https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events daily 0.75 2019-09-01 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/9/3/staffs-first-day monthly 0.5 2019-07-23 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/8/25/volunteer-work-weekend monthly 0.5 2019-07-23 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/8/24/volunteer-work-weekend monthly 0.5 2019-07-23 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/8/18/5mb9by277bbidqp7xs3mmq8pzjrlu1 monthly 0.5 2019-07-23 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/8/17/volunteer-work-weekend monthly 0.5 2019-07-23 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2020/6/5/last-day-of-school monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2020/3/23/spring-break monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2020/3/20/parentteacher-conferences monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2020/3/19/parentteacher-conferences monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2020/3/18/parentteacher-conferences monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/12/23/winter-break monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/11/25/thanksgiving-break monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/7/19/parentteacher-conferences monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/10/17/parentteacher-conferences monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/10/16/parentteacher-conferences monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/new-events/2019/9/16/first-day-of-school-1 monthly 0.5 2019-07-19 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/contact daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1550681239128-UM8UZQRVNP9S5AKWW56F/Screen+Shot+2019-02-20+at+9.38.51+AM.png Contact The school is located bottom right, where X marks the spot! We are 1.8 miles directly south of Mancos town center. https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/welcome daily 1.0 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1603210269010-K0JL0HVUBEK0CLJNB3GE/IMG_9075.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1738598593471-S9H4UZZY10O2UD6UUW8B/IMG_8766.jpg Welcome - IMG_8766.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1603210218472-IOZ9G45YIQGTIMQJ2BFC/IMG_9037.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1603210324478-7Z6ABAL1LBSDSRJ7NELK/IMG_9410.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1644860556920-G489F2HMVX8VXNFMC38M/Screen+Shot+2022-02-14+at+10.42.20+AM.png Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1641850618719-7147RVQAIWW0IVSB72HV/low_res-8233.jpg Welcome Children play at their Waldorf School playground in Mancos, Colorado https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1738599285279-LARC0G326PU3RU3SLLG8/Screen%25252BShot%25252B2023-03-26%25252Bat%25252B3.03.08%25252BPM.jpg Welcome - Screen+Shot+2023-03-26+at+3.03.08+PM.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1738599588083-8NTEW8BFB4J80W8T2DDC/IMG_9414.jpg Welcome - IMG_9414.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1712638304997-JE1QRDBK2L1UDS0NVQU4/Screen+Shot+2024-04-08+at+10.51.17+PM.png Welcome - Screen Shot 2024-04-08 at 10.51.17 PM.png https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/admissions-registration daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/e829fc6b-ab03-4dfe-8ea3-9a9659f8d92f/Screen+Shot+2023-04-03+at+10.19.43+AM.png Admissions & Registration - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1620332399528-IA0DQJ5IYICRWZHTPTAZ/IMG_8855.jpg Admissions & Registration https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1583865114495-TP1XW6GTZKECRI8661NV/Free+play.png Admissions & Registration https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/193ab6a2-c638-4db9-9a7d-fe9d146fc030/Screen+Shot+2023-03-31+at+9.50.16+PM.png Admissions & Registration - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/waldorf-early-childhood-education daily 0.75 2018-12-14 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/governance daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/f73773aa-3415-4713-90aa-1bfa8c8c1f47/Screen+Shot+2022-07-25+at+9.52.38+PM.png Governance - Krista Palmer: Education Krista Palmer arrived on the Waldorf scene in 1963 as a nursery student! She has been a Waldorf teacher for 40 years working at the Kimberton Waldorf school, Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, and then for the last 32 years at the Berkshire Waldorf School in Great Barrington, MA. She has served on the board of trustees for over 15 years at Berkshire Waldorf. Krista has held the position of college chair for over 15 years overseeing the pedagogy at Berkshire Waldorf. She and her husband have three grown sons who all attended Waldorf schools. When not working, she can be found on her bike, in the lake, or hiking in the mountains. She is an avid handworker and is currently the handwork teacher at the grade school. She is delighted to be able to serve and give her experience to Dragonfly School from afar, where her granddaughters are attending. