9/11 Moment of Silence in East Islip, NY Elemetary Schools
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The East Islip School District Superintendent, Mr. Wendell Chu unilaterally decided that he would not allow elementary schools within his district to have a moment of silence in memory of 9/11. He implemented this on the 8th Anniversary of this cowardly attack on our country. East Islip is located less than 50 miles from Ground Zero. Many families in our district lost parents and loved ones on 9/11.
There was no warning to parents prior to 9/11/09. I first found out about this at a Timber Point PTA meeting at on 9/14/09. There was also no warning from the principals of any of the schools. This despite the schools ability to quickly contact each parent via a telephone message or official letter to each child's home.
I immediately contacted Mr. Chu via e-mail. He admitted that this was his personal decision.
This is what he had to say:
"Most of the children in our elementary schools were very young on September 11, 2001 and some were not even born yet. I believe that parents should be the ones to broach the subject of this day with their children. I feel that young students need to feel safe and secure, understand that bad things happen, but feel that these events are very rare, and the human spirit does amazing things in the face of adversity. Our students' preparation for thoughts about these issues varies greatly and my decision was really a desire to be sensitive to the feelings of parents, not a desire to ignore the day." He says this despite not warning the parents that he had no plans to honor our country with a simple moment of silence and a lack of discussion in the classroom.
Do you agree with his statement? If he wanted parents to "broach" the subject, then he should have warned the parents. He goes on to say that he wants to be "sensitive to the feelings of parents." He sounds like a politician that wants to see how the public feels before making a decision. I am sorry, but there is no decision here.
In the past all of the elementary schools had a special moment of silence and then sang "God Bless America." I feel this was appropriate and do not feel a child would be harmed or afraid by this. In fact, it would probably bring out feelings and thoughts that could be shared in the classroom. This never happened.
What upsets me most is that there was no warning that he would handle the day this way. I personally would have kept my son out of elementary school on 9/11/09.
Mr. Wendell Chu did find it important enough to allow the middle school and high school to have a moment of silence, and 9/11 was discussed in the classroom. Thank you Mr. Chu!
I respectfully requested that Mr. Chu give an apology to each person in our district (he did not acknowledge this) and let us know how he will treat 9/11 in the future (should he still be our Superintendent).
He indicated that he would "re-consider the way we remember 9/11 as a district and a community" but that he would "take it up at some later point in the year in preparation for next year's anniversary."
I do not see what was wrong with what was done in the past: 1) having a moment of silence and 2) singing "God Bless America." Is a special committee and months of meetings and discussions really necessary? I think this decision can be be saved from the bureaucratic BS and Mr. Chu can save us the anxiety of awaiting his decision. It wasn't broke, so there was no reason to fix it!
Mr. Chu ends his last e-mail with "I just want to get a better sense of how others feel." Please take a moment and let Mr. Chu know how you feel. Sign this petition. Share it with every patriotic American you know. Feel free to send Mr. Chu your feelings. His e-mail is: wchu@eischools.org.
His office phone number is 631-224-2010.
Please sign this petition if you think that Elementary Schools in the East Islip School District should have a moment of silence to remember 9/11.
God Bless America.
There was no warning to parents prior to 9/11/09. I first found out about this at a Timber Point PTA meeting at on 9/14/09. There was also no warning from the principals of any of the schools. This despite the schools ability to quickly contact each parent via a telephone message or official letter to each child's home.
I immediately contacted Mr. Chu via e-mail. He admitted that this was his personal decision.
This is what he had to say:
"Most of the children in our elementary schools were very young on September 11, 2001 and some were not even born yet. I believe that parents should be the ones to broach the subject of this day with their children. I feel that young students need to feel safe and secure, understand that bad things happen, but feel that these events are very rare, and the human spirit does amazing things in the face of adversity. Our students' preparation for thoughts about these issues varies greatly and my decision was really a desire to be sensitive to the feelings of parents, not a desire to ignore the day." He says this despite not warning the parents that he had no plans to honor our country with a simple moment of silence and a lack of discussion in the classroom.
