By Ashley Dunn
Staff Writer
LUTZ — On Sept. 11, 2001, Wilson Morse wasn’t even two years old, but he still knows what happened on that tragic day.
“I know that there were terrorists and they crashed into the two Twin Towers,” said Wilson, a fourth-grader at Lutz Elementary.
On Sept. 11 this year, Wilson and the rest of the school’s student body celebrated Patriot Day with a special outdoor program. Each grade wore either red, white or blue and sang a patriotic song. The school also recognized the Lutz Patriots, military personnel, veterans and first responders. Lutz Elementary has put on the annual presentation since 2002.
Some students knew how Patriot Day originated. Others didn’t. It’s not something many classes talk about, said Mary Fernandez, school principal.
“Depending on their age, we do what’s appropriate,” she said.
Instead of focusing on the terrorist attacks, teachers convey the importance of police officers, firefighters and those in the military.
It’s a lesson that wasn’t lost on third-grader Mackenzie Young, 8. When asked why the school had the patriotic celebration that morning, she said, “To thank America for all the freedom and to thank the troops and the military, who are giving us freedom.”
Fourth-grader Leigh Dittman, 9, said she remembers her parents explaining what happened in 2001.
“It was just so sad to hear,” she said, adding she understands the jobs that soldiers and first responders do each day are dangerous. “They risk their lives to make sure that we are free — that we are one country — so it’s just important to show that we appreciate what they do for us.”
Wilson, 9, agreed.
“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here,” he said.
