Rainbow Mountain Childrens School

Rainbow Mountain is an amazing school! My daughter has been there for just over a year. The school has excellent academics and educates the child holistically. I do not have words to convey what a superb school it is, the teachers, administration and staff are all outstanding educators. They get to know each child as an individual and help them reach their full potential, whilst also teaching them to be a viable part of their family, school, and wider community. Thank you Rainbow!!!
—Submitted by a parent

My kids have developed in a safe environment, have been challenged academically, and have been led to explore nature, their inner selves in a way that really complements their academic progress. The team of teachers are a fantastic, committed, creative group, led by the director who works collaboratively with them.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our eighth year at Rainbow Mountain. Both our daughter and our son, currently in 7th and 4th grade, are receiving a wonderful, academically rigorous, socially empowering and emotionally nourishing education, from the most dedicated, inspiring and well trained teachers anyone could wish for. We are in awe of the creativity, depth of knowledge and care that go into teaching the school's rich curriculum. It offers a balanced approach to enriching all different aspects of each student, tailored to her/his unique way of learning. It builds a solid basis for being a life long learner, a well rounded, engaged, self motivated, strong, socially conscious human being with knowledge, skills and empathy. We highly recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

RMCS has been a wonderful, nurturing school for our 3rd grade daughter, who has been enrolled since Pre-k. Not only does RMCS foster a sense of self and how one fits into the world, it has given her a place to try new things, learn to be herself and celebrate others - their likenesses and differences, as well as a firm academic foundation.
—Submitted by a parent

The current leadership at Rainbow has pushed this small alternative school into the top level of private primary/ middle schools available in Asheville. RMCS faculty has been honed to a group of teachers who are creative, who bring out the academic strengths of each child, and who truly give of themselves to synergistically make the school come alive. My 7th grader has developed a accurate sense of his strengths, talents, and weaknesses. He is confident and compassionate. I believe it takes schools like Rainbow to bring forth children who will, as adults, will really make the world a better place.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is having a wonderful experience as a student at Rainbow Mountain. The teachers are so incredible, above all else, I know that they truly love her and care deeply about her educational success. She learned to read this year and her progress has blown me away. She is so proud of her new skills and I am so thrilled to be a part of such a loving community.
—Submitted by a parent

Rainbow Mountain is a wonderful option in Asheville for those looking for a school where each individual child is known, loved, and supported on their educational journey. As a parent to children in the lower grades, I appreciate the lack of early academic pressure and the value on play, discovery, and creativity. I also know that as they get older they will get the preparation they need for high school. The teachers are an amazing group of compassionate and dedicated individuals and the director is doing a great job leading the school into an even brighter future. I highly recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Rainbow Mountain has helped my middle schooler become an enthusiastic learner, well-rounded individual and compassionate human being. The teachers are dedicated to each child's academic success, but also committed to their character development. They have been my educational partners. Many hold master's degrees & have many years of classroom experience. I love the richness of thematic learning, the Math program, all the hands-on activities, dynamic Spanish instruction, integrated art, stimulating field trips & the application of multiple intelligence theory. Parent involvement is high here; I've learned a lot about parenting & made life-long friends. My child has made me promise that we'll be here through 8th grade & is already talking about taking honors classes in 9th grade. I know my child will be ready for high school - academically, emotionally & socially - largely because a holistic education has encouraged my child to develop fully as a complete human being.
—Submitted by a parent

Rainbow Mountain is a strong school across the wide spectrum that we all want our children to experience--hands on educational experiences and exploration and respect for our world's diversity are central. Both of my sons grew through literature, art, music and most importantly ethics and cooperation. I believe Rainbow is the education we all want for our children to grow into whole, well-rounded human beings.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Rainbow Mountain Children s School from Kindergarten through 8th grade. She is now a sophomore at Asheville HS, and is thriving both academically and socially, as are her fellow graduates from Rainbow Mt. As a parent, it was important for my child to be prepared to succeed in HS, as well as to have an emotionally safe place in which to learn. RMCS is able to provide this, with their balanced attention to not just the mental domain of learning, where most schools focus, but also the emotional, physical, moral/social, and spiritual domains. I did have my doubts about academic preparation in her early years at this school but I am glad I stuck with what my heart told me was right. There is a pool of successful graduates demonstrating that RMCS fosters intelligent and caring community members. RMCS students consistently score at or above grade level on standardized testing. Under the leadership of executive director, Renee Owen the past 3 years, the RMCS academic curriculum and faculty have been greatly strengthened, while still maintaining the balance of multiple intelligences. My son is a 7th grader at RMCS , and has attended RMCS since Preschool. The teachers have been open and responsive to my concerns and my children s individual learning styles. You cannot know RMCS until you have experienced it spend some time there to make a decision. It s a warm supportive community, and I m a better parent because of my connection there.
—Submitted by a parent

