9/11 - Karafin's Response
A Day We Can Never Forget
Karafin responds to our National Tragedy
Karafin responds to our National Tragedy
On September 11, 2001, two planes, flown by terrorists, were crashed into the World Trade Center in Manhattan destroying the towers and killing more than two thousand people. In common with the rest of the nation, Karafin was shocked and horrified by the events of 9/11...
Mrs. Donow came in from bringing the students from the train station at about 8.55. She asked me if I had heard about a plane crashing into the towers. I had not. I assumed that it was a small plane that had crashed. I went to the computer room and asked the teacher to check on line about the incident. He did so. By a few minutes after 9.00 a.m. we had on the computer room screens a visual of the burning tower. We had the story evolving through the internet. We had a teacher come back from his prep period with information that the one tower had fallen. We tried to have the students have as much information as they could without causing a panic. I presumed that the students would be mature enough to handle the information and we did not want anyone hearing rumors before facts. The business of the school has to be the main consideration for the staff and the students. Also, nothing could be done from Mount Kisco. Therefore, as we do in any “crisis” situation, we tried to have as “normal” a day as possible.
I think the staff kept their own and their students’ minds on their school work enabling everyone to be concerned but not paralyzed by this catastrophic event. I was quite proud of the way the staff handled the day of, and the days after, the attack.
Dr. Donow went on to explain why some students had to spend the night in the homes of faculty members.
We had heard the news reports that the bridges into the city were closed. We had a window of opportunity for Queens, one bus left and one could not. By 1.30 p.m., we knew we had to arrange for about twenty-four students to stay over night. The administrative and counseling staff immediately volunteered their homes. Once other staff members heard that some of the students could not get home, they came to me and volunteered their homes. We then tried to match up students with those staff members with whom they had established positive relationships.
The trauma continued long after the day ended, and Karafin remained sensitive. I wrote a memo that was read to the students the next morning. I informed the teachers and the students that the counseling staff would be available to them if, and when, they felt the need to talk about the event or their feeling regarding the attack.
The first anniversary was a solemn occasion, which Karafin, in common with the rest of the nation, observed. In response to a staff member’s suggestion, I felt that acknowledging the event was important. Thus we had a moment of silence. We did not want to ignite dormant feelings among either the staff or the students. Thus, while we acknowledged the event, we allowed both staff and students to remove themselves from the remembrance if they felt too emotional. We again followed the basic school policies of acknowledging outside events but not dwelling on them or forcing members of the school community to observe rituals and activities of which they do not feel themselves to be a part.
Mrs. Donow came in from bringing the students from the train station at about 8.55. She asked me if I had heard about a plane crashing into the towers. I had not. I assumed that it was a small plane that had crashed. I went to the computer room and asked the teacher to check on line about the incident. He did so. By a few minutes after 9.00 a.m. we had on the computer room screens a visual of the burning tower. We had the story evolving through the internet. We had a teacher come back from his prep period with information that the one tower had fallen. We tried to have the students have as much information as they could without causing a panic. I presumed that the students would be mature enough to handle the information and we did not want anyone hearing rumors before facts. The business of the school has to be the main consideration for the staff and the students. Also, nothing could be done from Mount Kisco. Therefore, as we do in any “crisis” situation, we tried to have as “normal” a day as possible.
I think the staff kept their own and their students’ minds on their school work enabling everyone to be concerned but not paralyzed by this catastrophic event. I was quite proud of the way the staff handled the day of, and the days after, the attack.
Dr. Donow went on to explain why some students had to spend the night in the homes of faculty members.
We had heard the news reports that the bridges into the city were closed. We had a window of opportunity for Queens, one bus left and one could not. By 1.30 p.m., we knew we had to arrange for about twenty-four students to stay over night. The administrative and counseling staff immediately volunteered their homes. Once other staff members heard that some of the students could not get home, they came to me and volunteered their homes. We then tried to match up students with those staff members with whom they had established positive relationships.
The trauma continued long after the day ended, and Karafin remained sensitive. I wrote a memo that was read to the students the next morning. I informed the teachers and the students that the counseling staff would be available to them if, and when, they felt the need to talk about the event or their feeling regarding the attack.
The first anniversary was a solemn occasion, which Karafin, in common with the rest of the nation, observed. In response to a staff member’s suggestion, I felt that acknowledging the event was important. Thus we had a moment of silence. We did not want to ignite dormant feelings among either the staff or the students. Thus, while we acknowledged the event, we allowed both staff and students to remove themselves from the remembrance if they felt too emotional. We again followed the basic school policies of acknowledging outside events but not dwelling on them or forcing members of the school community to observe rituals and activities of which they do not feel themselves to be a part.
