Why does Rainbow have such dedicated, mindful, creative, and loving teachers? Because we follow every single one of the recommendations in this article. Teachers are still treated like blue-collar workers by politicians. At Rainbow they are highly respected professionals who are provided time to collaborate with one another, autonomy to run their classroom, consistent and relevant professional development, and balance in their lives so they aren’t burned out. The result? Students who are dedicated, mindful, creative, and loving. Empowered teachers create empowered students.
Our Winter Program featured many beautiful originally composed songs, but “Animal Love” was the only one written by a particularly student. 5th grader Lilly Fox was inspired to write “Animal Love” when she learned that the Winter Program’s theme would be Love this year. More touching still is the way her classmates rallied around her and her song. As one of our smallest classes here at Rainbow, the 5th grade has continued to astonish us with their tender support and committed love of each other.
Inspired by Musical Director Sue Ford’s vision of writing all original songs on the theme of Love for December’s Winter Program, Susie Robidoux, 4th grade’s fearless Lead Teacher, developed an entirely new unit on Love. She got her students started by asking them: What is love for you? What does it look like? What does it feel like? From there they came to understand love as having three distinct forms. Love is first an expression originated in the self, then an action cultivated in community, and finally an offering given with generosity. The fourth graders learned to think of it this way: Love is fostered within us… grown among us…. and gifted beyond us. These beautiful song lyrics reflect their journey through their curriculum on Love.
Let us work together for love in head, heart, and hand. Let us work together for love to make a better land. Love is many things; I cannot count them all. It is powerful. It is peaceful. Love is many things; I cannot count them all. It can break down every wall. Through the woods past the valley where the sea of green grass grows. Love is found in nature’s harmony where the holy river flows. Friends, family, love of life; I feel the warmth from you. Follow me to the land of love where your light is honored and true to make a different land.
The 2nd grade River Otters wrote this original song in collaboration with their teachers for Rainbow’s Annual Winter Program last month. As one 2nd grader put it best, “We wrote about how we know we’re loved.” Rainbow children grow up knowing their loved from the moment they walk on campus. From teachers who design their classrooms to feel like home, to classmates who learn to communicate their feelings with honesty and compassion, children are exposed to the raw power of Love through their Rainbow community and their Rainbow education every day. These second graders however are unwilling to keep all that love for themselves. They take it one step further spreading their enthusiasm for love with cheeky grins and sincere joy as they sing out to us, “I love myself, hope you do to!”
This year our Annual Winter Program featured all original songs composed by our students in collaboration with their teachers. Our Music Director, Sue Ford, took on this robust task with zealous passion and creativity. With “Love” as their muse, these First Grade Wolves reflected on what they most cherish in their lives. Together they chose the object of their affection with ease… the world. They simply love their world. With images invoking nature and circles of family and friends, they share their sincere love with us, inviting us to join them in loving our dear world with trusting innocence and peace.
