My deepest gratitude for the energy, orchestration, donation, and collaboration that went into realizing the successful return of the beloved Harvest Hoedown. The day was filled with joy, laughter, entertainment, and plenty of sweet treats. It was a beautiful representation of our community in action.
Community is not only built through our gatherings and events, but also through our programming and curriculum. There is care and time put into the models of Compassionate and Nonviolent communication in the classrooms. The students are participants in their own learning through self-reflection, and governance through things like class meetings. They are learning the balance of autonomy and personal needs with community and collective consent. They are taught the difference between intent and impact. The teachers model and teach concepts of empathy, active listening, systems thinking, valuing diverse perspectives, and more. All of these are essential elements of a “community mindset” that supports healthy classrooms and fosters strong relationships beyond our doors with family, community organizations, and new schools.
Omega Open House
One of the most powerful ways to explore the impact of our programming is through the experience of our oldest learners and Alumni. Families and students of all ages are encouraged to join us on November 3rd from 4:00-6:00pm for the Omega Open House and Alumni Panel. Learn more, and RSVP for the event here.
Upcoming Events
At Rainbow, we believe in the power of adult learning and engagement to support a meaningful and transformative community experience for all. Our dynamic governance model provides monthly circle gatherings that are regularly published in Rainbow Reminders. These circles are open, and anyone is welcome. Additionally, your class meetings provide a more intimate classroom connection experience. Two additional upcoming events critical to supporting a shared understanding of our core values include:
Talking to Kids About Race– This is an annual event that surfaces new and relevant learning every time we come together. This year, participants can expect lots of opportunities to share ideas, ask questions, and practice scenarios that further their own and their child’s understanding of race. These conversations foster our efforts to become a more equitable, inclusive, and reflective community for all.
General Circle– This circle meets three times a year to discuss elements of our school and organizational values and programming. It is a “meeting of the minds” where every circle (parent, staff, admin, board, equity, etc.) has representation in the conversation. This year I would love to broaden the scope with more participation. The first General Circle of the year will be held on November 7th from 4:00-6:00pm in sixth grade. The topic will be Community and Family Engagement. This is a time to document celebrations, areas of growth, and strategic and visionary thinking as we plan for a thriving future. Reach out to Susie if you would like to attend.
Partnerships and Community
The word community at Rainbow extends far beyond our doors. We have long term partnerships with many local organizations such as Riverlink, Open Doors, Sunshine Project, ACS, First Step Farms, to name a few. Two community partnerships we love promoting to parents and caregivers include Building Bridges and REI, since we have seen the profound impact of their work on participants from our community. I am also coordinating and participating in a monthly fellowship group with local Heads of School. We met this week, and hope to have a rotating monthly meeting at each participating campus. This will include time for strategic conversations, collaborative thinking, and fellowship.
Children are the heart of our school and the community is the life force. We opened the school year with a theme of Embracing Holism and Connection. We flourish when the whole of our school is engaged in the work of achieving our mission. I hope you have found a place of connection and belonging within your classroom and that you continue to explore the many ways we manifest community at Rainbow.
Yours In Partnership and Gratitude, Susie Fahrer Executive Director
Communication is central to the success of our community. In collaboration with weekly publications like Rainbow Reminders and regular classroom newsletters, Kaleidoscope captures the bigger picture of what is happening on campus and exciting news for Rainbow’s future.
Approaching the final week of the 21-22 school year, we embrace reflection and gratitude. Your children prepare Student Led Conferences and share a portfolio of carefully selected work that speaks to their story of growth. The teachers complete Learner Profiles, comprehensive narratives of your child’s growth and development. Additionally, our graduating 8th graders complete a Domains Walk across the campus moving ever closer to the culminating ritual of graduation. Our Preschool and K-8 Graduation ceremonies center collective celebration, and provide a wonderful send off for the year.
Graduations
Preschool will gather in the Outdoor Classroom on June 1st at 10:30am for a brief ceremony and fellowship to commemorate their year as Turtles and Dragonflies.
