by West | Jun 16, 2017 | Alumni News & Accolades, Blogs, News, Rainbow Institute
A rite of passage is an important, sacred ceremony that highlights a transitional period in a person’s life- often marking the departure from one group in order to enter another. Graduation is one of those rites of passage and is also known asΒ commencement, convocation or invocation.
At Rainbow, it takes on all of these forms but at its core is an invocation- this sacred ceremony serves as an invitation of the spirit, a reverence for deep connection, reflection and transformation. Our RCS graduation is one of many shared celebrations, ceremonies and rites of passage that empower students to turn both inward and outward in order to realize that they are part of an integral community as well as something greater than themselves.
As the ceremony opened,Β we wereΒ welcomed by theΒ Executive Director, Renee Owen. She tookΒ a moment to acknowledgeΒ some of the RCSΒ commencement traditions that make theΒ ceremony sacred.Β She first explainedΒ that every graduating child speaks at commencement- that each childΒ hasΒ an opportunity toΒ share with the community a memory that they want to hold in their hearts as they move through this important transition.Β Their voices are heard, their memories are honoredΒ and their growth and transformation areΒ celebrated by the entire community.
Renee wentΒ on to explain another important ritual of this rite of passage- centering. As all things at Rainbow begin with centering- from school days, to meetings, to shared celebrations- so does graduation.Β Renee notedΒ that the purpose of centering is to help each of us bring a mindful awareness to theΒ present moment. She acknowledgedΒ the profound importance of theΒ evening’s events and remindedΒ us that…”there will never be another moment like it ever again.”
Graduation centerings are led by the graduates.Β Last week at preschool graduation, four eagerΒ preschoolers lead the whole community in acts of mindful listening, deep breathing, and a blessing of compassion. Last night, sevenΒ confident 8th gradersΒ lead centering.Β ItΒ beganΒ with the song of the singing bowl to gather everyone’s attention.Β Jackson, one of ourΒ graduates who has been here since first grade,Β stepped up to the microphone and invited each member of the community to turn to their neighbors toΒ greet one another. Gaby, another graduate, then followed with an invitation to closeΒ eyes and reflect on the greeting. The reflection wasΒ prompted by these questions-
“Did they look happy?”
“What color were their eyes?”
“How long was their hair?”
“What was their name?”
Lena, then approached the microphone and followed with this quote…”Life is a dance, mindfulness isΒ witnessing that dance.”Β Jackson furthered explained that, “No one in life will guide you to notice the space you are in, so it is up toΒ you to be mindful of your space and body. Now… reintroduce yourself in a centered space, pay close attention to the entire picture, and ask mindful questions.”Β Another studentΒ reflected, “How did that greeting make you feel this time?Β What more did you noticed?” FinallyΒ Harmony, another studentΒ closed the centeringΒ byΒ leading the groupΒ in a deep, communal breath.
RCS closes this rite of passage each year with a song that has held space in this community- as a gift of appreciation-Β for decades. Last night, thisΒ song wasΒ meant as an enduringΒ reminder for all the graduates that they are held, supported and deeply loved by their RCS community. Below are the simple but profound lyrics.
Dear Ones we love you,Β Dear Ones you helped us to grow,
There’s a circle of light around you, there’s a circle of light in your heart.
There’s a circle of love around you, there’s a circle of love in your heart.
by West | Jun 16, 2017 | Blogs, News, Rainbow Institute
Education is a sacred calling.
Bridging sacred and school is spiritual work.
A strong spiritual identityΒ among teacherΒ and studentΒ is theΒ catalyst for this meaningful work.
At Rainbow, we feel that aΒ spiritually nourished child is a child ready to learn. We know, just as students come to school with social and emotional learning needs theyΒ also show up with spirits- that areΒ waiting to be nourished. When we intentionally invite the soul into the classroom, then we truly educateΒ forΒ “wholeness” by nurturing the mind, theΒ body andΒ theΒ SPIRIT.
Our daily centering practices serve as one way in which we invite the “soul” in to the classroom. These spirit-honoring centerings beginΒ in preschool and at this stage, these little learners are immersed in a worldΒ that is still very magical, mysterious and awe-inspiring.Β The magic isΒ fed through community centeredΒ rituals,Β mindfulness practices,Β storytelling, art, drama, music, yoga, dance, and multicultural celebrations.The daily centering practices also provide ample opportunities to nurtureΒ empowered learners,Β foster independenceΒ and leadership, and celebrate community.
