mindfulness Archives - Page 4 of 13 - Rainbow Community School

The Three Questions

by West | Sep 12, 2017 | Home Page News, Rainbow Institute

Daily centering practice is a part of every Rainbow classroom. These practices, although all anchored in the Rainbow Spiritual Domain Learning Outcomes, take on many shapes and forms and evolve based on the learning needs of the children and the passions of the teacher. From journaling, meditation, dance, yoga, creating art, team building, time in nature to mindfulness practices… regardless of their format, this is a special time where children are encouraged to find their center and their source of personal power and wisdom before undertaking the lessons and explorations of the day.

Oral myth or story often set the stage for a centering or in many cases a children’s book can serve as inspiration for a particular theme. In each RCS classroom you will certainly find a bookshelf designated for those special “centering books.” One that touches the heart of many is Jon. J. Muth’s The Three Questions. This book is an illustrated adaptation of a story by Leo Tolstoy in which a young boy Nikolai, goes on a quest to find the answers to these three questions.

What is the best time to do things?
Who is the most important?
What is the right thing to do?

Nikolai’s interaction with various characters inadvertently lead him into the answers to those three questions.

If the purpose of a holistic education is to nurture the whole child, we do this by aiding them in uncovering their inner wisdom and truest, most authentic self…

As holistic and spiritual educators we explore existential questioning, meaning making, developing connection, leaning into discomfort, encouraging a questing for purpose and embracing awe and wonder.This special book is a gift that has the capacity to do all that for its reader. Happy reading and happy sharing.

Finally, as you gear up for a new school year, new chapter, new job, or just simply a new day. Consider your own three questions. What questions can guide you as you strive to be your best, most authentic self, most divine self?

Maybe these:
What is the best time to do things?
Who is the most important one?
What is the right thing to do?

Or:
What am I doing? Why am I doing it?
Does it bring me joy or purpose?
Is it allowing me to be the best me I can be?

Gratitude Jars

by West | Sep 12, 2017 | Blogs, Home Page News, Rainbow Institute

The beginning of an RCS school year serves as a rite of passage for every student and their classroom community. This time is symbolic of rebirth, renewal, a new beginning- a fresh start. RCS teachers begin by creating a sacred and safe foundation in which the students can explore their role as integral community members. Teachers strive to foster shared ritual and ceremony and aim to nurture a culture that embraces the spiritual virtues such as mutual respect, deep connection, appreciation and gratitude.

Daily centering practices aid the teacher in establishing this culture through themes that are inspired by the various spiritual virtues. For example, fourth graders begin their year by building Gratitude Jars. The purpose of this centering activity is to meditate on the power of gratitude and serve as a model for giving and receiving appreciations. These jars also serve as grounding resources to return to on days that are particularly hard or challenging and/or when a child may need to refocus on a positive energy. “The struggle ends when gratitude begins” ~ Neale Donald Walsch

Our teachers are well aware of the many benefits of cultivating gratitude in their personal lives and in the lives of their students.

Click here for a great article on The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About: How Gratitude Can Change Your Life.

This activity is launched by an email to families requesting a personalized gratitude for their child. This can be as simple or complex as a family would like it to be. Once the gratitudes have been collected by the teacher, the students participate in a centering practice in which they create their jars.

The opening of this centering focuses on the power of gratitude and the sacred practice of slowing down and appreciating the special people and experiences in our lives.- maybe by reflecting on a quote about gratitude.

The teacher then explains that the jars will serve as year long collection vessels for various gratitudes and appreciations.The students are then guided to use tissue paper to personalize their jar (It works best if pieces of tissue paper are no bigger than a square inch and applied to the outside of the glass jar with the glue solution) and this introductory centering concludes as they jars are left to dry overnight.

The next day, during a follow up centering, students are again encouraged to meditate on the power of gratitude and are prompted to share in a partnership the following considerations…

Why might gratitude be considered contagious?
What type of energy does gratitude spread?
If gratitude were a color what color would it be and why?