The K-8 graduation will be held on June 2nd beginning at 6:15pm. It has been a few years since we have been able to offer this school-wide ceremony, and it is a sacred experience to hear the highlights from the children and the speeches from the graduates. We will finish the evening with cake served by the Board of Directors. The entire ceremony will take place under a tent on the Omega Athletic Field.
Parking will be available on our campus, and we typically engage with a few local businesses to offer additional parking in the neighborhood. Stay tuned for more details about this in Rainbow Reminders.
Survey
Finally, this time of year is opportune to collect feedback from all our stakeholders in support of strategic planning this summer. We are hoping all parents can complete the following SURVEY knowing that your voice and perspective provide critical data for shaping our future. In addition, we ask all of our staff to complete a survey evaluating the leadership and their experience as employees. Finally, we have a student survey for 4th-8th grade that helps frame their perspectives on topics such as educational approach, belonging, and social connection.
We are in a season of hiring as staff retire and transition to new roles within and beyond Rainbow. Below are the most recent updates and hires for the 22-23 school year.
New Hires
4th-8th Grade Division Head: Trey Thompson (He/Him)
Trey is an experienced educator and valued administrator at his current and previous schools. He will be leaving his most recent position at Earhart Environmental Magnet School in Wichita as the 4th/5th grade teacher and administrative “Teacher in Charge.” Prior to that, Trey was working in Chicago at The Academy for Global Citizenship as the School Culture and Middle Years Program Coordinator. Spending time with Trey you quickly learn that he embodies the Seven Domains personally and professionally. We are thrilled to have him as part of the leadership team.
Omega 7/8 Language Arts Teacher: Zoe Balaconis (She/Her)
Zoe is an innovative educator with experience bonding groups and crafting engaging, interdisciplinary English and Writing courses at the lower, secondary, and post secondary level. She has been at the Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the past six years and holds a myriad of expertise and experience prior to that school placement. She is sure to bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and heart to Omega Middle School.
First Grade Lead Teacher: Katherine Ayachi (She/Her)
Katherine has taught in elementary school for the past 29 years the majority of which was teaching in the primary years programming at the American Cooperative School of Tunis in Tunisia, Africa. Over her tenure she has developed mastery in several curriculum areas including gaining a certification as a math specialist. She believes in designing instruction through inquiry and child centered programming. We are happy to welcome her back to the states and to her roots in North Carolina.
Counseling: Kriya Lendzoin (She/Her)
Kriya has worked with Rainbow for years as our Addiction Educator in Omega Middle School. Along with continuing this role, she will also be joining our counseling team. She has a rich background in school counseling, substance abuse and wellness programming, and therapy. She has expertise helping families and students navigate adolescence to reinforce healthy and authentic identity development.
Changing Roles
Fifth Grade Lead Teacher: Sandra McCassim (She/Her)
Sandra has over 22 years of teaching and administrative experience, and is one of our most tenured staff members at Rainbow. She fosters a classroom community built on student-centered and project based learning. She has a depth of knowledge in supporting the critical needs and opportunities of pre-adolescence, and she cultivates meaningful partnerships with parents and caregivers.
Preschool Green Door: Rose Howley (She/Her)
Rose started working at Rainbow in the Student Support Department, became a full time sub, and most recently helped usher the third grade Tigers through a fabulous year. Starting this summer, our littlest learners will benefit from Rose’s calm demeanor, playful spirit, and ability to foster a supportive environment for all learning styles and needs.
Third Grade Assistant: AJ Jones (She/Her)
AJ began her time with us in preschool and then shifted to a role as a full time substitute. When Jenny announced her maternity leave earlier this year, AJ graciously filled the role of Interim Student Support Advocate for Middle School. AJ’s journey at Rainbow speaks to her diversity of skills and adaptability in applying them with a developmentally appropriate mindset. AJ will be a great support during the bridge year of third grade.
