Michael Baker (Woodworking) has been teaching at DWS since 1983. In addition to teaching woodworking, he taught gym for nine years, and he founded the unicycle and archery clubs. He helped start a gym program in the Redwood City, California Waldorf school and he has helped several woodworking teachers start Waldorf woodworking programs. He has served on the College of Teachers and he was a member of the Board of Trustees for 17 years. You may contact Michael at ext. 196.
Nancy Blanning (Therapeutic Support) has been teaching in Waldorf settings since 1982. After 17 years in the Waldorf Preschool Kindergarten, she began to offer therapeutic support lessons for children in our school. Her education includes a BA degree from CU Boulder in English, with teaching credentials, and a four-year therapeutic education training with other Waldorf schools. She also serves as a board member with the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN). You may contact Nancy at ext. 164.
Tracey Buchanan (2nd Grade) has received her Waldorf Teaching Certification through Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, CA, where she was chosen by her class as Graduate Representative. She has been a Class Teacher since 2005, and has assisted in Waldorf classrooms and early childhood programs since 2003. Before her involvement in Waldorf Education, Tracey spent over ten years in individual and formal study of the Gaelic language speaking cultures of Scotland and North America: working, going to University, and living in the Nova Scotian Gaidhealtachd. She taught classes in Celtic Folk Life at Colorado Free University from 2001-2003, when she turned her attentions to the excitement of the Waldorf classroom. She is currently working on her B.A. in Waldorf Education. She and her husband James live in Denver with their two children: son Breandan, and daughter Peig. You may contact Tracey at ext. 132.
Jessie Cartwright (6th Grade) is a DWS graduate. Before taking the 2nd grade class in 2005, she was the games teacher for two years. Jessie attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities. She graduated from Antioch New England Graduate School, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Waldorf Education in the summer of 2006. You may contact Jessie at ext. 191.
Tom Clark (Sabbatical year) has been teaching at DWS since 1985. He attended the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design. He first began working with children at the Parzival Shield Waldorf School’s Summer Camp. In 1985, he took on the teaching position with DWS’ 3rd Grade class. Since then, he has taken another class from 1st through 8th Grades before beginning his journey at 1st Grade with the students in his current class. You may contact Tom at ext. 167.
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Betsy Doyle (3rd Grade) has been teaching at DWS since 1995. She attended San Jose State College and received her degree in Humanities from New College in San Francisco. After receiving her Waldorf teacher training at the Rudolf Steiner College in San Francisco, she took her first class at DWS from 1st grade to 8th grade, then followed with her next class from 5th through 8th grade. You may contact Betsy at ext. 176.
Darlene Gaillot (8th Grade) has been a part of DWS since 1994. She enrolled at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California, then began her teaching career with a Preschool Kindergarten teaching position in Texas before moving to Denver. As well as working for one year in our school’s administration, she worked in our Preschool Kindergarten for three years before moving into the role of a class teacher. She earned her Waldorf teaching certificate from Sunbridge College in March 2006. You may contact Darlene at ext. 193.
Vicki Hindes (7th Grade) has been teaching at the school since 1985. She taught three years in the Preschool Kindergarten before taking a position as class teacher, which she has held since that time, finishing three 8th grades. She also teaches lyre in the first and second grades, and social dance in the middle school. Vicki completed a BA in Speech Communication at Metropolitan State College, and an MA in Speech/Language Pathology at the University of Denver before becoming a teacher. You may contact Vicki at ext. 165.
Todd Matuszewicz (1st Grade) has been teaching at DWS since 2000. He was born and raised in Denver, and he attended the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Returning to Denver in 1993, he couldn’t ignore his desire to become a teacher. He began his Waldorf teaching studies at the Boulder Anthroposophical Institute and received his teaching credentials from the Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, California. You may contact Todd at ext. 196.
