September 11th: We are All Heros

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Michelle

It is difficult to believe that most elementary-age children were not born when the horrific events of September 11th rocked our nation. However, as teachers and as communities we respectfully remember and learn about what happened during and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks just like we learned about the American Revolution, the Civil War and the Declaration of Independence. The stories below will empower students at William O. Schaefer to discover their own super powers!

The Man In Red Bandana by Honor Crowther Fagan

When Welles Crowther was a young boy, his father gave him a red bandanna, which he always carried with him. On September 11, 2001, Welles Remy Crowther saved numerous people from the upper floors of the World Trade Center South Tower. “The Man in the Red Bandanna” recounts and celebrates his heroism on that day. Welles’ story carries an inspirational message that will resonate with adults as well as young children.

Listen to the story below read by Emma.

September 12th: We Knew Everything Would Be All Right

Heartfelt and touching book by 1st graders at Masterson Elementary School in Kennet, Missouri, about the day after the tragic events of September 11th.

On September 11th horrific events occurred, yet through the simple text and vibrant art of first graders, we are reminded that the world continued the next day. On each page, children experience the comforts of ordinary routines, such as their teacher reading books to them, having homework and recess, and knowing that 2 + 2 still equals 4. This is a poignant message of hope that reassures us all that even after bad things happen, tomorrow always brings a new day.

Listen to the story below read by our assistant principal, Jeannine Carr.

Looking at Long Ago

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Ms. Narciso

In library this week, we looked at primary source documents to discover how trains were used to transport goods. Students were asked to discuss what they saw. The Students provided evidence and made connections.

A 1903 silent, black and white film, Train taking up mail bag. The subject of this Postal Department documentary is “snatching” the mail bag from the suspended post by the railroad mail clerk. As the film begins, a man climbs the steps leading to the device that suspends the mail bag in the air. A train can be seen in the distance approcaching the mail bag. At the end of the film, the mail bag is just being snatched from the suspension device.

Students were provided a copy of the image, Men working in a railway mail train and asked to “Circle and label what you see that helps you guess where you think these men are working.” Analyzing primary source documents allows students to discover, prove, or investigate, their ideas. The thinking routines they use to make observations and reflections when analyzing visual primary sources are transferred to other academic areas.

Using a carousel protocol, students expressed their thoughts and ideas around a set of three early 1900s photographs of a horse-drawn U.S Mail wagon at a railway station, unsorted mail at the post office, and a girl handing a letter to the mailman in “A letter to papa” and then asked to create a time line.

In order to model the mail delivery observed in the primary sources, next week, the students will create his or her own postcard reviewing a book of their choice. The “postcard” book review will be mailed to the public library of their choice. The public libraries have agreed to display the ‘postcard” book recommendations. Take your child to library to ensure it was delivered safely!