Students visit Flight 93 crash site, pay respects
CRANBERRY TWP — A group of Haine Middle School sixth graders went on a field trip to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County this week to experience history and leave its mark on the future.
The trip was the culminating activity after a yearlong school project to raise money for the park’s reforestation and bell tower projects. Students raised $1,003 to help with the cost of planting trees on the hillsides surrounding the memorial and build a 93-foot bell tower with 40 chimes in it, representing each of the passengers and crew who died in the crash on Sept 11, 2001.
About 70 students from Sharon Kramer, Jennifer Alvarado, Michelle Rogozinski and Ann Tanda’s classes visited the memorial Monday.
“Visiting the memorial site taught us how the memorial keeps the passengers’ memories alive,” said sixth-grader Sophia Galligane. “The money we donated continues to educate others about that day in history and the lessons we have learned for future generations.”
It all began last September, shortly after the beginning of school, when the National Park Service hosted an educational webcast from the memorial site to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed that day near Shanksville after passengers fought back against hijackers.
Kramer said her students watched about two hours of the video, and they were enthralled, asking probing questions about Flight 93 and the terrorist attacks. It was a surprising reaction from the students, who were not born until several years after the attacks.
“Anytime you can find a teachable moment with middle school students, you run with it,” Kramer said. “You’ve got to find what works and what they’re interested in. So the kids came up with a plan.”
After the students learned about the reforestation and tower construction efforts, they wanted to raise money to help the projects come to life, Kramer said.
They set a goal of $1,000 and held fundraisers throughout the year to raise the money. The students hosted Crazy Hat Day and Pajama Day, where students could pay a small fee to wear a hat or their PJs to school. A few mornings they had Mustache Mondays where the students sold self-adhesive mustaches to wear at school.
In addition to fundraising, students also did a number of classroom activities. They learned about the passengers and each chose one passenger to write a tribute letter to, which would be placed with small American flags at the memorial, Kramer said. A former ATF officer also spoke to the students about how air travel has changed since 2001.
“This project was an important focus for our sixth- grade students because it gave them an opportunity to gain a perspective on our nation’s history,” said Cassandra Doggrell, principal at Haine Middle School. “It also allowed them to develop a relatable experience by focusing on the lives of the passengers of Flight 93.”
On Monday the students traveled to the national memorial near Shanksville to present their $1,003 check and tour the site. During the visit, they met Debby Borza, mother of 20-year-old Deora Bodley, the youngest passenger on Flight 93. Borza read the students a passage from Deora’s journal from when she was 11, the same age most of the sixth graders.
In turn, the students who chose to write their tribute letters to Deora gave her mother the letters. Kramer said there were tears and hugs all around.
“The Flight 93 field trip was an amazing and inspiring trip,” said Riley Mays, a sixth-grader. “Everyone should experience this. The passengers’ stories taught us to sacrifice and commit to be better people, heroes.”
Kramer said the whole experience was inspiring and heartwarming. They’re already planning another project and trip for next year.
