Sitting in my third-grade classroom with my fellow classmates while our teacher Miss Westfall instructed our lesson. The wall speaker which was reserved for morning anouncements or to wish us happy holidays before Christmas break, came to life.
Our deep-voiced and kindly Principal was speaking. He told us of the tragedy that had just happened. My young teacher was visibly shocked. The Principal told the teachers to send all the students out to the playground for a recess until he could decide what to do.
As we young kids gathered on the playground, we felt a little excited and a little bit scared. We were too young to understand the importance and gravity of what had just happened.
We could see a huddle of female teachers crying and consoling each other outside the classrooms. We realized that This Was Bad.
We were called back in and told that we should run home as fast as we could and be with our mothers. And we did. Flying like the wind. A free half-day home. Yippee! Our mothers were all at home, as mothers were at the time and we found them in front of the TV or on the phone with a neighbor lady speaking in frantic tones. This was the old America where there were mothers at home and kids walked to school by themselves and one income was enough...
Yes. I remember that, too. My memory is this:
Sitting in my third-grade classroom with my fellow classmates while our teacher Miss Westfall instructed our lesson. The wall speaker which was reserved for morning anouncements or to wish us happy holidays before Christmas break, came to life.
Our deep-voiced and kindly Principal was speaking. He told us of the tragedy that had just happened. My young teacher was visibly shocked. The Principal told the teachers to send all the students out to the playground for a recess until he could decide what to do.
As we young kids gathered on the playground, we felt a little excited and a little bit scared. We were too young to understand the importance and gravity of what had just happened.
We could see a huddle of female teachers crying and consoling each other outside the classrooms. We realized that This Was Bad.
We were called back in and told that we should run home as fast as we could and be with our mothers. And we did. Flying like the wind. A free half-day home. Yippee! Our mothers were all at home, as mothers were at the time and we found them in front of the TV or on the phone with a neighbor lady speaking in frantic tones. This was the old America where there were mothers at home and kids walked to school by themselves and one income was enough...
Later, we'd understand.
Yes...how well I remember...I was in 7th grade but we didn't get to go home...we just sat in school numb...and cried...