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/9abb830c-3df2-4d6a-b18f-4893900189f3/IMG_0304.jpeg Governance - Claudia Martin: Board President Claudia Martin discovered Waldorf Education later in her fifty-three year career as an educator. She taught at Mountain Song Community School, a Waldorf inspired charter school in Colorado Springs from 2013 through 2024, where she discovered she actually held many Waldorf education values throughout her teaching life. She attended Rudolf Steiner College during the summer of 2013, and benefited from mentorship and training by many Waldorf educators during her time at Mountain Song. Claudia has had diverse experiences in teaching and life, including two years in a rural school in Costa Rica, and she has worked with children from age 3 through 14 over the years. After growing up in Cortez, Claudia received a BA in English from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, and an MED from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. She lived in Florida, upstate New York, Costa Rica, and for much of her adult life in Woodland Park, CO. She recently returned to the Four Corners area to enjoy semi-retirement, being close to her family, and the splendor of the natural world here in Montezuma County. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1635557323600-78UV4HPA6MGRYP7KIHBN/Screen+Shot+2021-10-29+at+7.28.01+PM.png Governance - Claire Broughton: Secretary, Faculty Mentor Beloved lead teacher of Dragonfly Preschool in 2020-21, lead teacher of the Meadowlark Kindergarten 2021-22, lead teacher of the new First Grade in 2022-23, and back to Kindergarten for the 2023-24 school year. Claire joins the board as our faculty representative. She brings her wisdom and sound reason to the governance of this School. She has been a Waldorf teacher for many years and has been instrumental in the growth of Dragonfly. See more about Claire on our meet our faculty page. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/35bab091-3651-41c1-87f2-e85e2a3e964e/Copy+of+IMG_4638.JPEG Governance - Melissa Saye : Committee Chair Originally from her upbringing on the east coast, Melissa came to the Southwest to attend University of New Mexico in 2004. While living in New Mexico she cultivated her passions for the lost arts, geology and sculpture. In tandem with a focus of her formal education in Biology and Multicultural Studies; Linguistics, Melissa immersed herself in an artist cooperative centered in a variety of disciplines spanning Lapidary & Native Silversmithing Techniques, Bronze Sculpture & Lost Wax as well as Glassblowing & Photography. In the years to follow, her time was spent in Alaska developing sufficiency skills in backcountry dwelling hunting large game and furbearer trapping & processing and work as First Mate on a commercial fishing seiner. She moved to the San Juan region of the Rocky Mountains in southern Colorado in 2006. Initially landing in the San Miguel Valley, she spent the next years developing that sense of adventure & discovery hiking, skiing, rafting, rock climbing, foraging & wildcrafting all while fostering an intimate connection to the mountains and wild outdoors. Melissa graduated from the Southwest School of Natural Aesthetics, Tempe, AZ in 2015 and holds dual licenses with Arizona Board of Cosmetology & Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, certified in a diverse collection of healing therapies & advanced modalities. Education in the healing arts began in 2004 where she studied bodywork, cranial sacral, cupping & moxibustion as well as nutritional disciplines and Ayurveda Philosophy. Additional Certifications include Homecare Herbalism, Yoga Sutra Philosophy, Reiki Level 1 and Prana Vinyasa & Aerial Yoga Instructor. Melissa’s ceaseless affinity for the culinary arts, food, or anything edible, is another of her lifelong interests & professional pursuits. From seed to plate, Melissa has worked with regional farms + gardens + ranches to learn more about (high altitude) food cultivation, homesteading skills & sustainable practice. She currently spends her days working with a local building and manufacturing company turning Colorado ponderosa gathered via statewide fire mitigation efforts into beautiful building structures for the community. Becoming a mother has reignited deeply held values inspiring a proactive desire to help create a highly supported, nurturing and creative environment in which the youth of our communities may grow to thrive and be gifted guidance towards resilient hearts, minds and bodies. She is extremely passionate about pioneering local sustainability through agricultural and outdoor education, while passing on timeless traditions and her love for the land to our local youth. As a four year alumni parent, Melissa is thrilled to continue this relationship at this remarkable early childhood retreat and education space. Joining the team at Mancos Valley Dragonfly School feels like a homecoming. She is excited to unleash her talents, learn new skills to cultivate relationships & build capacity while creating lasting impact. Looking onward, Melissa now seeks to apply her multifaceted skill set in nonprofit management, event & funding development, volunteer engagement, collaboration and business development. