SALISBURY — Sacred Heart School students participated in special activities to remember 9/11, Patriot Day, and all the heroes and helpers in their lives.
“We do not want this day to be scary to our younger students with terrifying images of airplanes and burning buildings, but a day to talk about being a hero/helper in our family, school and community at large,” said Erin Brinkley, dean of students at Sacred Heart.
“Of course, our older students will have more opportunities to understand the depth of this day in American history by viewing several documentaries and published short movies. As always, community service is an enormous daily lesson at Sacred Heart, remembering always that we are to help our neighbors.”
During our normal morning assembly, Sacred Heart was so pleased to welcome Carol Dellinger, who has almost a 50-year history working as a paramedic (20 years) and side by side with fire fighters and police rescuers (28 years). She currently works in the Salisbury Fire Department’s training division, teaching lessons in first aid and CPR rescue in the most serious of trauma circumstances to our local community helpers and heroes.
Although almost 80 years old, she still holds all her Paramedic and Firefighter certifications.
“I am so blessed to have worked this long and still be able to work,” Mrs. Dellinger said. “I must give credit always to the Lord and to the entire team of trained professionals that are needed in a life-saving emergency. We just don’t ever give up. So many blessings bestowed upon my teams, lives we saved. I want these students to know that all of your policemen, firefighters, first responders, paramedics…don’t ever be afraid of them! They have dedicated their lives to help you.”
In addition to our morning community hero guest, our middle school came together to pray a Patriotic Rosary in honor of Patriot Day and to show respect to those who lost their lives in 2001 and to those who are still suffering from the events of that fateful day in American history.
Mrs. Michelle Maher, the middle school Language Arts and religion teacher, helped organized this special prayer time.
“During this Rosary, our students prayed for each of the fifty states, for our national and local government leaders, and for the conversion of our country from secular ways to the ways of our Lord, Jesus Christ,” said Mrs. Maher. “Interspersed throughout our prayers, our students also heard quotes from great Americans such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Jedediah Morse, (the Father of American Geography), and sang several patriotic songs.”
Some of the older elementary students watched "Man in Red Bandana," a documentary film about the inspirational story of an American hero - Welles Remy Crowther. Welles worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower and saved many people on Sept. 11th.
Tragically, he died that day but his heroics became known eight months later as a result of an ordinary item - a red bandana. Once again, focusing on our helpers and heroes that surround us. Other older classes watched the CNN10 documentaries on 9/11.
The younger elementary students also took part in our 9/11 Remembrance.
“They are never too young to learn about being a helper,” said Susan Harrison, PreK and Kindergarten teacher at Sacred Heart for 18 years.
“We can teach our children that there are some very sad times in life when terrible things happen, but always with a hug and reassurance that they are loved. But then take that lesson and transform it into being a good neighbor, a great helper, and a community hero. That is how you can change the world, one child at a time.”
— Provided by Robin Fisher
