Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. โMartin Luther King Jr. ย
Rainbow Community School is governed by light and founded on love.
Connection to oneself, others, the natural world and the spiritual is at the heart of what we do. We are a school founded on the holistic development of each child. The essence of each child is seen, heard, celebrated and challenged. There is always a circle of light and of love around eachย child.
We educate for non-violence. We aim to equip children with compassion, empathy, resilience and respect. We teach compassionate communication, positive discipline and healthy conflict resolution. We provide a therapeutic response to education. We are trauma informed. We do this because we see everyย child, we hear eachย child, we celebrate and challenge everyย child. We love eachย child.
We do this because the world needs schools founded on love, the world needs teachers who see and can support the whole child, the world needs empathetic and compassionate children, the world needs love-ย now more than ever.
Valentine’s Day is a symbolic day of love but unfortunately, was tragic day for many last week. The events that happened in Parkland, Florida are sobering; it is the 18th school shooting already this year. We mourn for those families and that community, and strive to protect our own, perhaps turning inward to consider how we got to this point and where to go from here.
Keeping all children safe is always the highest priority and most important job of each employee at Rainbow.
This is our first focus- from informing and advising the community of school-wide health concerns to implementing things such as a safe school plan, lock downs and evacuations. These measures are put in to place out of love.
Even still, Rainbow Community School strives to provide an additional layer of protection. This layer is not necessarily visible, but is one that stays with each child well after they graduate. Our school aims to foster healthy relationships, nourish emotional health and well-being, make learning meaningful, support ritual and rites of passage and most of all, cultivate a spiritual identity rooted in purpose.
Contemplation, reflection, deep discussion, heart centered connection, healthy risk taking, simple play, time in nature, communal support and celebration are among the many elements that are woven together to provide these protections.
As we wade through the pain, anger and confusion of each moment of crises, we are left with many questions and become increasingly conscious about protecting all children.
The NRA says, โguns donโt kill people, people kill people,โ but have the members of the NRA or the politicians engineering policy ever stopped and askedโฆwhy? Yes- changing gun regulation, policy and law is certainly a step towards ensuring our safety, however, it does not get at the root of the issue. It does not consider how these children end up choosing violence or what society has done or not done to fail them. This is where educational policy, programming, school culture and support come into play. This is where love can make the biggest impact.
How do we support children on their educational journey so they donโt turn to violence?
The answer lies in developing in not only the social, emotional but the spiritual domain. The healthier they are in these affective areas that more protection they have. In The Spiritual Child, psychologist Lisa Miller illustrates a clear link between spirituality and mental health. Her research shows that children who have a positive, active relationship to spirituality are 40% less likely to use and abuse substances, 60% less likely to be depressed as teenagers and are 80% less likely to have dangerous or unprotected sex. Ultimately children are more protected against risky behavior when their education, growth and development is rooted in their own spirituality. The research speaks for itself. This is what we offer kids. This is how we support them. This is how we protect them. This is how we love them.
Integrated thematic units are considered best practice atย Rainbow.ย Thematic lessons are layered in both discipline and in learning domain. Layering in this way encourages themeย engagementย from many angles and through many lenses.ย Thisย allows aย student to connect with the material through their preferred learning domain while nurturing a ย lasting relationshipย with the material.ย Forย example, what is taught in science may be incorporated into the social studies topic, written about in language arts, or read through literature. This method nurturesย learning that is bothย circular and interconnected.
First grade is currentlyย studyingย Africa. A recent centering lesson was layered in mindfulness andย contemplative ritual, kinesthetic learning, teamwork and critical thinking. It was also rooted in the geography, natural history and culture of Africa.
The centering begins, like all RCS centerings, with aย prompt to,ย “still yourย minds,ย bodies and voices and at the sound of each chime, take three audibleย deep breaths.” Josie, the teacher, then asked the classย Mindful Mediation Leader to offerย a word or intention that we can hold in our hearts.ย “African animals” was offered andย Josieย struckย a match and said, “may we honor African animals as our teachers.”
These rituals served to shiftย the class energy inward resulting in a moment ofย silence and stillness.ย Josie then showed aย pictureย of theย Efรฉ children of the Zaire, Ituri Forest and asked contemplative questions.
“What do you see, think and wonder about this picture?”
