If you were on campus this past Wednesday, then you’d know that we were bustling with so many events centered around experiential education and holistic learning.
First Grade
Then first grade was hosting the Cold Mountain Cloggers. They have been studying a unit on Appalachia, learning about food, customs, food and dancing! They had a great time learning the steps to effective clogging, a true mountain tradition. Here’s a video of our cloggers:
Omega Students
At the outdoor stage Omega students were rehearsing for their play. They’re doing a mythology unit, and we caught them on camera. The class was divided into three groups, each one doing a scene from Clash of the Titans. Here was a snapshot from the scene, Story of Perseus. Students were working on lines and their acting, and by the looks of it, they were doing really well!
Second Grade
Next stop was second grade. They were celebrating the culmination of their unit studying the Cherokee. They had a feast, and the students presented on their knowledge of the Cherokee Native American Indians. They demonstrated how to make a fire, and shared various crafts they learned how to make.
Fifth Grade
The fifth grade also had a feast. Students had to make a meal based off of a recipe from colonial times. They had just finished studying the early colonies, making crafts, maps and sharing their knowledge of early U.S. history.
Early colonial US
Song Circle
Students that weren’t part of another activity attended Song Circle around 11:50. They sang a few catchy tunes.
Sixth Grade
Over in sixth grade, students have been working on a project with Homeward Bound. They are trying to furnish an apartment for a homeless family in Asheville. Yesterday, they picked up a couch in north Asheville and delivered it to the school. Students are storing furniture on campus until they will take it to the apartment that Homeward Bound will provide.
They also held a fundraiser recently to help with the costs of furnishing the apartment.
RCS students are doing some pretty amazing things!
Yesterday, the NC Green Schools team from the non-profit organization Reading, Riding, Retrofit came to Rainbow to give us a plaque with our award. We are now an NC Green School of Excellence.
At left, Robin Cape (Executive Director of Reading, Riding, Retrofit), center is Katie Ferrell (Program Director) and Max Mraz – Rainbow Builder and Groundskeeper Extraordinaire.
The Reading, Riding, Retrofit: The NC Green Schools Programs organization strives to recognize and encourage schools that practice sustainability. They work to support school initiatives to become more “green” in their practices. For schools who want to participate, they list on their website various goals that schools can try to attain to help green their campuses. They have a five-part rubric: 1) Culture and Community, 2) School Sustainability, 3) Healthy Schools, 4) Curriculum Integration and 5) Innovation.
Rainbow tackled all five parts. Many schools only try to hit two or three parts of the rubric but we already know that Rainbow strives to go above and beyond with is vision of sustainability.
Joining in the fun was WLOS and Tammy Watford. They came to see the celebration and created a “Never Stop Learning” video documenting our all-school celebration.
They also interviewed two of our Omega students and their perceptions of being “green” and leading sustainable lives.
The first graders performed their “Water Cycle” song and 6th graders shared poems inspired by nature. Take a look at the photos to see all the wonderful students and staff enjoying a beautiful award on a beautiful day.
The Water Cycle Song
First grade Rainbow students sing the “Water Cycle” song as they are filmed by WLOS.
Kindergarten students join the celebration.
Two executive directors converse while students are assembling.
Kindergarten and first grade students get ready for the celebration
Students and teachers look on as sixth graders read their nature poems.
Students get ready to celebrate
Max, Robin and Torin (an RRR judge) check out the wooden “balance beam” trails on the preschool playground. The NC Green Schools team toured the school after the celebration.
Left to right: Cynthia (who wrote the NC Green Schools application), Renee (Exectutive Director of Rainbow), Robin Cape and Katie Ferrell
NC Green Schools judges and Rainbow staff check out the worm composting bins.
Robin Cape, Executive Director of Reading, Riding Retrofit: NC Green Schools Programs – touring the campus
Interested in tie-dyed hats? How about some goat milk soap?
Those are just two of the many entrepreneurial ideas happening in the 6th grade Alpha classroom. In fact, they’re starting their own businesses!
Starting the Entrepreneurial Project
The sixth grade began reading articles about other students in Asheville who started their own businesses. From there they categorized various businesses into those that provide a product and those that provide a service.
Once they did that, the ideas started flying. Of course, with so many ideas comes the process of narrowing down the possibilities to something concrete and specific. In fact, teachers helped students assess their talents and passions to create a business that was in line their interests and values. This part of the project certainly involved a lot of personal reflection and sharing to help students determine the best course of action for their businesses – such as to “go it alone” or to create partnerships.
