Eighth‑grade students at Frazier Middle School in Perryopolis gathered Friday afternoon to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The ceremony capped a week of classroom projects designed to bring the historic tragedy into sharp focus for a generation that did not experience it firsthand.
Student‑created memorial
On a hillside adjacent to the school, students painted the letters “USA” in red, white and blue. At the base of the letters they placed small flags representing each victim of United Flight 93, the plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered the hijackers. A second set of flags honored the first‑responders who gave their lives on September 11.
Personal reflections from a witness
Physical‑education teacher Winston Shaulis, who was in Shanksville when Flight 93 went down, spoke to the students about the lasting impact of that day. He recalled the “eerily low” altitude of the aircraft, the sound of the crash, and the plume of smoke that followed. Shaulis warned that today’s constant stream of phone notifications can desensitize people to such historic events, urging the youth to reflect on the nearly 3,000 lives lost and the families forever changed.
Classroom projects and interviews
Throughout the week, each student interviewed a person who was alive on September 11 to capture a firsthand perspective. In math class, they created scatter plots tracking visitation numbers at the national 9/11 memorial over time. Social‑studies teacher Jessica Wildman guided students through video footage and audio recordings, including a voicemail a man left for his wife on the day of the attacks.
Student Michael Ryan Matras described the experience as “a rough day for them,” while Kree Robertson highlighted a timeline website that played the audio of a husband’s loving message to his wife. Ruby McGowan discovered a personal connection when she interviewed her father, a military member stationed in Australia at the time, who said his first thought was that he might be headed to war.
Principal’s message
Principal Amanda Law praised the students and staff for turning a distant date into a lived lesson. “You have been very busy learning, and your teachers have done an excellent job of helping you understand that 9/11 is much more than a date in a history book,” she said. She encouraged the students to carry forward the spirit of community that emerged after the tragedy, noting that “we go further together rather than alone.”
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
