Effective September 2024, The Rainbow School will offer a part-time, four-hour Pre-K Only program for children who turn 4 by August 31. This kindergarten preparatory program will be held Mondays through Fridays from 9 am and 1 pm. This will be a combined class of both our Full-Day and Pre-K Only students.

Throughout our school, starting with our youngest students, Rainbow’s program is designed to foster independence, self-confidence, and natural curiosity. We encourage children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their own ideas and think their own thoughts. Our program allows children to learn at their own pace and in ways best suited for the individual.

From bibs to books, The Rainbow School offers a theme-based learning experience in which learning objectives are achieved through the use of specific themes. Within this context, we have activities that teach:

No matter what age your child is, our program and curriculum will be presented in an age-appropriate manner. We follow “developmentally appropriate practice” guidelines as set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), our nation’s leading experts on early childhood education.

Children, Grades K-2, thrive in our Before & After School Program. Our program for school-age children is recreational in nature. Time is divided between a mix of free play and structured activity. We want to provide a “fun place to be” rather than somewhere the children feel they “have to be”. Regularly planned activities include cooking, arts and crafts, theatre arts, various sports, including fencing for the 2nd graders, field trips, and movie days.

While we recognize that older children (Grades 3-6) still need care, we’ve discovered that there is a world of difference in the skill sets and temperament between kindergarteners and 3rd graders. We’ve learned somewhere around 3rd grade, children (especially if they have grown up at Rainbow and progressed through its’ classes) start to chafe at the thought of being at Rainbow. It doesn’t matter that we may have been their home away from home for the majority of their lifetime—suddenly Rainbow becomes a glaring reminder to them of the awkwardness of their age. It is a time when many children long for independence that they don’t really have the life skills to handle. And yet, they do not want to be at the “baby place”.

When this happens, Rainbow School can do nothing to console these children. They become “bored”. Their “teachers are mean”. There’s “nothing to do”, etc. It’s really quite a painful time for everyone involved when this happens—so rather than have our children leave us on a bitter note after so many years of being their second home, we ask our parents to make other arrangements for their children. In some cases, of course, we’ll consider working with a child beyond 2nd grade, but the bottom line is—it has to be right for the child.