Remembering 9/11

Like most people on 9/11 in 2001 I remember exactly where I was when the World Trade Center was hit.  I was in 11th grade and was switching to my second period class, psychology.  I walked into the portable and my friend Danny, who was already sitting down watching the TV, turned to me and said a plane hit the World Trade Center.  I of course couldn't believe it, but I along with some others thought this was some kind of freak accident.  Then moments later, the second plane hit the tower and we knew something was not right.  We were all glued to the TV, sitting in silence.  A lot of people in the class became worried about their family in NYC and immediately started calling home.  The school was unsure whether to let us continue watching the news coverage, but I am very thankful they allowed us to watch the, now historic, day unfold.  

Reflecting back today and watching the news coverage all morning, I am still deeply saddened for what our country, the people working in the WTC, their families, and all the people in the city that day had to go through.  They will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers as well as the men and women that are fighting today for our freedom.  

This past Thursday I told my students that we would be participating in Patriot Day, and all of the teachers and students would wear red, white, and blue on Friday.  They are only in kindergarten so I was unsure if anybody actually knew what event we were remembering.  When I asked, one of the boys said, "the fourth of july" and I knew I needed to explain a little more.  So without going into details because I knew this was something their parents would want to share when the time was right, we talked about the men and women that fight for our country.  We talked about how brave they are and what heroes are. I shared some examples with the class and then everyone made their own American flag to take home. 

 On the back of the flag we added a poem and we practiced singing it together.

  The children really enjoyed the project and they continued it throughout the day.  Some drawing pictures of heroes in their writing journals and others making flags using their sidewalk chalk during playground time.


9/11 is a day we will Never Forget.