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/27034376-c33b-42da-97bf-18e7a8ee5683/6-IMG_7581.jpg Governance - Caroline Manning: Vice Secretary More info coming soon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/fa73b19c-4bdc-46c0-ab93-0d67004def15/Screen+Shot+2024-07-27+at+2.50.56+PM.png Governance - Emily Palmer: Treasurer Emily is one of the core Founding Families of Dragonfly in 2018. She was Board President for 7 years, and additionally became School Executive Director from 2022 to the summer of 2025. Emily stepped down from the Director role when both her daughters had graduated from Dragonfly in the spring of 2025. She will stay on the Board as continuing Treasurer and chief Fundraiser, maintaining commitment to the long term sustainability of Dragonfly. Seeing Dragonfly School through to success continues to be a passion. About Emily: born and raised in Mancos/Durango, Emily grew up adventuring in mountains, rivers, desert, and snow. She went on to get a degree in Southwest Studies and Botany from Colorado College. Emily spent most summers leading teenagers on wilderness expeditions through local Deer Hill Expeditions. These summers taught her the value of nature in children’s lives, and the power of education. She went on to school for Massage Therapy in Denver, and used to do massage at the Beehive in Mancos. Now, motherhood has become Emily’s passion and life’s work, mothering Hazel and Olivia. Both girls spent 4 or 5 years at Dragonfly, and both of whom are now proud, well adjusted graduates of this amazing school. Emily loves to be in the mountains, raft down rivers, go on dates with her husband John, and show her girls the wonders of the natural world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1544994630633-ILMSKNAISHLSAL9AA4Z9/kids.jpg Governance https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/kindergartenprogram daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/83352ae6-d4c3-4a3a-a854-8a942d75a599/Screen+Shot+2023-07-08+at+3.40.00+PM.png Kindergarten (4 - 6 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/651a688e-143a-4ed0-9dc3-31a4d4243838/IMG_9713.jpg Kindergarten (4 - 6 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/426b1025-5476-4f6d-ab3f-083217101f95/IMG_6385.jpeg Kindergarten (4 - 6 yrs) - Story time and Puppet Shows This is a daily part of our curriculum and one the children love! The kids also get lots of opportunities to act out their favorite stories. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/699435a9-8026-4149-a3d7-eacee87f1df8/Screen+Shot+2024-03-11+at+2.04.31+PM.png Kindergarten (4 - 6 yrs) - Make it stand out Making Bitty Buns on bread day—children mix, knead, and then shape their dough into fun shapes. Once baked, their bread is their snack together! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/8e55a206-b926-4804-9c38-4ca0cbf14c4b/IMG-0100.jpg Kindergarten (4 - 6 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/6c47e1c9-d128-49d9-ad58-eb83bf6bfeb3/Screen+Shot+2024-02-09+at+9.44.38+AM.png Kindergarten (4 - 6 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/our-classroom daily 0.75 2018-12-14 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/meet-the-faculty daily 0.75 2026-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/057588c1-49bf-486a-a81e-361c149444b4/andra.jpg Meet the Faculty - Andra Sakson: Kindergarten Lead Teacher Andra is a Colorado girl through and through! She grew up in Carbondale, CO with the blessing of attending Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork from preschool through eighth grade. She attributes her immense love of nature to her childhood in Waldorf, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Organismal and Environmental Biology from Fort Lewis College as a result of her profound wonder for the natural world. Since moving to Southwest Colorado for college in 2016, Andra has discovered a special joy in working with young children through avenues such as bike coaching with Every Pedal, working at the Silverton Family Learning Center, the Silverton Public School, and most recently, running her own Waldorf-inspired home childcare program. Andra is currently pursuing an M.Ed. in Waldorf Education from Antioch University, as well as