Hurffville Elementary School principal gives lesson on 9/11 events to the school’s fifth-grade students
Information courtesy of the Washington Township School District
The fifth-graders at Hurffville Elementary School wouldn’t be born for at least seven years after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, but the school’s current principal, Jeff Pollock, made sure they all understood the gravity of this date in history during visits to their classrooms on Tuesday.
With a focus on what it was like to be in the schools 17 years ago on 9/11, Pollock put together a nearly one-hour-long lesson that the fifth-graders took in during their social studies time. Every eye and ear was at attention, as the students hung on Pollock’s words.
Pollock started the presentation by having the students watch an age-appropriate video depicting the terrorist attacks on America. For some, this was the first time that they viewed the images in an educational setting. Pollock then talked about how the schools handled the situation on that fateful day in 2001. Back then, he was principal at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.
“We decided, as a district, that we weren’t going to tell the (elementary) students anything,” Pollock said. “As the day went on, students were getting pulled out of class by their parents. Kids your age started asking questions. But we didn’t tell anyone anything. We didn’t want anyone getting scared, if they knew anyone who might be impacted. We had decided that we wanted the families to open the dialogue with their kids.”
Hurffville teachers Theresa Colligan and Christine Alcavage detailed how their experience was on 9/11, as well. Both were teachers then — Colligan in another district — and both had young children. Alcavage had family who worked in the World Trade Center, but hadn’t arrived at work yet when the towers were struck. Pollock’s son was a second-grader at the time. The weekend before, he had visited the World Trade Center and viewed New York City from its observation deck. Pollock relayed a story from that day that put into perspective the difference in how history-making events can affect people of varying ages.
“When we got home, I told my son, ‘You know those buildings you visited, the World Trade Center, last weekend? Well, some bad guys stole some planes and crashed them into the buildings and knocked them down’,” Pollock said. “He looked up at me and said, ‘Oh, ok. Can I go back outside and play?’ That was all he needed.”
Throughout the presentation, Pollock asked the students questions and shaped some of what he said to their responses. But for the most part, the students were content to listen and learn. Pollock made himself available for discussion after the presentation, and told the students he would be around during their lunch periods to answer any other questions they had, as well.
When Pollock was finished, Mrs. Colligan handed out thank you cards to each of students intended to be written out for local first responders. With the rainy weather, the students were going to spend their recess period writing out letters to go with the cards.
