A day of remembrance: Schools plan ceremonies for Sept. 11

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

While most county schools will be commemorating the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11 this Wednesday, the focus of those ceremonies will vary from school to school.

Bobby Ray Elementary principal Bob Bonner said his school will observe the anniversary, but will not dwell on the deadly attacks.

“We’ll start the day with a moment of silence, but that will be our only look back. We don’t want to rehash what happened, rather we want to look toward the future,” Bonner said. After the moment of silence, a positive patriotic program will be presented by Mrs. Bonnie Collier’s fifth-grade class.

Morrison Elementary School also plans to begin the day with a moment of silence to remember the victims, said principal Ronnie Brown, who will afterward lead the school in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Morrison students are also encouraged to wear red, white and blue on Wednesday.

Students at WCMS will hear four 9/11-related Project Wisdom quotes over the intercom throughout the day. Several of the school’s band students will also play the national anthem and “Taps” over the intercom.

Troy Jones, principal of West Elementary, said he and the school’s teachers have been trying to determine what would be best for their students in observing the day. “It was traumatic last year and we spent quite a bit of time on it. We want to remember, but we also want it to become a part of history and teach it through the classes,” Jones said.

He added over the next few of weeks the school’s students will be encouraged to draw pictures about their feelings on the attacks, or the school or community, which will be taken to ground zero in lower Manhattan by a group of school students and parents.

High school students will converge on the school’s two flag poles at 8:46 a.m. Wednesday. There, ROTC students will raise and then lower the flag to half mast as a bugler plays “Taps.” ROTC instructors Sgt. Ernest Brewington and Col. John Black will also address the students.

Teacher Ann Terry and the FCCLA club have encouraged high school students to bring pictures of family members who have served in the military or as policemen or firemen. These pictures will be put on a wall of honor at the school. The club will also sell stars to be put on a wall-mounted flag. Money raised will go into the school’s student emergency fund.

Dibrell Elementary and Hickory Creek Elementary will also be holding patriotic programs Wednesday.