Incorporate terrorist attacks into lessons.
By: Scott Morgan
PLUMSTED Educators in the township’s schools have taken steps to incorporate last week’s terrorist attacks into their students’ academic lives.
Bonnie Vogel, a first-grade teacher at New Egypt Elementary School, said the faculty is being proactive and positive by teaching the Golden Rule.
"We’re teaching the kids to treat others with respect," Ms. Vogel said.
She said the elementary school is hanging a white sheet in the halls, inscribed with the words: "Do what’s right, do your best, do unto others." She said the students will sign their names to it.
Also, the elementary school will set up the Wishing Well for Peace, into which students can drop any spare change toward the relief efforts. The main focus, she said, is to help the children be part of the solution.
Besides the banner and the wishing well, Ms. Vogel said the students are hanging flags and decorating the walls and windows in red, white and blue.
At New Egypt High School, Mike Gray, a U.S. history teacher, said the focus is on educating students about the Middle East and relating historical events.
He said he wants his students to understand the repercussions last week’s events will have on U.S. relations. He said students are curious to know how Pakistan has become vital to U.S. efforts and what U.S. relations with Israel really are.
He also said he is relating the events of last week to events such as Pearl Harbor and the Civil War. Guerrilla tactics used in the Civil War are similar to those used by terrorists last week, in that they have a similar hit-and-run style, he said.
Mr. Gray said that as time goes on, students are more fully appreciating the gravity of the situation. He said the faculty is providing AA (advisor/advisee) counseling for students who have questions about why an attack happened in the first place, or, for many of the boys, their responsibilities in the event of a draft.
While elementary-age children are not able to ponder such complexities, Ms. Vogel said they understand their place in the system. She added the younger children do not live in fear, but rather in hope.
"The kids understand they need to help and be positive," she said.

