoming family. Through personal connection, a host offers support and assists the new family in the transition into SMWS.

What every parent would wish as the best for his or her children, Waldorf education provides. The fullest development of intelligent, imaginative, self-confident and caring persons is the aim of Waldorf education. This aim is solidly grounded in a comprehensive view of human development, in an intellectually and culturally rich curriculum, and in the presence of knowledgeable, caring human beings at every stage of the child’s education.

Douglas Sloan, Professor, Columbia University