By:LAURA LANE
On the day that the World Trade Center came under attack, Long Beach Middle School Principal Joane Tom made a decision to share a limited amount of information with the students.
We calmly told the children that there was a plane crash at the World Trade Center, she recalled. At this age, 11-14, my job was to keep things cool and comfortable. We never used the words hijack or terrorist.
The next day she had her staff include the tragedy in the history lessons. Tom has continued to keep middle school students active in expressing their emotions, and anxieties.
We were lucky, she said. Our immediate faculty and students did not experience any losses.
But, she did have some children that needed help, which was provided by the Crisis Center. The Crisis Center, composed of guidance, social workers, psychologists and the school nurse comforted students in need, and also went to the classrooms and spoke to the students as a whole.
Now three weeks after the tragedy, students at the Middle School have continued their efforts to try to help. The Student Organization has been raising money for a charity (still under consideration), by making red, white, and blue ribbons. They have sold the ribbons to other students since the September 11th tragedy and continue to do so, hoping to collect as much money as possible for a donation that will count. Laura Swan, the Middle School Art teacher has had her Studio Art Class, which is comprised of an 8th grade advanced class, engage in making a quilt. The quilt entitled Healing and Unity, involves the craftsmanship of each student as they create a square to represent either healing or unity. Students have spent a great deal of time working on the quilt trying to find the appropriate statement that best expresses how they really feel about the tragedy.
The mood at the school now is one of concern and there are still many questions, Tom said. Everyone is still in shock.
The Crisis Center is still available for any student that needs to talk and the open atmosphere at the Middle School has helped the students to experience their emotions fully.
On October 12, the after school program, Surf-Up will be a part of a program called Lights On America, which acknowledges after school programs. Each child in the program will plant a flower that will bloom next year into the shape of the American Flag. As these flowers blossom next spring, the Middle School at Long Beach will have a patriotic symbol that will be both unique and beautifully alive.
