By Paul J. Condra
I just wanted to spend the first year absorbing everything, she said. The principal was hoping to gain a more intimate understanding of her school before making any changes or decisions.
Little did she know, this was going to be the year she would make some of the most important and crucial decisions of her career. Not because she wanted to, but because the events of Sept. 11 forced her to.
But when circumstances called on her to step up and lead an entire staff of people she was just getting to know, as well convince hundreds of parents that she was up to the task of protecting their children, Ganley said she couldn't have been more moved by the response she received.
I was so moved by the fact that [parents and teachers] respected the decisions I had to make, Ganley said about the days following the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and left a gaping hole in America's consciousness.
Now five months later, that gap is being partially filled by the warmth of the relationships that formed from the chaos. And first-year leaders who were called on to act decisively last fall said they hope the support they saw then will only continue to grow.
It really set the tone for unity, said Ganley, who walks the halls of her school with pride and says she never second-guesses her decision to work at Waverly Park.
In the days after the attack, schools had to make some important decisions about how to ensure the safety of students. Leaders also had to come to terms with the notion that schools full of children were a likely target for terrorists bent on hurting the innocent.
All those things I've learned over the years kind of came into play, said East Rockaway schools superintendent Arnie Dodge, who was just beginning his first year at the helm of the district.
Dodge, who has 15 years of administrative experience, said he relied on his instincts in the days after Sept. 11, always keeping a couple priorities high in his mind; the safety of the children, and maintaining order.
But even though the staff was just getting to know their leader, the superintendent said he never doubted his ability to lead.
Even people who don't know you, if you have a sense of calm ... I think people will follow you, he said. It was very gratifying to see how the staff performed.
For Malverne's new police chief, Glen Jacobsen, Sept. 11 allowed the department to consider how well it was prepared for such emergencies.
It was like scenarios I've played out in my mind, Jacobsen said, adding the village lay in the flight path to John F. Kennedy Airport, which had been a reason to develop emergency response plans.
Jacobsen has been a Malverne cop since the mid-1980s, and was serving as acting police chief before being officially appointed to the post in December, but he confesses he saw his guys come together like never before.
I couldn't be more proud of how they responded, he said, adding that one of the most difficult tasks was getting them to come back from the rescue effort at Ground Zero.
Jacobsen said the proximity of the terrorist attacks really opened his department's eyes to new dangers.
But whether Malverne has a direct roll to play in stopping terror, the after-effects will not soon be forgotten.
It was the most unbelievable chapter in my life, Jacobsen said.
