9/11

It began as every other day begins in 6A.  I took attendance, counted lunch buyers and assigned work.  The students were quietly working at their desks as the secretary appeared at the door.  She motioned to me to come to her.  I will admit I was a bit puzzled.  When I came close, she whispered that a plane had crashed into a building at the World Trade Center in New York City.  While I was surprised by the news, I was convinced that it had been an accident.  Yes, it was a very unfortunate accident.  I assured myself that there was nothing to worry about.  Something like that would not happen again.  I was wrong. 

     Within minutes, another plane plowed into another tower.  This was no accident.  Someone had deliberately done this! 

     Since I had lived in the Middle East and knew about the tactics of terrorists, I quickly decided that this was a terrorist attack.  Shocked, I began to think about the students in front of me.  How was I going to explain this action?  How do I explain such hatred? 

     As I contemplated these questions, I received another visitor at the door.  I was told another plane had crashed into the Pentagon.  Yes, the most fortified building I knew had been damaged. 

     Looking at my students, I feared for all our safety.  Was anywhere safe?  How many planes will crash?  How many innocent people will die?  The blue sky with its fluffy white clouds was no longer a comforting sight. 

     Finding comfort in maintaining a normal routine, my students and I continued our day.  We had snack; we read stories.  We calculated Math problems and we learned about the elements of civilization. 

     Six years have passed.  I will never be the same and neither will the world around me.  Airports are now security posts.  We have soldiers fighting in two countries.  The innocence of America is gone.  September 11, 2001 changed us all. 

Ms. Dempsey

                                                WE REMEMBER

     The day I will never forget.  September 11th or 9/11, the day when the World Trade Center came down.  I remember sitting in my pre-school classroom when the teacher said, “there was a plane crash at the Word Trade Center.”  I remember thinking “will we die?”  I was so scared.  Then, my mother picked me up.  We went home and turned on the television.  We watched the second plane crash into the building.  My mom and I started to cry.

     It wasn’t until the next year that I found out about the terrorists.  That’s when I really got scared.  I am not as scared today as I was then, but I still am.

Jadee

     As I got out of bed that morning, I remembered that my dad had to go to the Pentagon that day.  I quickly ran down the stairs.  Unfortunately, Dad was already leaving.  All I saw was his car driving off into the distance.  I was disappointed that I didn’t get to say good bye. 

     As I was driven to Kindergarten, I wondered what the Pentagon looked like.  That day was like any other normal day.  I played with blocks and marbles.  I even read a book!  Then, when I was picked up, I noticed that my brother and sister were in the car.  This seemed very strange to me.  Their school got out at three in the afternoon and it was only eleven in the morning.  Why were they there?

     Then, my mom told me a plane had hit the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.  As my mom said this, all I would think about was my dad.  I immediately asked if he was all right.  She assured me that he was fine and at home.  She said that he had left the Pentagon before the crash.  As soon as I got home, I ran to my dad and hugged him.  After that day, I never took anything for granted.

Brad

    September 11, 2001 was a very sad day.  I was only five years old when the attacks happened.  I don’t remember much because my mom and dad didn’t want to scare me so they didn’t tell me.  Now that I have learned more about what happened,  I feel sad for the people who died who didn’t have anything to do with what happened.  I also feel sorry for people who lost family members.

Ian

I, Sean C., do not remember much about the horrible day.  What I can tell you is the way I think about it now.  When I think about it, I think of all the people in the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.  I also think about all the people who were in the four planes which crashed on that day.  I think that we have to fight against the terrorists who flew those planes.

Sean

   I remember that not-so-sunny anymore day, September 11, 2001.  I was in Mrs. Tumas’ kindergarten class.  All of us had just finished taking naps.  We were playing with blocks and Mrs. Tumas came in crying. I knocked down my tower and she told me that’s what happened to two big buildings in New York.  I was confused and scared.  She tried to help us understand but it was difficult.

     When I went home that day, my parents were all ready home.  The television was on.  They kept showing these tall buildings coming down.  I noticed that there were scared adults, a plane and smoke everywhere.  I wondered why someone would do this?  I knew that not everybody was nice, bu not like that. This is what I remember about September 11, 2001.

Erin

     I remember a loud crash, people screaming, and sirens going off everywhere.  I was in my family room playing with my toys.  My mom had the news on and was standing in front of the television with her arms crossed.  Maybe she was mad, scared, or sad.  I couldn’t tell.  Finally, Mom shut off the television and told me that a building had fallen down and a lot of people died.  It didn’t make sense to me then.  However, it did when I got older and learned more about it.  Now our country is more careful.  There is more security in airports and buildings.  America is scared and lost.

Maura

     I remember I was five years old and playing with my toys.  Someone turned on the television.  I remember staring at two towers on fire at the top, and people screaming.  Just then, one of the towers started to fall straight down.  I was frightened to death.  A couple of minutes later the second tower fell down.  I remember that the reporter started to cry.  Then, there was silence.

Andrew

     September 11, 2001 started as a regular school day.  I ate breakfast and then jumped into the car.  My school was only two or three blocks away.  The highlight of my trip was the seeing a huge street cleaner.

