About Us

Christopherus Homeschool Resources was founded in 2003 by Donna Simmons and Paul Newton.

Donna is the public face of Christopherus. She writes the books, gives talks and workshops and consults with homeschoolers.  She has been a youth worker, Waldorf teacher, parent educator and housemother for developmentally-disabled adults (in a Camphill Community). She is a homeschooling mom.

Donna attended the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City from Kindergarten through 12th Grade. She graduated with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where she joyfully studied politics, history, creative writing and child development (which included independent work on Waldorf views of child development). During her junior year she went to England and figured out various ways to stay there for most of the next 15 years.

She has been deeply involved with Waldorf education most of her life - including a brief time as a class teacher (brief due to pregnancy), and establishing a Waldorf-inspired nursery in Sheffield, England. Much of her work with children has been on the land - bringing the therapeutic benefits of Waldorf education and outdoor experiences to children, many of whom had no other contact with Waldorf education. She is a member of the Anthroposophical Society.

Through her experience as a youth worker, where one has to be on one's toes, respond to the child's needs and be supremely creative, Donna has learned to value an undogmatic approach to education. She struggled for many years to reconcile unschooling with Waldorf education and finally gave up, recognizing instead that in real life one can sometimes use and hold opposing viewpoints. Indeed, she has discovered in the course of her family's homeschooling adventures that this has worked extremely well.

Donna is a native New Yorker who never thought she'd wind up living in a small town in rural Wisconsin. She is still homeschooling Gabriel and teaches part time at the Youth Initiative High School.

Paul, married to Donna,  is Christopherus' "back room boy". He is our webmaster, editor, dispatcher, book-keeper and the pleasant English voice on the telephone.  Paul has been a professional homeopath, a farmer and a seminary student. It remains to be seen what he will do when he grows up. He is originally from Cambridge, England. He is a member of the Anthroposophical Society and its School of Spiritual Science.

And the reasons we ever had anything to do with home-schooling:

Daniel (b.1991) - is presently studying for British exams so he can return to the UK to live. He is passionate about politics and enjoys science fiction, Jeeves and Wooster, fish 'n' chips, spaghetti, Nietzsche, Wilhelm Reich and car mechanics.

Gabriel (b.1993) - is presently a freshman at the Youth Initiative High School. He likes history, computers, learning foreign languages and Agatha Christie. Since returning to school he enjoys drama and complaining about homework.
 

Donna and some young helpers
prepare a bottle of milk for goat kids

The Newton-Simmons family
(2004)