Recently I joinedΒ Lucy and the preschool Dragonflies for centering.Β On this particular morningΒ Thomas, one of the preschoolers,Β served as theΒ leader for the centeringΒ rituals.Β He began byΒ askingΒ his class to put on their mindful bodies andΒ theirΒ mindful listening ears. He then told them that he would ring the singing bowl and wanted every personΒ to actively and mindfully listen until they could no longer hear the song of the bellΒ and then to raise their hand when its song was gone. He then used a breathing ball and guided his classmates in three deepΒ inhales and exhales. As the ball expanded he said aloud “inhale”Β and as it contracted he saidΒ “exhale.”
Lucy,Β thenΒ invitedΒ theΒ preschoolers to join her in a self-affirmingΒ morningΒ verse that was paired withΒ sign language. The kids spoke theΒ words with confidence and enthusiasm… “May I be healthy, may I be strong, may I be happy, may I be peaceful.” These affirmations served as inspiration for the rest of centering.
SheΒ explained that each person would have the opportunity to choose a kind wish they have for themselves. She showed and read the kindΒ wishΒ cards aloud and asked to kids to be thinking about which one they wanted for themselves today.Β When theΒ kids were ready to share, they signaled to LucyΒ by placingΒ their thumbs on their knees. She invited each them to approach theΒ altar which was filled with the kind wish cards, candles and theΒ wishing water.Β The kids were askedΒ toΒ speak their kind wish and illuminate their “love light” or personal candles.
Much like plants need our careΒ to thrive, ourΒ intentions and affirmations need that attention too.Β To that end, at the close of centering the Lucy explained that sheΒ would take the wishing water (filled with their wishes) and send the kind wishes in to the world by watering the plants.
If we feed our body, it can grow. If we feed our mind, it can be stimulated. If weΒ nurtureΒ ourΒ spirit, it canΒ flourish. What will yourΒ spirit honoringΒ practice be today?
Your daily intention or well wish has the capacity to ripple through every aspect of your daily life. WhatΒ intention or well wish do you have for yourself today?
by West | May 19, 2017 | Blogs, News, Rainbow Institute
The goals of meditation can vary from practitioner to practitioner. A practitioner may meditate to calm themselves, regulate emotions or reduce stress. They may also engage in meditation as a strategy for deep reflection, connection or intuiting. In its traditional form, it is practiced by sitting still and focusing on the breath or bodily sensations. This traditional practice shows up in Rainbow classrooms and centering practices but just as the goals of meditation vary,Β so can the formΒ it takes.
At RCS, meditationΒ takes on many shapesΒ and often engages various learning domains. Creative meditation, for example, is explored through expressive ways such as mindful drawing or writing. Students may also embody a kinesthetic meditation by mindful walking, yoga or interpretive dance. Additionally, solo time communing with or observing nature attends to the natural domain.
Meditation at Rainbow, regardless of form begins by slowing things down, bringing awareness to the body and aligning each activity with the breath.Β The rituals of a 2nd grade centering often begin with a gentle reminder from their teacher, Eddy, to still their bodies, hold a silence for the candle lighting and three deep communal breaths. Eddy also recognizes the boundless physical, mental and emotional benefits of collective singing and to that end, it too has become part of these cultural rituals. Ultimately, communal singing in this reverent and celebratory way has become a meditation for these students. Simple melodies paired with profound lyrics aim to deepen the already sacred tone, nurture a transcendent experience, strengthen their bond and invite a bit of whimsy.
On this day, once the centering rituals are complete, Eddy begins describing the meditative drawing activity the students will be participating in. He explains that they will be using shapes and forms to create a collaborative sculpture, meditate on it and then draw what they see. He explains that the goal is to bring mindfulness to their observation and their drawing skills.
He invites the students to choose a three-dimensional shape from the tray and then asks them to place their shape on the silk that covers the center of the rug. This communal creation resembles a city of sorts. He prompts the kids by saying βimagine walking through this world. Let your imagination allow it to come alive, look at it from all angles, what do you see, what is around youβ¦meditate on it.β He then rings the singing bell and tells them that when they can no longer hear the song of the bowl that will serve as their signal to begin drawing.
Eddy emphasized to the kids to just⦠draw what they saw. Those simple words became so freeing for the kids. Those words evoked a sense of autonomy that set the stage for a pure meditation. They were able to fully embrace the practice- free from perfectionism, free from concern for mistake making or being right over wrong. The tone of the classroom settled into a calm inquiry, a collective focus, and a creative meditation.
How can your traditional meditation practice take on a new form? Try somethingΒ different today? Mindful eating, tea meditation, deep listening, walking meditation…
Make a list of 5Β daily activities that you can bring some mindful presence to and take a pause for those each day. Try it for a week.Β What do you uncover or discover? REFLECT.
by West | May 1, 2017 | Rainbow Institute
Circles andΒ Cycles of GratitudeΒ Β
Imagine being a middle schooler again, arriving on a Friday morning, walking into a darkened, quiet room,Β joining the rest of your class in aΒ circle on the floorΒ andΒ hearing something like this from your teacher…
Please take a moment to free up your hands,Β find a comfortable, seatedΒ position and bring your awareness to how your body isΒ feeling at this moment.Β Whatever happened this morning, whatever is running through your mind…let it go.