The students regroup and the teacher hands each child their jar (at this point the teacher has secretly placed the family written gratitudes inside each jar). The teacher sets the tone for exploring the jar and encourages the children to use it as a sacred time to personally digest the gift of gratitude from their family. This is not a time when sharing is necessary…instead encourage the students to place the notes back in the jar when finished reading them.

These jars are reintroduced throughout the year with notes from teachers and others students as deemed necessary and appropriate by the teacher.

How can what we do at RCS inspire your own personal or professional work?

Consider these questions…
Why might gratitude be considered contagious?
What type of energy does gratitude spread?
If gratitude were a color what color would it be and why?

Rainbow Community School: 40th Anniversary Announcement

by Cynthia Calhoun | Sep 4, 2017 | Alumni News & Accolades, Blogs, Home Page News

Our Executive Director, Renee, has created a video inviting all students, staff, alumni and families of Rainbow Community School to join us in celebrating 40 years of holistic education.

Below is a summary of the video, with invitations to the 40th Anniversary Celebration and the More Than Mindfulness Conference.

Celebrating 40 Years of Love!

Rainbow is 40 years old. We invite you to celebrate with us!

Some great leaders and healers gathered together in 1977 to found Rainbow Mountain Children’s School. Now known as Rainbow Community School, it was founded on love.

The world becomes what you teach. — Zoe Weil

The school’s founders envisioned a curriculum that taught love and mindfulness, so that the world would become more of these things.

40 years later, we’re doing a two year celebration.

This is because school leaders began shaping their vision for the school in 1977 through parent meetings, gathering ideas, and research. The school opened its doors for the first time in 1978.

This year, in 2017, you’ll begin to see a lot more information about the history of the school, interviews with alumni, and more. In the fall of 2018, we would like to put together a celebration involving all members of our community, both past and present.

Rainbow alumni are invited to the first annual alumni gathering on Friday, Oct. 6th, 2017 from 7-10pm at Rainbow Community School.

RSVP for the Alumni Event

Looking For Volunteers

To that end, we are looking for volunteers for a 40th Anniversary Committee.

If you’re interested, please contact Kate in the office at info@rainbowlearning.org.

You can also contact Renee directly at 258-9264 ext. 111 or you can email her at renee.owen@rainbowlearning.org.

The More Than Mindfulness Conference

mindfulness

We believe that getting the word out about love and mindfulness is so incredibly important. Because of that, we also want to invite you to the More Than Mindfulness Conference.

RCS has an adult education component where we train parents, teachers, and other adults in using holistic education practices, and mindfulness practices. It’s a great opportunity for folks to deeply understand what we are about here at Rainbow, and the larger purpose behind what we are doing.

Thank you for celebrating 40 years of love with us. We know it’s a great education for your child and a great education for the world.

A Welcome Letter to All Families

by Renee Owen | Aug 25, 2017 | Director's Blog, Home Page News

Dearest Families,

Welcome to the 2017-18 school year at Rainbow Community School and Omega Middle School. This is a very special year; it is Rainbow’s 40th anniversary.

In 1977, three visionary, highly educated women, who believed that education had the power to enlighten the world, decided to open a school founded on love.

Teach Love

Love — what a revolutionary theme for a school! It was so radical that these women spent a year educating parents about what a holistic school founded on love truly means.

Our founders began every school day – just as we do today– with centering, a mindful and heartful time used to create a compassionate classroom and support children in building a relationship with their higher selves.

Grow Love

Love is such a necessary part of being human that when love is nourished, children feel they can be themselves, freeing up their intellectual and creative abilities to become geniuses.

Children thrive when surrounded by love!

Because our children have thrived, our school has flourished.

Little did our founders know that 40 years later, the little school they had opened in a Sunday School room at All Souls Church, would have 222 students enrolled and be located on five and a half acres of central, verdant land.

Inspire Love

Love is contagious!

Not only does it spread from person to person, but when children feel loved, they in turn fall in love with learning.

What these founding women knew intuitively has since been empirically proven.

Thanks to MRI and other neurological technology that didn’t exist in 1977, we now know that emotions are deeply embedded into the brain’s learning processes.

Motivation is fueled by positive emotions, and when children are motivated to learn they can embody their whole selves, expressing their unique passions and sharing their diverse gifts.

