Head of School Letter: 25 Years Later - Remembering September 11th 

Today is exactly 25 years since the terrorist events occurred which shocked America. Those of us of a certain age can well remember that beautiful blue-sky morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked, effectively changing our lives and our society forever. None of today’s Shorecrest students had been born when the attacks occurred on 9/11, and some of our parents were still quite young! It is safe to say for everyone, our world has been deeply shaped by the events that took place that day and their aftermath. 

Remembering September 11th and honoring the many lives lost has become a historical event which must be explained to those who were not alive or cannot remember the day. For the past two years, students in Kayla Brazee's AP U.S. History classes have interviewed Americans who were alive at the time to share their accounts of that fateful day. By gathering perspectives from a variety of Americans, the students have been able to analyze the day, explore how it has  been collectively remembered, how perspectives have changed over time, and how the event helped shape American identity.

Building on that spirit of oral history, I’m reminded of a series of interviews I conducted a few years ago with a number of faculty members who were on campus at Shorecrest on September 11, 2001. For all of them, the shocking events of the day reinforced a sense of commitment to each other and strengthened our community. It was clear that the teachers felt a sense of obligation to put the needs of their students first, even as the adults grappled with the difficult reality of the day. 

Charla Gaglio

There wasn’t a TV in her Upper School Art classroom, so Charla Gaglio brought her students into Mr. Hyink’s science room. She remembers sitting there in shock, crying and trying to understand that the country was under attack. “We knew we teachers had to stay calm, to reassure the students. But the reality is that it was a bunch of terrified adults, putting on a calm exterior to reassure the students.” Mrs. G remembered how important it was to give Upper Schoolers a chance to be together and talk about what was going on. 

Anne Michelle Frey ‘02

Assistant Head of Upper School / Academic Dean Frey was a senior at Shorecrest in the fall of 2001. She recalls hearing the news during a break and relaying it to Dr. Littlefield in their AP English Literature class. “A few minutes into class, they released us and many of us headed to the library to watch the news. We watched the first tower collapse live. I remember being terrified, especially because my stepfather was supposed to be in a meeting at the World Trade Center that day. I went home early and discovered that my stepfather had made contact with my mom and was safe.”

Curtis Cruise

Sixth Grade Science Teacher Curtis Cruise remembers bumping into a colleague outside the Middle School and he asked, "Did you hear about the World Trade Center being hit?" At first, he thought it might be a little Cessna plane. Curtis’s students were at PE so he went into Principal Pat Craven’s office where she had a TV on. They watched in silence for several minutes, and then the second plane hit. The rest of the day was a blur. “I remember telling the students that this will be a day they will never forget where they were and what they were doing when they found out. I likened it to my experiencing the Challenger explosion when I was in middle school, or Pearl Harbor for their grandparents. I couldn't answer a lot of their questions such as 'why' and 'who' at the time, but instead I tried to help them 'be OK' and trust that America has resilience and will heal.”

Anna Baralt 

Dr. Anna Baralt, now Dean of Faculty and Curriculum, was a Kindergarten Teacher in 2001. She recalls that on September 11th, “No one had a clue about what was going on because none of us had a TV in our classroom.” There was no social media and not many cell phones at the time. Around 9am, a voice came over the intercom in the classroom and asked Dr. Baralt to come to the Lower School Office. She walked in and saw that everyone was upset; some teachers were crying. At first, she thought that the President had been shot. A fellow teacher quickly explained what was happening, and said that she was to gather up students’ belongings and prepare their bags, in case parents came to pick up their children. “Of course, we didn’t say anything to the students. I didn’t even see any footage of what happened until I got home that evening.” The Lower School continued on its day. Some parents did come and pick up their children, but many other students finished out the day on campus. 

While much has changed in the 25 years since the attack on America, what has not changed is Shorecrest’s commitment to the well-being of our students. Trusted adults still provide space and time to support students as they process the challenging events in their lives. The events of 9/11 are honored with annual observances around the flagpole and conversations in classrooms. Today, as we remember the events of September 11, 2001 and honor the victims of the terrorist attacks, we also appreciate the heroism of the first responders who gave their lives in service to America. 

Remembering these moments from 25 years ago grounds us in the values that connect us today. We rely on Shorecrest’s sense of community to see us through difficult times, whether facing natural disasters, global pandemics, or national tragedy. Compassion, resilience, and hope are what unite us, providing the tools we need to face the future together.

All the best, 

Nancy