Shining Mountain Waldorf School Plans In-Person PreK-12 Learning Five Days a Week on 12-Acre North Boulder Campus
BOULDER, Colo., August 17, 2020 (Newswire.com) - Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS), an independent PreK-12 school in North Boulder, Colorado, announced a Fall 2020 Reopening Plan that includes five-day, in-person, on-campus learning. The school’s plan is in accordance with health and safety requirements established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and with guidance for Colorado schools from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE), the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), the Colorado Office of Early Childhood Division of Early Care & Learning, Boulder County Public Health (BCPH), the City of Boulder, and the Governor’s Office. Their first day of school is Sept. 2, 2020.
SMWS is one of the only schools in the region to offer this kind of plan, which stands out from Boulder Valley School District’s decision to start the school year with distance learning. In an announcement, Mary Eaton Fairfield, School Director, wrote, "Our 12-acre campus, smaller class sizes, and decentralized classrooms allow us to offer in-person learning Monday through Friday this fall. We are fortunate to be able to welcome our students back on campus, so that they will have the opportunity to resume learning, play, and socializing, which are all essential to the healthy development and well-being of children.”
The school’s reopening task force also cited:
Access to open space: the Shining Mountain Waldorf School campus borders City of Boulder Open Space, including Foothills Park and Wonderland Lake Nature Reserve.
Separate entrances to classrooms: many classrooms are in freestanding, separate buildings.
Strict adherence to all public health guidelines regarding health and safety protocols.
Community-minded families committed to taking preventative measures to reduce risk to others.
Experienced and adaptable faculty/staff.
Relatively small class sizes.
Teachers ready to transition to BtC (Beyond the Classroom, or distance learning), whenever necessary.
About Shining Mountain Waldorf School: Shining Mountain Waldorf School is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) independent school, founded in Boulder in September 1983. We are an accredited member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS), and the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN). Admissions information: Boulder Private School Enrollment.
About Waldorf Education: Based on the education philosophy initiated by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf Education is a culturally rich, age-appropriate curriculum that educates the body, mind, and spirit of the child. Steiner intended Waldorf education to focus not only on what knowledge must be acquired to enter society, but also to awaken capacities in children that would bring new impulses into society. Since the founding of the first school, Waldorf education has become a global independent school movement with more than 1,000 schools worldwide in over 60 countries.
Media Contacts:
Mary Eaton Fairfield, School Director, mfairfield@smwaldorf.org
Joshua Berman, Social Media Director, jberman@smwaldorf.org
ADDRESS: 999 Violet Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80304
PHONE: 303-444-7697
WEBSITE: shiningmountainwaldorf.org
Source: Shining Mountain Waldorf School