| I'll Always Remember 9/12 At Arnoldsburg Elementary School.
By Dan Cosgrove
The events surrounding 9/11 is as fresh now in my mind as it was 10 years ago when it happened. As a history teacher, I think it is important to remember and record events in history, and I think it is time to document what happened at Arnoldsburg Elementary School during, and immediately following the attacks that fateful day.
Many of the people involved are no longer at Arnoldsburg School, some have moved out of state, some have retired, and at least one, I'm sure, is in a better place.
As news filtered into the school about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center, teachers began passing the word to other teachers to check the Internet.
At the same time the principal made a decision not to inform the students. She felt at their young age, they could not understand the enormity of the situation, and all it would do was panic the students. She also felt it was the parents' responsibility, or their right, to sit down with their child and explain what had happened in their own way.
When I first checked the Internet, it did seem like the entire United States was under attack. The web site I looked at linked all major crimes that were happening in the United States with the terrorist attack. I remember seeing murders in Chicago and California being linked to the attack. It was scary!
A handful of parents and grandparents arrived as the events were happening to take their children. The principal met them at the door and instructed them not to tell their children anything until they left, and also recommended that they try not to show panic in front of them.
Although there are a number of teachers in a school building, teachers are in their own classroom throughout the day and have limited time or opportunity to meet and socialize with each other.
At the end of the day, some just looked at each other and shook their heads as they headed home to be with their own families. I spent that night like so many, glued to the television, close to being in a state of shock, watching what had happened.
I did not make a mistake on the title of this article. I will always remember 9/12. That day probably had more of an effect on me, changed my philosophy on teaching, and what the role of a teacher should be, then 9/11 itself, and it was all due to a little prayer.
As teachers arrived the next day after the attack, most did as they always did, headed to their classroom to prepare for the day. However, one by one, many of them began to gravitate towards the office and ended up together in a little foyer right outside the cafeteria.
After a few comments about what had happened the previous day, the principal said she thought it would be appropriate to say a prayer, and asked if anyone minded or would want to leave. Of course no one left. We all looked to one teacher we knew would be perfect to the lead the prayer and bent our heads.
It was a surreal moment.
I remember peaking around at the teachers and principal as the prayer was going on. The focus was on the children, the students in our care. You could even hear the noise and laughter from the students, who were eating breakfast just on the other side of the cafeteria doors. The prayer talked about our role of not just teaching, but protecting the children, about looking out for their welfare and their future.
I was proud to be part of that group and their profession.
I felt better as a parent sending my children to school. The prayer ended and a few minutes later the cafeteria doors opened with a bunch of bright eyes, happy faces heading towards us.
The previous day was one of the worst in U.S. history, but I knew the future was going to be ok.
To this day, there are many times before I open my door to the next group of students, I think about that morning and about not just what my job is, but what my responsibilities are.
So, on this anniversary of 9/12, I want to thank all the teachers who were at Arnoldsburg during those days, and shared that moment with me.
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