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TEN SLEEP – Ten Sleep School is bringing Rachel’s Challenge to Ten Sleep, April 15, with a 6:30 p.m. event for the entire community along with a program for the elementary students at 8:30 a.m. and a program for the high school students at 10 a.m., as a way to help students and the community understand the detriments of bullying.
“We are excited to have Rachel’s Challenge come to Ten Sleep. Their emphasis on student’s treating others with respect, kindness, and compassion is representative of our community’s values. Cultivating a culture of caring for others is a huge part of our school’s mission,” Ten Sleep School Superintendent Jimmy Phelps said.
For most people turning a tragedy into something positive is difficult, if not impossible. But the family of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting, found a way to help their daughter’s legacy live on, with Rachel’s Challenge.
Rachel’s Challenge is inspired by the life of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student in killed in Columbine High School in the school shooting April 20, 1999. According to the Rachel’s Challenge website, “Creating a school climate less susceptible to harassment, bullying and violence is possible. For us it started when Rachel Joy Scott was the first person killed in the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999. But that was only the beginning of the story. After her death, many students that Rachel reached out to shared stories with the Scotts about the profound impact her simple acts of kindness had on their lives; even preventing one young man for taking his own life. They soon realized the transformational effect of Rachel’s story and started the non-profit organization that is Rachel’s Challenge today.
“In the 19 years since we lost 12 innocent lives, including Rachel, her legacy has touched 25 million people and is the foundation for creating programs that promote a positive climate in K-12 schools. Her vision to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion is the basis for our mission: Making schools safer, more connected places where bullying and violence are replaced with kindness and respect; and where learning and teaching are awakened to their fullest.”
According to the Rachel’s Challenge website, “Rachel’s Challenge programs provide a sustainable, evidence-based framework for positive climate and culture in our schools. Fully implemented, partner schools achieve statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/student relationships, leadership potential, and school climate; along with reductions in bullying, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.”
Anyone interested in attending is welcomed and encouraged to come to the evening presentation.