Jeff McClendon (Music Director) leads chorus and orchestra instruction at DWS. He studied voice, bassoon and composition at West Georgia College and received scholarships for his graduate studies in vocal performance at the Julliard School and the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. He has sung with many symphony orchestras and opera companies, including the Atlanta Symphony, the Birmingham Symphony, the Atlanta Ballet, the Atlanta Opera, and the American Symphony in New York City. He has toured Europe as a recitalist, he is a cantor and choir member at the St. Augustine Orthodox Church, and he plays bassoon in the Denver Philharmonic. In addition, he completed the two-year teacher training course in Waldorf Education at Sunbridge College in New York (SUNY). You may contact Jeff at ext. 169.
Sylvia Nordoff (Eurythmy) was born in New York. Her parents were Paul Nordoff, the famous composer and Sabina Zae, Broadway performer and choreographer. Sylvia showed an early interest for movement, performing eurythmy for the first time at age 12. She studied at the Theatre of Arts at New York University. She carried out her formal studies in eurythmy with Marjorie Spock, NY, and with Sabina Nordoff of the Zucholi School of Eurythmy in Switzerland. As well, she trained in modern dance at the Martha Graham Dance School in New York City and in flamenco with Margaret Flores in Woodstock, NY. Sylvia has spent over 25 years teaching movement to children at the kindergarten, elementary and high school levels, at the Ottowa and Parsifal Waldorf Schools, and the Santa Fe Waldorf School, to name a few. You may contact Sylvia at ext. 152.
Janet Palo (Middle School Math) began teaching at DWS as a substitute in 1997. She developed the middle school math program and has been teaching it since 2002. She is a third-generation graduate of Quaker High School, where she learned to articulate consensus-decision making—a body of knowledge she shared especially often during her five years as a member and co-chair of the Board of Trustees. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan. You may contact Janet at ext. 187.
Faustina Pfister (5th Grade) is a former assistant in the Preschool Kindergarten here at DWS. She returned to DWS in 2005 to take the 1st grade after completing her Waldorf Teaching Certification in Eugene, Oregon. She also received her B.A. in Political Science and History from Austin College and a French Baccalaureate at the French Lycee in Kuwait. She is fluent in French, Spanish, and Italian and equally skilled in pottery, handwork, cooking, and printmaking. You may contact Faustina at ext. 163.
Michael Quinn (Athletic Director, Head Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coach) joined DWS in August of 2003. His recreational history includes eight years as a Recreational Instructor in Youth Sports and Arts at Harvard Gulch Recreation Center in Denver. He taught children ranging in age from 5 to 14. He is a graduate of South High School and attended Metropolitan State College. You may contact Michael at ext. 112.
Magally Rizo (Spanish) has been teaching at DWS since 2000. She is a native speaker whose family hails from Colombia and Mexico. She received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has had the privilege of sharing Latin dance and music in Asia and Europe. She continues to sing with the Afro-Caribbean band Kizumba and she acts occasionally in plays at El Centro Su Teatro, one of the few bilingual theaters in the United States. You may contact Magally at ext. 159.
Mary Spotts (Reading Specialist) has been teaching at DWS since 1997. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College. She received certifications in reading from both Denver Academy and the Cherry Creek school district. Ongoing education includes courses in writing, continuing education in reading, and comprehension. You may contact Mary at ext. 186.
Rosemary Vermouth (2nd Grade) comes to us from the River Song Waldorf School in Fort Collins, Colorado where she served for 13 years as a class teacher. Rosemary enrolled in the three year San Francisco Extension Course (Bay Area Teacher Training Program extension of the Rudolf Steiner College) and graduated in 1993. She also matriculated U.C. Berkeley and the San Francisco University Extension program in Early Childhood Education and received a B.A. in Psychology from the West Chester College in Pennsylvania. You may contact Rosemary at ext. 177.
Deborah Wolf (Handwork) has been teaching at DWS since 1990. She was born in New Orleans and moved to Colorado to attend Colorado College and the University of Denver School of Social Work, where she earned her Master’s degree. She taught in the DWS Preschool Kindergarten for three years, and then studied class teaching at Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, California. In 2005 she graduated her second 8th Grade class, and since then has held the handwork program. You may contact Deb at ext. 174.
