By KAREN RICE
District 14 schools have been marking the tragedy by lowering their flags to half-staff until Wednesday, Feb. 5, and principals were permitted to address their students on Monday, how they saw appropriate, depending on the age of the children.
Joyce Bisso, principal of Hewlett High School, chose to address her school over the public announcement system and asked that her students spend some time thinking about the sacrifice and contribution the astronauts and their families made for the country.
Each one of their lives is so valuable, she said.Their loss is just a terrible, terrible tragedy.
Hewlett Elementary held a moment of silence during the morning announcements.
Lawrence Public Schools also lowered district flags to half-mast while Superintendent Dr. Mark Rosenbaum left it up to each principal about how they wanted to deal with the tragedy, based on the need and maturity of the students.
Dr. Mark Kavarsky, principal of Lawrence Middle School, also held a moment of silence during the morning announcements and allowed the president of the student body to address the students asking them to commemorate the astronauts for their sacrifice. He added that he encouraged each social studies class to take time out to go over current events and discuss the importance of space exploration.
Dr. Steve Kussin, principal of Lawrence High School, also asked for a moment of silence during the morning announcements and reflected that, for him, it seems like yesterday that he was addressing his students about the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle tragedy.
I asked that the students be sensitive that seven lives were lost and I asked them to remember the risks and sacrifices the astronauts made to advance our country.
Dennis Carroll, headmaster of the Lawrence Woodmere Academy, held a morning assembly at the school to allow the students the opportunity to talk about the tragedy and how they feel about it. He added that many students also wanted to talk about the threat of another war.
Feelings are raw right now, he said. Children can be very resilient but how much can they take?
He added that the students also held discussions in their individual classes and that it is very important to put the issues out in the open so the students have an opportunity to cope.
Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum of Temple Israel of Lawrence said he encouraged his students at the temple's early childhood center to create cards for NASA and the families of the astronauts in their individual art classes, and to participate in a memorial service held Monday afternoon.
What's important, when tragedy strikes, is for people to have a way to respond affirmatively and soulfully, he said. And this is especially true for children for so much in this world is out of their control.
Rosenbaum added that he wants his students to know that they are justified in feeling sad but he also wants them to remember the teachings of Judaism and the immortality of the soul.
What God has given us cannot and does not die, he said. Judaism also teaches that there are some things we can do for someone who has passed away to show our love, respect and appreciation.
A group of fifth-grade students created cards to comfort NASA and the astronauts' families and to acknowledge the sacrifice the astronauts made for America and Israel while Temple Israel Educational Director Mordhai Mahfouda read the headlines of Israeli newspapers to them.
I feel really bad for the astronauts and their families, said one student, and I hope my card makes them feel better.
Another student added that she, too, felt sad for the astronauts' families.
I feel bad for their families because if I was in their position I would feel very sad, she said.I also hope they realize that there are people who know how they feel.
Mahfouda said he felt it was important for the students to express their feelings and talk about the tragedy so they can heal.
