Meet
Mrs. Rains
Mrs. Rains is the heart of science at Roswell North Elementary. Funded entirely by the RNE Foundation, she brings curiosity, creativity, and a genuine love of discovery to every student who walks through the lab doors — from Pre-K all the way through 5th grade.
None of this would have happened without you. This doesn't happen without our parents' support. And it's not just financial support, which is huge. It's all of the hands-on support. It's incredible.
— Mrs. Rains, Licata Science Lab Teacher · RNE Foundation
What Mrs. Rains Has Built
Over her years at RNE, Mrs. Rains has built a science program that reaches every single student — and the results speak for themselves.
One of Two Elementary Science Labs in North Fulton
The Licata Science Lab, funded by the RNE Foundation, is one of only two dedicated elementary school science labs in all of North Fulton County — a truly exceptional resource.
Raised School-Wide Test Scores
Since the lab's inception, the Foundation's trustees have noted a significant improvement in the school's overall test scores — a testament to the impact of hands-on science education.
Farm to Table Tasting Program
Mrs. Rains created and runs the Farm to Table program, connecting students with where their food comes from through hands-on gardening, harvesting, and cooking experiences.
Multi-Grade Dissection & Lab Program
From gummy worms to flowers, worms, owl pellets, frogs, and sharks — Mrs. Rains runs age-appropriate dissection and lab programs for every grade level at RNE.
RNE Garden Steward
Mrs. Rains has been a driving force behind the RNE Garden, helping students develop a love of nature, sustainability, and the living world around them.
A Decade of Science & Community
For years, Mrs. Rains has cultivated not just a love of science — but a love of learning itself. Her classroom is a place where every Bear discovers they are a scientist.
Programs Mrs. Rains Leads
Every program below is made possible by the generosity of the RNE community.
Licata Science Lab
Hands-on STEM for all grades, Pre-K through 5th
Farm to Table Tasting
Garden-to-kitchen life science extension program
RNE Garden
Outdoor growing, ecosystems, and sustainability
Dissection Lab Series
Gummy worms, flowers, worms, frogs & sharks
Owl Pellet Studies
Reconstructing food chains through real specimens
Chemistry & Life Science
Experiments connecting classroom learning to the real world
From Virginia Gardens to RNE
Liz Raines grew up in a small rural area of Virginia, twenty-five miles outside of Washington D.C. Her dad was an avid gardener — and the person who first inspired her love of growing food. In 1989 she graduated from Salisbury University on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
After college, Mrs. Rains worked at The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL in Ophthalmology and then at America Online (AOL). It was during this time that her deep curiosity about "how things work" really took hold — a curiosity she now passes on to every Bear who walks through the lab doors.
The Raines family relocated to Roswell in 2007. From the moment she arrived, her volunteer work with RNE and school gardens began. She was part of the original RNE Environmental Club, and it was her passion for growing with students that ultimately brought her to RNE full-time.
She's Not Just a Teacher — She's a Bear
All three of Mrs. Rains' children attended Roswell North Elementary, Crabapple Middle School, and Roswell High School — making her one of our most deeply rooted community members.
Now a teacher at Spaulding Elementary School — following in her mother's footsteps.
Completing student teaching as a high school history teacher at Cherokee High School.
Studying Environmental Law and Environmental Science in college — the apple doesn't fall far from the garden.
A Garden That Feeds the Community
When Mrs. Rains arrived at RNE, twenty-five garden beds were waiting to be tended. What happened next is remarkable.
Thousands of Pounds Donated
Together with students, Mrs. Rains planted, weeded, harvested, and donated thousands of pounds of produce to neighbors through the Food Bank at the NFCC.
Farm to School
The gardens now supply fresh fruits and vegetables directly to RNE's cafeteria through a Farm to School partnership with the Cafeteria Manager.
Community Meals During Covid
During Covid, the RNE gardens produced lettuce, basil, celery, potatoes, broccoli, and kohlrabi used daily by Table and Main to create hot community meals for those in need.
A Lifelong Commitment to Community
Mrs. Rains believes everyone should make the world a better place — and it's her lifelong work with the Girl Scouts that keeps her busy outside of school. As a retired Troop Leader and mentor to young women as a Girl Scout Gold Award advisor, she continues to watch the next generation take on the world. The Science Lab at RNE gives her the opportunity to blend all of her passions and past experiences into a curriculum she shares every day with our Bears.
"Lab teacher Elizabeth Rains says she's seen students grow to love science and mathematics through hands-on projects. Above all, she wants to help students cultivate a sense of love and appreciation of the sciences and the arts that can serve as a foundation for higher learning."— Appen Media, covering the RNE Community Tour
Fund the Science That Inspires Our Bears
Mrs. Rains and the Licata Science Lab exist because of you. Every donation goes directly to keeping this extraordinary program alive for every student at RNE.