“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 your small violin, but you have to play the macro violin. The small violin is the instrument that is in your hands. The macro-violin is the whole cathedral that surrounds you. The cathedral of Chartes is built entirely according to musical principles. Playing the macro violin requires you to listen and to play from another place, from the periphery. You have to move your listening and playing from within to beyond yourself.” ~from violinist, Miha Pogacnik.
Our quest at Rainbow is so far beyond teaching children how to “play their little violins,” that we operate in another galaxy than most schools: We want them to vibrate from beyond (to use Pogacnik’s word). We want every child to sing their heart out!
Rainbow graduates are known to be brilliant. Brilliance is something more than smart or well-educated. Brilliance is indescribable light – so bright it fills us with inspiration. Brilliance captures something that is beyond us and vibrates within us. So what is the formula for teaching brilliance?
The arts are one of the most important means of helping children tap into spirit, or the powers beyond and within us. The arts help teach children how to play their macro violin. When one is truly creating, something takes over that is beyond articulation. When a group of people create together… a force even larger exists. Finally, when that creation is shared with an audience– if the magic happens– everyone is united in something that no one can describe. Welcome to the first IMAGINE performance in our own auditorium – our own humble version of Chartes Cathedral. Sit back, enjoy, and help us play the macro violin together today. Our quest is a journey into the beyond.
IMAGINE! It’s a hero’s journey, with plenty of opportunity to make fun of ourselves along the way– and it’s all created right here. Justin Pilla developed the concept and wrote the script. 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! In 2013, IMAGINE was titled “The Quest of Rainbow Mountain.” Our journey continues, and much has changed (including the name of our school.) “Know thyself” was the theme in Part I, when our brave protagonists had to master each of the Seven Domains. Last year, in Part II, Zarkon the Magnificent and his minion aliens tried to take over Rainbow and the Earth. In the end, love transformed all, including Zarkon himself, who re-emerges in this year’s Imagine (after taking a course in compassionate communication). In 2015, we have gone from looking inward to… An Expanding Universe! This year, the dramatic tension is between creativity versus logic. 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.
I’ve finally gotten a message from the Universe that my time at Rainbow is ended. The love and support you have shown me—especially during the Evil Hip incident—will always be part of me. But the children, ah, the children—they are 90% of me.
Their love is so overwhelming. They give so much, without even being aware, they just ARE. Their smiles, hugs, their “Hey, Ruthie,” have kept me young.
Lines of them going by and most of them slowing down to hug. Walking into a classroom and being “attacked” even as the teacher is asking them to stay seated. Telling stories to attentive, “listening eyes.” A boy running across the playground, leaving games and friends, to give and receive a hug—WOW! that’s powerful! Watching them grow and become young ladies and gentlemen, but never too “mature” 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 you’ll have that atmosphere.
I love my family and friends and kids—I 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 website 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.
“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” ~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 America’s 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 wouldn’t 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 didn’t 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,…she saw connections that reach beyond what is seen. Ultimately, she experienced nature from a holistic perspective.
Rachel Carson’s 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. Nature’s 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 etc… 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 “Soil is connected to insects because insects live in the soil.” 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, “We are all one.” Another child said, “It is like the Earth is balanced on three podiums, if you cut one down then the Earth is no longer balanced.” Still another child said, “The Earth is like a tree, if you cut one branch the tree isn’t as pretty anymore.”
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.
The 1st-6th grade IMAGINE play is a sequel! In 2013, IMAGINE was titled “The Quest of Rainbow Mountain.” Our journey continues, and much has changed (including the name of our school.) “Know thyself” was the theme in Part I, when our brave protagonists had to master each of the Seven Domains. Last year, in Part II, Zarkon the Magnificent and his minion aliens tried to take over Rainbow and the Earth. In the end, love transformed all, including Zarkon himself, who re-emerges in this year’s Imagine (after taking a course in compassionate communication). In 2015, we have gone from looking inward to… An Expanding Universe! This year, the dramatic tension is between creativity versus logic. Which one will dominate?
