Somers Students Find Hope in Wake of Sept. 11 Tragedy

On Friday morning, Mabelle B. Avery Middle School students gathered together to honor each victim of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy and to take away a message of hope for the future.

In addressing the students, Principal Susan Muirhead read a quote that New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said a few months after the attacks.

“’The attacks of September 11 were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law, and respect of human life. We’re more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom,’” she read.

She then told the students, “Today we are here to not only honor the victims of 9-11, but to inspire hope and compassion and unity for the future of our school, our community, our country, and the world. We can best honor their sacrifice by celebrating our freedom in the hope for your future and the future of many generations to come.”

Muirhead then read messages of hope that were written by the students. Some of them read, “I hope that one day everyone lives in peace,” “I hope that one day I will see all people live in peace and not fear,” “One day I hope people won’t judge others in their appearance, or religion or nationality. Also, I dream that people will accept each other even though they are different,” and “Hope for the world begins with me.”

She then reminded the students that the messages of hope can become a reality if each of us takes up the challenge to treat one another with respect.

“It starts here and now,” she said. “Each of us can decide to focus on the positive and the good and let go of the negative and the cruelty. Each of can make a difference in our families, here in our school, and in our community. We can offer hope and compassion to one another.”

The staff at the middle school felt that since it was the 10^th anniversary, the school needed to honor the victims, but also to convey the message of hope.

“I believe that’s what we did,” Muirhead said. “We didn’t focus on the tragedy, we acknowledged it, but didn’t focus on it. We looked towards the future. That’s what the assembly was about. That’s why it was called the “Assembly of Hope,” so that the children walk away with each of as individuals are the people who need to change things.”

Muirhead said she felt the message was embraced by the students.

“I think they walked away with a message of hope,” she said. “And I hope that it’s the beginning of a year where they will remember it and treat one another with respect.” 

Everyone was asked to wear red, white or blue so the gymnasium was a sea of red white and blue.

The assembly was a product of a lot of hard work by both the staff and students at the school. Every teacher participated in the planning and students were involved in getting ready for the assembly, as well as participating in it.

“The teachers did a great job,” Muirhead said. “I have a great staff. Everybody was involved, everybody had a say. It was very well done by the staff – and the kids.”

Every homeroom class participated in making links for a “Messages of Hope Chain” that lined a tree that will soon be planted on the school grounds. Each link has the name of one of the 2,996 people killed on Sept. 11.

Muirhead and some students who were personally affected by the tragedy attached links for those people during the ceremony.

Eighth grade student Alex Smithline put together a video presentation for the assembly, student Ben Morse put together a slideshow, and student Emily Falthrop played the cello to open the assembly.

The whole group said the Pledge of Allegiance together and also sang God Bless America as a group.

Teacher Tony Campanelli told the students that it was decided to plant a tree on the property so that everyday when people see it, they can remember this day and remember the good that they are.

He also explained that in Old German, birch means “to shine” and “to light.” The four stems in the tree are also important – representing each crash site on Sept. 11.

“We ask you to remember that,” he said.

Speaking on resilience, he said, “One interesting thing about this particular tree that I think reflects us as Americans, is that the birch tree is the only tree that I know of that can lose all of its leaves – insects can attack it, disease can attack it, lose all of its leaves in the middle of the growing season – and it will recover and flush out an entirely new set of leaves.”

These students were very young on Sept. 11, 2001 so most of them have no memory or only vague memories of that day.

That doesn’t mean that the significance of the day – or the impact of the assembly was lost on them.

“It was sad,” said eighth grader Frankie Rinaldi.

Fellow eighth grader Luke Remlinger liked the way the presentation was done.

“We’ve all been to assemblies for 9-11 before but never for the people who died before, just about what happened,” he said.

Rinaldi, Remlinger, and friends Nelson Rouette and John Poitras – also eighth graders – all agreed that the assembly was very well done and that they liked the angle it focused on.

The day is surely one that won’t be forgotten by those who were old enough to remember and will be taught to the younger generations for years to come.