50th Timeline: 2001 – 9/11 at Friends School Mullica Hill

Without a doubt, one of the most significant moments in world history during the first 50 years of the history of Friends School Mullica Hill was the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001.  All those who were alive at the time have memories of that day, but here are some from those working or attending the School on that fateful morning.  Brad Gibson, then a 7^th grader and now a teacher, remembered “being told by my homeroom teacher … that a plane had crashed into a skyscraper in New York City. He was calm, but he remarked ominously (and presciently) that this was only the beginning of a long and destructive conflict.”  Some students he remembered watched on one of the school televisions, but he remembers listening to events on the radio in Peter Manzelmann’s classroom before attending worship in the meetinghouse.  During worship, Brad remembers that there was obvious concern and worry but also much lack of comprehension as to what exactly had happened.  Teacher Glenn Parker remembers the “shock” he felt when he heard that the World Trade Center, a building he had been in many times, had collapsed.  Patti Sanderson, who taught first grade at the time, remembered that “each classroom teacher shared the crash with the students.  As I was teaching young children, it was recommended by the school counselor to tell the students that they were safe because the crash was far from the school.”  She continued, noting that “as I tried to remain calm (for the children) during the day, I desperately waited for news of my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law who lived and worked in New York City.”  Thankfully, they survived (and were married).  The Head of School at the time was Drew Smith, and he remembers a debate with others on his leadership team about whether or not to send students home.  They decided that the “safest place for them was to stay put and not contribute to chaos on the roads or in parent workspaces” while allowing that any parent could, of course, pick up their children.  Many more decisions about how to discuss what had happened, and what would happen later in Afghanistan and Iraq, awaited teachers in the years to come.  As division and strain in the country increased over the next several years, Friends School remained a place dedicated to peace and valuing all human life while also welcoming every individual’s deep reflection on how best to work toward peace in these challenging times.  Reflections of this spirit could be seen in the large number of students participating in the Community Service Club and the First Grade’s creation of a “Peace Quit.”