Draft:Mountain Phoenix Community School

Mountain Phoenix Community School is a Jefferson County public charter school in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, that offers a curriculum guided by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education. The school operates with students from preschool through 8th grade and teaches academics through experiential learning and scientific inquiry. Subjects like science, history, and geography are taught through main lesson blocks that incorporate music, visual arts, storytelling, and movement. The school promotes a developmentally appropriate approach to education, aligning with the key elements of Waldorf learning.

Mountain Phoenix Community School began in 2006, founded by a group of four parents and educators residing in Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado. It holds the accolade for being the first charter school in Colorado inspired by Waldorf education to receive approval from the state. It officially began serving students in the 2007-2008 school year, occupying a modest three-room schoolhouse with an enrollment of 59 students. Although situated in a mountain community, a substantial amount of the student body commuted from the Denver metropolitan area to attend the school.

Interest in Waldorf-inspired education grew, and consequently, MPCS expanded its reach. In 2010, the school acquired a 4.2 acre campus in Wheat ridge, Colorado, previously occupied by Foothills Academy. This change was accomplished by negotiations with an investment firm. During the 2010-2011 school year Mountain Phoenix was operating two campuses, made up of approximately 280 students. However, maintaining two campuses simultaneously proved to be unsustainable. In 2011, the decision was made to move entirely to the Wheat Ridge campus.^[1]

Mountain Phoenix Community School offers various educational programs tailored towards the child's developmental needs in each stage of childhood, coherent with the philosophy of Public Waldorf Education. These programs are centered around experiential learning, artistic expression, and social-emotional development.

The Seedlings program features a play-based childhood experience for the youngest learners. This curriculum is crafted for toddlers (0-3 years of age). It fosters socialization and sensory exploration. The Seedlings classroom is structured to support the holistic development of individual children, addressing their social, cognitive, physical, and emotional needs. The Seedlings program serves as an introduction to the Mountain Phoenix community and familiarizes them with the transition to more formal Waldorf education.^[2][3]

The Early Childhood program at MPCS is designed for preschool to kindergarten-aged kids and starts to introduce more foundational skills by doing activities like baking, gardening, circle games, and watercolor painting. This program builds on the structures laid in the Seedlings curriculum. This stage of childhood focuses on the cultivation of imagination and early cognitive skills in a home-like environment. The classroom setting is intentionally designed with natural materials, warm colors, and open spaces that promote exploration and creative thinking. The Early Childhood Program introduces properties that help the development of the child without imposing traditional academic structures too early.^[4][5][6]

The Lower School curriculum is deliberately structured to balance the introduction of formal academic instruction with a continued emphasis on creativity and imagination. Students are introduced to core subjects like mathematics, language arts, science, and history through interdisciplinary "main lesson blocks," a staple of Waldorf Education. These main lesson blocks usually last 3-4 weeks and focus on single subjects at a time. During main lesson blocks, the students create "main lesson pages," which typically include a drawing and a small amount of writing about the current topic. One of the core elements of the curriculum is storytelling. These stories engage the class and introduce them to the acts of heroism, good, evil, and virtue. A notable aspect of the elementary school is that the students keep the same main lesson teacher for all five years.^[7] The goal of this is to create a family aspect in the class and allow the students to create a more intimate connection with their teachers. Mathematics in the lower school is taught with visual aids and hands-on material. Instead of memorizing formulas, students develop a deep understanding of the concept using these tools. Language arts are woven into the main lesson blocks, with spelling and grammar being taught through thematic stories, helping students connect language to the world around them. Science in the lower school focuses heavily on experiential learning. The students investigate natural phenomena and engage in simple experiments to connect these observations to the real world. Primarily in the younger grades, students take part in "nature walks," where the classes walk to a creek, where they are allowed to play and experiment in nature. The curriculum for grades 1-5 at Mountain Phoenix strives to create well-rounded individuals who are not only strong in academic skills but also possess creativity and independent thinking.^{[8][9][7][10]}

The Upper School serves grades 6-8 and follows a Waldorf-inspired curriculum that focuses on academic rigor, artistic expression, and developmental appropriateness. Instruction continues to be centered around main lesson blocks, which now include subjects like chemistry, physics, and cultural history. Students are encouraged to consider current and historical issues from multiple perspectives and to develop thoughtful, informed opinions about the subject. Class discussions and debates are encouraged by the teachers, helping the students become independent and supporting the growth of reasoning and ethical awareness. Similar to the lower school, Middle school students keep the same teacher and classmates for all three years. This relationship helps teachers understand each student’s individual needs and provide more effective support. To prepare students for high school, the focus on math and literature increases. In grades 6-8, students write essays and are taught math in a more traditional manner. This approach introduces them to conventional teaching methods while remaining developmentally appropriate. Movement and physical education remain important; the students take part in some form of movement in homeroom, at the start of the day, and again before the main lesson period starts. The Upper School remains arts-integrated; main lesson pages are the most regularly completed part of the student's workload. At the end of their middle school journey, students select a topic to study or a thing to create for their 8th-grade capstone project. Additionally, at the end of the year, the 8th-grade class takes part in a culminating trip, with past destinations including Washington D.C., Boston, and white-water rafting in Utah. This developmentally aligned program ensures that the students leave the school as independent thinkers with a strong academic foundation.^[11][12]