Tune into your breath. Don’t attempt to change the rhythm, depth or patternΒ but rather just notice the ups and downs.Β Now, allow for your breath to lengthen…allow for a pause as you breathe out and back in.Β Release the stress, obstacles, challenges of the morning with an audible sigh, allow this release to let you unwind and relax.
Now, lets open the centeringΒ circle by lighting the candle.
Rituals such as these can beΒ experienced in every RCS classroom on daily basis. They take various forms depending on the age of the students and the culture of the classroom. ThisΒ sense of mindful reverence is intentionallyΒ invited into eachΒ circle of students so to pave the way for some deep exploration of self.
A theme of gratitude becameΒ the focusΒ ofΒ thisΒ centering and the wisdom of theΒ words byΒ William Arthur Ward served to guide the student’s inner reflection.Β This William Arthur WardΒ quote wasΒ read aloud by Omega teacher, Mark Hanf…Β “Gratitude can turn a common dayΒ into a thanksgiving, turn routines jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” Β Mark followedΒ by talkingΒ about the transformative power that gratitude reflections can have on your happiness andΒ shared a personal story about how his ownΒ use a gratitude journal has had a profoundΒ influence onΒ how he views reality.Β This idea of “turning a blue day into a new day” by shiftingΒ your perspective is backed by aΒ large body of research. This research highlightsΒ usingΒ gratitude lists or journals to positively impact yourΒ mental health and well being. Below are a few articles on the subject.
Harvard Medical School
UC DavisΒ
UC BerkeleyΒ
The remainder of the gratitude centering emphasizedΒ refelction.Β The Omega students took a few minutes to createΒ gratitude lists in their centering journals and then wereΒ guided through a reflective practice in which they explored theΒ appreciations that theyΒ have for each of their classmates. At RCS we call this a gratitude circle. Our students begin this reflective process in preschool and cycle through it in some form each year. For this particular circle eachΒ student wrote their name in the center of a piece of paper and then that paper was passed around the circle whileΒ each classmateΒ added an appreciation.
The process felt like a solemn mediation- it was quiet, the students were focused and engaged and then as the papers were returned to their ownersΒ something truly beautiful happened- a wave of smiles, grins, giggles emerged. It was pure joy to witness the transformative power of this activity.Β It is a powerful practice to acknowledge thoseΒ things youΒ appreciate about yourself but it it can also be incredibly inspiringΒ to hear them from others. Try it! Share an appreciation today!
How can what we do at RCS inspire your own personal or professional work?Β
Gratitude lists have tangible benefits! Try inviting them into yourΒ daily practice- Here are some helpful hints: be specific, be consistent, share your gratitudes, strive to shift your mind set- find the good in the bad.Β
by West | Apr 23, 2017 | Blogs, Rainbow Institute
On April 22, 2017 billions of people worldwide will commune with the Earth through a variety of celebratory activities honoringΒ Earth Day!Β Earth Day, started in 1970 is the largest secular holiday- celebrated by more 193 countries. Although observedΒ to provoke environmental awareness, action andΒ policy changes,Β RCS sees Earth DayΒ asΒ anΒ opportunity to pay respect to the sacred bond between nature and humanity.
Earth Day is everyday at RCS!Β The natural world serves as an important teacher in the lives of all our students.Β This connection is emphasized in our mission toΒ βdevelop accomplished, confident, and creative learners who are prepared to be compassionate leaders inΒ building a socially just, spiritually connected, and environmentally sustainable world”Β and servesΒ asΒ one of our 12Β Β guiding principles βthrough understanding nature we understand ourselves therefore the learning environment extends into the natural world, the greater community. A relationship with Nature yields stewardship.”Β
TheΒ natural domain is also one of the Seven RCS LearningΒ Domains that shapes our holistic model.Β Growth and development in the natural domainΒ is nurturedΒ through variousΒ learning experiences that become part ofΒ daily routines and rituals. Please see the table below for the learning goals and descriptors.
