Director's Blog
Susie Fahrer publishes the Kaleidoscope periodically throughout the year that illustrates and summarizes what has been happening at our vibrant school. Read to find out more.
Forbes: Empathy Number One Job Skill in 2020
I am proud that Rainbow Community School students will be well prepared, but concerned about the millions of American children who will be woefully under-educated for the new economy. Read this articles on why empathy and other interpersonal skills are being...
from the dream team…
Did you know Boss Day was last week? I didn’t even know there was such a thing, until I got this awesome card signed by my favorite people. You are the BEST staff EVER. The dream team! Thanks for making all our dreams at Rainbow come true. You give me the courage...
What is the secret?
"There is no risk-taking without a culture of trust and respect." ~Tony Wagner at the Changing the Odds Conference. That is the REAL secret to why students at Rainbow Community School become innovators.
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
ISIS, Ebola, narcissistic politicians, constant change and churning. As parents, we have so much at stake: how do we protect our precious ones from the turmoil while still being aware of what is happening all around us? It isn't hard to get swept up in a tide of...
Slow Food/ Slow Education
I love this article by Shelley Wright. She sounds like she is describing Rainbow Community School. http://plpnetwork.com/2014/08/26/time-fight-slow-education/
The Intersection of Art and Science
Yesterday, a journalist asked me, "Why are the arts important?" As a school that is educating students to be inventors and innovators, so they are "...prepared to be leaders in building a compassionate and environmentally sustainable world." I love the first point in...
Kaleidoscope – September 2014
Here we are – together – at Rainbow Community School, 2014. I would love to hear about your experience and impressions so far this year. What has intrigued your child? What have you learned? What has the staff learned? I think the most important thing I have learned...
Heart of the Matter: Educating the Innovation Generation, Part IV
How Can a School Promote a Culture of Innovation? As I enter the “Omega” (7th and 8th grade) classroom at Rainbow Community School, a large Buckminster Fuller-designed dymaxion world map is on the floor, the basis for a game where students are moving around chips that...
2014 Welcome Letter to Parents
August 6, 2014 Dear Rainbow Parents, This is my favorite communication of the year – the letter welcoming you to the upcoming school year! As an educator, I can tell you that the beginning of the school year is as full of excitement and anticipation for the staff as...
What Does a Guru Do?
When I read this I thought, That's what Rainbow teachers do! "A spiritual teacher/mentor’s role is unique in that the goal is not to transmit knowledge or understanding as much as it is to somehow bring about a recognition in the student of the student’s own...
The Rainbow Warriors
Students who come to our school become the Rainbow Warriors. They learn about themselves, how to relate to the world, how to live sustainable lives, and how to respect all people. The Warrior is our mascot. There is a story behind the mascot. Its roots are deep in the...
Kaleidoscope, May 2014
Kaleidoscope, May 2014: All the colorful things happening at Rainbow Community School, from the Executive Director What a marvelous time to be alive. Life is bursting forth! It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Rainbow Community, as one great thing after...
How To Escape Education’s Death Valley
This is a powerful video by Ken Robinson entitled, "How to Escape Education's Death Valley." We, as a culture need to think about the Dropout Crisis and engage students. According to Robinson, in some communities, nearly 80% of students drop out of school. If we...
Kaleidoscope April, 2014
If you read Rainbow Reminders, you know that dear, venerable Mary is leaving the Rainbow office. It is not possible to “replace” Mary! We have to hire two people to take over her work. Kate Couture will be full-time Office Manager, along with some other duties, and...
Heart of the Matter: All for One! One for All!
Think back to when your inner voice first knew that you were going to send your child to Rainbow. While I am sure you did your due diligence – researching many schools, making sure the academic program was rigorous, making sure the teachers were highly qualified, and...
Read about the ‘Overprotected Kid’
From the website of The Atlantic: "A preoccupation with safety has stripped childhood of independence, risk taking, and discovery—without making it safer. A new kind of playground points to a better solution." Read the entire article, "The Overprotected Kid,"...
Preserving the Magic of Childhood
Answering the questions of magic in childhood with Lusa Organics... "Are you the one who fills our Easter baskets?" "The question surprised me, though I had been waiting for it for years. Wondering when they would ask. Are you Santa? The Easter Bunny? And all...
Heart of the Matter: Educating the Innovation Generation, Part 1
Why create innovators? Rainbow’s mission statement ends by saying we are developing students who will be “leaders in building a more compassionate and environmentally sustainable world.” Anyone enrolling their child at Rainbow must resonate with the urgency of this...