Grade School Faculty Biographies
Michael Baker (Woodworking) has been teaching at DWS since 1983. In addition to teaching woodworking, he taught gym for nine years, and he founded the unicycle and archery clubs. He helped start a gym program in the Redwood City, California Waldorf school and he has helped several woodworking teachers start Waldorf woodworking programs. He has served on the College of Teachers and he was a member of the Board of Trustees for 17 years. You may contact Michael at ext. 196.
Nancy Blanning (Therapeutic Support) has been teaching in Waldorf settings since 1982. After 17 years in the Waldorf Preschool Kindergarten, she began to offer therapeutic support lessons for children in our school. Her education includes a BA degree from CU Boulder in English, with teaching credentials, and a four-year therapeutic education training with other Waldorf schools. She also serves as a board member with the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN). You may contact Nancy at ext. 164.
Tracey Buchanan (2nd Grade) has received her Waldorf Teaching Certification through Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, CA, where she was chosen by her class as Graduate Representative. She has been a Class Teacher since 2005, and has assisted in Waldorf classrooms and early childhood programs since 2003. Before her involvement in Waldorf Education, Tracey spent over ten years in individual and formal study of the Gaelic language speaking cultures of Scotland and North America: working, going to University, and living in the Nova Scotian Gaidhealtachd. She taught classes in Celtic Folk Life at Colorado Free University from 2001-2003, when she turned her attentions to the excitement of the Waldorf classroom. She is currently working on her B.A. in Waldorf Education. She and her husband James live in Denver with their two children: son Breandan, and daughter Peig. You may contact Tracey at ext. 132.
Jessie Cartwright (6th Grade) is a DWS graduate. Before taking the 2nd grade class in 2005, she was the games teacher for two years. Jessie attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities. She graduated from Antioch New England Graduate School, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Waldorf Education in the summer of 2006. You may contact Jessie at ext. 191.
Tom Clark (Sabbatical year) has been teaching at DWS since 1985. He attended the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design. He first began working with children at the Parzival Shield Waldorf School’s Summer Camp. In 1985, he took on the teaching position with DWS’ 3rd Grade class. Since then, he has taken another class from 1st through 8th Grades before beginning his journey at 1st Grade with the students in his current class. You may contact Tom at ext. 167.
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Betsy Doyle (3rd Grade) has been teaching at DWS since 1995. She attended San Jose State College and received her degree in Humanities from New College in San Francisco. After receiving her Waldorf teacher training at the Rudolf Steiner College in San Francisco, she took her first class at DWS from 1st grade to 8th grade, then followed with her next class from 5th through 8th grade. You may contact Betsy at ext. 176.
Darlene Gaillot (8th Grade) has been a part of DWS since 1994. She enrolled at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California, then began her teaching career with a Preschool Kindergarten teaching position in Texas before moving to Denver. As well as working for one year in our school’s administration, she worked in our Preschool Kindergarten for three years before moving into the role of a class teacher. She earned her Waldorf teaching certificate from Sunbridge College in March 2006. You may contact Darlene at ext. 193.
Vicki Hindes (7th Grade) has been teaching at the school since 1985. She taught three years in the Preschool Kindergarten before taking a position as class teacher, which she has held since that time, finishing three 8th grades. She also teaches lyre in the first and second grades, and social dance in the middle school. Vicki completed a BA in Speech Communication at Metropolitan State College, and an MA in Speech/Language Pathology at the University of Denver before becoming a teacher. You may contact Vicki at ext. 165.
Todd Matuszewicz (1st Grade) has been teaching at DWS since 2000. He was born and raised in Denver, and he attended the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Returning to Denver in 1993, he couldn’t ignore his desire to become a teacher. He began his Waldorf teaching studies at the Boulder Anthroposophical Institute and received his teaching credentials from the Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, California. You may contact Todd at ext. 196.
