CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Second-graders Alexandria Bush, left, and Jasmine Williams dipped into the red and blue paint Monday to create a giant ribbon for their classroom door at Fort Shafter Elementary School.
Fort Shafter Elementary School students have one pressing question about the events of Sept. 11: "How come they attacked us?" asked 7-year-old Gabby Traynor. "We didn't do anything to them."
Children at Fort Shafter learn
to focus on the hope, not the
devastation, of the terrorist attacksBy Genevieve A. Suzuki
gsuzuki@starbulletin.comHer teacher, Andrea Weigle, explained: "We have freedoms they don't have. We're lucky."
On Monday, Weigle prepared her second-graders for a special assembly to be held today. The school is observing a moment of silence during the ringing of the bells, said Principal Karen Hill. The 220 students will then link hands and form a circle as a symbol of unity.
Children of military families know a little more than the average child about the nation's affairs since Sept. 11, Weigle said.
"It affected us in two ways," she said. "First, there's the horror of what we know happened, and then they're worried, 'Is my mom or dad going to have to go off to war?'"
She did online research, seeking lesson plans on how to deal with Sept. 11. Many elementary schools chose to not talk about it with their students, Weigle said, but ignoring the anniversary wasn't an option for Fort Shafter students whose parents are in the military.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Joel Alicea, left, and Gus Blache raised their hands to answer their teacher's question, "What is freedom?" When people don't tell you what to do, they said.
However, because the children are already aware of the tragedies and deaths that resulted from the attacks, "we try to focus on the hopeful side," Weigle said.
"For the few bad things that happened that day, there were many, many good things."
When Weigle asked the children whether they could recall the events of Sept. 11, several hands waved excitedly in the air. But when she asked, "Who can tell me one of the good things that happened because of Sept. 11?" the students were more unsure of the answers.
With their teacher's help, though, the students eventually compiled a sizable list of good things.
"Lots of people came to New York to help," said Weigle, starting the list. The second-graders nodded their understanding.
Then they remembered baking cookies, cakes and brownies and bringing them to the soldiers guarding Fort Shafter's gate every Friday for several months after Sept. 11.
New York City especially experienced kindness, the students said.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Benjamin Martin, left, and Kenny McConnauchey listened to the class discussion. At Fort Shafter Elementary, most students are from military families and are particularly close to the events of Sept. 11.
"Restaurants (in New York) gave out free food," Gabby said.
"Who were they giving the food to?" Weigle asked.
"The firemen," said Joel Alicea, sitting in the front row.
Weigle's students also gave her words such as "caring," "sharing," "helpful" and "freedom" to write on the chalkboard.
"What does freedom mean?" Weigle asked the class.
"People won't tell us what to do," said Gus Blache, sitting next to Joel.
"When we don't have strangers telling us what to do," Joel added.
Gabby said she remembered learning that girls in Afghanistan don't enjoy the same freedom she does with education. "That's not a good idea," she said. Reading and writing are important, she said.
The students also talked about wanting the United States to be safe. "Everywhere," Weigle said. "We're hoping people are safe everywhere."
Caring begins in the classroom, Weigle said. The students listed several ways to be caring, such as "Don't play rough with each other," "Don't throw things at each other" and "Share toys with each other."
After the discussion, the second-graders set to work making American flags for the assembly and a big red, white and blue ribbon to post on their classroom door.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Teacher Andrea Weigle leads a class discussion.
"We're making a ribbon because it's a symbol of what?" their teacher asked.
"A symbol of hope," Joel said.
"And to show that we care for our country," Weigle said.
Alex Bush and Jasmine Williams were the first students to work on the giant ribbon, using yellow sponges, foil pie tins filled with paint and a huge piece of white paper in the back of the classroom.
Kids being kids, Weigle's students teased each other about how silly they looked wearing aprons while they painted. "We just had a big talk about caring and being nice to each other, so let's practice what we talked about," Weigle told them.
Weigle has been teaching at Fort Shafter Elementary School for three years. After her husband retires from the Army next year, she said, the family is moving to Arizona.
Weigle is a native of New Jersey and during a summer trip to visit family, she took her two sons to see Ground Zero.
She shared pictures from that trip with her students, including images of her 12-year-old son signing a memory wall and of a banner hanging from a building bearing the words "We will always remember."
She was struck by the quiet, empty office buildings surrounding Ground Zero.
"It was eerie."
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