The Osani Circle Game
Josie explained that these children were playing a game called Theย Osani Circle Game. This prompted a conversation about circles. She stated that circles and cycles are seen everywhere. They are symbols of connection and wholeness. They are considered incredibly strong. Josie asked, “Can we name some circles or cycles?”
She went on to describe that the players of the game harness the strength of the circle by physically creating a circle with their feet and bodies. Each person then takes a turn naming a circular object, concepts or cycles such as apples, belly buttons, pies, time, the water cycle, butterfly cycle, the seasons. The goal being to hold the circle throughout the game while, without hesitation, naming circular objects.
In an effort to anchor the kids in teamwork, set the tone for the game and harness the power of the circle, Josie started by sending a “squeeze around the circle.” She then led them to create a human mandala. Finally, she guided them through a closed-eyed medication that allowed them to picture the circles all around us.
The kids named things like the butterfly cycle, the Sun, the belly of a bear, our noses, etc… More importantly they had fun while learning in a rich and integrated way- from learning about Efรฉ children, to physically and collaboratively recreating the circle, to thinking fast and maintaining concentration throughout the game.
However, it was the unwritten curriculum that spoke volumes- the wisdom of the circle. The circle as a powerful symbolย has been referred to since the beginning of time. It is celebrated in many religions and cultures as divine. It holds archetypal influence in story and myth and is represented by so many natural phenomena. Consider the Tibetan mandala, the Native American medicine wheel, the wedding ring, the Hero’s Journey, the Sun or Moon cycle. This centering ended with a closing verse that integrated some important circular objects found in our lives.
Informing your practice
If children are deeply and comprehensively connecting to the Circle, then they are more likely to return to it later in life as a teacher or guide, a tool, a strategy, an anchor or a healing source. I ask you to consider how circles show up in your life, to pay attention to their influence, and to invite them in as teachers.
The weekย back to school after a longย winter break isย often buzzing with excitement and anticipation.ย During these days, children will share stories of their time apart,ย celebrate coming back togetherย and show enthusiasm for what is to come.ย Time is also set aside for deep reflection, individual and collaborative goal settingย and for the renewal ofย commitments to oneself and to others.
This last week yielded particularly frigid temperatures and harsh weatherย conditions,ย embedded within theย season ofย darkness. These winter circumstances provided a perfect context for a centering led by 4th-grade teachers, Susie and Molly.
As the centering began, Susie picked one of severalย snake skins that were decorating the classroom altar. She explained that the snake skin was a symbol of renewal and that by being able toย let go ofย orย shed that whichย no longer serves us, we make room for a renewal ofย those things that do.
She thenย invited all her students to collect a meditation mat and cushion, toย remove their shoes, and toย lie down andย stretch out their bodies. She asked them to begin toย settle in by allowing their bodies to become still, to notice their breath and to quiet their minds. She played some soothing music while she and Mollyย applied warm compresses to the eyes of those students who hadย requested them. She explained that the compresses served as a tool that helps you toย relax, tune outย the things around you and help you to send yourย focus inward.
Susie then led the students in a meditation that beganย with a body scan;ย a mindfulness technique that allows you to focus your attention on your physical being in an effort to achieve deep relaxation.
Susie proceeded with a guided meditation. She stated, “now that the work of your body is settled, lets gently enter the mind. Even in the state of easy rest, your thoughts have great power.”
“You have the power to build light inside of yourself each day. So as we settle into winter, a time of darkness and rest, take these next few breaths to speak kind thoughts to yourself. Allow yourself to imagine that with each thought, your body fills with light.”
“Now that you have built your fire, keep it burning. Remember that this time of renewal does not only come once a year, but every day, and with every moment. Continue to stoke your fire”
“You also have the power to share your light with others.”
“Imagine that your light streams out through your ears, use this to listen for opportunities to compliment a friend.”
“Imagine that your light streams out through your hands, use this to create beauty and offer a gentle touch to friends or family.”
“Imagine that your light streams out through your eyes, use this to observe others from a place of integrity and empathy so that you do not judge just based on what you see.”
“Imagine that your light streams out through your mouth, use this to speak with intention and compassion because words are so deeply powerful.”
“Imagine that your light streams out of the top of your head, use this to share your brilliance and uplifting thoughts with others.”
Susie closed centering by inviting an awareness back to the room, the present moment and one another.
