The Rainbows program, which was brought to St. Mary of the Hills in the fall of 2004, was established to help students in all grade levels cope with grief. The program is designed to assist students who have experienced a death, divorce or other transition in their family dynamics. It is not considered therapy, but a peer group supported by guided curriculum and a trained facilitator. Currently there are two or three teachers at each grade level trained to implement a Rainbows group.

Students may become part of a Rainbows group by parent and teacher referral. The children are then placed in a group according to specific need and age level. Meetings occur forty minutes a week for a twelve-week period. The children work together to express their feelings and develop healthy ways to communicate with each other and their families. All conversations are confidential unless the facilitator detects harm is being done to the child or by the child.

Rainbows provides a much needed service in allowing our students to come to terms with a significant loss in their lives. Being able to communicate this loss and see it in others is a great relief to many of our students. Here at St. Mary’s we have been able to help many students accept their grief, adjust to a change in their family, and most importantly become aware of their personal feelings and acknowledge the fact that they are not alone in all of this. Rainbows has made a difference in the lives of the students, families and faculty involved. St. Mary’s will continue to provide this service to our students as long as there is a need.

Rainbows Form