"No day shall erase you from the memory of time": Sophomores Experience Powerful Visit to 9/11 Memorial & Museum

The Indian Creek School sophomore class learned the significance of this quote, as they experienced a powerful visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum together during their class trip to New York City. The 9/11 Memorial Museum serves as the country's principal institution concerned with exploring the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of those events and exploring 9/11's continuing significance. At the museum, the Class of 2022 experienced the story of 9/11 through interactive technology, archives, narratives and a collection of artifacts.

Prior to the visit, the sophomores were prepared with materials provided by the museum. This week, they will reflect on their visit and reinforce the lessons through their advisory curriculum. The student experience at the museum was enhanced by museum ambassadors who first brought the sophomores to a classroom within the site to teach them how to talk about the events of September 11. The docents reminded the students that the museum is a memorial site, and shared the importance of being mindful of how they ask questions, what they say, and how it might impact other people.

Beyond acquiring knowledge about the events of September 11, Indian Creek students were struck by the deep empathy that they gained for the experience that people all over the world had in 2001, whether they were directly or indirectly impacted. Many students shared that the scale of the 9/11 attacks became real for them in a ways that they hadn't fully understood before this visit. As Humanities teacher Tonya Montgomery shared, "This generation of kids has lived their entire lives at war. They don't fully understand that it wasn't the same for the generations that predicated them. This visit was really valuable in so many ways."

Upper School World Languages teacher Gerry Connolly agreed. "Having been [to the 9/11 Memorial Museum] on a regular basis, this visit was very impressive and moving. Now that the work on the site is mostly done, it is great to finally see it as it was envisioned, with the reflecting pools and the trees open to all. And the museum itself is so well done architecturally and thematically. Our kids were so appropriate in their demeanor - respectful and reflective." The Indian Creek faculty took great pride in the Class of 2022 during this visit.