I am sure many of you have already engaged in your own reflective practice for the new year. I am sure many of you have worked to let go of the things that don’t serve you. I am sure many of you are already rich with goals and intentions for a new year filled with joy and happiness.
In order to better achieve those goals or live those intentions, I invite you, during this time of darkness, to claim your personal power and to embrace the tools and techniques that help you to turn your light and share it with others.
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” ย ~ Dumbledore
Centering practices aim to strengthen ourย learning communityย by inviting spirit and sacredness into each space and each day. At RCS, we see this dailyย practice as aย meaningfulย ritual that isย integral to aย child’s healthy spiritual development.
Weย alsoย hostย school-wide, annualย celebrations and ceremonies that are alsoย rooted in the sacred andย serve to deepen the connections we have to ourselves,ย our community and a higher power.ย These shared celebrations, ceremonies and rites of passageย empower all involvedย to turn both inward and outward so as to realize their part in an integral community and their connection to somethingย greater than themselves.
The annualย winter program is one of those sacred ceremonies. During this time,ย the staff and studentsย celebrate the true meaning of the holidays by sharing original songs that embrace the human valuesย that unite us. Each year the theme of the programย is inspired by one of theย universally held virtuesย and serves as aย guide for the students as they collaborate with Sue Ford,ย our music director, to draft lyrics for each performance.
For example, aย few years agoย the theme was LOVE. The students were asked to ponder the power of love andย the many ways to give and receive love. This reflectionย yielded various interpretations andย heart-felt lyrics rooted inย “Love.” Follow the link below to hear one of the many songs from the love feast.
The following year, the theme “Unity through Music” invited the students to create songs in cultural styles from around the world as a way of honoring our connection to local and global communities. Follow the link below to experience the 2nd grade song, “One Human Family.”
This year, Sue Ford has invited students on a sacred circle journey. The circle is a symbol of wholeness. Sacred Circles, Medicine Wheels, Mandalas, Hoops and Rings are found all over the world in history, art, architecture and ceremony.ย Carl Jung says, โI saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point โ namely, to the mid-point.โจ It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the center. โจIt is the exponent of all paths.โจโฆ I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what was for me the ultimate.โ
This year the themeย โJourney Through the Sacred Circleโ is an exploration of how we as individuals and as communities relate to the seven directions and elements within the circle. We beginย with our Roots (Below), ascending into Fire and Air, grounding with the Earth, flowing with the Water, floating into the infinity of Space (Above) and finally back home in the center, Spirit.ย The songs in this journey are original collaborations between students, Sue Ford our music teacherย and many of theย RCSย teachers.
I am sure many of youย have experienced the joy and celebration that comes with holiday programs. At each RCS winter program, these feelings are echoed and then bolstered by the invitation of spirit, the emphasis on the sacred and the purposeful connection present at these programs.
As you enter into each holiday season and embark on learning adventures with your students, memory making with your family, and connections with your friends and acquaintances… I ask you to consider the ways that you can invite the true spirit of the holidays along on your journey?
Rainbow’s centering curriculum aims toย support the spiritual identity development of each learner through various contemplative, mindfulnessย and meditative practices. It also serves to cultivate a strong class coherence and foster a collective wisdom through team-building initiativesย andย collaborative learning opportunities.
Omega Middle School students often take on the incredible responsibility of leading a centering for their peers. The student chooses a quote that resonates with them, shares it, asks for reflections, and then facilitates anย extension activity.ย In a recent Omega Middle School centering, class coherence was nurtured throughย a team-building initiative rooted in the wise words of the poet Rumi.ย Rumi,ย a 13th century Persian poet, was a Sufi mystic andย an Islamic dervish, and isย often regarded as aย spiritual masterย and one of the world’s most popular poets.ย Interestingly,ย Rainbow founders, in addition to being innovative educators,ย were also spiritual Sufis with strong beliefsย in universal peace and acceptance of all spiritual traditions. To that end,ย Rainbow’sย 40-year lineageย ofย spiritual curriculum is founded in Sufi mysticism, an arm ofย the Muslim faithย in which the practitionersย believeย that aย personal experience with a higher powerย can beย achieved through mindfulness andย meditation.
