It's hard to believe that our students at BNI were not born yet when September 11th, 2001 became an unforgettable day in our country's history.
This week in class, 5th graders have been learning about 9-11 via first-hand and second-hand accounts of the event. Through a novel, PowerPoint presentation, field trip and an eye witness video, they have gained new perspective on the events of this tragic day.
As adults, each year, we think about where we were when the news broke that morning. It is one of those things you truly never forget. We asked a few of our BNI Staff to share with us, here are there stories:
Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?
"I was in a classroom full of 5th graders (me being a first-year teacher). The teacher across the hall and I put our kids together to let the students to watch the scene unfolding in front of us. I will never forget this day." -Mrs. Hefner
"I was in English class as a Freshman at Edison High School. My teacher, Mr. Easter, turned on the news for us to watch. That is the first time I ever saw a grown man crying." -Mrs. Jernegan
"I was teaching 6th grade language arts at Brassfield. We spent the entire day watching the news in horror and disbelief. Many parents picked up their children early." -Mrs. Roberts
"I was feeding my son a bottle then went to bible study at church. It was a very somber day." - Mrs. Wertz
"I was teaching 7th grade English at Bixby Middle School. We learned of the attack on the Twin Towers, so we turned on the news to watch with the rest of America. I remember thinking, surely they wouldn't target Oklahoma, too." -Mrs. Kidd
"I was working at the Bank of Oklahoma. I have a lot of family living/working in NYC and was frantically trying to contact them to make sure they were okay. My family was fine. I found out that my brother was in one of the towers the day before." -Ms. Gilliam
"I was on my way to the hospital to see my best friend's new baby, born the day before. On the TV in her room was the devastating news. I was in shock and could not stop thinking of what was to come of the world that this precious new baby had just entered." -Mrs. McCorkel
"I was teaching Algebra I at Frisco High School when we started receiving the news. We were completely stunned and really couldn't even process what was happening. So, we would watch news report after news report in complete disbelief." -Mrs. Clagg
"I was getting ready to teach my first hour of fifth grade at Emerson Elementary. I remember the t.v was on and watching as a plane was crashing into a building and I called out to the other teachers around me. I kept asking if this was real. We couldn't believe this was really happening. The buildings downtown and our elementary went on lock-down for the morning. Nobody knew what was going on nor had we ever experienced anything like this before. I was terrified and so heart broken. I stood and cried and cried. I was also thinking 'how am I suppose to explain this to the fifth graders & my son?" - Mrs. Williams
"I was the manager of a gift shop in downtown Rogers, AR. I heard the news on my way to work that morning. Numb and devastated I wasn't sure what to do. I went ahead and opened the shop and sat out a large carafe of coffee and treats for any customers who walked by or came in that day. I shared many cups of coffee with people that day. We all had one thing in common, we were grieving and looking for hope." - Mrs. Lynch
"I was in an IEP meeting. A parent heard about the first plane on the radio on her way in to the meeting. None of us thought it could possibly have been anything but a terrible accident until we heard about the second plane. I remember trying to carry on a normal day for the students while trying to catch pieces of the news coverage." - Ms.Lytle
Although incredibly tragic and somber, this was also a day of fervent PATRIOTISM. We came together as a nation, as Americans. It was a comfort and an inspiration to see all of our police, rescue workers, military, fireman, and ordinary citizens saving lives that day, many who ended up losing their own.
We have always loved this quote from Mr. Rogers and 9-11 was a demonstration of a time when it was never more true.
"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world." - Mr. Rogers
Hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight as we come together once again to honor and remember this day in our history and the many lives lost.