IMAGINE! ย ย ย Itโs a heroโs journey, with plenty of opportunity to make fun of ourselves along the way– and itโs all created right here. Justin Pilla developed the concept and wrote the script. ย Except for a few of the recorded songs, IMAGINE is completely composed, written, designed, directed, and choreographed by Rainbow teachers, visiting artists, and students.The 1st-6th grade IMAGINE play is a sequel! ย In 2013, IMAGINE was titled โThe Quest of Rainbow Mountain.โ ย Our journey continues, and much has changed (including the name of our school.) ย โKnow thyselfโ was the theme in Part I, when our brave protagonists had to master each of the Seven Domains. ย Last year, in Part II, Zarkon the Magnificent and his minion aliens tried to take over Rainbow and the Earth. ย In the end, love transformed all, including Zarkon himself, who re-emerges in this yearโs Imagine (after taking a course in compassionate communication). ย In 2015, we have gone from looking inward toโฆ An Expanding Universe! ย This year, the dramatic tension is between creativity versus logic. ย Which one will dominate?
For an intriguing statement from our executive director, Renee Owen, click here.
We would like to congratulate the staff and students for such an amazing and heartfelt show. Special thanks to all the parents and our Asheville community who attended the performance.
Iโve finally gotten a message from the Universe that my time at Rainbow is ended. The love and support you have shown meโespecially during the Evil Hip incidentโwill always be part of me. But the children, ah, the childrenโthey are 90% of me.
Their love is so overwhelming. They give so much, without even being aware, they just ARE. Their smiles, hugs, their โHey, Ruthie,โ have kept me young.
Lines of them going by and most of them slowing down to hug. Walking into a classroom and being โattackedโ even as the teacher is asking them to stay seated. Telling stories to attentive, โlistening eyes.โ A boy running across the playground, leaving games and friends, to give and receive a hugโWOW! thatโs powerful! Watching them grow and become young ladies and gentlemen, but never too โmatureโ to give an old teacher a hug.
Kids, you are so lucky to be in a school where your teachers love you all, but even more amazing, your teachers love each other and show it so you can see it. There is so much security in that. I wish for each of you a workplace some day where youโll have that atmosphere.
I love my family and friends and kidsโI love you so much and will miss you.
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 websiteย here
Here are a few photos from our annual May Day Celebration. We’d like to extend warm thanks to everyone who joined us. Photo’s courtesy of Luxe House Photographic.
โHeroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.โ ~Brodi Ashton
My students love superheroes! Why not, they have superhuman powers, they save the day, they give us a sense of security, their goodness always prevails and many other reasons like cool capes, gadgets and secret identities. Although I honor and respect the lessons we can glean from superheroes. I also encourage my students to find these heroic traits in themselves, their community members, in present day society and in historical figures.
As a part of our United States theme, the third graders study historic Americans. The focus is often on the activists, inventors, statesmen, and humanitarians that probably come to mind when your think of historical Americans- Abe Lincoln, Helen Keller, Ben Franklin, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., the list continues. Rarely do teachers consider Americaโs naturalists. These famous Americans paved the way for organizations such as the National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency. If not for the words and actions of these folks, we wouldnโt have natural wonders set aside for our recreation and our water and air quality would also be compromised.
When I explored naturalists with my third graders, we learned about Rachel Carson. Rachel Carson was a hero and a steward of the environment. Like the Lorax speaks for the trees, Rachel Carson spoke for the Earth. Her words helped to shape the environmental movement. Rachel Carson viewed nature as an interconnected web. She didnโt just see the tree but she saw the tree, she saw the branches upon which the Robin perched, the leaves upon which the ladybug grazed, the stem upon which the moss latched, the soil the roots are acnchored in, the insects that shelter in the soil,โฆshe saw connections that reach beyond what is seen. Ultimately, she experienced nature from a holistic perspective.