an in-depth Waldorf Early Childhood certification from Sophia’s Hearth. Her professional development is enriched with the study of anthroposophy and child development, and she has a special interest in Pikler caregiving principles– centered around self-initiated movement and respect for the young child. Andra recognizes that we have so much to learn from young children, and her objective as an educator is to support each child in feeling at home in the world and blossoming into their unique self. She is dedicated to cultivating an environment where warmth, love, joy, and attunement to the rhythms of nature are the medium through which children discover the world and their capacities to engage with it. Andra is so excited to be a part of this work at the beautiful Dragonfly School! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/6b8a2385-c91d-4c8e-ad46-2655113e7a39/Amanda+bio+pic.png Meet the Faculty - Amanda Clifton: Substitute Teacher Amanda is a dedicated mother of two, an ongoing student of Herbalism, a maker of herbal medicine with a concentration on Families and Birthing People, a Birth Doula, a performer with credits ranging from Musical Theatre to Circus Arts, and a “tree-loving, plant-nerd”. Amanda, her husband Jonathan, and two kiddos Ari and Cal (who will be attending the Dragonfly school) relocated to Mancos this August from the Appalachian mountains. She is a dedicated substitute in both the Pre-School and Kindergarten classrooms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/59655363-e616-437d-bc86-942641637c63/IMG_9234.jpeg Meet the Faculty - Caroline Moody: Preschool Assistant Teacher Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Caroline spent a lot of time playing outside with her family. Her awe and curiosity of the living world led her to study biology and philosophy at Virginia Tech University. But her love for working with people and being outdoors led her away from a career in Biology and brought her out west to work as a wilderness therapy field guide. She has since worked in many different fields that revolve around values of community, connection with the earth and living intentionally. Caroline has worked with kids of all ages in a variety of settings such as nannying, outdoor summer camp, high ropes challenge course, outdoor school, wilderness therapy and student support services in an elementary school. She has never worked at a preschool before but once lived with roommates who were teachers at a Waldorf farm school and almost joined them but was called down the path of midwifery and birth doulaing instead. She is so excited to be following through with this calling and doesn’t think she could have found a better place or community to do just that. Outside of working with kids, Caroline also loves to farm, landscape and help with land restoration. She just moved from Durango to Hesperus with her fiancé and is excited to learn more about growing and raising her own food. She also loves all things women’s health and is a hobby crafter and ancestral skills student. Caroline loves to spend her free time strolling through the woods with her partner and dog and being goofy with friends. And she’ll never say no to some good dancin’! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1594673014182-J8441FBFFM5O3C3GS94Y/claire+photo.jpg Meet the Faculty - Claire Broughton: Curriculum Mentor, Parent & Child Teacher, & Substitute Claire taught at Dragonfly for 4 years before taking some time off in 2024 to become a Mother! She is now mentor and advisor to all teachers and admin at Dragonfly! Growing up in the woods of Northern Canada, Claire's fondest memories are of wild play in the natural world, where curiosity and imagination guided her sense of wonder and love for all beings. At the age of 12, her youngest brother was born, and so began her love of caring for young children. Her strong family ties to camp and cottage life led her to early beginnings as a girl guide and summer camp counselor. Claire studied biology and ecology at Queen's University and spent her summers working with children. After graduating, she began an internship with the Environmental Youth Alliance in Vancouver, where she soon became coordinator of the Growing Kids and Youth Garden programs, bringing nature awareness and urban agriculture to at-risk youth of all ages in the metro area. During this time, she also began studying at the Wilderness Awareness School in the ways of Coyote Mentoring. She and her husband returned to Colorado, and in 2015 she found Waldorf early childhood education through the LifeWays program. She soon began working with her mentor, Mindy Upton, a master teacher, storyteller and doll maker at Blue Sky Kindergarten. Her experience with Mindy allowed her to step into the classroom as assistant and then lead teacher at Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten for three years. Claire continues to study early childhood, anthroposophy and the creative arts. Claire's teaching is informed by the natural rhythms of the Earth, and she is devoted to beauty, simplicity and connection. She is a student of the old ways, striving to remember and integrate the majesty of human beings into so-called modern life. You may find her singing, knitting, tending the land, and wandering. She and Will moved away from hustle-and-bustle of big city life, back to the quiet and slower pace of the Mancos Valley in 2020, and Claire began teaching as the preschool teacher at Dragonfly School. She enjoyed the opportunity to deepen her relationship with that group of children, going on as their Kindergarten teacher, then Grade One teacher at Dragonfly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/5d6aa595-ee67-4dbf-8d45-c8b7c206e087/Ayars%2CK_bio.pic.jpg Meet the Faculty - Kristina Ayars: Administrative Assistant Kristina has spent much of her life working with children and young adults- from babysitting and nannying when she was younger, to roles such as: teaching environmental education in Flagstaff, AZ and along the east coast, a Kindergarten Assistant at a Waldorf school in NY, assistant at a Waldorf-inspired school in Moab, UT, a case manager for youth, a wilderness therapy guide, conservation corps leader and co-manager, and auntie to many young children in our Mancos community. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies and is also an Herbalist. She is grateful to be offering her administrative skills to a program she loves in a community she loves being part of, as the Dragonfly Office Assistant. You may also catch her in the school gardens and subbing in the classroom! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/bbeb41e5-b6d0-4b59-b970-308b70480843/IMG_5648.jpg Meet the Faculty - Veronica Lutz: Preschool Assistant Teacher Born and raised (mostly) in Montezuma County, Veronica fell in love with the Four Corners area at a very young age. Through adolescence into adulthood, she has continued to explore and deepen her connection with this area; from the mountains to the desert and the farmland in between. She has so much love for every facet of the place we are so lucky to call home. She believes that cultivating this appreciation in the next generation is what will keep this place so special. There is so much to experience in this wonderful world; the younger you start, the more you can see. Veronica has always been drawn to education, hoping to one day be a teacher. This interest has shifted throughout her life, from wanting to teach outdoor education to feeling called to a more traditional classroom setting. In the end, these two interests landed her somewhere in the middle, at Dragonfly School! Veronica is so excited for the opportunity both to nurture and impart wonder for the natural world to these little learners, helping them build curiosity, confidence, and a lasting connection to the world around them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/f9e7840b-25b9-400f-9911-3963cd7a0e9e/Screen+Shot+2025-03-30+at+1.34.23+PM.png Meet the Faculty - Andrea McAlpin: Founder and Director Andrea is one of the Dragonfly School founders in 2018, as a founding mother, Lead Teacher and previous Director. She helped build the school from the ground up with policy making, classroom design, hiring and training teachers, and developing curriculum. She returns to Dragonfly School in the summer of 2025 to take up the Director role again, to follow through with her work and dedication! Andrea is a qualified Early Childhood Director with over 15 years of experience in education. She has held various roles within our Montezuma County community as an educational leader, taking part in the development of various programs including the Children’s Kiva, Durango Nature Studies, the Montelores Early Childhood Council, Sage House Nature School, and of course our beloved Dragonfly. Originally from Arizona, Andrea has been in Southwest Colorado for most of her adult life. Outside of her professional life, Andrea is mother to Owen (attending Mancos Elementary) and Jonah (Dragonfly’s Kindergarten class). She lives in Cortez with her husband Kevin, her boys, dogs, chickens, and gardens. Andrea’s career has been driven by commitment to community and family, always fueled by a deep passion to be a steward of the earth and to provide educational experiences that nurture the whole child. Andrea re-joins the Dragonfly team in this way, striving to shine alongside the children, families, teachers, and community members that it holds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/ef9a6752-2d82-4ddf-a2fa-34c92aeed2f9/Screen+Shot+2023-12-14+at+10.26.43+AM.png Meet the Faculty - Kathryn Zion: Substitute Teacher Kathryn grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota where she enjoyed camping, boating, snowmobiling and outdoor sports all year as her family owned an outdoor recreation business in Rapid City. She moved to Denver after High School to go to school and fell in love with Colorado. Kathryn has two daughters; one went to Montessori kindergarten and is a Ph.D. and an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and the other attended Waldorf preschool through the 8th grade and works as a Parent-Child Home Program Site Coordinator for a non-profit organization in Washington. Kathryn helped start the Front Range Waldorf Preschool in Golden, attended Gradalis Remedial Elementary Training in Boulder, and home-schooled 1st and 2nd grade using Oak Meadows curriculum. She worked at the Denver Waldorf School as a Teaching Assistant 1st -3rd grade for a large class, then attended Rudolph Steiner College in California. She feels blessed to have a Waldorf Mentor in Denver to guide her on this wonderful new adventure at the Dragonfly Preschool. She feels at home in Mancos, where there is a community of supporting and harmonious beings with a plethora of activities to enjoy. Kathryn has been our beloved Preschool Assistant Teacher since our beginnings 7 years ago—and every child who has passed through our school has known her warmth and infectious laugh! This year she is moving into a new role as Wise Elder, mentor, and Parent and Child class teacher. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/a98cff2f-72c6-4dd6-b1ac-e178d6337f34/Katie+Salka+%28Kinder+Assistant%29.jpg Meet the Faculty - Katie Salka: Kindergarten Assistant Teacher Katie was raised in Durango and feels lucky to have cultivated a sense of curiosity, adventure, and freedom playing in the San Juan Mountains, exploring the surrounding deserts and finding endless inspiration for wonder in her own backyard. These are all values she has enjoyed sharing with students during her teaching journey. Katie first found a love for teaching as an educator at the Powerhouse Science Center in Durango after graduating from Colorado State University with a major in Media and Communication and before moving to Seattle where she spent three years enjoying the moody ocean and teaching a range of ages in public school classrooms before finding her way back to the Southwest. After spending time teaching in a traditional school setting she is excited to be able to combine her love for nature and guiding curious students in a new and meaningful way at Dragonfly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/a28d4767-7c4f-4020-b354-b4dbfb8e6c94/IMG_7867.jpg Meet the Faculty - Rebecca Favero: Preschool Lead Teacher Rebecca was born and raised in Minnesota. She is the youngest of 5 kids and loved growing up in a big family (mostly ;). Rebecca went to college in Minnesota and studied Biology in hopes to work in the field of Environmental Science. However, through volunteer work she came to find that her heart was much more geared towards working with people; especially in wild places. She worked in Social Work positions largely with youth and families in need. She led a youth gardening camp for young ones, as well as youth tennis camps, youth music lessons and nature programs. She also worked as a youth mentor for homeless and runaway youth. Rebecca also spent time working in Hospice, helping elders with their end of life journey. The wild kept calling and Rebecca moved out to the Four Corners region and fell in love with the mountains and rivers and deserts here. Rebecca began her career in Wilderness Therapy; leading groups of young people in the mountains and deserts and supporting them in finding their strength and center through wilderness skills and ceremony. She also led Family Quests, supporting families on healing trips in the wilderness. Rebecca also works as a birth and death doula. In 2022, Rebecca was a teacher in our previously available Chickadee Classroom at Dragonfly. Before the school year, as well as during the school year, she took courses like the foundational year of Waldorf Teacher Training, a 7 month long course on Expanding Quality in Infant and Toddler Care, and a 6 month course called Explorations on the philosophy and pedagogy of Waldorf Education. Rebecca's first love is music; She loves to sing and play the piano and guitar. She loves to learn about different cultures through learning their music while traveling; in Italy, Colombia, and hopefully many more places to come. Her heart swells with joy when she gets to sing with young ones; especially when there is frolicking involved. Rebecca is joining us for her 3rd year as the Preschool Lead and feels honored to share space and time with children and strives to honor their essence in all the little and big moments they share together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1161b3fc-e89e-47f8-9c23-d57b0e377e8d/Screen+Shot+2023-09-18+at+11.27.35+AM.png