Creating a Business Plan
The next stage of the project was to generate business plans. The first step was in writing a mission statement. Students looked at Rainbow Community School’s mission statement as a starting point. They learned that a mission statement needs to be short, but also clearly communicate the goals of the business.
The Alphas went on to do market research and learn how to identify their customer base as well as looked at other businesses in Asheville that provide a similar service.
Finally, the students wrote up their business plans that included how to advertise, promote and and secure business loans. In fact, students had to present their business plans to a Loan Committee (that included parents, 6th grade teacher Jennifer and assistant Justin) to see if they would qualify for a $20 loan.
Learning from Established Businesses
In order to help students understand what it is to start a business, members of the Asheville community visited the 6th grade to share their stories. The owners of Chai Pani shared the story of its creation. Other business owners came, too. The message they wanted to drive home?
It’s important to identify your passion and to work for your dream wholeheartedly. There’s a feeling of flow and serendipity to identifying one’s dream and then taking the steps to make it happen.
They also shared that by recognizing and using your talents, you take your place in creating a better community and world.
Highlights of Alpha Businesses
The sixth grade Alphas are thrilled about their projects. They talk about them in the mornings when they come to school, and leave filled with new ideas of how they’re going to try new products in their businesses or offer a new service. Still, others talk about their first sale. One student made business cards to advertise his company. It’s entirely possible that even after this project ends, many students will continue working on their businesses. The following are a sampling of what students are doing:
The Spiritual Center: Maia and Sunshine’s Cleaning and Organizing Company
The Spiritual Center: Maia and Sunshine’s Cleaning and Organizing Company. Their mission: “Using the philosophy of Feng Shui, we organize and clean your home in order for you to have an enjoyable, energy-filled and healthy environment.”
Belle is selling eggs from her chickens, and compiling a cookbook of favorite family recipes. She is polishing her business plan to present to her father to secure a loan to purchase five goats. She plans to sell goat’s milk and cheese, goat milk soap and lotion at local farmer’s markets.
Clay and Ryan sell tie-dyed items such as fez hats, ball caps and bow ties.
Annika has created a business selling animal tails that attach to a belt. On the side, she’s creating posters and fliers to help promote her classmates’ businesses.
Pet Snaps is Ben’s pet photography business. He’s designing his own website to attract customers.
Hugh and Juliana have a naturally scented candle business. They make and sell the candles themselves. They have already been door-to-door in Juliana’s neighborhood selling their creations.
Pop Ferguson has been playing the blues since he was a kid and this week he is sharing his passion with Rainbow fifth and sixth graders. LEAF in Schools and Streets partners with LEAF performers to bring some of their talents to schools all over the Asheville area. Children working directly with artist leads to inspiration and change in a child’s life. It can spark a passion that will last a lifetime.
This same reason is also why every year Rainbow Mountain also brings both performing and visual artist into the school to work with all the children. The month of May has the arts in full swing here and on this Friday, May 18th, we will hold an all day celebration of the arts with our Imagine! event. On this day the classes and parents will tour the visual art galleries set up around campus and then walk down to Calvary Baptist Church to watch the performances.
Not only has the fifth and sixth grade class been learning to play the blues but they have also taken the bus downtown to photograph the city while working with photographer, Mehera Kleiner. Other classes are also having having fun. The third grade class is up to their elbows in newspaper strips as they make bird mask with ornithology enthusiast, Alan Ward. In fact they’re up to their elbows in all things bird. They’ve needle felted little birds, they’ve sculpted birds, and of course they’ve studied birds.
Kindergarten is learning Brazilian samba dance. First grade studied photography and are now in the middle of African dance, Second, Fourth and the Omega program are all rehearsing for their plays. Walking by the classrooms I overheard some strange dialog until I remembered it’s play practice. Whew! I’m hoping to get away from the front desk Friday to see all the acts. It promises to be entertaining.
Sixth grader Falconer with his very well trained Falcon
The fifth and sixth grade class went medieval. After studying the history and culture of medieval Europe, the students turned their classroom into a medieval castle. Each student had a role to fill and tell about. There was the royal family, the knights, artisans, a sheriff, an inventor, a miller, a stable hand, fish monger, falconer, healer, an apothecary, and others.
The parents and other grades rotated from room to room and heard the stories from each student about their medieval persona and on how that role depended on the others in the room. At the end they all sang a nice, catchy ballad about Robin Hood.
The class did a wonderful job transforming the space and relying their knowledge. I think every visitor learned something new that day.
