Students cope, learn

By FRITZ BUSCH

and RACHEL WEDDIG

Journal Staff Writers

NEW ULM -- New Ulm Area Catholic Schools (NUACS) held a brief prayer session Tuesday afternoon in reaction to terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

Cathedral High School Principal Shelly Bauer addressed the students as they sat together on the gym floor.

"In light of the events this past week -- if you're feeling stressed and not sure what to do, talk to someone," Bauer said. "You need to talk to someone. Don't hold it inside you and tell people how you feel."

One student said a brief prayer, opening with a statement comparing the Tuesday morning events to the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

"We bow our heads in prayer for the wounded, the dead, the terrorized," the student said. "Today we are saying a prayer for our country and this unspeakable tragedy. We pray for President Bush and leaders to provide us with leadership to get through these times."

Faculty and students then embraced in a moment of silence followed by the church bells ringing in the background signaling the end of the school day.

New Ulm Public Schools, were in a "code yellow" security system. On a normal day, doors are all locked except for the main entrance door.

On Tuesday, the district had employees watch the main door to make sure everyone entering the building had a purpose for being there. Students weren't allowed to leave the buildings except briefly during the lunch period.

"Mainly students are overwhelmed that something like this happened and are huddled around the televisions," Superintendent Harold Remme said. "The teachers used the time to serve as a teaching moment about terrorism and national pride."

High School Principal Dick LaPatka said it was basically like a normal day of school.

"There were lots of conversations, and we put ourselves on alert," LaPatka said. "We made sure everything was OK, and a number of social studies classes had the students watching some coverage on television. The kids knew what was going on throughout the day, but we kept it as normal of a day as possible."

Most students knew about the attacks, but they didn't seem overly concerned.

"To be honest, it was pretty much like a normal day," said NUHS guidance counselor Pamela Iverson. "A few kids came down that were a little more concerned thinking about the different impacts. The kids remained well-informed and watched it on the news and would talk about the events."

Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School (MVL) held a special prayer during home-room chapel Tuesday morning.

"We have done some things after having been alerted of the news by television, but we are not in contact with any law enforcement officials at this time," said MVL Principal Robert Klindworth. Students learned of the incidents via a general announcement.

During that chapel time, MVL focused on the incidents in New York and Washington.

"We emphasized on the safety and threats to our country and said we are vulnerable, despite how invincible we may feel," Klindworth said. "We are doing a lot of prayers and devotions. We are in an area of bit uncertainty, and we see a lot of worried faces, but for the most part we are in a state of higher awareness."

Nicollet High School held a school assembly after lunch to talk about Tuesday's events. Superintendent John Hornung gathered the students in grades 7-12 to let them know about the tragedy.

"It was an extremely somber group during the assembly. ... This assembly let the students know what's really going on," said Principal Gregg Allen. "Mr. Hornung felt it was time to give the students the facts about the tragedy and to let them know the seriousness of the situation and how it's going to effect their lives from now on."

Sleepy Eye St. Mary's School held a prayer service Tuesday afternoon.

Sleepy Eye Public School Superintendent Jay Haugen reported that the Sleepy Eye Crisis Team met Tuesday morning and helped him draft a message to all school staff.

"We pray for those who were killed or injured in this attack and for all people of a world which seems suddenly a little darker than before," Haugen wrote.

"Horrific pictures, stories and sounds will be pouring into people's homes, making this tragedy very real for us all. Children especially need to be reminded that they are safe, and that we are not at war.

"They are safe not only because these events are tremendously rare, but because officials of this nation will be taking every precaution in the days to come. The main goal in talking to students is to provide understanding and emotional support. No good is served by watching these images over and over again on television. This should be impressed upon students."

Extracurricular school activities went on as usual Tuesday night at Sleepy Eye.

Springfield Public School extracurricular activities were postponed Tuesday but Superintendent Scott Heller said the school is otherwise trying to maintain business as usual.