About Rainbow School
August 18, 2009 | UncategorizedAs a Christian preschool, we strive to teach the children in an environment that demonstrates the love of God. Christian values are modeled, encouraged, and practiced. We feel that this is the best foundation to give our children- to be able to show the love of God through their love and service to others.
Using Christian values as a base, we also offer the opportunity to learn and practice the social skills needed in a school environment, as well as in everyday life.
We also take advantage of opportunities to guide our children through emotional, physical and academic milestones. The staff at Rainbow School use developmentally appropriate methods and activities- including integration of play and the arts. Our daily schedule includes free play with access to several play areas (i.e. dramatic play, building toys, manipulatives, puzzles, books, art supplies, science and math), art projects, group time, including calendar, Bible stories, songs, story time,snack, large motor play, and a closing time for prayer.
Our Member Churches support us in numerous ways:
Rainbow School is very fortunate to have four Rochester ELCA churches support us. Our Member Churches include:
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
- Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
- Our Saviors Lutheran Church
- Zumbro Lutheran Church
They provide us with space, classroom space for our preschool as well as space for meetings, Get-Together Events, etc.
They provide us with people. People who volunteer in the classroom or as Board Members. People who serve as staff. And, most importantly, people who consider Rainbow School for their child’s preschool. Many of our students come to us from one of our member churches.
They provide us with financial support. Not only donations from church budgets to help keep our costs low and our quality high, but also donations from Sunday School, women’s groups, coin drives, etc. These donations go to special projects, like buying new equipment, or to our scholarship fund, or to our general fund. All donations are greatly appreciated and put to good use.
They provide us with their thoughts and prayers. Member churches pray with us for the small children in our responsibility. They also keep us in their thoughts. To advocate for us. To help spread the word about Rainbow School.
History
Rainbow School began in the late 1980’s when a Christian educator at Zumbro Lutheran Church, Cynthia McLaren, recognized the need for a Christian preschool program in Rochester. She started a very small program one morning a week for six to eight weeks at a time. By 1990, a new Zumbro Sunday School coordinator, Carol Proud, picked up the program. The next year Maureen Hagen also began teaching and the program changed from Monday mornings to twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was at this time, also, that the program was renamed Rainbow School. It still ran for just part of the year at a time, with a fall and a winter session.
By 1996, Rainbow School had grown to morning and afternoon classes, and had started to look into becoming a fully licensed preschool program. It was soon realized that Rainbow School met too frequently for an unlicensed preschool. Since parents and congregation members did not want to shorten the program, in 1997 it was decided to split the year between two churches, meeting half of the year at Zumbro and half of the year, under the name of Praise Kids Preschool, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. During this time, Maureen Hagen continued to work on the necessary procedures to make Rainbow School a state licensed preschool.
In 1999, the paper work was complete and Rainbow School was licensed by the State of Minnesota. Rainbow School also took another big step that fall- it became incorporated as a private non-profit corporation to be governed by a Board of Directors. Zumbro and Good Shepherd churches were joined by Mt. Olive Lutheran Church as the first member congregations of Rainbow School.
The next year, the 2000-2001 school year, was the first full year as a fully licensed preschool. It also was a year of change of leadership when Andi Fyffe became the new Director. By the end of that school year, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church had also joined as a member congregation.
Today, as we have throughout our history, we continue to make quality Christian education a priority for our young students. Dedicated Board members from our four member congregations, as well as the input and insight of all our teachers and assistant teachers, has resulted in a preschool program that we are proud to share with our students, our families, and our community.