Some parents and local residents concerned with how the Putnam County Schools remembered the 25th Anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Secondary Instructional Supervisor Bubba Winningham said the district does not maintain a system-wide policy for the anniversary but encourages individual schools to recognize the day. Winningham said elementary students participated in patriotic dress-up days and art projects while an elementary choir performed at a local remembrance ceremony.
“We want to make sure nobody forgets that day, nobody forgets the sacrifice, nobody forgets how a country we were on September 12th, how unified we were, and so it’s important and we strongly encourage our schools to participate in that and be a part of that message,” Winningham said.
Winningham said middle and high schools incorporated the anniversary into morning announcements and held moments of silence. At Cookeville High School, the JROTC led a moment of silence and members ran stadium steps to honor the first responders who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center.
“Our schools generally do, just because it’s not outward and it’s not we’re not announcing these things, we still that doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” Winningham said. “Our schools, like I said, do a really good job of making sure that our students and our community remember that day.”
Winningham said the 11 days of kindness challenge at Cookeville High School encouraged students to honor the anniversary through service. At Upperman High School, the audio-visual team produced a tribute video to share the story of the day during morning announcements.
“I think there is a balance to announcing this is what we did on this day versus just doing it and honoring the lives lost on that day and being having some humility about that,” Winningham said. “You don’t always from my standpoint, you we don’t always have to be over outward about that.”
Winningham said Algood Middle School teachers used the story of the survivor tree to teach students about community resilience and hope. While the events of September 11 are not a standalone part of the general curriculum, Winningham said the topic is covered through state standards in high school American History and Statewide Dual Credit U.S. History courses.
“I want them to know that yes, our schools take pride in that day and remembering that day,” Winningham said. “A lot of our administrators were remember that day, I remember that day.”
Winningham said he plans to speak with the district communications supervisor to discuss ways to better coordinate and share how students remember the day with the community in the future.
