Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
It has been 19 years since that fateful morning when America woke to find itself under a terrorist attack in New York City and Washington D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001. As the time has passed, we are now in the first generation of students who were born after the event. To commemorate the somber occasion and to better educate his students, James Madison Preparatory High School (JMPHS) Principal Mark Akerman provided a unique Zoom meeting for all of the student body.
Beginning around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, Akerman arranged a Zoom meeting with first responders in the community who listened as every student at JMPHS had the opportunity to express their appreciation for the sacrifice and service that these men and women give each day. It took approximately 45 minutes for all of the students to make their way through the auditorium and share their thoughts with Madison Fire Chief Bruce Jordan, who stayed on for the entire call. Jordan also rang the bell on Madison's first fire truck at the appropriate time for each of the four plane crashes and the falling of the twin towers in New York City.
Akerman felt that it was important to keep kids aware of one of the most tragic events in our nation's history. "I want to build good citizens here," said Akerman. "We need to understand and appreciate our history, especially since we still have involvement in the Middle East as a result of the 9/11 attacks."
Science Instructor Donna Law was impressed with the response from the kids in her classroom after they viewed a video of the horrific events of 9/11. "The appreciation experience we did this morning had a great impact on my students and also on me," said Law. "I remembered that day and the events that followed. Sharing the videos you [Akerman] suggested with my students was really a somber experience."