Events at Emerson Waldorf School
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Preparing Our Children for a World with AI
A Panel Discussion
When: Monday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m.
Where: Emerson Waldorf School, Brown Wing, 6211 New Jericho Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
What: Please join the Emerson Waldorf School community for the first of a series of panel discussions on AI and education. This first session, Preparing our children for a world with AI, brings together experts in the field from within our very own parent and teacher community. The aim is to share perspectives and spur conversations around one of the biggest topics of the day.
Why: A Waldorf education is one of the best ways to prepare children for a rapidly changing world. Waldorf schools take a thoughtful and deliberate approach to introducing technology at developmentally appropriate times. Early childhood has always been entirely analog – an approach that is finally becoming mainstream as the dangers of screens and social media are more widely recognized. Meanwhile, high school students will be graduating into an AI world and need some exposure and guidance in making sound decisions for themselves on when to use or not use AI, choosing where to focus their own creative energy, and using AI practically, responsibly, and to their advantage.
A thoughtful and deliberate approach begins with being informed and hearing diverse viewpoints. Please join us for a series of AI panel discussions where we invite AI experts for wide ranging discussion with our community on the recent advances in AI, its effects in the world, and how best to prepare our children.
Panelists:
John Poulton, PhD - John was a senior engineer at NVIDIA (retired) and actively consults. He’s a professor at UNC Computer Science Department in the 80s and 90s, a trustee of Hollins University, and holds over 80 patents related to microchip design and computer graphics. He’s an Emerson Waldorf School grandparent.
Catherine Reyes, PhD - Catherine is a High School Biology and Chemistry Teacher at Emerson Waldorf School. She received a PhD in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering and started her career as a research scientist. She has been teaching in the high school since 2018 and is an Emerson Waldorf School parent.
Ian Cook - In is Co-Founder and CEO at Columnar. He is a developer and member of the project management committee for Apache Arrow, a widely used open source software packages for efficient data streaming. He is a heavy user of AI for software development and an Emerson Waldorf School parent.
Gareth Dicker - Gareth is the High School Physics and Math Teacher at Emerson Waldorf School. He has a masters degree in aerial robotics (drones) from McGill University. Wanting to be involved in shaping our creative human responses to technological upheavals, he trained to be a Waldorf teacher and started at Emerson Waldorf School in 2018.
Moderator:
Jade Vinson, PhD - Jade is a trustee of the National Museum of Mathematics. He was part of the human genome project, traded stocks using quantitative signals, and is now retraining as a nuclear engineer. He is an Emerson Waldorf School parent.
Agenda:
6-6:15 Arrival, light snacks and refreshments
6:15-7 Panelist introductions, opening comments, and moderated discussion
7-7:45 Open Q&A
High School Open House
A Celebration of Curiosity, Creativity & Discovery
Come Curious. Leave Inspired.
Experience the Emerson Waldorf High School in Action!
When: Friday, December 11, 2026 | 3:30–6:30 p.m.
Where: Emerson Waldorf School, Courtyard, Classrooms, and Brown Wing
6211 New Jericho Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Who: Students of all ages, families, friends, and members of the wider community are warmly invited.
Admission: Free and open to all!
This Is Not Your Ordinary Open House!
What does learning look like when curiosity leads the way, science becomes an adventure, and artistic expression is woven into every subject? Come find out!
We're reimagining the traditional High School Open House as a lively, hands-on celebration of learning. Rather than simply hearing about our curriculum, we invite you to roll up your sleeves, follow your curiosity, and experience it for yourself!
Explore our classrooms, meet our students and faculty, and discover how the Emerson Waldorf High School brings academic rigor, artistic exploration, and experiential learning together to encourage independent thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and engaged citizens.
What Awaits You?
Gnome Bingo: A Hands-On Learning Adventure!
Follow the gnomes through our classrooms as you take on a series of short, engaging challenges inspired by our high school curriculum. Investigate scientific mysteries, experiment with new ideas, explore artistic processes, and collect gnome stamps along the way! Designed for curious minds of all ages, Gnome Bingo offers a playful window into the depth and breadth of a Waldorf high school education.
The Museum of Evolutionary Wonders
Take a stroll through a collaborative student-created museum celebrating the extraordinary diversity, ingenuity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Developed by our high school students through their studies of zoology and climatology, this exhibit brings together scientific inquiry, careful observation, artistic interpretation, and ecological imagination. Discover the remarkable adaptations of living organisms and the dynamic relationships between life and its changing environment.
Art, Music & Making
Experience the creative life of our High School through displays of student artwork, live musical performances, and hands-on craft activities. See how artistic practice is not just an addition to academic learning, but an essential way our students deepen their understanding, develop their capacities, and find their own voices.
Meet the Students & Teachers
Throughout the evening, current high school students and faculty will be on hand to share their experiences, demonstrate their work, and answer your questions. Hear directly from students about what has challenged, surprised, and inspired them, and discover the relationships and learning experiences that make our High School community distinctive.
Snacks, Conversation & Community
Enjoy refreshments, connect with other families, and experience the warmth and vitality of our school community.
An Education for a Changing World
At Emerson Waldorf School, we believe that education should do more than prepare students for examinations or college admission. It should awaken curiosity, nurture imagination, develop sound judgment, and cultivate the courage to engage meaningfully with the world.
Our interdisciplinary, experiential approach challenges students to think critically, work collaboratively, express themselves creatively, and recognize their responsibilities to one another and the natural world. Through engaging academics, the arts, scientific investigation, and meaningful engagement with their community, students develop the intellectual flexibility, empathy, and confidence needed to navigate an ever-changing, challenging future.
And our graduates thrive. The Class of 2026 earned 45 college acceptances at 26 institutions, including Columbia University, Swarthmore College, Berklee College of Music, and UNC–Chapel Hill. More than half of our 12 graduates received highly competitive national scholarships, with awards totaling an estimated $1.9 million over four years.
These achievements reflect an education that honors both academic excellence, responsible stewardship, and the development of the whole human being.
Come Experience the Difference!
Whether you're exploring high school options, already part of our school community, or simply curious about Waldorf education, we invite you to join us for an evening of discovery, creativity, and connection. Bring your family. Bring your questions. Bring your curiosity. We'll provide the gnomes!
Free admission | All ages welcome