Second Grade Assistant: Evie Jones (They/Them)
Evie has thrived this year in the role of full time substitute for the primary grades. Next year they will be taking their skills to the Second Grade classroom. Evie’s kindness, positive energy, supportive approach, and investment in learning will add to the magical experience of second grade with Eddy.
Lead Art Teacher K-8: Kate Chassner (She/Her)
Kate recently completed her Masters in Art and has been running our Arts Elective program in Omega Middle School this year. Next year she will formally shift from her additional part time role in the office to being the Art teacher for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Her passion and creativity are sure to ignite a love of art in our children.
Summer Camp & Rainbow’s End Director: Susan Waddell (She/Her)
Susan has been a part of Rainbow’s growth and evolution over the years, and will be able to bring her full set of experiences as a parent, teacher, summer camp leader, and holistic practitioner to her new role. She is a natural to continue the legacy of adventure, joy, laughter, and memory making in afterschool and summer camp.
Office Manager: Rachel Hagen (She/Her)
For years, Rachel has ushered our first graders through a beautiful journey of learning, growth and discovery. Fortunately, her gifts will be equally valuable as she takes on the role of Office Manager, and becomes a primary resource for staff and families to remain informed and engaged.
P-K Student Support Advocate: Lissadell Greene (She/Her)
Lissadell has been working in preschool this past year as additional support. Fortunately, she will be able to offer her skills more holistically and comprehensively through this new role. She has been working in the educational field for the past 20 years as a music teacher and early childhood teacher. She also has a Masters Degree in Inclusive Education with a focus in Special Education, Infant/Toddler Mental Health, and Constructivism.
Moving on from Rainbow
We are so grateful to each of these staff members for their contributions to our community. We are better because of the time we shared.
Amethyst Buckner (She/Her) Preschool
Desiree Reynolds (She/Her) Preschool
MaryJoyce Wareham (She/Her) Preschool
Jess Alberi (She/Her) Second Grade
Emmaly Rogalski (She/Her) Fifth Grade
Jenn Ryan (She/Her) Sixth Grade
Honoring Their Legacy
We have a few special folks who are retiring from long term roles at Rainbow. We will be honoring each of these folks with a tree and a plaque on campus.
Rainbow’s End Director and LIA Coordinator: Denisa Rullmoss (She/Her)
Lead Art Teacher: Tracy Hildebrand (She/Her)
Tenured RCS Board Member: Stewart Stokes (He/Him)
While the school year is coming to a close, summer is a time of great activity at Rainbow. Preschool and camps will be running all summer and the main office remains open with staff available between 8:00am-3:00pm. In addition, opportunities for equity discussions continue with a parent discussion circle about Ava Duvernay’s documentary 13th. You can express your interest here: 13th Interest Form
Maya Angelou said, “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are, and not be questioned.” I hope that you and your children have found a safe place in Rainbow this year where you have felt celebrated for all that you are. Whether you plan to continue your Rainbow journey next year, or you are moving on to something new, may you find “home” in the people and places that surround you.
Many Blessings To You All.
Susie Fahrer
Executive Director
Rainbow Community School/Omega Middle School
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 reproduce their singular grace compelled me to improve my technique. I believe, on the whole, that love is a better teacher than sense of duty. ~Albert Einstein.
Love is the best teacher
Love is the best teacher, and I love Rainbow! I love the wonderment of the children and the sincerity of the adults here. I love my job for so many reasons – mostly because I am always learning so much.
Last night you should have received an email announcing the leadership structure for next year. One of the best aspects of my job is the people I work with. The teachers and the staff here are the people I most respect in the whole world. In addition, our current board is an honor and a pleasure to work with. My heart is thrilled to be ED and working with Susie Fahrer and Sandra McCassim as Division Heads again next year. Susie will also be Assistant Executive Director, which I am really looking forward this. Working with Susie is an incredible experience. Her intelligence, integrity, and huge heart inspire me every day.