Spread Love

Still today – 40 years later – we believe, just as our founders did, that an education based on love builds a solid foundation for strong communities.

Recently RCS founded Rainbow Institute with the purpose of spreading the Rainbow model of education.

This October 6 and 7 we hold our second annual More Than Mindfulness Conference.

This being our Fortieth Anniversary, one of our founders, Nura Laird (aka Ashrita Laird) is traveling from the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism in California where she chairs the Department of Peacemaking, to give a keynote address on founding a heart-based school.

We are inviting all friends of Rainbow – including all of our former parents, students, and faculty – to attend the conference.

Alumni will also have a special opportunity to share stories about the fascinating and successful lives they now lead.

You are invited too! Register for our conference today.

Learn Love

Love is not to be taken for granted.

Like all good things, it must be learned, cherished, and practiced – at all ages – in order to strengthen it.

This year we begin our new parent enrichment program (PEP).

PEP will give parents and teachers the opportunity to learn from one another.

We will be exploring the science of childhood development and supporting one another in building compassionate understanding for our children and for ourselves.

Celebrate Love

This year, we celebrate 40 years of love.

We celebrate a vision of love that came true through forty years of service.

For forty years, teachers who chose Rainbow have dedicated themselves to enriching the lives of the children and families who chose love.

Serve Love

Ten years ago, I myself chose Rainbow.

And I chose Rainbow, like many of you, in large part because of our legacy of love.

I’ve seen our community grow and change dramatically over the last ten years, and always come back to that foundation of love.

I have learned that love often looks like service, and service is the best way to spread love.

I welcome your visits, insights, and questions as we continue to build on our foundation.

Let us each serve, in our own unique ways, so as to better extend ourselves into a socially just, environmentally sustainable, and spiritually fulfilling future.

Choose Love

I am so glad your family chose to be a part of our 40 year legacy of love.

A school based on love becomes an extension of home. We are honored to be a part of your loved one’s home, and by extension, part of your family.

To a year filled with love, inspired by learning, and committed to service.

Love,

Renee Owen Executive Director

Return with Elixir

by West | Jul 20, 2017 | Blogs, Rainbow Institute

Summer is a breeding ground for travel, adventure, and memory making. Its long days, breaks from school and work, flexible schedules also yield down time, rest, and a chance to turn inward and reflect. Having said this, I share with you an inspiring centering activity that you may wish to add to your summer contemplations.

6^th grade coins this centering “Return with the Elixir” and it is often used at the close of a thematic unit, calendar year or school year. It invites students to reflect upon and share their knowledge, strengths and gifts with each other and the larger community. The centering also has an intended purpose to inspire empathy, encourage connectedness and recognize the archetypical human experiences across time and cultures.

It begins by asking the students to examine the hero’s journey map paying special attention to the end of the map, where the hero returns home with the elixir. It continues by explaining that in mythology, this is often literally a magic potion or object. Symbolically, it represents a special knowledge or wisdom to share. Review examples from well-known stories such as Wizard of Oz or Star Wars as well as real-life examples such as Buddha or Jesus Christ.

Students are then led in a guided meditation. Asking questions such as…

After the meditation, explain that each student will receive a glass vial in which they will put their elixir. This can be a written word, phrase, or image placed on a piece of paper and sealed in the bottle. They may use colored sand, glitter, small pebbles or shells in the bottle to “activate” the magic of their special elixir. Explain that students will work in silence to create space for reflection, but that they will have a chance to share their elixir with their classmates once everyone has completed the task. Hand each student a bottle or vial. As students receive their bottles, they may find a table set up with art supplies and begin working on their elixir bottles. Allow 15-20 minutes for individual work. One by one, have students place their elixir on a windowsill or other central location to symbolize sharing their elixir with the classroom community. Invite students to share a word, phrase or short anecdote that represents their elixir.

Think about your own quests over the summer. You may be on some sort of Hero’s Journey that was met with challenge, obstacle, success, or joy.

How will you overcome them or savor them?
What lessons, skills or knowledge have you gained along the way?
What elixir will you bring into the world?