by Renee Owen | Nov 4, 2011 | Director's Blog, Heart of the Matter, News
Gifted is an uncomfortable term. It seems to imply that some children are born with more gifts than others, and therefore, are more important or more special. The Multiple Intelligence Theory used at Rainbow Mountain recognizes that all children have gifts in various areas. One child may have musical gifts, while being kinesthetically challenged, for example. A child who may not consider herself to be academically gifted, per se, shines because they are talented in some other area, such as interpersonal skills, and at Rainbow, she will feel special for who she is. Our school’s mission is for all children to have the opportunity to discover and develop their personal gifts and talents.
This article is specifically about educating children who are academically gifted. A large proportion of our population at Rainbow Mountain is academically gifted.
Read entire article here.
by Renee Owen | Nov 1, 2011 | News
We would like to say Thank You, Malaprop’s for donating so many quality books for our kid’s raffle table at our annual Halloween Hoe Down last Saturday. It was quite a success.
Malaprop’s is voted over and over as the best bookstore in WNC by Mountain Express readers. You can see for yourself by visiting Malaprop’s at 55 Haywood Street (Downtown) or on the web.
by Renee Owen | Oct 30, 2011 | Director's Blog
Renee being one with the elk. There is a herd in the meadow.
I just spent two days with teachers in the Great Smoky Mountains on an Elk Trek. It was stunning! I can’t wait to take a group of Rainbow students to some of the same spots! We saw the head bull with his “harem.” We saw males sparring, heard bulls bugling, and watched their herd behavior in the frosty, below freezing high elevation weather. We were outside from 6 am in the morning until 7 pm at night, which is a great way to feel connected to Mother Earth.
Other great sightings: Barred owl, black bear, grouse, wild turkeys, downy woodpecker.
We also learned about some of the effects of air pollution. Snails are believed to be negatively affected by air pollution, because acid rain causes calcium to be leached out of the soil, weakening their shells. Therefore, the snail population is a possible indicator of air quality. Ranger, Susan Sachs, trained us to identify various species of snails. We hunted for snails and collected the data. I found the smallest one — about the size of a pinhead.
Also affected by air pollution are lichens. In teams, we measured the growth and/or decline of lichen on specific trees. Did you know there are over 100 varieties of lichen in the Smoky Mountains?
Two bull elk. The elk were re-introduced to the Smokey Mountains in 2001 and 2002. 57 elk were brought in. The herd is now about 150 and growing.
an average-sized bull elk
An adult bull as seen through a scope
We found 45 snails. This is data that middle school kids and teachers collect for the park service to monitor the effect of air quality on snails.
Liking lichen: Standing next to the black birch with the lichen data our my team collected.
Ranger, Susan Sachs showing us fruticose lichen. Fruticose lichen is sensitive to air pollution.
by Renee Owen | Oct 27, 2011 | News
The Summit is a gathering of Rainbow Mountain parents and children and Asheville community members to co-create the future of Rainbow Mountain. The Summit is Phase I of a journey to define our center and to design future directions for RMCS. This is a unique opportunity for you to share your invaluable wisdom and dreams for the school, our children, education and the world. Get info here
Where
Calvary Baptist Church
Fellowship Hall
531 Haywood Road
Asheville, NC 28806
When
November 16, 1-4 PM
by Renee Owen | Oct 24, 2011 | News
Join us this Saturday, 29 October on the school grounds from 12 to 3:30 for our annual Halloween Harvest Hoe Down.
There will be live music, a magic show, bouncy houses, cake walk, a haunted house, activities, a kid’s raffle food and more. Tickets for food and activities will be on sale for a dollar each or 12 for $10.
This is a great community event. All are welcome.