Meet the Faculty - Karl Johnson: School Mentor We are lucky to have Karl at Dragonfly working with our teachers, parents, and children both remotely and in person when he comes to visit (Karl lives on the Front Range). Karl David Johnson, M.A., has been an educator for over 40 years and has taught in the Waldorf movement since 1986. He is currently serving the Mountain Song Community School as Pedagogical Director. During the pandemic, Karl was in the classroom and served the Boulder Valley Waldorf School as a Middle School class teacher. He has previously served in a pedagogical support role for the Santa Fe Waldorf School, the Siskiyou School in Ashland, Oregon and the Kona Pacific Public Waldorf School on the Big Island of Hawaii. Prior to that support work, Karl taught as class teacher in Durango, Colorado and he had two classes at the Santa Fe Waldorf School. Karl has also taught blocks in various schools as a guest teacher. At the high school level, Karl has taught music – both Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble - and directed the Wilderness Experience program for the Santa Fe Waldorf High School. Additionally, Karl is a certified Educational Support Specialist and has supported children with learning issues, conducting assessments and developing and implementing support plans. An experienced mentor and consultant, Karl has mentored hundreds of teachers at dozens of schools and has trained teachers and conducted workshops in China, Nepal, New Zealand, the Hawaiian Islands, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.. He has taught on the summer faculty for the West Coast Institute for Studies in Anthroposophy in British Columbia, in the Xian Waldorf Teacher Training Program in Xian, China, and as a Foundations Studies course facilitator for Sophia Institute, and as a Practicum Supervisor for Antioch University Waldorf Teacher Training Program. He is currently a teacher trainer on the faculty of Gradalis Institute and supports teachers all over the West with field mentoring. Karl Johnson is the author of the forthcoming book: Honing Our Craft: Pedagogy and Leadership in the Waldorf Classroom. https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/enrollmentapplication daily 0.75 2025-04-23 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/faqs daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/f2f0ac09-fd54-4237-aefb-83b79140579c/IMG_0853.jpeg FAQs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/4e73af95-59ec-49b5-997d-f95c3c72eec7/low_res-8325.jpg FAQs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1620332248991-QQJPJSAUAZNNB1DXF97K/IMG_8894.jpg FAQs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/4a713dc5-eedf-4b4c-9a90-6582090df351/Screen+Shot+2024-03-11+at+11.02.59+PM.png FAQs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/362cfd7b-ff08-4074-b1eb-70dc7e870fae/IMG_0851.jpeg FAQs - 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Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1581275190932-4CX0403714VA7TUIB73K/high+path.jpg Thank You to Our Donors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1581285999221-XE64Y4V45PMBRKKY2PPQ/sagebrush.png Thank You to Our Donors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1599626881379-N9PRBD457VIA4XIRD2BH/Screen+Shot+2020-09-08+at+10.47.20+PM.png Thank You to Our Donors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1581357385365-JON3AIQ7FAM4ABN8XRMM/IMG_0423.jpeg Thank You to Our Donors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1581202808139-FLJUZTT57D707CYC2GE7/fenceline.jpg Thank You to Our Donors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1599627059071-JNIXXZFJOMKVBVQDTGBF/Katherine+Dobson.jpeg Thank You to Our Donors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1597936719644-2D1G4CVKLOCW4BR3CQOP/echo.png Thank You to Our Donors https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/parent-portal daily 0.75 2025-07-17 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/parent-child-program daily 0.75 2026-01-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/f61c9414-a534-4782-85b3-682df07b49b6/Screen+Shot+2023-12-14+at+10.17.36+AM.png Parent + Child (6 months - 2 yrs) Learning finger games together with Ms Kathryn https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/7cca0d18-ca8c-4cd6-a145-17f98ce554fa/Screen+Shot+2024-03-07+at+8.30.27+PM.png Parent + Child (6 months - 2 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/e9debf7f-b860-41a4-8db0-59d3736a553d/Screen+Shot+2023-12-14+at+10.15.13+AM.jpg Parent + Child (6 months - 2 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/7e9a0038-a314-4fa1-87b8-852d7a6bb2b2/claire%2Bphoto.webp Parent + Child (6 months - 2 yrs) - Ms Claire Boughton Ms. Claire has been working in Waldorf classrooms since 2015, and especially loves the emphasis on imaginative play, seasonal