Allegheny Valley school administrators say a new anti-bullying program will build relationships among students and foster a greater sense of belonging at the district’s two schools.
Fifth and sixth grade students at Acmetonia Elementary and seventh through 12th graders at Springdale Junior-Senior High School will participate in the Rachel’s Challenge program.
It kicks off at both schools next week, and a community presentation is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the high school’s Marshall Auditorium.
“It shows our students everyone has a story and everyone wants to be valued,” said Greg Heavner, Acmetonia’s principal.
Fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders will participate in the Rachel’s Story portion of the program because it is more age-appropriate, said Missy Gibbon, assistant principal at the high school. Ninth through 12th graders will use the Rachel’s Challenge program.
Rachel’s Challenge is a national nonprofit that works to prevent school violence, bullying and youth suicide through live and digital mental health programs in schools.
Formed in 2001, it is named after Rachel Scott, who died in the Columbine High School shooting. After her death came the exposure of her writing and efforts to connect with those around her through kindness.
The programming at Allegheny Valley is covered by a $10,600 grant from the state’s Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
According to Heavner, Acmetonia already had an anti-bullying plan in place, but the high school was looking for something new.
Heavner wanted to get in on the initiative so fifth and sixth graders were ready for the transition to the junior high. The anti-bullying programming for kindergarten through fourth grades paralleled that of the Rachel’s Challenge initiative, said Jan Zastawniak, district spokeswoman.
“We decided as an administrative team that our fifth and sixth grade students would do well adding Rachel’s Challenge to that,” Heavner said.
Added Gibbon: “That’s for students to make connections with one another, their teachers — and even people outside of school — and getting them ready for when they come up (to the junior-senior high school).”
Those students will focus on the 180-day connections part of the program. The program also gives teachers the flexibility to tailor the lessons to their individual needs.
“Through these connections, they’ll talk about being self-aware, the importance of self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills and social awareness,” Heavner said.
Gibbon said the Rachel’s Challenge programming is more mature for ninth through 12th graders. Her goal is to have the older students become mentors and positive role models to the younger students at the high school and assist in the transition from sixth to seventh grade, and eighth to ninth grade.
While Rachel’s Challenge is an anti-bullying program, Gibbon hopes the initiative also will improve school culture and develop genuine relationships between students and teachers.
In turn, it could improve students’ attendance, decrease discipline issues and bolster academic achievement, she said.
“I genuinely believe if we can help change the mindset … it’ll make the school environment better, each individual student better and the world better,” Gibbon said.
