Rainbow Elementary echoes its name as teachers dye their hair for good cause
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Led by Principal Cliff Maloney (back, right), the faculty at Rainbow Elementary shows off an array of colorful hairdos.
It was a day to dye for as rainbow hair reigned supreme at – you guessed it – Rainbow Elementary School.
Little more than a week ago, Principal Cliff Maloney thought his tresses were safe, a bit of a disappointment since he and the rest of the faculty had promised to alter their hair color if the students collected at least 2,000 cans of food for the Chester County Food Bank for Operation Thanksgiving.
Just days before the Nov. 16 deadline, the students had only generated about half of their quota, but they were not about to give up the chance to watch a movie and witness hair-raising transformations. “They really came through in the end,” said Maloney. The final tally: 2,500.
The impressive result demanded a dramatic response, Maloney said. So while the students were watching the movie today, he and his staff immersed themselves in color. Neon sprays and rinses dominated, but Maloney said he needed a look with greater impact. Fortunately for him, one of his aides is a hairdresser so he didn’t have to handle the chemicals as his brown locks were bleached white.
Maloney said the first person to witness the makeover was his administrative assistant, who decided he had lost more than just his hair color. The students had a more positive reaction. To maximize the spectacle of the great reveal, Maloney said he turned on a fog machine and then appeared out of the mist as the students shrieked with glee.
“It was so gratifying to see the kids step up to help those in need,” he said, adding that this is the sixth year he has issued such a challenge.
He may have gotten off comparatively easy this time, especially since he plans to shave his head, which will produce an ancillary benefit: no dark roots. Last year, Maloney said he endured a brisk swim in the nearby pond. “It was definitely cold,” he said – a stark contrast to the hot colors on the heads of Rainbow’s faculty.
