In 2012 Rainbow Community School (RCS) was selected as an Ashoka Changemaker School, a network of schools that empower students as changemakers by prioritizing empathy, leadership, and collaborative problem-solving as student outcomes. They recognize the capacities of young people to make a BIG difference and highlight empathy as the centerpiece for all changemaking efforts. RCS was nominated as a changemaker School because of its belief that educating for the wholechild directly impacts humanity’s collective awareness and capacity for growth.
The Journey from I to We:
Gandhi’s wise words remind us that it all begins with our inner selves: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” At RCS, we believe that real change originates out of an individuals’ commitment to their own evolution. As a result, we strive to support all learners in becoming whole, finding purpose and then making change. Our educational model nurtures the holistic development of the child and by doing so, these whole humans are better equipped and more empowered to serve the needs of humanity and the planet through their positive change making efforts.
It is not uncommon for our learners to acknowledge that before they can show up for others they must show up for themselves and it is the emphasis on self-discovery and personal well-being that opens the doors to connection, collaboration and thus meaningful work. Our students explore, at a very young age, what it means to “know thyself” by recognizing their unique gifts and exploring practices that highlight self-empathy and self-gratitude.
By inviting a child’s inner life into the classroom we are awakening their spirit. A spiritually nourished child is not only ready to learn but it’s the child’s strong spiritual identity that is the catalyst for meaningful work. The catalyst for change!
There are certain stand out elements of the Rainbow Seven Domains Learning Model that help to create favorable conditions for spiritual identity development and the daily centering practice is one of them. This morning ritual serves to awaken the spiritual center of each child, opening pathways to learning. As a centering begins, the classroom is filled with ritual and reverence. These rituals vary from classroom to classroom but the essence of centering is such that the students gather in a circle on a rug, the space is set with intention, the lights are dimmed, a chime or bell invites silence, reverence fills the room, a pause is taken for audible breath work, the invitation of fire through candlelight is summoned- this begins the sacred work of the day. The results are often a harmonious learning environment in which focused thinking come naturally, trust among the group yield effortless work and innovative solutions are manifested.
Recently I joined Lucy and the preschool Dragonflies for centering. The preschool centering ritual leader began by asking his class to put on their mindful bodies and their mindful listening ears. He then told them that he would ring the singing bowl and wanted every person to actively and mindfully listen until they could no longer hear the song of the bell and then to raise their hand when its song was gone. He then used a breathing ball and guided his classmates in three deep inhales and exhales. As the ball expanded he said aloud “inhale” and as it contracted he said “exhale.”
Lucy, then invited the preschoolers to join her in a self-affirming morning verse that was paired with sign language. The kids spoke the words with confidence and enthusiasm… “May I be healthy, may I be strong, may I be happy, may I be peaceful.” I was happy to witness the use of self-affirmations with such young learners. Positive affirmations or positive self-talk are great motivators for self-reflection and self-change. Statements such as these can easily become identity statements. Thus, benefiting not only oneself but those that you interact with.
Lucy deepened the experience by extending the lesson. She went on to explain that each person would have the opportunity to choose a kind wish they have for themselves. She showed and read the kind wish cards aloud and asked to kids to be thinking about which kind wish they wanted for themselves today. When the kids were ready to share, they signaled to Lucy by placing their thumbs on their knees.
She invited each them to approach the altar which was filled with the kind wish cards, candles and the wishing water. The kids were asked to speak their kind wish aloud and in the direction of the wishing water. It was obvious that Lucy had worked hard to create a supportive and safe yet vulnerable space for the Dragonflies as each child spoke, the rest of the group held a quiet space.
Finally, Lucy reminded the children that much like plants need our care to thrive, our intentions and affirmations need that attention too. As the centering practice came to a close, she explained, that she would take the wishing water (filled with their wishes) and send the kind wishes in to the world by watering the plants and that the plant’s health and growth will be a visual reminder of our own personal growth.