Rainbow Mountain is a very holistic school in that it teaches the children about a large variety of things and ideas and not just what will get them to pass the standardized test. They are also very community minded in that students from all the grades work together and socialize.
—Submitted by a parent

Rainbow Mountain is working to develop progams that help each child learn and develop strengths to over come weeknesses by teaching in ways that address multiple learning styles and needs.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a school to avoid. The tuition is high, and the staff varies greatly in quality. When we moved our children, they had so much work to do in order to catch up with their peers. They do not emphasize reading skills in early grades, putting students who leave in a bad situation, and upper elementary students under-prepared by not providing strong basic skills education. If you value high-quality teaching, choose another school.
—Submitted by a parent

As noted in a previous review, Rainbow Mountain did go through major transitions last year. There are a few gems in various classrooms and there is a strong emphasis on social justice and service. The down side to the transition has been a loss of inclusiveness of viewpoints other than extreme liberalism and a wekened logical strand in the program.

Rainbow Mountain is a truly unique gift to the world of learning. 2007 was a year of amazing transition in our community. Our biggest change was warmly welcoming, Renee Owen, our new outstanding director. In a short period of time she has already made some major changes to our school bringing back the harmony and communication that was lacking. My two incredible kids have thrived in this hands on learning reality. We've experienced every grade from 1st through the amazing Omega program for my 8th grader. Each and every year has been a special and unique experience. My favorite part of the RMCS reality is how the kids are grouped intellectually vs age wise like in most school situations. Positive discipline and self responsibility is another wonderful aspect of this special place.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had two kids at this school, and although it is a great warm environment with a great sense of community, it is virtually impossible for a family with two working adults to attend all of the functions and parent days and child led conferences, etc...the list goes on and on. Not to mention they take so so many days off for teacher training/teacher workday/holiday. I dont know how anyone keeps up and still manages the expensive tuition.
—Submitted by a parent

Rainbow Mountain has offered my two daughters a wonderful start in school. Both of them have been nurtured by a caring staff that have helped each one develop strong academic skills while meeting their spiritual and emotional needs. The preschool and Kindergarten teachers are truly magical. The elementary and middle school teachers offer something unique in this crazy time - sanity and a sense of wholeness.
—Submitted by a parent

My two girls go to Rainbow Mountain and I can't say enough good things about the school! We are entering our third year with my youngest in her second year of preschool and my oldest in 3rd grade. The classes are small, the teachers are world class (many have masters degrees and have distinguished themselves in community service). The curriculum is holistic, experiential, project-based and the children LOVE to learn. What a difference from our brief public school experience. The school is spiritual in a global, multi-faith, eco-minded sense, so all faiths are welcome, and mindfulness, personal responsibility and deep respect for life are interwoven throughout the curriculum. Each day starts with centering and learning how to participate in community is stressed.
—Submitted by a parent

Rainbow Mtn is a very nurturing and creative environment. The children learn solid foundational values such as sharing, expressing their feelings, and dealing with conflict in positive ways. The teachers are wonderful--grounded, creative, and highly involved. There is a lot of parental involvement--parents volunteer in a number of ways and are encouraged to spend time in the classroom. There are two major drawbacks to this school: there is a noticeable lack of leadership at the director level; the folks running the operation seem a bit hippy-dippy. Communication between the administration and parents is very bad. Also, the school is closed for teacher workdays for 1-2 days out of every month, which makes it nearly impossible for working moms to keep their kids there. I love the teachers, I love the curriculum, but due to the closings, we're going to have to put our kids elsewhere.
—Submitted by Carla, a parent

The staff at Rainbow Mountain is outstanding. They care a great deal about my daughter and her experiences. The holistic aspect makes this the premier school for children needing to be taught as a whole person instead of a number. Every day my daughter is greeted with warmth and care.
—Submitted by a parent