Jeff McClendon (Music Director) leads chorus and orchestra instruction at DWS. He studied voice, bassoon and composition at West Georgia College and received scholarships for his graduate studies in vocal performance at the Julliard School and the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. He has sung with many symphony orchestras and opera companies, including the Atlanta Symphony, the Birmingham Symphony, the Atlanta Ballet, the Atlanta Opera, and the American Symphony in New York City. He has toured Europe as a recitalist, he is a cantor and choir member at the St. Augustine Orthodox Church, and he plays bassoon in the Denver Philharmonic. In addition, he completed the two-year teacher training course in Waldorf Education at Sunbridge College in New York (SUNY). You may contact Jeff at ext. 169.
Sylvia Nordoff (Eurythmy) was born in New York. Her parents were Paul Nordoff, the famous composer and Sabina Zae, Broadway performer and choreographer. Sylvia showed an early interest for movement, performing eurythmy for the first time at age 12. She studied at the Theatre of Arts at New York University. She carried out her formal studies in eurythmy with Marjorie Spock, NY, and with Sabina Nordoff of the Zucholi School of Eurythmy in Switzerland. As well, she trained in modern dance at the Martha Graham Dance School in New York City and in flamenco with Margaret Flores in Woodstock, NY. Sylvia has spent over 25 years teaching movement to children at the kindergarten, elementary and high school levels, at the Ottowa and Parsifal Waldorf Schools, and the Santa Fe Waldorf School, to name a few. You may contact Sylvia at ext. 152.
Janet Palo (Middle School Math) began teaching at DWS as a substitute in 1997. She developed the middle school math program and has been teaching it since 2002. She is a third-generation graduate of Quaker High School, where she learned to articulate consensus-decision making—a body of knowledge she shared especially often during her five years as a member and co-chair of the Board of Trustees. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan. You may contact Janet at ext. 187.
Faustina Pfister (5th Grade) is a former assistant in the Preschool Kindergarten here at DWS. She returned to DWS in 2005 to take the 1st grade after completing her Waldorf Teaching Certification in Eugene, Oregon. She also received her B.A. in Political Science and History from Austin College and a French Baccalaureate at the French Lycee in Kuwait. She is fluent in French, Spanish, and Italian and equally skilled in pottery, handwork, cooking, and printmaking. You may contact Faustina at ext. 163.
Michael Quinn (Athletic Director, Head Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coach) joined DWS in August of 2003. His recreational history includes eight years as a Recreational Instructor in Youth Sports and Arts at Harvard Gulch Recreation Center in Denver. He taught children ranging in age from 5 to 14. He is a graduate of South High School and attended Metropolitan State College. You may contact Michael at ext. 112.
Magally Rizo (Spanish) has been teaching at DWS since 2000. She is a native speaker whose family hails from Colombia and Mexico. She received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has had the privilege of sharing Latin dance and music in Asia and Europe. She continues to sing with the Afro-Caribbean band Kizumba and she acts occasionally in plays at El Centro Su Teatro, one of the few bilingual theaters in the United States. You may contact Magally at ext. 159.
Mary Spotts (Reading Specialist) has been teaching at DWS since 1997. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College. She received certifications in reading from both Denver Academy and the Cherry Creek school district. Ongoing education includes courses in writing, continuing education in reading, and comprehension. You may contact Mary at ext. 186.
Rosemary Vermouth (2nd Grade) comes to us from the River Song Waldorf School in Fort Collins, Colorado where she served for 13 years as a class teacher. Rosemary enrolled in the three year San Francisco Extension Course (Bay Area Teacher Training Program extension of the Rudolf Steiner College) and graduated in 1993. She also matriculated U.C. Berkeley and the San Francisco University Extension program in Early Childhood Education and received a B.A. in Psychology from the West Chester College in Pennsylvania. You may contact Rosemary at ext. 177.
Deborah Wolf (Handwork) has been teaching at DWS since 1990. She was born in New Orleans and moved to Colorado to attend Colorado College and the University of Denver School of Social Work, where she earned her Master’s degree. She taught in the DWS Preschool Kindergarten for three years, and then studied class teaching at Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, California. In 2005 she graduated her second 8th Grade class, and since then has held the handwork program. You may contact Deb at ext. 174.