Rockville Centre schools remember 9/11, 25 years later

Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Rockville Centre school district marked the anniversary with ceremonies, classroom lessons and opportunities for students to reflect on the lives lost and the service of those who responded. 

At Francis F. Wilson Elementary School, students gathered outside for a ceremony attended by school officials as well as members of the Rockville Centre Village Board, Police Department and Fire Department. Many students wore red, white and blue as they took part in the patriotic observance commemorating the 25th anniversary. 

The ceremony was part of a series of observances planned throughout the Rockville Centre Union Free School District for Sept. 11. During the Board of Education meeting on Sept. 10, Superintendent Matthew Gaven outlined how the district’s schools would commemorate the anniversary through age-appropriate ceremonies, classroom instruction, moments of silence and service activities. 

At the district’s elementary schools, students were scheduled to participate in flag ceremonies, the Pledge of Allegiance, moments of silence and lessons focusing on patriotism, community helpers and the meaning of being a hero. Students at Covert Elementary School also created posters and thank-you notes for local police officers, firefighters, EMTs, veterans and other first responders. The materials were to be incorporated into an “Honoring Heroes of 9/11” tribute along Long Beach Road. 

Gaven also noted that members of the South Hempstead and Rockville Centre fire departments, along with EMTs and members of the local police department, had been honored at the South Side High School football game on Sept. 9. 

At South Side Middle School, students were scheduled to take part in social studies lessons and a special Patriot Day tribute during the morning announcements. South Side High School students were receiving instruction about Sept. 11 in their social studies classes, with additional opportunities for reflection planned through a 9/11 Memorial and Museum poster exhibit, service activities and lessons connected to the school’s own memorial. 

Across the district, schools planned moments of silence at 8:46 and 9:03 a.m., corresponding with significant moments during the attacks. At the high school, the observance was to be followed by the playing of taps. 

The district’s plans also included an emphasis on helping students understand the significance of Sept. 11 even though the event occurred before many of today’s students were born. Gaven said the district’s responsibility was to preserve the lessons of the attacks through remembrance, reflection, service and preparation for the future. 

The observances came as the district recognized the 25th anniversary of the attacks and sought to connect remembrance with lessons about service, character, empathy and community.