Welcome to the Rainbow Community School Blog!
RCS News and Updates
We are so excited to share with you everything that makes Rainbow such a unique blend of holistic education, academic excellence, social responsibility, and integrated community. Here you can find our reflections on the seven domains, our opinions on mindfulness in schools, our upcoming events, and how we’re revolutionizing education from the inside out. Explore the posts below to get a sense of what being part of the Rainbow community is all about.
Rainbow Mountain – Asheville’s Finnish School
Without equivocation, Rainbow Mountain Children's School is a unique learning environment. Everyone knows it the minute they step onto campus. Although Americans would find Rainbow's education very different compared to American prep schools, it is not at all unusual...
Do we have free will?
That is the raging argument among my teenagers right now. Ha ha ha. I guess this is why I have been obsessed with providing my children with the best possible education: So they have passionate arguments about consciousness, existentialism, and reality rather than...
What matters now
This is the question we, as educators and parents, have to ask ourselves over and over, "What qualities will our children need in order to be prepared for the future?" Gary Hamel, author of What Matters Now, How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious...
Gnome Village Comes to Life at Rainbow Mountain
The Gnome Village is being installed. Max, our incredible facilities manager, along with Asheville Playgrounds, have designed what may end up being the most creative and exciting play structure in Asheville. Last week they began installing the main posts which Max,...
Learn to Play; Play to Learn
"The old ways of learning are unable to keep up with our rapidly changing world,"is one of the premises of A New Culture of Learning, by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown. We know that when children are young they learn by playing -- imagining things, experimenting,...
Olympics for Geeks
Did you know Rainbow Mountain has an Odyssey of the Mind team? Odyssey of the Mind has been described as "Olympics for Geeks" (Geek being an affectionate term these days.) Kids form teams and spend weeks solving massive, multi-page problems, and then present their...
Tell All Your Friends
Rainbow Mountain Children's School has grown slowly and steadily since 2007, my first year as director. However, I have never seen anything like what we have been experiencing over the last few months. We have about three times the inquiries and tours of any previous...
The word of the day is “home.”
City Councilman, Gordon Smith, centered with the fifth/sixth grade class this morning. After lighting the candle and opening with three breaths, the seven directions, and greeting one another with namaste, each child reflected on what they love about Asheville (as...
Do you remember how to fly?
The highlight of my week is leading fourth grade centering every Friday. Nine and ten year olds are teetering between the imaginal realms of childhood and the rational existence the grown-up world has created. My goal is to savor that imaginal realm as much as...
Alumni Tell Their Story
Live link, click here to watch video: Rainbow alumni panel Thanks to the Rainbow alumni who gathered to talk about transitioning from Rainbow Mountain to high school and college. You are all so amazing. Everyone who attended was impressed with your maturity,...
Changing consciousness
Why do human beings have a desire to change their consciousness? This is one of the questions explored in our middle school substance prevention class today. Drugs are one method of changing consciousness, but they come with significant risks. Natural methods of...
Rainbow is home.
Yesterday I returned from a trip back to my hometown of "Lake Wobegone" in Minnesota. Besides visiting my folks, I saw Garrison Keillor perform Prairie Home Companion live. After spending four days in zero degree weather, Asheville felt like the tropics. The truest...
All I See Is Part of Me
Teachers' new role is to help children feel a part of nature. Here is how one Rainbow Mountain teacher does it: http://theclassroomnaturalist.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/all-i-see-is-part-of-me/
Rainbow’s Basketball Team Starts the Season
All photos by Steven White. Thank you, Steve.
Centering After Sandy Hook Tragedy
The Fourth grade centering went like this today; "Many of your families spoke to you about a tragedy that happened on Friday. Today we are coming together to celebrate the light of peace, love and joy inside us. We are going to share that energy as a community today...
The Secret to Success
What if the Secret to Success is Failure? That is the title of a recent New York Times article detailing what most of us instinctively know: We have to take risks and fail in order to learn. (See my Blog on The Nine Year Change for information on allowing children...
Preschool Mitten Tree
The Rainbow Mountain preschool classes have set up a mitten tree. They are encouraging the community to donate mittens, hats and scarves to Children First/Communities in School from now through 14 December. They've had a great response so far. Thank you!
Amazing Alumni Demonstrate Life Long Learning
In 2012, seven seniors graduated from high school who previously attended Rainbow Mountain. Four graduated in June from Asheville High — all 4 were in the top 10 of their class and National Merit Scholars. One was Valedictorian. The full list of awards and...
