On the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, Georgetown Public Schools students district-wide spent the day learning about and reflecting on the attacks.
Students in Grades 4-12 watched Georgetown Community TV’s stream of Georgetown Police and Fire’s 9/11 Ceremony, which included remarks from Fire Chief Matt McKay, who told stories of a few of the brave first responders who sacrificed their lives to save others, and Walter Sorenson, an American Airlines pilot who had personal connections to the crew that died on American Airlines flight 11.
Behind the speakers were 2,977 flags, one for each victim who died on Sept. 11, planted into the ground by six Georgetown Public Schools students who volunteered their time to place the flags in the days leading up to the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, students participated in teacher-led discussions where they reflected on the events and their place in history. For younger students, this was one of the first times they had proper discussions surrounding 9/11.
For Mrs. Houle’s fourth grade class, while students did not have much background knowledge about 9/11, they had conversations about what a hero is, and how we can show our gratitude for those who act heroically. They also talked about 9/11 as a significant historical event, and reflected on why and how we remember important historical events.
Fifth grade students in Mrs. Valorz’s class had a little more background knowledge, having read books or watched videos with their families at home. But for many of the students, the ceremony video was the first time they realized that individuals local to Georgetown were killed in and impacted by 9/11. Some students shared the stories of their family members who were alive during 9/11 and what it meant to them, with one student sharing that their grandmother visited the World Trade Center just one week before the attack.
While processing this information and having discussions about 9/11’s important role in history and the role first responders and community members banded together to help each other, students asked questions about why 9/11 happened and why terrorists would want to commit an act like 9/11 knowing they’d be hurt.
“I think these are important conversations to have because we talk a lot about the American Revolution or Civil War in fifth grade, however these events are just as important and a good connection for the students to have with their families and classmates,” said Valorz.