Iโve finally gotten a message from the Universe that my time at Rainbow is ended. The love and support you have shown meโespecially during the Evil Hip incidentโwill always be part of me. But the children, ah, the childrenโthey are 90% of me.
Their love is so overwhelming. They give so much, without even being aware, they just ARE. Their smiles, hugs, their โHey, Ruthie,โ have kept me young.
Lines of them going by and most of them slowing down to hug. Walking into a classroom and being โattackedโ even as the teacher is asking them to stay seated. Telling stories to attentive, โlistening eyes.โ A boy running across the playground, leaving games and friends, to give and receive a hugโWOW! thatโs powerful! Watching them grow and become young ladies and gentlemen, but never too โmatureโ to give an old teacher a hug.
Kids, you are so lucky to be in a school where your teachers love you all, but even more amazing, your teachers love each other and show it so you can see it. There is so much security in that. I wish for each of you a workplace some day where youโll have that atmosphere.
I love my family and friends and kidsโI love you so much and will miss you.
This week Rainbow Community School will be participating in Strive Not to Drive Week. This initiative started back in 1991 as Bike to Work day with the goal of encouraging bicycle commuting in Buncombe County.
From Friday, May 15th to Friday the 22nd, our community will be striving not to drive by either taking the bus, walking, riding a bicycle or joining a car share.
You can find more information about Strive Not to Drive on their official websiteย here
Here are a few photos from our annual May Day Celebration. We’d like to extend warm thanks to everyone who joined us. Photo’s courtesy of Luxe House Photographic.
Screen-Free Week is an annual, international celebration when families, schools, and communities swap digital entertainment for the joys of life beyond the screen. Instead of watching TV, surfing the web, or playing with apps and video games, they read, play, think, create, get active, and spend more time with family and friends.
Remember, Screen-Free Week is about taking a break from digital entertainment. You can celebrate, and still use devices for work or school.ย But if screens of any kind interfere with family time (including meals), you may want to rethink how and when youโre using them.
WHY Celebrate? Regardless of whether children are consuming โgoodโ or โbadโ programming, itโs clear that digital entertainment dominates the lives of far too many kids, displacing all sorts of other activities that are integral to childhood. Excessive screen time is linked to poor school performance, childhood obesity, and attention problems. And it is primarily through screens that children are exposed to harmful marketing.
Screen-Free Week is a fun way to reduce our dependence on digital entertainment, including television, video games, smartphones, tablets, and computers. Itโs a chance for childrenโand adultsโto power down and reconnect with the world around them.
Here at Rainbow our 6th graders posted a large banner on the deck with some information about Screen Free Week. They even listed alternatives to screen time, promoting face-to-faceย conversations and interactions over electronic ones. The 6th graders will also write letters to Mountain Xpress, sharing some information about the importance of a โtech cleanse.โ
In the spirit of community and collaboration, the 1st grade Cheetahs and the wonderful Ms. Sue Ford combined their efforts for an Earth Day Celebration and Song Circle yesterday. This celebration was a great success.ย If you missed the celebration, here are some picturesย from theย event.