Do you agree with his statement? If he wanted parents to "broach" the subject, then he should have warned the parents. He goes on to say that he wants to be "sensitive to the feelings of parents." He sounds like a politician that wants to see how the public feels before making a decision. I am sorry, but there is no decision here.
In the past all of the elementary schools had a special moment of silence and then sang "God Bless America." I feel this was appropriate and do not feel a child would be harmed or afraid by this. In fact, it would probably bring out feelings and thoughts that could be shared in the classroom. This never happened.
What upsets me most is that there was no warning that he would handle the day this way. I personally would have kept my son out of elementary school on 9/11/09.
Mr. Wendell Chu did find it important enough to allow the middle school and high school to have a moment of silence, and 9/11 was discussed in the classroom. Thank you Mr. Chu!
I respectfully requested that Mr. Chu give an apology to each person in our district (he did not acknowledge this) and let us know how he will treat 9/11 in the future (should he still be our Superintendent).
He indicated that he would "re-consider the way we remember 9/11 as a district and a community" but that he would "take it up at some later point in the year in preparation for next year's anniversary."
I do not see what was wrong with what was done in the past: 1) having a moment of silence and 2) singing "God Bless America." Is a special committee and months of meetings and discussions really necessary? I think this decision can be be saved from the bureaucratic BS and Mr. Chu can save us the anxiety of awaiting his decision. It wasn't broke, so there was no reason to fix it!
Mr. Chu ends his last e-mail with "I just want to get a better sense of how others feel." Please take a moment and let Mr. Chu know how you feel. Sign this petition. Share it with every patriotic American you know. Feel free to send Mr. Chu your feelings. His e-mail is: wchu@eischools.org.
His office phone number is 631-224-2010.
Please sign this petition if you think that Elementary Schools in the East Islip School District should have a moment of silence to remember 9/11.
God Bless America.
1299 Signatures
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Christine Carino
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Lawrence and Linda Roth
- Comments
- Good for you Peter
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Kathleen LaPorte
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Jessica Carney
- Comments
- I was downtown when the towers fell, we fly our flag to remember and my brother was on a Coast Guard cutter recovering bodies from the river. Please do not make a decision on behalf of the district on such an emotional issue. As Mr. Carino so elequently put it "if it's not broken, don't fix it." Thank you.
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Kathleen Kenyon
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Kathy Rogers
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LCDR Douglas P. Cook USN (Ret)
- Comments
- It is important to remember this date as it is to remember Memorial Day and Veterans Day. This was a great opportunity to discuss this and allow the children to ask questions about what happen that day in 2001 since they would have seen a distinct mood in people that day.
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Adriana Fitting
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Scott Orski
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john carney
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- NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2002, as Patriot Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services and candlelight vigils. I also call upon the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Patriot Day. Further, I encourage all Americans to display the flag at half-staff from their homes on that day and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. eastern daylight time, or another appropriate commemorative time, to honor the innocent victims who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
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Jack Morrell
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- Dear Superintendent Mr. Wendell Chu, I was driving a new employee around the city on 9/11 and happened to be in the wrong place and time as we watched the second plane hit tower #1. We all know what our first thoughts where. My second thought was how many children just became single parent families. We all know there are kids in the elementary schools that you speak of, in which either a mother, father, aunt, uncle, or family friend was KILLED. I feel the decision you made was wrong and did not take in to account any of the community's feelings. I know this will read a little silly, but I would never of thought that I would be responding to something as foolish as this. Rather than to revisit this later, maybe the school district should start working on an campaign from keeping 9/11 in the history books to save not just the new kids of today, but to protect all kids from the future
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ANTHONY LEONCAVALLO
- Comments
- YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF MR. CHU
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CHESTER H. STRIPLIN
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- Mr. Chu we as Americans have never forgotten those Brave Americans who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor in defense of our countries Freedom. We shouldnever forget those from 9/11 who did the same. We are the care takers of our History no matter what age or time.