The Lively Arts Homeschool Program at Mountain Phoenix Community School is designed to support homeschool families who are looking for Waldorf-inspired education for their children. This program is structured as a hybrid-model, it allows students to attend classes part-time while still receiving instruction in movement, music, and visual arts. Families remain the primary educators, while MPCS offers a community based aspect to homeschool learning

Mountain Phoenix Community School offers a variety of specialty classes that support the Waldorf educational philosophy. These subjects are designed to support the development of the whole child, helping with hand-eye coordination, as well as cognitive and physical development. Taught by specialized teachers, each subject contains some of the themes of main lesson blocks, but these specials subjects encourage the students to practice their creativity, imagination, and physical acuteness.^[13]

Art instruction at MPCS focuses on observational drawing, form drawing, and painting. In the Waldorf curriculum, art is believed to cultivate focus, patience, and imagination. To cap off students' time at the school, the 8th-grade students create self-portrait drawings.^[14][13]

In third grade, students choose an orchestral stringed instrument to learn to play. They receive formal instruction on these instruments, and in 5th grade they receive the choice to switch to a concert band, or stay in orchestra. Whichever one they chose they will play for until the end of middle school. Through this curriculum, music theory is slowly introduced and performances take place throughout the year to build confidence and a shared sense of accomplishment.^[15][13]

Handwork supports fine motor development, concentration, and the value of craftsmanship among the students. Beginning in first grade, students learn to knit, progressing to crocheting, hand sewing, embroidery, and eventually machine sewing and pattern design in the upper grades. These activities develop creativity and perseverance, while also linking to other academic themes.^[16][17][13]

Spanish is introduced into the lower grades through songs, storytelling, and games. As students progress, they begin reading, writing, and engaging in simple conversations. By the upper grades students are introduced to grammar, cultural studies, and more complex texts, encouraging the students to be globally aware, and linguistically diverse.^[13]

Games and movement classes help with physical coordination, cooperation, and joy in movement. Games range from imaginative circle games in the younger grades to organized sports, team games, and team-building challenges in the upper grades. These classes promote social emotional learning, physical literacy, and class team building.^[13]

Eurythmy is a movement art unique to the Waldorf curriculum: it integrates language, movement, and gestures. It helps students develop spatial awareness, concentration, rhythm, and a sense of harmony. This unique art is one of the many things that encourage development in young children.^[18][13]

Mountain Phoenix Community School includes a rich variety of festivals, seasonal celebrations, and community events that reflect the core values of Waldorf Education and create a strong sense of connection among students, families, and staff. These traditions take inspiration from cultural heritage and the themes of nature, providing opportunities for reflection, creativity, and shared joy.

One of the school's most valued traditions is the annual Michaelmas Festival, which celebrates the changing of seasons, courage, and strength with live storytelling, music, singing, and activities such as obstacle courses and multiple other team-building activities. Other seasonal events include the Lantern Walk in the Autumn, where students carry handmade lanterns and walk together in a candlelit procession while singing songs. The May Faire, a springtime tradition featuring flower crowns, dancing around the Maypole, and student-performed live music. Another notable event that takes place every year is the Rose Ceremony. At the start of the year, eighth-grade students welcome the first graders by presenting them with a rose. Conversely, at the end of the school year, the first graders present roses to the graduating eighth graders, honoring their progression to high school and acknowledging the culmination of their time at MPCS. The fifth-grade year is spent in preparation for the Pentathlon. It is a significant event inspired by the ancient Greek Olympic Games. This event is a gathering of multiple Waldorf schools in the region but is hosted at the Mountain Phoenix home school location. Students participate in five traditional events: javelin, discus, long jump, running, and circle wrestling. The Pentathlon reinforces values of harmony between body and mind as well as sportsmanship through a formative stage of childhood development.^[19]

Throughout the year, class plays, student concerts, and other community-lead events are mixed into the calendar. These events, often coordinated with help from the Parent Council and faculty, reflect Mountain Phoenix's commitment to creating a inclusive community and school culture that expands beyond the classroom.^[20]

The following was written by Mountain Phoenix Community School's "JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity) Committee". The purpose of the JEDI Committee is to encourage every community member to help build an active, inclusive, and supportive environment that values diversity and supports the growth of the human experience.

“We pause to note that Mountain Phoenix Community School occupies the historic land of the Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne as well as some of the other 45 recognized tribes that lived in what we know today as Colorado. As current people within this space we acknowledge the history of when the pioneers took over this area to alter the interconnected human relationship to land, air, and water to a transactional relationship through genocide and land theft. We recognize the ancestors of these tribes still survive and we hope that they thrive in our modern era. As residents of this area we seek justice for these tribes to be in contact with our government, economic, land stewardship, and residential bodies to be in dialogue about how we can all move forward together for the benefit of the land and the people.”

• Mountain Phoenix Community School's website: https://mountainphoenix.org/

• Waldorf Education

• Jefferson County Public Schools

• Foothills Academy