Rachel's Challenge

Dramatic events in our lives often leave an indelible mark on our mind and memory. For some it was the assassination of JFK; for others it was the explosion of the Challenger Shuttle; or more recently 9-11 terrorist attacks. The shooting at Columbine High School in Columbine Colorado was one of those moments for me. I was completing my 2nd year of teaching experiences at SDSU (they call it Professional Semester II, Northern refers to the same experience as Junior Field). It was the end of the semester so the 12 or so students in my class had just completed our work in area classrooms and we were meeting to discuss the experiences. The topic changed quickly as we wanted to discuss the national event as details were continuing to be dispersed. Media was different then, so information was not quite as quick as it is today; national news outlets were sharing some information but it would take some time for the story to unravel. Being a college student that was practicing to be a teacher you can understand my concern with such events; the much more recent events at Harrisburg makes those concerns even more real today. Monday's assembly, Rachel's Challenge, lead by Chris Mowery brought those memories back even more; watching the old news footage, seeing those same images from 16 1/2 years ago turns old memories into raw emotions once again. The grainy footage and broken video seems almost eerie and surreal; how could something so horrible happen at a school. Yet out of those circumstances comes something very positive and powerful, and our students had the opportunity to experience that first hand Monday.

Monday morning started out with a challenge for all students in Warner courtesy of Rachel's Challenge and the Aberdeen United Way. Thanks to the United Way of Aberdeen, Chris from Rachel's Challenge brought a message of hope and caring that began from those horrible acts. Rachel, you see, was the first victim in that tragic event (her brother was a fire sprinkler away from being another) and from her writings, practices and family comes her "Challenge", 5 to be exact. A simple, practical and powerful message that resonates with students and adults alike. She wanted to have an impact on the world and only in death did she accomplish that. If you get a moment over the weekend ask your kids about the assembly and message; encourage them to practice her challenges and encourage others to do the same. We know it isn't always easy or 'cool' but one person has 'the power to start a chain reaction'.

Thanks again to Aaron at the United Way of Aberdeen for including Warner in this great presentation. Also, thanks to Dana Oye for getting us on the list of interested schools.