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By Travis Loller

The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. 鈥� When families returned to The Covenant School in Nashville after six people were killed there in last year, they were gathering in the chapel when someone noticed a rainbow outside.

The group streamed out to find a double rainbow in a clear blue sky with not a cloud or drop of rain in sight, said Christy Foster, the school鈥檚 director of communications. She began to tear up Tuesday as she recalled the moment while showing reporters the newly completed renovation of the private school.

鈥淭o see all the children racing outside and playing under these rainbows 鈥� it was so much hope, so much joy, so much of God saying, 鈥業鈥檝e got you. I鈥檝e got you. You are not alone,鈥欌�� Foster said.

Rainbows, a biblical symbol of hope, seemed to keep appearing in the sky thereafter. One showed up at the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ 鈥� the school鈥檚 temporary home for a year 鈥� and again weeks later when officials met at a different church in town, Covenant Head of School Trudy Waters said.

鈥淓very time we would meet as a group, it felt like the rainbow would show up,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd, you know, you just can鈥檛 make that up.鈥�

A former student shot through the doors of the Christian elementary school on March 27, 2023, killing three children and three adults before being fatally shot by responding officers, police said. The attack was elaborately planned, and the shooter had drawn a detailed map and conducted surveillance of the building, authorities have said.

Today, the rainbow has become the overarching theme of the renovated building.

A painting of the double rainbow as it appeared over the school after the shooting now decorates the front entry. There are also strings of rainbow-colored paper cranes 鈥� spontaneous gifts sent by people around the country who were moved by the tragedy here.

鈥淭hey are really a reminder of all the people that have supported us,鈥� Waters said.

One supporter, a design business, donated time and materials to the renovation, which included new paint, carpet, furniture and decor. The Joel Foundation, led by entertainer Billy Joel and his wife, Alexis, donated musical instruments and helped update the school鈥檚 performing arts space. And many other groups and individuals contributed their time and talents.

Covenant had considered not moving back into its old building, which is shared by the Covenant Presbyterian Church. School leaders heard many different opinions on what was best, Waters said.

In the end, 鈥渨e felt like our main way to survive and move forward would be to find the ability to be back in this space,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e spent a whole lot of, you know, not just time and money, but real energy in figuring out how to do that.鈥�

Translucent plastic panels in muted rainbow colors now hang from the ceiling of a hallway leading to a giant painting in similar colors. The canvas has been covered by overlapping layers of words and pictures provided by the school鈥檚 children and staff that they associate with the聽shooting victims. They include Bible passages, drawings of cats, even the words 鈥渉ot dog鈥� for a favorite meal. The painting is one of the few visual reminders of the shooting 鈥� a way to try to honor the people they lost without triggering traumatic memories.

That isn鈥檛 always possible, Waters said.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned that it鈥檚 hard to avoid all of it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what the story is. And we don鈥檛 want to stop moving forward and living, so we have to figure out how to live with it.鈥�

The Covenant School resumed classes in its building in mid-April, after spending a little more than a year in donated space at the Brentwood Hills church. Waters and Foster said the return has been challenging but ultimately successful.

鈥淭he building is full of laughter,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淚t is full of joy. It is full of learning. People are doing their math facts, their multiplication tables. They鈥檙e taking their spelling tests. They鈥檙e learning to read. We鈥檙e doing school. And the kids, they鈥檙e being kids.鈥