It was 16 years ago that two students from Colorado’s Columbine High School came to school armed and took aim at fellow students. Twelve students and one teacher died. More than twenty others were injured.

Seventeen-year-old Rachel Joy Scott was the first to die.

Today’s Moniteau High School students weren’t past toddler age and some weren’t even born when the Columbine shootings happened in 1999.

In an assembly last week, they learned about that day and about the code of ethics Rachel Scott wrote in an essay.

Drawn from her writing, Rachel’s Challenge is to look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness and start your own chain reaction.

Peter DeAnello, a presenter for the Rachel’s Challenge organization, showed video clips of the shooters in the school library and interviews with Columbine students.

He said Rachel reached out to special-needs students, new students and students that were picked on.

“She was the last kid anyone would want to have killed because of her loving nature,” said Lance Fox, principal of Moniteau High School.

Fox said students can relate to the story because Rachel was their age and because the program teaches from a real event.

“The challenge includes taking care of others, paying it forward, setting goals for yourself and character education and positive behavior. The kids take the challenge.” Fox said.

Last week, nearly 60 students formed Friends of Rachel, a group that will build on the foundation in place with Warrior Pride, a Moniteau program that supports positive student behavior.

Friends of Rachel (FOR) includes students from different social groups and all grades.

They met for training and, in small groups, talked about changes that could support a school culture of kindness and compassion.

“You can start a chain reaction of kindness. They’ll talk about that a lot,” Fox said.

He said FOR can become a school service organization to make everyone feel welcome.

“We have a really good school but we need students to understand that they’re responsible for each other,” Fox said.

He said this applies to teachers, staff and administration too.

Students at Moniteau’s Dassa McKinney Elementary School also learned about Rachel’s Challenge.

“We are looking forward to the many benefits of this program districtwide: enhancing our school culture, building relationships, teaching kids anti-bullying strategies, focusing on acts of kindness at our school and celebrating the chain reaction,” said Nicole Fox, the assistant principal of Dassa McKinney Elementary School.

“Everyone in the building will be able to recognize others for acts of kindness by writing the act down on a piece of paper that becomes a chain link,” Nicole Fox said. “The paper chains will be displayed in each classroom throughout the year and added on to.

“At the end of the school year each year, we will go outside and link our chains together,” she said. “This will be an amazing sight.”

Linda Andreassi, communications director for Seneca Valley School District, said the district already was implementing the Olweus program to promote a positive and safe school environment and prevent bullying when Rachel’s Challenge was presented there in 2011.

“It was a perfect complement to the Olweus,” Andreassi said.

She said many of the students took it to heart and carried it on.

“There were a lot of projects that came out of that assembly,” Andreassi said.

For example, after one holiday break, a group of students put more than 1200 positive messages on lockers.

“That’s the type of thing that Rachel’s Challenge is trying to teach, that possible kindness and compassion and showing it to your fellow classmates and others,” Andreassi said.

“I want to applaud [Moniteau] for bringing in Rachel’s Challenge and anticipate that they will see the impact for many years,” Andreassi said.

“What matters is that you believe you can make a difference,” DeAnello said.

The auditorium of Moniteau students had the silence that comes from riveted attention. DeAnello said that is typical for the presentation.

“The video was eye opening. It’s crazy to think it could happen anywhere,” said sophomore Justin Gifford.

Gifford said he thinks Moniteau as a school can do this if the students do it together.

From Rachel’s Challenge, “Dream big” and “Look for the best in others” resonated with sophomore Jailynn Voelker.

‘We are getting older. You have to make the chain reaction,” Jailynn said. “If someone didn’t look for the best in me, it would hurt.”

For more information, visit Rachelschallenge.org.