Director's Blog
Susie Fahrer publishes the Kaleidoscope periodically throughout the year that illustrates and summarizes what has been happening at our vibrant school. Read to find out more.
Governance is the secret to success
Link to New York Times: At Zappos, Pushing Shoes and a Vision People often marvel at how well Rainbow runs. We have an incredible philosophy, curriculum, teachers, community, etc; but all of that doesn't produce results without great systems. Five years ago, Rainbow...
Middle School Students and Real Life Learning
Is that Elijah on the tractor? Omega Middle School students started their afternoon elective courses. These 7th and 8th grade students chose "Facilities Management with Max" as one of their electives. They are currently installing a trail from the old campus to the...
Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year!
July 27, 2015 Dear Rainbow Parent, Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year. At our graduation celebration in June, I asked everyone to reflect on the question “Where are you now?” Of course, this can be looked at through many domains. As a parent, where are you now?...
Who is the killer?
"The perpetrator has been caught, but the killer is still at large." We can always count on Reverend Barber, head of North Carolina's NAACP and leader of the Moral Monday Movement, to speak the Truth. The killer is racism in all it's forms. Nowadays, when...
This is your brain on…
Meditation. I think there is new research at least weekly these days about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness. Here is the latest from the Washington Post. It's interesting how our scientific society needs to "prove" something that people of ancient cultures...
Imagine Brilliance
“When I gave my first concert in Chartes, I felt that the cathedral almost kicked me out. ‘Get out with you!’ she said. For I was young and I tried to perform as I always did: by just playing my violin. But then I realized that in Chartes you actually cannot play...
Kaleidoscope February 2015
Have you been wondering when construction will begin? Besides everything else going on, there is a large construction project looming on our horizon. In the background, a team of people have been working hard at getting our construction project off the ground. Jeff...
Building an anti-racist classroom
Empowering All. Validating a Pedagogy of Difference. The recent slayings in New York, Ferguson, and other places (recent, past, and ongoing) have weighed heavily on the hearts of educators who are working hard to create a more just world. However, educators are all...
The results of meditation in schools
Children have been meditating at Rainbow since 1977, but now some public schools are realizing the benefits of meditation. Check out this wonderful story about how suspensions and violence are radically down at this urban school in San Francisco, and academic results...
Kaleidoscope – January 2015
“The only way to stop the juggernaut is to stop running, and start thinking of time as music that we don’t want to stop the flow of, or a gift with which we have been graced.” Phil Cousineau, Once and Future Myths.” Happy New Year! I love how we have a New Year in the...
Do you want to be an original?
"They are so worried about being successful, they want to be a carbon copy instead of an original." --From last night's lecture by Dr. Cornel West, given to a standing room only crowd at Kimmel Arena at UNCA. Of course, Dr West was referring to young people being...
Does your child have a growth mindset?
Does your child have a growth mindset? This TED video, entitled "The Power of Belief: Mindset and Success" is a powerful reminder of how children can have a mindset to help them achieve what they set out to do. Thank you to Barb King, counselor at Carolina Day School...
A Maya Angelou Quote
Maya Angelou was an important figure in the literary world. More than that, she was a role model and her powerful words resonate with so many.
Spelling Really Does Count…
...because it all counts. To my surprise, this article ended up being about something much larger than spelling. It reminded me that holistic education, such as we practice at Rainbow, makes sense for reasons we may not have thought about. Yes, spelling does count....
The secret to innovation….
...is taking risks. "There is no risk-taking without a culture of trust and respect." ~Tony Wagner. Parents at Rainbow repeatedly cite how the social environment at Rainbow is one of acceptance. It takes courage to take risks, so being surrounding by people who...
Give our children a fighting chance
I often ask, "If we are preparing our children for the future, what does the future look like?" Hopefully, the world will be much different in terms of our systems and energy use. When our children are our age, their homes will be heated and cooled with different...
Kaleidoscope – November 2014
Kaleidoscope: The Many Colorful Things Happening at Rainbow - From the Executive Director Why does our sign still say Rainbow Mountain Children’s School? Maybe we are just too nostalgic to change it? Actually, it is a series of unfortunate events behind a long...
My Job Is To Be a Futurist
As a school director, my job is to be a futurist. I have to predict what the future is bringing, and craft the curriculum with that in mind. The rate of change in our society is so fast, this requires constant research, innovation, and educated guessing. It also...