We also strive to nurture deepΒ nature-student relationships through variousΒ nature based centering practices that emphasize this spiritual learning goal:
CommunionΒ with the natural world: Understanding our interconnection with the natural world. Cultivating a reverence for Life. The Natural World serves as our teacher and guide as we explore our inner selves.Β
Additionally,Β RCS’s mascot happens to beΒ The Rainbow Warrior. The legend of the Rainbow Warrior names the warrior as a protector ofΒ Mother Earth.Β In this legend, there will come a day when people of all races, colors, and creeds will put aside their differencesΒ Β and will band together- unified.Β Like the colors of the rainbow, they will move over the Earth like a great Whirling Rainbow, bringing peace, understanding and healing everywhere they go.Β Creatures thought to be extinct or mythical will resurface at this time. Great trees that perished will return almost overnight.Β All living things will flourish.Β If you wish to read moreΒ about why we chose the Rainbow Warrior asΒ our mascot and theΒ legend in full please click here.
Everyday at RCS is Earth day. This incredible reverence and respect for the natural world permeates ourΒ curriculum and our culture.Β We all have a stake in caring for this EarthΒ β is some cases it is aΒ religious value,Β in othersΒ aΒ moral responsibility or a matter of equity. The RCS holistic model specifically emphasizesΒ nurturing environmental stewards that have a intimate, empathic and sacred connection with the Earth. It is through this empathy and connection from which they solve environmental problems. Additionally, by cultivating a sense ofΒ the divine or sacred in nature than it has the power to become a life-long spiritual teacher.
by West | Apr 7, 2017 | Blogs, News, Rainbow Institute
When planningΒ daily centerings Rainbow Community School (RCS) teachers striveΒ to align the lessons, practices or activitiesΒ with one of RCS’sΒ spiritual, social and/or emotional learning goals.Β One of the longest standingΒ spiritual learning goals (see below) recognizesΒ celebration, tradition and ritual as sacred acts-Β acts that offer our studentsΒ links to other cultures, ancestors and the past while laying a foundation for their future.
Class and Community Celebration and Ritual:Β Shared celebrations, ceremonies and ritesΒ of passage that empower students to be aΒ part of an integral community
These shared celebrations, ceremonies and rites of passage are held asΒ sacredΒ and in some cases magical. They are symbolic and are infused withΒ great care andΒ reverence.Β Some specific milestonesΒ includeΒ Move Up Day, The Rose Ceremony, Mysteries Council, Graduation, school wide monthly gatheringsΒ that align with seasonalΒ celebrationsΒ and Birthday Celebrations.
RecentlyΒ I was invited intoΒ the 1st grade classroom to participate in a centering honoring a birthday.Β Our students experience at least once collectiveΒ centering each school day, butΒ for one very special centeringΒ each year, it becomes extremely personalized-Β The Birthday Celebration. As we know, aΒ birthday is such a special and exciting event in a young personβs life, this special day holds a different, personal meaning than do other holidays or celebrations. Birthdays are celebrated for various reasons, from honoring or reflecting on personal growth, to acknowledging new opportunity, to encouraging fellowship. We may associate cake, ice cream, presents,Β parties with themΒ but at Rainbow this personal milestone is meant to invoke a sense of the sacred- The child is cerebrated as a uniquely spiritual being.
Rachel, the lead teacherΒ opened the centering circle by lighting the candle for βJudah and his new trip around the sun.β She first asked the kids to bring awarenss to their bodies by βfinding a space that was grounding forΒ them.β She then help to guide them in three deep breaths by ringing a chime between each breath.Β As the kids engaged in theseΒ typicalΒ centering rituals, the energy of the room settled into a more mindful state.Β
Rachel continued,⦔We have allΒ been part ofΒ Judah’s life for many daysβ¦many of us met Judah the first day of this school year, others have known Judah for many years now. We are also blessed toΒ have two people in the circleΒ that have known him for his entire life and we welcome Judah’s parents.Β Regardless of how long we have known him,Β we have all come to love and appreciate him andΒ would like to honor himΒ with appreciations.β
At this point Rachel askedΒ the kids to warm their hands by rubbing them together and then invitedΒ them to cover their eyes so that they can fully pictureΒ Judah’s face and inviteΒ aΒ sincere appreciation to the front of their minds. As the appreciation circle began, she reminded themΒ that “when weΒ speakΒ from the heart, we point our hearts at the person we are speaking to.” The appreciations, as well as smiles and even happy tearsΒ began to flood into the room.Β Judah’s parents were also invited toΒ tell Judah’sΒ birth story and to share pictures and memories through the years.Β
Rachel has, for years,Β been carrying on a 1st grade tradition of a birthday bead necklace. At his time, she asked the children to choose a bead from the basket and toΒ think about a wish they have for Judah as he embarks on this next journey around the sun and let the bead represent a wish they have for him during this next trip. Each student strung his/her bead onto the necklace and namedΒ the wish. As a closure, Rachel reminded Judah that he was loved byΒ his 1st grade family andΒ if there were every a time that he needed to be reminded of the love that surrounded him to wear the necklace so that his heart could be filled.
