On Thursday, October 20th, the Omega class had a Lock-In at Rainbow – but this event might be better-called a Lock-Out because the event was in honor of their current unit.
One Omega teacher, Jason, helped students discover constellations, planets, and other mysteries in the sky. Students began the unit that began at the end of October.
Constellations are so fun because students have to use their imaginations to compose their shapes in the night sky and use the stars as guiding points.
The Omega classroom became its own spaceship to travel to far away places in the starry night sky.
Stardate 20.11.14
Students arrived back in their classroom – after a full day at school – at 6:30 pm to set up their sleeping space prior to the evening of Myth, Stars and Mystery.
Before the night sky was all aglow, the students settled in to watch a modern day myth: Star Wars. Students transported themselves to a galaxy far, far away to understand how to use the Force for good.
This movie would illuminate the elements of a hero’s journey and myth, as well. Students explored this concept in an English extension of their astronomy unit.
At light speed, students propelled into a world of myth and legend, learning about the stars and constellations.
During the film, students worked to create gifts for the younger grades that would remind all the Rainbow students of the stories in the night skies.
Fun Fact: Did you know that for more than 5,000 years, humans have looked into the night sky and saw the same configuration of stars that they do today?
Another Fun Fact: Humans can only see 5,780 stars in the night sky with the naked eye. There are millions and millions more they cannot see.
Once the movie ended, the students reflected on the connections to the unit of study prior to layering up for an outdoor exploration of the winter sky.
After the students had the opportunity to look thousands of years into the past (this is exactly what happens when you look at the stars), they migrated back into their classroom.
They took some time to reflect about their experiences and their learning prior to dozing off and dreaming the myths and legends of the nigh sky. In the photo above, one student read to another before lights “out.”
The group gathered for a community breakfast in the morning, discussed different cultural myths connected to the zodiac, and prepared for a normal school day on Friday – a great send-off before heading off for break.
Each year, we send off bright young men and women to start their high school careers.
Every graduating student writes a speech and stands in front of their Rainbow family – parents, staff, and students – and gives us a glimpse of what his or her experience has been like at Rainbow.
These speeches are at once eloquent and erudite, comical and entertaining. Each student beautifully demonstrates the learning they have done, honoring their school year and community with their wisdom.
The graduation ceremony began with a sacred tradition we have here at Rainbow: a Centering.
The Omega (7th and 8th grade) students led this part of the ceremony. The video below shows the centering – it’s part of what makes Rainbow so special.
Afterward, our eighth grade graduate, Nitara was the first to give her speech. She revealed how much she’s grown and learned during her tenure at Rainbow. She will be attending Carolina Day School next year.
Next was Andrew, with his insights on how to achieve success and advised everyone that life is what you make of it, and that no matter what you must try. Andrew will be attending Asheville Christian Academy.
Francesca followed, sharing her experiences in Omega, how she found her teachers to be amazing. She felt like she really became part of a family when she came to Rainbow, especially during her experience in Omega. Francesca will be attending SILSA for the next school year.
Our wonderful Lily went next, recounting her memories of her time at Rainbow. She attended this school for 12 years and always felt like the Rainbow community was a second family. We will miss Lily, too. She will attend Asheville High School.
Later, Justin came up, explaining how his Omega experience has changed his life and tells about the friends he’s made. His experience has truly Omega has changed his life forever. Next year, he will attend Carolina Day School.
Bella was next, sharing some observations that she’s made and how they have provided some powerful lessons – such as learning from your mistakes and life is short – we should all live it to the fullest. She will also attend Carolina Day School next year. Bella received the prestigious Merit Scholarship from Carolina Day, given to only five students each year.
Gwyn started her speech with a Peter Pan quote about “never saying goodbye” – because here at Rainbow, we don’t say goodbye. We say, “We’ll see you soon and we will never forget you.” She will attend SILSA next year.
