September 11
These suggestions and information for educators may be interesting to parents:
Remembering 9/11 -- Communities across the U.S. plan gatherings and memorial services for anniversary of 9/11 attacks http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3754860
Thoughts on 9/11 by Joan Bauer -- author of many wonderful books for adolescents:
And here are some facebook comments from teachers (The only editing error I corrected was the spelling of "remembrance."):
Catherine Kelly: The innocents whose lives are lost due to radicals of any kind are those who need to be remembered by our actions of today and in the future. There are lives here at home and across the world who have been affected and need to be remembered. 9/11 remembrances can open the door to others, there is no need for hatred of any kind to anyone.
Terresa Cornelius: I have had my current 5th grade class twice before: in kindergarten and in grade 3. As a result, I know them well. A portion are Muslim; others are refugees or immigrants from 4 different continents. Many different opinions among their ...families! The anniversary of 9/11 gave us opportunity to say that tragedy can happen to any and all countries. We choose to show true greatness through our personal responses to it. Since people of every imaginable type died that day, we can honor them by respecting & showing compassion to people, period, not pigeon-holing a person because of their color, religion, etc. In my class, many families fled their countries precisely because of oppression and war. For them, the give of education and a chance to help steer their own course is a daily lesson.
