Early childhood mental health services improve communication for the whole family
“It was easy to choose Rainbows for childcare since we were familiar with the organization,” said Shannon Pope, mother of two preschoolers. Shannon herself had volunteered at Rainbows, her aunt has worked in the office for many years plus her kids get to see their cousins who also attend every day. “We wanted them to […]
Growing Up At Camp Woodchuck
When her newborn son Carlos was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, Ana cried for 4 months. Her husband, Othon had been in an accident and was unable to work and she was completely overwhelmed. “I cried every day,” she said. “I kept asking, Why Me? Then I said to myself, Carlos is here, and I have […]
Festive and Bittersweet
Who doesn’t love a taco?! The graduating class of 2023 at Rainbows United helped us to celebrate all things taco and festive (including sombreros, taco pinatas and churro bars) with “Taco ‘bout a Future” as this year’s theme. We had hoped to have the ceremony outside as in years past, but the Kansas weather did […]
Pre-K Teacher Shares Love of Music With Children
When MacKenzie Tilma, Lead Teacher, is in the classroom, you are likely to hear the happy notes of…A UKELELE? “I always like when the children get excited when I bring my ukulele to play songs for them,” said MacKenzie. “They are always suggesting songs I need to learn to play. We keep multiple toy ukuleles […]
Teaching Love, Kindness, Inclusion and Empathy
What does Valentine’s Day mean to Rainbows United preschoolers? For those of us in Classroom 6, it’s about teaching love and compassion, as well as making our lessons fun and engaging. We want the kids to be excited to learn about Math, Literacy, Science, Art, and how to be good humans. We want them to […]
A prism reflects light and turns it into a rainbow
The criteria for Rainbows’ employee award, the Prism Award are to demonstrate Rainbows Guiding Principles, be an exemplar in the role they fulfill for Rainbows; demonstrate leadership; make children and families their highest priority; and represent Rainbows in a way that reflects positively on the entire organization. This year Rainbows honored an educator who has […]
Pumpkin Guts, Pumpkin Patch, Candy Corn, and a Parade
Halloween at Rainbows is not only fun, it’s educational! Rainbows’ children used their senses to explain what pumpkin guts felt, smelled, looked, and tasted like. After pulling out the pumpkin seeds and letting them dry, the seeds were seasoned with butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Chef Ryan then cooked the seeds and the children had […]
Honoring CJ Seitz
“From the moment he was born, CJ was a kind soul,” said Frank Seitz, CJ’s father. CJ was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, but no evidence of brain damage at the time of his birth. “We thought we had a perfectly normal child,” said Frank. When he was 4 months old, […]
Rainbows Changed Our Lives
“My whole journey started at Rainbows in 1978 when my husband, Walt and I adopted a little 5-day-old boy named Brandon,” said Margaret, Brandon’s mother. “He was just perfect.” As he grew, Margaret became concerned that Brandon was not progressing as quickly as other babies his age, and her sister noticed Brandon wasn’t following with […]
Mother’s career inspires teacher
“At a young age I fell in love with a career serving children who have special needs,” said Mary May, Assistant Teacher. “I watched my mother teach and help students growing up. I would volunteer and help her in any way that I could. I saw how much of a difference she made in their […]