Rachel Carsonโs words changed the world and her witness and understanding of the web of life continues to inspire new generations of stewards. Rainbow is proud to inspire stewards of the environment. Natureโs gifts and lessons are woven into our each and everyday- some days subtly and others explicitly. In order to better understand the heroic deeds of Rachel Carson, the kids enjoyed a read aloud with beautiful paintings helping to describe why Rachel Carson fell in love the with places she did. We discussed some of the ideas and concepts in the book. Then talked about they way she saw nature and its web of life.
The kids then stood as I placed a necklace around them. Each necklace represented some strand in the web of life from air to soil to insect to tree to bear to cloud etcโฆ One child then took a ball of twine and while holding on to her end, gave the ball to the child wearing the insect necklace and said โSoil is connected to insects because insects live in the soil.โ We continued to build the web of life with each child stating their connection to other children. When the web was complete, I asked the first child to tug a little on the their strand. I told the children that as soon as the tug reached them, they should tug too. Eventually all the children were tugging with glee.
When the activity was complete I asked for any reactions. One child said, โWe are all one.โ Another child said, โIt is like the Earth is balanced on three podiums, if you cut one down then the Earth is no longer balanced.โ Still another child said, โThe Earth is like a tree, if you cut one branch the tree isnโt as pretty anymore.โ
Our future lies in the hands of these children and the paths they choose. I feel strongly that each child will journey down a heroic path.
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 Dalton, parent of Sara Grace in 5th grade, and lead architect at Row House Architects, has been preparing the final plans for bidding.
Contractor, Chris Fox, parent of Lily (4th) and Nate (1st), has been generously and courageously acting as construction manager. He has used his practical expertise to think through the plans with us, making sure they meet our needs and budget, and he filed for the permit back in December.
I donโt know what we would have done without these guys, so if you see them say thanks!
Just last week, the city finally turned the permit around, and as soon as they have the names of the general contractor and the subs, we will have a permit. Four contractors are bidding, and their bids are due Thursday. Everyone โ keep your fingers crossed, pray, wish, etc.– that the bids will come back within our very specific budget.
The winning contractor will have to start immediately into order to meet our deadline. (Remember, we need to have our new classrooms ready in time for the 2015-16 school year in order to have enough classrooms for everyone next year.)
So what will the next few months be like with a construction project underway?
It will begin with a bang — demolition.
Sometime between March 4 and March 12 an environmental contractor will spend three days removing any materials that contained asbestos or other potentially hazardous materials so that they are removed with the utmost environmental and air quality standards in place โ not one particle of friable material is to become air born.
I have never watched this, but in my imagination I see lots of dust-buster style devices sucking every particle of dust up while white-robed technicians remove windows and take dry wall down. ECS has a reputation for being the best and they guarantee the safety of the children and anyone who will be using the building.
It is going to be shocking to have all the downstairs windows out and boarded up! After the environmentally sensitive work is done, the contractor will begin sledge-hammer work, tearing down five structural walls and disposing of materials into huge trash bins. Excavation of the courtyard area will commence, and fill dirt will start piling up.
Itโs going to be loud, dirty, and inconvenientโฆbut so satisfying when it is done. There will be days that no one will be allowed in the auditorium, such as when the environmental work is being done downstairs. But for the most part, normal activities will continue right through construction.
Why do we need the extra classroom space so soon?
The big game-changer is the expanded Omega.
The current 8th grade is the last of the small classes from the โoldโ days of Rainbow. When the current five 8th graders graduate in June, they will be followed by a rising 8th grade class which has 20 students currently, and the rising 7th grade, which also has 20 students.
Therefore, Omega will go from having 25 students this year to having up to 40 students. No longer will Omega be a one homeroom-style classroom. It will require at least two classrooms, and a few smaller rooms available for break out groups, electives, and tutoring.
The original plan was to have 6th grade in the lower level of the community center, but after consideration, the teachers and I realized that it makes more sense for 6th grade to move into the large room that Omega is currently in, and for the New Omega to inhabit the lower level of the community center.
It is going to be exciting to have the whole middle school program on the new campus. The music classroom will be completed during construction. Eventually, a new art room will also be in the lower level.
Expanding Omega
Of course, expanding Omega means hiring a larger teaching staff.
