At 8:46 a.m. in the Middle School, all students heard Bernardo Guzmán’s voice over the intercom.

Guzmán, Head of Middle School, was reading “The Names,” a poem by Billy Collins written as a tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

None of the students listening to Guzmán’s voice were alive on that day 25 years ago. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have some sort of connection to the tragedies that took place.

“The word we fall on a lot is impact,” Guzmán said. “I think it’s important for kids to know that it impacted people, it impacted history, and one day they will come to better understand it when they are older.”

Moments like Guzmán’s reading of the poem happened all over campus Friday morning, the 25th anniversary of 9/11. And even though Ravenscroft students are too young to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, that doesn’t stop the school from honoring the lives lost that day.

In a statement to faculty and staff, Head of School Derrick Willard expressed sympathy for those old enough to remember the details of that day.

“I can imagine any number of employees and families we served have connections to those lost or injured on that day,” Willard wrote.

Most faculty and staff remember exactly where they were when they received the news.

Ravenscroft students have only heard about the day from family members, learned about it in school or watched documentaries about it on television.

Whether they have a personal, vivid memory of the tragic day or have only read about it in a book, what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, did not go unnoticed by the Ravenscroft community.

The commemoration began the previous night, Sept. 10, at athletic events across campus. Before the field hockey and football games 

began, a brief statement was read, followed by a moment of silence and the National Anthem. The same pregame routine was held before the Middle School soccer game on Sept. 11.

Students in the Lower School read “A Little Thankful SPOT”, a book about gratitude and mindfulness. Each child also wrote a thank-you card to a helper in their life or community, such as a firefighter, police officer, school staff member or family member.

Third-grade students participated in a guided read during their morning meeting. Looking ahead, the group plans to create gratitude cards for police officers, firefighters and EMS workers on Sept. 23.

Other classes read “Branches of Hope: Survivor Tree” and created cards and letters of appreciation for local firefighters to thank them for their service.

Upper School students held a commemoration during their Community Gathering on Sept. 10. The gathering included an announcement followed by a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, the exact time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Across the Ravenscroft community, Friday provided an opportunity to bridge two generations — those who experienced 9/11 in real time and those who have only heard or read about it throughout their lives.

“Historians refer to this as a turning point in human history,” Guzmán said. “Growing up, we learn about a lot of those. They don’t feel quite so real. I think what’s interesting about this one is they (the students) can look at the adults and know, ‘That person has some sort of personal connection to it.’ It provides an opportunity for adults and students to connect.”