Director's Blog
— Renee Owen, Executive Director
Kaleidoscope – July 2020
The Many Wonderful Things Happening at Rainbow The Kaleidoscope Communication As I sit to write my very first Kaleidoscope to you all, I can’t help but pause to reflect on the very nature and context evoked by the name of this publication. The etymology of the word...
Kaleidoscope – May 2020
Time Time, during isolation, has taken on a new dimension. It seems to have life of its own, sometimes dragging us along on its adventures, other times dragging us down into the abyss. April lasted for months, and suddenly, now it is time to graduate! Since the...
November Kaleidoscope 2019
November Kaleidoscope Symbolic Events It’s only the beginning of November, yet we have already completed several cycles and symbolic events at Rainbow this school year. We have welcomed new families and new students, who by now are hopefully feeling a sense of...
Kaleidoscope – September 2019
Kaleidoscope A publication by Renee Owen for parents to get a better understanding of what's happening through her perspective I believe that every child should feel utterly special. That’s what we are aiming for at Rainbow. Therefore, in early September, when I found...
Kaleidoscope – May 2019
Kaleidoscope - May 2019 I am the earth and the earth is me. Each blade of grass, each honey bee / each bit of mud, and stick and stone / is blood and muscle, skin and bone. I am the earth and the earth is me! ~One of Rainbow’s May Day songs The song “I Am the Earth...
What to do when your child is anxious
When your child is anxious In the two decades I have been in education, it has been alarming to watch the levels of anxiety increase in children. Child anxiety has become widespread, often crippling youngsters of the self-assuredness they need to be happy and...
Kaleidoscope March 2019
Happy Spring - Kaleidoscope March 2019 Happy Spring, everyone. We made it through winter! I am reminded of the line from the Merle Haggard song, “If we make it through December, everything’s going to be all right.” The thing is, I always wondered why Merle doesn’t...
Heart of the Matter – February 2019
In this edition of Heart of the Matter, Renee talks about Ends Policy #3: Community Resource. RCS is a community and as such, it serves as a resource for students, families, and staff.
Kaleidoscope – January 2019
Kaleidoscope January, 2019 From the age of six to fourteen I took violin lessons but had no luck with my teachers, for whom music did not transcend mechanical practicing. I really began to learn only after I had fallen in love with Mozart’s sonatas. The attempt to...
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope, October 2018 I wrote this Kaleidoscope before we had another national tragedy occur: The Tree of Life Synagogue massacre. It is with a broken heart that I add this “introduction” to Kaleidoscope. Collaborative for Spirituality in Education As I write, I...
The Heart of the Matter: What’s In a Mission?
What's in a mission? This school year I will be writing a series for Heart of the Matter based on our board Ends Policies. Ends Policies are written by the board as the guiding light for our school. They point the way toward who we want to be and where we want to go....
Opening the Heart
Opening the Heart – Reflection and Centering At a recent admin meeting, Cynthia shared a centering designed to bring awareness to, and open the heart. Renee asked her to share it on the Director's Blog for others to enjoy, as well. Point to yourself Take a moment to...
Alumni Performance After Rainbow
Academic Achievement of Rainbow Learners: Alumni Performance After Rainbow We wanted to track our alumni performance after Rainbow and share just how well our students perform. Finding data that accurately reflects how our holistic learners perform academically is...
Arming Teachers Is Not the Answer
A few years ago, I wrote a piece for the Mountain Express. It was after the Sandy Hook tragedy. I explore that why we as educators cannot resort to arming ourselves, but instead, embrace a hope for the future without arms. The article shows how this is still relevant...
Kaleidoscope – February 2018
February 2018 Kaleidoscope from Renee Owen. Announcements about health and safety, new division head structure, upcoming guests of the school, contract announcements, and more!
Kaleidoscope: Gratitude, Love In Action, and Much to Celebrate
Hallowed Eve. All Souls. Day of the Dead. Halloween. The various cultural traditions of mid-autumn have much in common. In general, the veil between the living and the dead is considered to be at its thinnest this time of year when the plants are dying and all...
Kaleidoscope September 2017
The Many Wonderful Things Going On At Rainbow Howdy! Welcome to the first Kaleidoscope issue for the 2017-18 school year. For those of you who are new to Rainbow, Kaleidoscope isn’t really a newsletter. While it does provide some news, it’s more of an...
Education in the Postmodern Era
From a historical perspective, transitions from one era to the next seem like they happened overnight. But in reality, each transition took lifetimes, and the people who lived through those transitions didn’t fully understand what was happening.
It is becoming clear that we are currently living in such a time of transition. The Modern Era is behind us, and a new era—the Postmodern Era—is ahead. What are the values and skills our students will need to thrive in the Postmodern Era?