RATHDRUM - Students at Betty Kiefer Elementary started a chain reaction of kindness on Thursday.

The school kicked off its Rachel's Challenge, which encourages students to lift those in need up during the school year.

"We think that everybody should be nice to each other and that we need to do it on a daily basis," said sixth-grader Ashley Robinson. "If I see somebody playing alone, I'll go talk to them and ask them to play with my friends and I. It's a good program because it makes people feel more welcome."

Rachel's Challenge is named after Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine shooting in 1999. Her family started a foundation in her name.

Rachel challenged herself and her friends to start a chain reaction of kindness one act at a time. Participating schools in the challenge add to a paper chain when kind acts are reported.

Betty Kiefer students started their chain during a rally on Thursday when one student reported another had been nice to her brother.

The school's chain last year had 3,000 links by the end of the year. The goal is to top that this year.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Several North Idaho schools are planning programs to stop bullying.

Betty Kiefer Principal Lisa Sexton said Rachel's Challenge is a way to not only curb bullying, but show compassion to those in need at school, in the community and beyond. Each grade at the school assisted a nonprofit or international charity last year.

"It's all about building each other up and not tearing others down," Sexton said.

Fourth-grader Sidnaey Stimson said Rachel's model is a good one to follow.

"Rachel's life was about being kind," Stimson said. "At this school, we can all be kind."

Sexton said Rathdrum Police and the school through fundraising each paid $750 to provide for staff training for the program and materials.

This year's T-shirts for the challenge are bright yellow and state "Change starts with me" on the front. On the back are boys and girls hand in hand and "Start a chain reaction of kindness."

Students and staff will wear the shirts each Tuesday as a reminder to perform kind acts.

"Your job in the cafeteria is to make sure that nobody sits alone," Sexton told the students.

Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Area schools are planning a variety of programs.

More than 55 percent of bullying situations stop when a peer intervenes, according to the National Bullying Prevention Center. More than 160,000 kids miss school every day out of fear of being bullied. More than one in three young people have been victims of cyberbullying.

Free resources are available at PACER.org/bullying, TeensAgainstBullying.org and KidsAgainstBullying.org.