We will be adding a full time Science teacher, and since there is a shortage of Science teachers nationwide, I am extremely pleased at the number of fantastic Science teachers who are applying for the additional lead teacher position in Omega.
We are also adding a full time teacher assistant to Omega, and we have some wonderful applicants for that as well. Sandra and I are busy reading resumes for several positions. We have already had a couple of prospective teachers demonstrate and complete their interviews. Rainbow is very fortunate to be a place where extraordinary people want to work.
Columbia University
Here is something new in my life: I applied to a doctorate program at Columbia University.
Not because I donโt have enough to do, but because the program is project-based, and the replication of Rainbow is the project I am proposing. It is a very competitive program, and a long-shot that I will be accepted, but if it works out, we will have the resources, wisdom, and creditability of Columbiaโs Teachers College behind our school!
If I am accepted, I will have to be on campus in New York for three weeks in the summer, and for eight different weekends throughout the school year (almost one weekend per month) for the next two years. They have called me in for an on-campus interview, so I will be in New York for part of this week. Again, itโs a highly competitive program, and the chances of being accepted are very small, but I thought it was worth a try.
My short personal statement for my application can be read HERE.
It is somewhat personal, but I wanted to share it with you. At the end of the statement I reference a quote by John Dewey: โI believe education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform.โ
Did you know the teachers at Rainbow are working on writing a book?
They are compiling centering techniques and activities into a book that will potentially be called โThe Centered Classroom.โ Centering is part of the glue that holds our learning community together. Inviting in spirit and sacred space every day, and making that integral to each childโs daily experience is special. Children develop the habit of having a meaningful, daily spiritual practice. Teachers outside of Rainbow have asked how to do centering, so this book is for them.
By the way, centering is open for parents to join.
When I first came to Rainbow it was still a tradition for parents to participate in centering on a regular basis. It is a wonderful way to start your day, so please feel free to stay beyond drop off for centering when you have the chance. Itโs not just for kids!
Science Fair was incredible.
Did you get to check it out?! Amazing! Several of the prospective teachers who are applying for the middle school Science position visited Omega during Science fair, including people who had worked at Carolina Day School and Asheville School, and they were exceedingly impressed with the sophistication of our students.
Dance, Drum, Pray on May Day!
Important Date Change: LEAF International is partnering with Rainbow Community School for an awesome global opportunity. In May, we will be hosting an indigenous Costa Rican dancing/drumming group call Proyecto Jirondai from May 4 โ May 7, so we are changing our May Day Celebration to May 5, so that they can join us.
I had the honor and good fortune to witness an indigenous spring earth-based celebration when I was in Ecuador, and I know there are some deep similarities in this ritual throughout South America, Central America, and Mexico.
It will be very special having this group with us for May Day. At the end of their residency, the group and several lucky Rainbow students who sign up for the after school special program with Proyecto Jirondai will get to perform with them on stage at LEAF. You will be hearing much more about this groupsโ residency. If you want to be a host family, contact Caryn Hanna at 828-768-1826.
Spring is Around the Corner
Spring truly is just around the corner. I hope these cold winter days provided an opportunity to savor the slowness of winter. Winter can be such a trial, but so much growth and learning comes from trials. Soon, your children will be presenting to you at Student Led Conferences. They are young buds, ready to burst forth into blossoming learners and change-makers.
The 1st-6th grade IMAGINE play is a sequel! ย In 2013, IMAGINE was titled โThe Quest of Rainbow Mountain.โ ย Our journey continues, and much has changed (including the name of our school.) ย โKnow thyselfโ was the theme in Part I, when our brave protagonists had to master each of the Seven Domains. ย Last year, in Part II, Zarkon the Magnificent and his minion aliens tried to take over Rainbow and the Earth. ย In the end, love transformed all, including Zarkon himself, who re-emerges in this yearโs Imagine (after taking a course in compassionate communication). ย In 2015, we have gone from looking inward toโฆ An Expanding Universe! ย This year, the dramatic tension is between creativity versus logic. ย Which one will dominate?
