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“You just might start a chain reaction”
What’s inside
PAGE 2
Character-building
a priority throughout
our four schools
Rachel’s Challenge promotes kindness, compassion
Throughout her life, Rachel Scott had a habit of writing in unusual places. After her
tragic death in the 1999 Columbine High School tragedy, her family found that Rachel
had traced her hands on the back of an old dresser and wrote: “These hands belong to
Rachel Joy Scott and will someday touch millions of people’s hearts.”
Eleven years later, Rachel’s Challenge, an
emotionally-charged program based on the life of
Rachel Scott, has touched millions of students across
the nation – including those at Goshen.
Rachel Scott was the first person killed in the
Columbine High School tragedy on April 20, 1999.
Immediately following her death, Rachel’s father,
Darrell, began speaking around the nation, using his
daughter’s writings and drawings from her personal
diaries to illustrate the need for a kinder, more
compassionate world.
Christine Cavaliere and Harlene Kresse of the C. J.
Hooker Middle School PTO decided to bring Rachel’s
Challenge to Goshen Schools as a way to improve the
culture of our schools by inspiring students to treat
each other with kindness and compassion.
On October 18,
“I have this theory that if one
assemblies were held
person can go out of their way
for middle school
students in grades 6-8
to show compassion, then it will
as well as freshmen and
start a chain reaction of the same.
sophomores at the high
People will never know how far a
school. Each assembly
began with background
little kindness can go.”
information about the
- RACHEL JOY SCOTT
Columbine High School
tragedy where 12 students
and one teacher were gunned down by two students
who then turned their guns on themselves. Rachel
Scott, a 17-year old junior, was the first person killed
as she ate lunch on the school’s lawn with a friend.
But the message of Rachel’s Challenge is far more
than a warning about school
violence. It’s a message of Rachel’s
life and her personal goals of
kindness that she set for herself
– and expected of others.
A YOUNG LIFE
WITH BIG EXPECTATIONS
Six weeks before Rachel was
killed, she wrote an essay for
English class, titled “My Ethics,
My Code of Life.” She wrote,
“I have this theory that if one
person can go out of their way to
Elise Frederick, Lyndsey Rysinger and Tashiem Jordan listen as Rachel’s
Challenge presenter Todd Lauderdale talks about the Columbine tragedy.
Continued on page 3 2
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How do our schools address respect, tolerance among our students?
Character-building a priority throughout our four schools
The Goshen Central School District
recognizes the importance of teaching
our students about character and treating
others with kindness.
teachers have bins with
math manipulatives for
different activities that are
easily accessible to students.
There are several programs and
initiatives throughout our buildings that
work to foster an environment of mutual
respect and personal responsibility.
Rules and
Logical Consequences
SAS: A school-wide approach
helps build character, responsibility
The fostering of character-building
begins with our youngest students.
At Scotchtown Avenue, a school-wide
approach is used to help children thrive
academically, socially and emotionally. This
approach, called “Responsive Classroom,”
has several basic principles that build
character, responsibility and mutual respect
among our students.
The “Responsive Classroom” approach
includes teaching strategies and elements
such as:
Morning Meeting
This daily routine builds community,
creates a positive climate for learning
and reinforces academic and social skills.
Children greet each other, teaching
courtesy and politeness, and then share
news of interest with their classmates,
enforcing self-confidence, listening skills
and respect. Then the class participates
in an activity, such as singing or a
math game, to build cooperative skills,
teamwork and problem solving.
Classroom Organization
There are strategies for arranging
materials, furniture and classroom displays
that encourage kids to be independent and
promote care of our school materials and
personal belongings. It also helps maximize
instructional/learning time. For example,
“Everyone just needs to be nicer and step
out of their comfort zone. You never know
what kind of day someone is having or
what they’re faced with outside of school.
Our schools should be a positive place””
- CHRISTINE MCCORMACK
This is a clear and
consistent approach to
discipline that fosters
responsibility and selfcontrol. At Scotchtown
Avenue, there are building-wide rules
that are reinforced in the classroom,
with school-wide posters and daily
announcements:
•
Listen to the speaker
•
Treat others with kindness
•
Keep your body safe and in control
•
Take care of your classroom and school
GIS: Student discussions, support groups
promote tolerance, build confidence
Goshen Intermediate School students
are invited to join the Friend’s Club program
during lunch periods, where students talk
about bullying prevention and intervention
and how they should treat each other as if
they are in one big family.