Michael is “moving forward” and this isn’t goodbye – it’s a new beginning. Ever since he started at Rainbow in third grade, breaking his wrist at the class potluck, he came to realize that his teachers and friends became his second family. He will attend Carolina Day School next year.
Xena, who attended Rainbow for 11 years and calculated how much time she spent at Rainbow in hours, days and months – this was the place that became her home away from home. She’s leaving, as a bird who learns to fly, from the protection of her nest. She’s going to explore the big world outside. Xena will attend Carolina Day School.
Hannah told everyone about how Rainbow helped her to blossom and how much she felt welcomed by the community. She will attend SILSA next year.
Mikayla recounted her experiences at Rainbow – her love of her teachers and how they accept their students for who they are. Mikayla will also attend Carolina Day School.
Finishing up the speeches was Zoë – with her passion, love, warmth and drive to make the world a better place – within her speech was a magical, captivating story that everyone must hear – with such emotion and strength, the entire crowd was moved with her words. She will attend Carolina Day School next year and she also received the Highlander Award, given by the Head of School at Carolina Day to only one exceptional student each year.
The eighth grade graduates sang a song for the Rainbow Community. It’s called Home by Phillip Phillips:
This graduation ceremony was a success. We wish only the best for our graduates and we know that they will find success in all of their future endeavors.
In Omega, students are responsible for a Personal Interest Project or PIP.
A PIP involves research on a topic of the student’s choosing but also includes three main components: a written paper 5-7 pages in length, a PowerPoint presentation, and a Creative Portion along with a written paragraph about what the student created to accompany his or her project. Written papers also needed to include bibliographies, citations and good writing. Students used a rubric to guide them as they worked.
Students created multiple edited drafts of their projects before completing their final drafts. To be sure, these projects were a great way to teach students about the process of writing, editing, presenting to peers, and using their creative abilities to finish this milestone project.
The following video is one presentation of a student’s PIP project:
Zoe completed her project on the concept of time. She researched the history of time itself, when humans began to use calendars, all the way until humans began to use exact time as an integral part of civilization. She included the different kinds of clocks various societies have used, including sun and water clocks.
Did you know that if you take a Cesium atom (the kind they use in atomic clocks) in the here and now, it has the exact same resonance as a Cesium atom one billion light years away, one billion years from now?
That is one spectacular fact that Zoe found when she did the research for this project. She also related what could be complex physics in a very straightforward way!
We are proud of each and every one of our Omega students – they have tackled a challenging task and performed remarkably!
This June we had five graduating eighth graders. Each graduate is required to give a speech at graduation. Each graduate decides their theme, writes drafts and revisions and practices until 6:30 that night, when dressed in an outfit that may not have been of their choosing, standing in front of their families and all the Rainbow families they ignore their fear of public speaking and wow us over with their insights, confidence, and wisdom.
I will miss all of the 2011 graduates and wish them the best experience in high school. Namaste, Adriana, Conor, Duncan, Ben and Mars.
(The sound quality is poor on the first video and on the first half of the second video but after that, we’re good)
Twice a year, Rainbow’s Omega class takes a field trip in their west Asheville community to their adopted spot on State Street and Amboy Road. It started two years ago when the class, a combined seventh and eighth grade, planted native elderberry bushes provided by Quality Forward. Since then the class has been revisiting the site to check the bushes’ progress, pull invasive, nonnative plants and to clean up the abundant litter left by those who neglect to see the site’s natural beauty.
This November the Omega class was happy to see new growth on the elderberry plants. They were also pleased to notice a lot less trash than on previous visits but still managed to gathered seven bags of garbage and found another discarded computer, an object they find on every trip. They pulled enough invasive plants to form four large piles to haul away. However the find of the day had to be the Rainbow Mountain Children’s School Adopt-A-Spot sign which was laying on the ground, grown over with ivy.
Thank you Omega for your hard work and for making Asheville even more beautiful.