Rainbow is the best place to learn
Rainbow is the best place to learn – for children and adults – and I often remark that I think I get to learn more than anyone at Rainbow! Of course, leadership in any context is a fabulous learning opportunity, but because of Rainbow’s contemplative aspect and our supportive environment I am always looking deeply inside and reflecting on how I can best serve this community. “Know thyself” is the theme of Omega Middle School, and it’s a lifelong journey. Thank you, to all of you, for being on this learning journey with me.
I am thankful for the children, the families, and the opportunity to be working in such an amazing place. I envision our students growing up to have work experiences that are meaningful and fulfilling. I want love to be their teacher for the rest of their lives.
Community
We also learn through struggle and sometimes tragedy. Only one week ago Haywood Lounge patron, Ramon Clark, lost his life in the Haywood parking lot in the middle of the night. I have since learned that Ramon was a father to two children and native of Asheville.
We would like to honor Ramon and his family with an interfaith gathering within the next week or two. We will reach out to his family to find out if they would want this sort of gathering and, if so, if they would like to attend. If this occurs, we will let you know through the Rainbow Connector or Rainbow Reminders. Community is crucial in times of tragedy. Gratitude goes out to the RCS Community for the feedback and support I received in navigating our response plan last week. Our leadership is always working in partnership with the families and teachers to keep our children’s safety and security at the heart of our communications and actions. Just as we learn from love, it can also provide the guidance we need to rise out of darkness.
Office Hours
Please remember that my office is open to all members of our RCS Community on Mondays from 2pm to 3pm each week. You are invited to stop in without an appointment with any questions, comments, or just to talk. I am also open to suggestions on topics you would like to explore further. Once a month, during open office hours, I am open to hosting a discussion on a topic of parent choice if there is enough interest.
This is a short Kaleidoscope – the first of 2019.
Our campus is buzzing with activity: Shine talent show, the ski trip, science fair, and more. Be sure to stay in touch through Rainbow Reminders.
In particular, I want to encourage you to attend the Open House on February 7 from 4-6pm, which is right before re-enrollment contracts are due on February 15. The Open House is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher for next year, and to learn more about why Rainbow is a journey that goes through 8th grade. During the Open House there will be tours of Omega Middle School.
There is so much to look forward to in 2019 and beyond. May it be a year of hope.
Rites of passage are important, sacred ceremonies that highlight a transitional period in a person’s life.
In many cultures, tribes and soceities around the world, children engage in various rites of passage. Often these are times when a child is recognized for passing though the threshold toward adulthood. Graduation at Rainbow Community School serves as an integral rite of passage for our graduating Omega Middle Schoolers.
Preparation for this rite officially begins as they join the Omega program. Subtle and more obvious practices support each Omegan’s readiness. For example, each day that middle schoolers pass through a physical threshold. As enter the building, they pass under a wooden panel inscribed with “Know Thyself.” Additionally, their arrival is also marked with a sacred time called Centering; this time is used for grounding, centering, pondering life’s big questions. Lessons, activities and learning experiences throughout the day not only foster a culture of connectedness but support the work of nurturing the child to individuate- to
Know Thyself.
These opportunities, although grounded in the safety of community, encourage personal identity development, person spirituality and ultimately- wholeness. According to decades of research by Dr. Lisa Miller, head of clinical psychology at Columbia’s Teachers College, teens who have the benefit of developing a personal spirituality are 80% less likely to suffer from ongoing and recurring depression and 60% less likely to become substance abusers. To that end, it is reasonable to suggest that spirituality is indeed the cornerstone for mental health and human well-being. Intentional rites of passage are but one way to nourish that health.
To KNOW THYSELF is to answer these questions:
Who am I?
Who are you?
Why am I here?
What is my purpose?
Graduating Omegans write commencement speeches that reflect on their time at Rainbow and acknowledge their gratitude, growth, challenges, hopes and dreams. Each student, as part of the rite, share these speeches publicly. This public sharing is an amazingly brave yet vulnerable challenge.
But more importantly, the words of wisdom spoken by these young adults are nothing less than profound.