According to Beth Miller, school social
worker and Friend’s Club volunteer advisor,
“the goal of Friend’s Club is to build
community, mutual respect and tolerance for
others, and friendship.”
Another program, Banana Splits, helps
strengthen confidence and self-esteem for
students who have experienced a significant
family change, mostly a parental divorce,
separation or loss of a parent. The program
consists of peer support groups who meet
during their lunch period once per week or
every other week.
SENIOR AND FOR CLUB MEMBER
“My intent in the groups is to help
students understand that they can be happy
and successful even though they may have
experienced a significant family change,”
said Guidance Counselor Bob Quinn, who
has been running this group for 18 years.
“We learn about terms related to divorce
and loss, students help each other by talking
about how they have come to terms with the
changes and feeling ‘different.’”
CJH: Online resources, personal
skills tackle bullying and conflicts
In this technologically-advanced world,
it seems that everyone is connecting via the
Internet, especially our young teens. More
and more teenagers use the Internet for
school work and project research, as well as
socializing on sites such as Facebook and
Twitter.
In order to promote Internet safety,
French Teacher Fabien Riviere compiled a
list of resources as part of a web page he is
creating for parents for the New York State
Association of Foreign Languages. These
resources are posted on the middle school’s
web page so that students and parents
can become aware of issues such as cyber
bullying, personal safety and New York State
laws on Internet safety.
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Students, parents and community accept Rachel’sonfig ve
challenges
Continued from page 1
show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People
will never know how far a little kindness can go.”
our students’ positive decisions, and asked them to accept Rachel’s
Challenge of kindness and compassion as well.
Rachel lived her life according to this principle. In fact, after she
died, several classmates approached her family, telling them how
Rachel’s kindness had touched them.
For example, Amber was the new girl
at school sitting alone in the cafeteria
during lunch. Out of shyness, she refused
Rachel’s offer to sit with her and her
friends, but Rachel wouldn’t take no
for an answer. Instead, Rachel picked
up her lunch and sat at Amber’s table,
her friends not far behind. That simple
act meant the world to Amber, who
unbeknownst to Rachel, had just lost
her mother in a car accident – the reason
behind her family’s recent move.
“Sometimes our kids’ perceptions can be different from our own,
but the evening program allowed parents and children to be on
the same page and have a much more
in-depth conversation,” said Andrea
McClorey, parent of a middle school
student.
“Parents are our children’s first
teachers, so it’s important that they
reinforce the lessons learned,” said
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum
and Instruction Jane Unhjem. “By
becoming familiar with Rachel’s
Challenge, our parents are a powerful
catalyst in the effort to increase kindness
and positive behaviors in our students’
everyday lives.”
That is Rachel’s legacy – that kind
words and little acts of kindness can have
huge results. “We need to be people who
never give up in our pursuit of being a
better person,” said Rachel’s Challenge
presenter Todd Lauderdale.
In one of her diaries, Rachel wrote
about five challenges that she set for
herself and hoped others would follow:
1. Eliminate prejudice by looking for
the best in others
Matthew Longstreet signs the “Rachel’s Challenge” banner,
committing himself to accept Rachel’s five challenges.
2. Dare to dream – set goals, keep a journal
3. Choose your influences – input determines output
4. Kind words – small acts of kindness equals a huge impact
5. Start a chain reaction with family and friends
Today, millions of students in schools across the country are
infusing their lives with Rachel’s Challenge. Her tragic death
became a message of hope.
REINFORCING A POWERFUL MESSAGE BEGINS AT HOME
In addition to the daytime student assemblies, an evening
program was held for parents, community members and older
high school students who were unable to attend the assemblies
due to time and space constraints. This program provided
parents and community members with tips to help reinforce
HOLD YOURSELF
TO A HIGHER STANDARD
Rachel Scott held herself to very high
standards. She believed that small acts
of kindness and looking for the best in
others could impact the world, and she
believed that her hands would touch
millions of hearts.