If we feed our body, it can grow. If we feed our mind, it can be stimulated. If we nurture our spirit, it can flourish. What daily affirmations will help you flourish?
We have some pretty amazing staff here at Rainbow Community School.
We have so many folks with myriad talents.
This month’s team highlight is Katie Wilson, our 5th grade teaching assistant. You’ll never guess what Katie was able to do last summer.
It all starts with a story about how she found Rainbow in the first place.
How did Katie become a part of the staff at Rainbow?
Katie’s life has been serendipitous! She temporarily relocated to Boone, NC after living abroad. She’d been teaching English in Mexico and returned to the US to continue her teaching career here.
While up in Boone, she found out about an opening in the after school program at Rainbow and decided to take it. Right then, she was working as a nanny part-time.
She loved Rainbow so much, that when the opportunity came to be able to work with Susie in fourth grade as a full-time employee, she jumped at the chance.
Later, she was able to move up with the same students to fifth grade this year.
Earlier in the year, the director from a summer camp where Katie used to work contacted her.
He was leaving his company to focus on retirement and asked if she would be willing to take on directing the summer camp for international students who wanted to learn English.
Katie’s former director worked the business side of the camp while she worked the educational and development side, including overseeing staff.
Knowing that she always wanted to develop her own educational programs, it was a great opportunity.
This past summer, she developed the entire ESL curriculum for the summer camp, as well as all the programming. She also had the pleasure of locating it at Rainbow!
The Summer Camp: Visions USA
The camp operated by recruiting students from Germany, Spain, and Italy who were interested in learning English. It provided an authentic setting in which to learn English as a Second or Other Language, as well as give students an incredible international cultural experience.
Students stayed with local host families and attended English classes in the morning at Rainbow for four days per week, and then engaged in more fun activities in the afternoons.
They spent time volunteering one day per week as part of the program. Volunteer work is an important component of camp programming.
This gave international students a chance to see what the Asheville community was all about, the struggles people faced and provided visiting students with opportunities to give back to the community in which they were living and learning.
Similar to what Rainbow students do during the school year, campers went to Manna, Black Mountain Home for Kids to help with events, volunteered at local high schools, helped to paint a mural, and more.
Fridays were reserved as field days where they would go rafting, to Carrowinds, go on an overnight to see the Atlanta Braves, or other similar activities.
The camp also offered language courses for the host families’ siblings, as well.
What were some things Katie learned about running a summer camp?
The summer camp session of 2017 was incredibly successful.
Students from different countries experienced US culture, and experienced each others’ culture in a supportive environment.
In only three weeks, they became best friends and formed deep friendships that will last well beyond their time at camp.
Katie loved the fact that she was affiliated with Rainbow and how she was able to share the attitudes that Rainbow cultivates, including its teaching styles, with all the international students.
Activities included centering, teaching to the domains, and incorporating positive discipline techniques to students who hadn’t experienced that before.
[bctt tweet=”Students can tell that Rainbow Community School is different: they value the whole child.” username=”@rainbowcomsch”]
The international students could really tell that life at Rainbow was different.
They were accustomed to a more regimented school setting and often remarked about the freedom and support they had.
Were there any challenges you faced as you ran the camp?
Katie reported how it’s interesting that every country and municipality has stereotypes and attitudes that they form about other cultures and people.
She found it necessary to look for ways to get past those preconceived ideas and really reach students to show them that we humans are more alike than we are different.
Overall, however, she had a successful first year as the director of a summer camp right here at Rainbow! She’s already gearing up for the 2018 session.
If you’d like more information about summer camp and even possibly hosting students, check out Visions USA.
Thanks for your interest in the More Than Mindfulness Conference. Registration is now closed but save the date for October 6 and/or 7 2017.
Rainbow Community School has a 40-year history in contemplative and holistic education and has been recognized as a national leader in these areas. Our Seven Domains holistic approach leverages the tools of mindfulness while moving beyond them into the secular realm spirituality. The staff and faculty at RCS invite you to the inaugural More than Mindfulness (MTM) Conference which is a unique and dynamic event that will explore many ways of inviting the “soul” into your schools.