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Lisa Williamson
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Maureen Consiglio
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- It doesn't matter how young you were. This is part of our history and should NOT be forgotten or glossed over.
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Dorothy Christodoulou
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Joseph Christodoulou
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christie kelly
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- All i can say is shame on the superindendant of East Islip for having these elementary school children plain ignore this day!! A moment of silence was the least we could do for all those innocent people who died that day. Not to mention all the heroes were simply doing their job and lost their lives as well. This was an attack on our country!!!
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Brigitte Kelly
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Catherine Hannigan
- Comments
- I was not born on D-Day, but as an American still offer gratitide and thoghts to those who sacrificed their lives.
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Carrie-Ann Huber
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Annette DiRusso
- Comments
- As a teacher myself I find it disgraceful that a school district set such a poor example of patriotism.
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Ryan Gillies
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gregg magnifico
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- never forget
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Lorraine Beatty
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Raffaela Cirillo
- Comments
- He was very wrong in not remembering the childred must know and never forget how important our freedom is.
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Cynthia S. Giordano
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Ann Marie Cammeyer
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Laurie Roundsman
- Comments
- God Bless America
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Susan Johnson
- Comments
- Maybe Mr. Chu should not have the liberty of living in this great country. Remembering and teaching about these types of tragedies, no matter where, encourages patriotism, compassion and a desire to help others. It offers the younger generation an understanding that there is evil in this world and perhaps a chance to try and do things to make it a better place to live. If nothing else, it will help them to learn how to deal with the tragedies in life. Or maybe he feels we should just put our heads in the sand and let all terrorists take over. He does not belong in a US Public education system, much less be superintendent. What an insult to all the heroes of 9/11.
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Ronald R. Spadafora
- Comments
- Should not be a personal decision.
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Chris Burke
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Larry Rottkamp
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John Sarrocco
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Jeanne McBride
- Comments
- Not only is remembering 9/11 patriotism, but an opportunity to teach about a significant part of our history. We do still teach history in our schools, don't we? Even if it is unpleasant and even a little frightening!
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Kelly Pipitone
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Kathleen McGoldrick
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Michelle Halada-Schmid
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Johnny Carino
- Comments
- I am a graduate of the school district. 9/11 should be part of every Americans life and will be a future subject that will be taught. It is very un American to drop this and spinless to do it based on a "personal choice"
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kathleen McGoldrick
- Comments
- This was a teachable moment that slipped by our children. Why not use this day to discuss the heros and tell our children about the brave people who took down the plane headed for the white house, and the thousands who did what they could from boot drives to the families in Newfoundland and Greenland who opened their homes to US citizens forced to land there with no way to get home. History is not about now, it's about remembering the past. If we do not remember ugly, scary truths we are in danger of allowing them to happen again.
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Andrea Vecchio
- Comments
- The schools should have done this at the very least....since so many district families were affected by this tragedy
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Brett Fried
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Allison Lundin
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Paul Llobell
- Comments
- I think your decision is in total disrespect for all of those who were lost on this tragic day and even more disrespectful of all of The First Responders and their families, many who live within our district.
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Tom Hogan
- Comments
- retired NYPD cop and first responder on 9/11/01
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Kim Stefano
- Comments
- never forget!!!!!!!!!
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John Carino
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- Superintendent Chu, you owe an apology to the parents of those children who attend the East Islip Elementary Schools. It only took you eight years to FORGET. I hope on 9-11-10 your memory and your personal decision changes, and you will order a moment of silence to be observed. NOW, THEREFORE, I GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2002, as Patriot Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services and candlelight vigils. I also call upon the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half -staff on Patriot Day. Further, I encourage all americans to display the flag at half-staff from their homes on that day to OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE beginning at 8:46 a./m. eastern daylight
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Leslie Blank
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martin walicki
- Comments
- we must all reflect on the seriousness of that day!
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1299
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