The Rumiย quote below served as inspiration for this particular centering:
We can all acknowledge that judgments of right or wrong permeate our society and that societal pressures often yield citizens motivated by competition, achievement, success, winning and losing. Even the mission statement of the U.S. Department of Education emphasizes these. It states, “Our missionย is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”
All of us, I am sure, acknowledge the importance of setting and achieving goals. But do we always ask ourselves who or what loses if we win, or does my success come at the expense of who or what? As parents, educators and mentors, we absolutely want our children to experience goal setting, success and personal growth; but do we do everything we can to teach them to consider the bigger picture by reflecting in this way? Team building, if scaffolded properly has the power to do just that.
Rainbow recognizes the positive impacts thatย team building experiences haveย on classroom culture and morale and also on the development of the whole child. Team building is about working together to achieve a shared goal– one in which everyone succeeds. Team-building initiatives encourage perspective taking, ย empathy and trust. Team building is about connection.
Team building anchored in spirituality or inspired by contemplation asks each person to turn inward first so that they can show up outwardly in a positive way. ย What if,ย before we launched aย team-building initiative or worked towards any common goal, we were reminded of the things that bind us? What if we were reminded of the greater good?
The Omegans spent some time reflecting on the quote. Then the group was tasked to cross a field, arms joined and with their feet touching their neighbors (a symbolic bond). The collective goal was to stay connected throughout the entire journey.
Ultimately, they were asked to enter Rumi’s field of consciousness and to move beyond right and wrong, success and failure, and to focus on what is truly important– the things that bind each of them.
Theย centering rituals, although all rooted inย mindfulnessย and in sacred spirit,ย vary from Rainbow classroom to Rainbow classroom. For example, the middle school, known asย Omega, opens each centering with a reflection onย a quote, a lyric, or a blessing.ย As centering opens, the studentsย turnย inward by recording the quote, which is displayed on a whiteboard,ย in their centering journals and connectย with itย through silentย reflection.
This dailyย “food for thought,” sets a reverent tone, encourages contemplative thinking, nourishes class coherence while reminding us thatย learning is scared.ย A volunteer is asked to recite the quote and then the facilitatorย fishes for any reflections, questions, insight or comments. Students are encouraged to offer their own wisdom, tweeze out meaning, make connections, share personal stories, and/or give an emotional reaction to the quote.
On one particular morning, Freddie, an eighth grade student lead a centering inspired by the words of spiritual teacher, Eckhardt Tolle,
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”
Freddie paused after the quote and waited for responses. One student offered, ย “that we are often caught up in our past memories and mistakes or are thinking about what will happen next, that we dont realize the important things that are happening right in front of us.” Another student responded withย “the past is full of memories, the future of hopes or dreams and the present- the present is where the two collide. It is important to savor that.”
Interacting with students in this way, keeps me in constant awe of the wisdom that is alive within them. What if every child had the opportunity to be contemplative, like this, each day? How would their inner potential and their inner wisdom reveal itself?
After a round of sharing, Freddieย attempted to put the quote’s wisdomย into practice. He asked that we eachย find a comfortable position somewhere in the classroom, close our eyes, and begin to focus on ourย breath. He began to ring a bell and noted that the bell would serve toย anchor theย breath. He said thatย if our thoughts wandered or drifted, each time he rang it, it would remind us to come back to ourย breath and toย the present moment.The students seemed to relax into the meditationย with ease andย Freddieย heldย space for thisย practiceย for about fiveย minutes. Each individualย studentย emerged from the practice relaxed,ย calm andย focused and theย group’s energyย seemed moreย bonded orย in a higher state of flow.
Overall, Iย feel that the mediationย succeeded in supporting the transition from home to school, supporting class coherence and inย openingย up additionalย pathways to learning.
Meditation is one crucialย tool that our children access…itย allows themย toย focusย on theirย breath, theirย bodily sensations, or on a word or phrase. Inย today’sย fast paced society, it has become increasingly challengingย to directย attention or efforts toย a single point of reference or action. Alarms,ย meetings, deadlines, chores, commitments andย to do lists can make it hard to embrace a mindfulness practice, a mediation or any deep relfection. A mediative practice, like the one described above has the power to turn attention away fromย distracting thoughts, past memories, mistakes or regrets, or future obligations andย into the present moment. It is not only empowering but powerful.
What if alarms were used to remind us to be present, to pause, to notice- instead of to wake us up or get us somewhere on time? What if our to do lists became to be lists? What if every child was equipped with these tools and resources? What if…