When: October 12, 2016
8:30-5:00 (Centering observations and reflection, break out sessions and workshops)
Cost: $35 for the full day. Participants receive a certificate of completion to be used towards professional development, a Seven Domains and Centering manual that includes informational materials and reproducibles. Breakfast and snacks will also be included and a food truck lunch will be available for purchase. Click here for the menu.
Intended Audience: Educators, parents, school administrators and mental health as well as other education related professionals.
About the Event: School based mindfulness programs are becoming increasingly more widespread in private and public schools throughout our country and research suggests that these programs bolster mental health and well being and have the capacity to improve academic achievement. At MTM we will highlight ways to integrate mindful practices into your school culture but will emphasize MORE than mindfulness by expanding these practices to include holistic and secular methods that nurture the personal and collective spiritual identities of your students, staff and community members.
Participants will engage in and reflect on RCS’s unique Centering curriculum and practice, gain holistic strategies to adapt your own curriculum and/or school culture, and collaborate through rich discussion about these important themes: inviting the soul in to the classroom, cultivating awareness and spiritual identities, exploring education as a sacred art. The conference will also feature break out sessions in which RCS presenters will bring topics of interest to parents, teachers, school administrators, and other education related professionals.
Sponsor Opportunities: If you are interested in being a supporting organization at the 2016 More Than Mindfulness Conference, please contact West Willmore
For more information: Please contact West Willmore at west.willmore@rainbowlearning.org or call 931 808 3722.
This week Rainbow Community School will be participating in Strive Not to Drive Week. This initiative started back in 1991 as Bike to Work day with the goal of encouraging bicycle commuting in Buncombe County.
From Friday, May 15th to Friday the 22nd, our community will be striving not to drive by either taking the bus, walking, riding a bicycle or joining a car share.
You can find more information about Strive Not to Drive on their official website here
Hobey Ford in one of his performances called, “Animalia“.
Hobey Ford at Rainbow Community School
Fantastical characters and sound effects. Incredible stories, puppets and sound effects. All this and more if you come see Hobey Ford!
It’s Saturday, February 28 at 3:30 pm. We’ll start with a sing-a-long with Sue Ford. Doors open at 3.
There will be a kids’ sing-a-long, a raffle, and fun times, too!
Tickets cost $12 for adults and $7 for children at the door. $25 maximum per family.
A Little About Hobey Ford…
Hobey Ford makes his hand-made “Foamies” puppets come alive. He takes children into another world, using his voice, sound effects and song to tell a story.
He engages his audiences and mesmerizes children with delightful, interactive performances. During a show, Hobey is unmasked, but plays many different roles.
Sometimes he’ll be the MC, the storyteller, the puppeteer, and the magician. Artistic scenery and backdrops add to the fun for the whole family.
Hobey Ford Performances
We are so blessed to have Hobey come to Rainbow. His list of performances is incredible!
Animalia
Migration
The Rainbow Bridge and Other Tales
World Tales
Turtle Island Tales
Tales of Light
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In addition to these signature performances, Hobey also helps educators. He can do teacher residences, workshops with the puppets. He also does student workshops, teaching students how to work with puppets.
You should definitely come to this event!
Just look at one of his testimonials:
“Animalia was visually and aurally engrossing; it was a gentle show.
In these days when our children are bombarded with thousands of images per minute, frequently deafening sound and high-tech effects, the show was in startling counterpoint – it progressed at a non-hurried pace children seemed to respond to every nuance, delighting in the playfulness of the animals and in you, too, as you made the animals swoop over them or land on their heads.
The realism of the animals’ movements was truly amazing . . . It was a pleasure to work with you. . . . the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
I know one teacher who used the materials and puppets before the end of the week!
—Christine Brown, Director, Center for the Arts, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
