High School News
Port Jervis High School students accept
Rachel’s Challenge
Following the Oct. 4 presentation of the nationally-recognized
motivational Rachel’s Challenge program, a group of
more than 60 students made a commitment to lead the effort to
bring about positive change at their school.
Hundreds of their classmates signed a petition to change
the way they treat others.
Based on the writings and life of Rachel Scott - the first
student killed in the Columbine High School shootings in 1999
–
the Rachel’s Challenge program consisted of an emotionally charged school
assembly, a peer training session, and a special evening
presentation for high school and middle school parents. The
program’s goal is to help schools across the country create
safer learning environments by inspiring students to change the
way they treat others.
The first phase of the program – a one hour school
assembly – was presented to High School students and a
select group of middle school students.
The emotionally-charged assembly is designed to teach students
to embrace the values of kindness and compassion so that no
child is left behind because of fear or violence in their school
community.
The assembly was followed by an interactive training session involving
more than 60 student leaders
that showed how to sustain the
momentum created by the assembly. According to the trainer, the assembly creates the “want
to” or desire for positive change. The training session teaches
students “how to” motivate others and ensures that the positive impact will continue.
The assembly's powerful message was also reinforced
through a one-hour presentation geared toward High School and
Middle School parents. Similar to the
student assembly, the evening program provided parents with tips
to help reinforce their teen's positive decisions.
Rachel’s incredible story has been featured on Oprah, Larry King
Live, and every major television network. It is also the basis
for a television documentary, a television advertisement about
kindness, and has been the subject of several books.
High School Principal Tony DiMarco brought the
powerful program to Port Jervis as a follow-up to the school’s
Sept. 26 emergency response drill.
“In today’s world, it is vital
that we work diligently to keep our schools safe,” said DiMarco.
"The Rachel's Challenge program makes students think about how
they act toward others. It shows students, through Rachel's
behavior and actions, that they can and should reach out to
others," he said. Noting that small acts of kindness can and do
reverberate through people's life, DiMarco notes, “This is a
message that this age group needs to hear over and over."
• View
Cable TV 6 news coverage of program
•
Times Herald-Record article
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