     After school, the bus took me home.  I remember seeing my mom staring at the television.  One tower was on fire, but the other one was fine.  The last thing I remember seeing was another plane suddenly crashing into the other tower.

Mason

     I was on the family room floor playing with my toys.  My family was in Germany at the time.  I may have been five years old.  My mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner.  She was also watching the news.  I heard something about New York City.  I listened closely.  Something was happening there…something terrible.  I didn’t understand it at the time, but the twin towers crashed.  “But, why?” I wondered.  My mom kept praying.  I didn’t understand.  She told me to pray for my Aunt Marion.  She was living in Manhattan at the time.  Later my mom told me that terrorists were in New York.   Luckily, we found out that my aunt was safe.  This day and all the people who died that day are in my heart.  I pray to God that it will not happen again.  God bless America.

Maria

I was watching television when the phone rang.  Mom picked it up and seemed to be listening carefully.  In a blink of an eye, she changed the channel to the news.  I asked why she did that.  All she said was “watch”.  I turned to the television.  It showed a video of a plane crashing into a tower.  I was shocked.  My mom started to cry.  My dad, sister and brother were shocked too.  The only one who was not shocked was John, but he was only one year old.  Later, my mom tried to tell us who had done this and why.  I still find it very sad.

Paul

     I think I was in first grade when it happened.  I had gotten out of school and was taking the two minute drive back to my house.  It was hot and the car’s air conditioning didn’t work.  All I was thinking was to get home, do my homework and get in the pool.  I did notice that my dad was unusually quiet when we got home.

    I came in the house and immediately heard the television blaring.  I wasn’t completely concentrating until I heard “plane crashed”.  I walked into the living room.  My mom was there looking solemn. 

     Mom slowly got up and hugged me.  I felt her squeeze me hard and I knew something was wrong. 

     “Mommy,” I asked, “What happened?”

     My mom sat me down. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but it went something like…

     “Sweetie, something very bad has happened,” she paused.  Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers and made them collapse.  A little ways away another plane hit the Pentagon.  And, in Pennsylvania.”  I had heard of Pennsylvania.  My friend Bridget told me they had blizzards eight months a year and it was always cold.  Mom went on.  “A plane tried to hit something else but missed and crashed in a field.” 

     That day isn’t my clearest memory, but I knew one thing.  My parents had worked in the Pentagon.  As the years have passed, I knew better.  I realized that my parents could not have been in the Pentagon.  However, I can feel for the people who lost someone in that terrible event.  I hope and pray that something like that will never happen again. 

Darby

    On September 11, 2001, I was in Disney World.  Over the loud speakers, someone announced that the park was closing immediately and we had to leave.  My mom says there were people with guns watching us.  I don’t remember that.  My mom just had surgery so she could not carry me out of the park.  She asked the guy next to her to carry me.  He made it in People magazine.  The picture showed a large crowd and in it was my mom and a man carrying me.  When we got to the hotel, we decided to leave.  No planes were flying because of the crash.  So we drove all the way home in our friend’s van.  I was asleep.

     But our adventure continued.  My mom was concerned about the weather.  She tried to call my dad and my aunt, but she couldn’t reach them  She called Pop Pop (my grandfather) and she got him.  She asked him to check the Weather Channel.  Pop Pop was slowly walking to the television asking us how our trip was.  Mom was getting very irritated and asked again about the weather.  He said that there was a tornado and a huge storm.  Yet, he still calmly talked about our trip.  It seems he did not have his hearing aid in. 

     My mom said she had to go and just in case we didn’t make it, she wanted my dad and aunt to know that she loved them. 

     We did make it back safely.  My aunt told my mom that Pop Pop did not understand what my mom had said.  Remember he did not have his hearing aid in.  He thought my mom said she was wearing a disguise.  Mom thought this was very funny.

     When I got back to kindergarten the next day, we made food packets for the people of 9/11.  September 11, 2001 is a day we will remember.

Clara

    It was a bright and sunny day in Valdosta, Georgia.  I came home from kindergarten all bouncy and excited, partly because my 6th birthday was drawing near, and partly because I had had a fabulous day at school.  My Pepere was in a rocking chair, sitting by the television.  His face creased in a little sadness, and he looked a little worried.  He gave me a smile.  I glanced at the television to see a replay of the crash at the World Trade Center, and a reporter going on and on about what happened to the Twin Towers.

       I was little then.  When my mom and dad explained to me and my siblings what happened, I didn’t quite understand.  Later, when I was older, I heard stories about what happened.  I was pictures and short clips that showed horrible things, and I understood.  Terrorists took two planes and flew them into the Twin Towers, killing hundreds of people.  I realized the date of the tragedy spelled 911 – a call for help.  Now, I pray for the people who died, and for the families and people it affected.  The crash changed the lives of many people, and today everyone mourns on September 11th.  God bless the people and God bless the USA. 

Amelia

     When I heard about 911, I was sad.  I wondered why someone would do this.  I thought they must be crazy.  I still don’t know why they did this.  I hope it never happens again. 

Matthew