They are informed by years of social, emotional and spiritual engagement and learning. They are guided by opportunities to explore life’s big mysteries and ponder personal purpose. They are rooted in a a collective AND personal identity.
If you are curious what happens when soul is invited into the classroom, please click here to listen to Noah Mraz’s graduation speech.
Please also consider:
What are the implications of integrating rites of passage, existential questioning and the spiritual domain into your own work with children?
What are you already doing that serves the spiritual development of your students? What more can you do?
We at Rainbow make it a habit to practice gratitude – not just around Thanksgiving – but all during the school year.
It happens in centerings, and teachers work to instill the two words, “thank you” into every student.
As Renee mentioned in her November Kaleidoscope, the practice of gratitude can boost happiness, optimism, overall life satisfaction, and more. So much more.
Around Rainbow, we speak a lot about the 7 Domains and how each teacher carefully plans lessons that integrate each one. Like a puzzle piece, gratitude fits beautifully into each domain, making it easy for students to become mindful of the power of gratitude.
In the days and weeks leading up to Thanksgiving break, students engaged in centerings and activities to help drive home the idea of a solid practice of giving thanks.
All over campus, students participated in centerings, song circles, and wrote things they were thankful for on leaves to create a gratitude tree.
Indeed, students have a powerful sense of appreciation. We went to the After School to ask students what they were thankful for. They all instantly came up with life’s most precious and priceless gifts: family, friends, animals, nature.
Take a look for yourself:
Activities Around Campus
Gratitude is about connection.
In Preschool (Blue Door), they asked “What are you connected to?” This led to a discussion about how we’re all connected to the elements of the earth, how we feel love, and that gratitude is part of that.
The first grade Cheetahs made turkeys with feathers of gratitude. Fourth grade culminated their archaeology unit with a centering that incorporated appreciation for studying archeological discoveries.
Song circle this week incorporated songs about family, spending time in the woods, and the “Best Day of My Life.”
We invite all students to lead their families in a centering with a focus on gratitude over break. They will know what to do.
However, if you would like some ideas, here are some ways to incorporate a centering with your child.
Gratitude Centering
Gather in a circle. Take three deep breaths. You can optionally light a candle.
Have everyone in your circle write down something for which they are thankful and put it into a jar. When everyone’s finished, each person can randomly take out a slip of paper and read it aloud. Younger students who are learning to write will need help with this activity.
A variation of this could be to go outside, or to write down thoughts of gratitude on a ball and have people in the circle catch it and read off a line of gratitude nearest their right or left thumb. This activity can have so many variations!
Have your child say a blessing over your food.
Close with three more deep breaths.
For more ideas, a quick check on a search engine will give you many to choose from.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. — Melody Beattie
In closing, we hope that all Rainbow families, friends, staff, and students have a wonderful holiday break!
We are grateful for all the love you give, the hope, the inspiration, the peace, mindfulness, and how you give back to the earth.
4th-8th Grade Division Head: Trey Thompson (He/Him)
Omega 7/8 Language Arts Teacher: Zoe Balaconis (She/Her)
First Grade Lead Teacher: Katherine Ayachi (She/Her)
Counseling: Kriya Lendzoin (She/Her)
Fifth Grade Lead Teacher: Sandra McCassim (She/Her)
Preschool Green Door: Rose Howley (She/Her)
Third Grade Assistant: AJ Jones (She/Her)
Second Grade Assistant: Evie Jones (They/Them)
Lead Art Teacher K-8: Kate Chassner (She/Her)
Summer Camp & Rainbow’s End Director: Susan Waddell (She/Her)
Office Manager: Rachel Hagen (She/Her)
P-K Student Support Advocate: Lissadell Greene (She/Her)
Amethyst Buckner 
Desiree Reynolds
MaryJoyce Wareham
Jess Alberi
Emmaly Rogalski
Jenn Ryan
Rainbow’s End Director and LIA Coordinator: 
Lead Art Teacher: 
Tenured RCS Board Member: 