The day she died, Rachel had one of
her many diaries in her backpack. On the
back cover, she had written, “I will not be labeled as average.” A bullet
pierced the cover, leaving a small hole right at the end of that sentence.
As Lauderdale explained, “That bullet hole was like a period at the end
of her sentence. It drove her point home. Rachel’s life was anything but
average.”
Rachel’s 5 Challenges:
1. Eliminate prejudice by looking for the best in others
2. Dare to dream – set goals, keep a journal
3. Choose your influences – input determines output
4. Kind words – small acts of kindness equals a huge impact
5. Start a chain reaction with family and friend
2010-11
Board of
Education
Superintendent
of Schools
Daniel T. Connor
President
James Kimiecik
Assistant
Superintendent for
Curriculum and
Instruction
Jane Unhjem
Vice-President
Steven Esposito
Adam Boese
Martha Bogart
Judy Green
Robert Kish
Loretta Richner
GOSHEN Central School District
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Newburgh, NY
Permit #252
227 Main Street
Goshen, NY 10924
(845) 615-6720
Assistant
Superintendent
for Business
Robert Miller, Jr.
Christina Intranuovo, Editor
Produced in cooperation with the Capital Region BOCES
Communications Service.
Home of
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N ov e
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Page 4
Student programs, activities build character, self-esteem
Continued from page 2
“These resources are a great way for
teachers to educate themselves on the
use of the web and Internet safety as well,
especially as we integrate more technology in
the classroom,” said Riviere.
For face-to-face conflicts, the middle
school’s Peer Mediation group provides
students with the knowledge and skills
to resolve their own problems. Mediators
are trained to counsel students who are
experiencing conflicts with their peers, and
help them come up with a way to solve the
problem.
In order to become a peer mediator,
students are referred by their teachers
or file an application with the Guidance
Department. During training, conducted by
Guidance Counselors Diane Bigg and Chris
Haller, the students participated in role
playing, performed mock mediations, and
went over the rules of being a mediator. The
students will meet once a month to continue
their training.
GHS: Friends of Rachel Club will start a
chain reaction of kindness, compassion
The Friends of Rachel (FOR) Club
provides an opportunity for schools to partner
with Rachel’s Challenge to continue the chain
reaction of kindness and compassion in their
school, community and world. The club can
be found in more than 1,000 schools across
the nation; its main goal is to help sustain
momentum for a positive cultural change in
your school.
“The point of Friends of Rachel is to
refresh and reinforce Rachel’s message
through time,” said Lauderdale, who held a
Friends of Rachel Club training session for
selected high school students and volunteer
teachers. “You have to turn on a light to get
rid of the darkness.”
“The Friends of Rachel Club is just
getting underway at the high school,” said
Health Teacher Lyn Taber. “Initially, we
discussed what the Friends of Rachel Club
does and took a look at ideas other FOR
clubs have implemented. More than 50
students attended our second meeting, which
was open to all students, and we’re getting
ready to look at things that FOR can do here
at the high school.”
According to Goshen High School
senior and FOR club member Christine
McCormack, the Friends of Rachel Club is
exactly what Goshen – and other school
districts – need.
“I can relate to being the new kid
at school,” said Christine, who spent her
freshman year in the state of Florida before
moving back to Goshen as a sophomore.
“There was a girl in Florida who reached
out to me and brought me into her group
of friends, but it was very hard to be the
new kid, especially during lunch and on the
weekends.”
Christine would like to see the FOR club
begin a buddy system for new students so
that they would feel more welcome and meet
people. She strongly believes in Rachel’s
theory that kind words and small actions can
make a huge difference.
“Rachel was powerful; she knew what
she wanted and went after it,” she said.
“Everyone just needs to be nicer and step
out of their comfort zone. You never know
what kind of day someone is having or what
they’re faced with outside of school. Our
schools should be a positive place.”
To learn more about Rachel’s Challenge
and the Friends of Rachel Club, visit
www.rachelschallenge.org.
To learn more about
Rachel’s Challenge and the Friends of Rachel Club, visit www.rachelschallenge.org.
www.goshenschoolsny.org