rhythm and story. After 5 years teaching preschool and kindergarten at Dragonfly school, she is now enjoying bringing this wonderful way at home with her almost one year old son. See Ms. Claire’s full biography on our Faculty page! https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/preschoolprogram daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/c6eed336-6a08-4b4c-86f0-9a12f57d65db/Screen+Shot+2023-03-26+at+3.05.28+PM.png Preschool (2.5 - 4 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/f95498a6-359a-4bdf-a1ff-a7c82b53f906/FullSizeRender-1.jpg Preschool (2.5 - 4 yrs) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/cebcd334-0f81-47aa-bd57-c54a422a2472/IMG_7957.jpg Preschool (2.5 - 4 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/f6fec8a3-0105-4998-b1db-e5e20075ec12/Screen+Shot+2023-07-07+at+9.22.31+PM.png Preschool (2.5 - 4 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/eac2ae21-7e1a-4b70-bd97-a98a0cd1a7bd/IMG-6410.jpeg Preschool (2.5 - 4 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/c42c9622-6014-4b39-aa1c-25aa0a50cb41/Screen+Shot+2024-01-30+at+3.08.19+PM.png Preschool (2.5 - 4 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/4a3538e2-1dd4-4fec-8c5b-04bf5aedb255/Ms+Becca+and+the+wagon.png Preschool (2.5 - 4 yrs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/ways-you-can-help daily 0.75 2025-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1600203173254-B7W7W77HJGT74QD7GA6B/AmazonSmile_screen_no_tagline.png Ways you can help - Amazon Gift Giving Amazon hosts our Charity "Wish List" (Which is similar to a wedding registry) for items and crafts the school needs. Gift watercolor paints, a new wagon, or little shovels and brooms! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/517950a9-4c51-4cd7-a60b-4918a3fb2484/QR+Code.png Ways you can help - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1600202437565-BQEFAS0NXLTQVXBHFNGJ/CM%252BCommunity%252BRewards.jpg Ways you can help - City Market Community Rewards Program Simply visit: www.citymarket.com/i/community/community-rewards Once logged into your City Market account search for Mancos Valley Dragonfly Preschool & click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a loyalty card. **This WILL NOT affect your savings or points it simply delegates a higher percentage of the rewards program funding to our school! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/1600203124609-AK62PXLVDR91P61FBGOQ/CCTC.jpg Ways you can help - Colorado Childcare Contribution Tax credit Colorado has something incredible called the Child Care Contribution Tax Credit. Taxpayers that make a qualifying monetary contribution to promote child care in Colorado may claim an income tax credit of 50% of the total qualifying contribution. The credit a taxpayer can claim for qualifying contributions made during a tax year is limited to $100,000. In-kind contributions of services or property (non-monetary donations) do not qualify for the credit. So if you donate $1,000, you will get a $500 tax credit back towards your Colorado State income tax return. Amazing. Additionally, if you itemize on your federal returns, you will receive a federal tax deduction for donating to our 501(c)3 non-profit school, making your out of pocket expense even less. This tax credit is a win-win for Dragonfly and for donors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/ec09ccd8-f7c5-4a8b-9f0b-eb637f5d7b3c/Screen+Shot+2023-07-23+at+9.58.13+PM.png Ways you can help - Dragonfly Brokerage account We accept stock donations through our 501(c)3 brokerage account. Depending on the donor’s wish—these funds may remain in the brokerage account to grow, or we may have your donation converted to cash and sent to our general operations Bank account. This is a great way to give appreciated stock, to avoid capital gains tax. Please contact Emily about this opportunity at emily@dragonflypreschool.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/0416d37b-de77-49d3-8a3d-ea2687e9a754/Screen+Shot+2022-01-07+at+7.22.13+PM.png Ways you can help - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/dragonfly-in-the-news daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/0ffd91d2-106a-4133-9ef3-a9e8e59ab9a9/low_res-8310.jpg Dragonfly in the News - Make it stand out Cheers! Dragonfly Kindergarteners Morgan and Hazel model the Klean Kanteen water bottles on our playground in 2020 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/parent-handbook-202223 daily 0.75 2023-04-03 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/tuition-assistance-application daily 0.75 2025-04-22 https://mancosdragonflyschool.org/tuition-assistance-options daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c11733a7106992ef15cc054/d167ced3-8553-4aa9-b9e3-683511bb8a28/Preschool+hug.png Tuition Assistance - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.