At 8:30 a.m. on September 11, everyone inside of Wantagh High School and Wantagh Middle School stood still for a moment of silence to remember the tragic events that unfolded 23 years ago in New York and across the country. Students were asked to participate in a school-wide “Silent Hall Passing” as students walked to their third period class between 9:10 a.m. and 9:14 a.m. which was minutes after flight 175 struck the second tower of the World Trade Center.

In an effort to keep the memory of September 11 alive, social studies teachers were asked to break from their day’s lesson plans to commemorate the day through personal stories, videos, or discussion. 

Social Studies teacher Mr. Tallarine’s connection to that day was his father-in-law who worked as a Corrections Officer out east.  After learning about the attack, he went to Ground Zero that day to help out and continued to stay during the recovery period. At the time, Mr. Tallerine was a college student on his way to class when he learned of the attack. He went home to watch the event unfold and simply described what he saw as “unbelievable.” 

As none of the seniors in his Period 1 class were alive in 2001, they watched the events of the day as told through “9/11: One Day in America.”

In August 2023, Mr. Tallerine’s students, then high school juniors, took a class trip to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in Manhattan located beneath the footprints of the WTC courtesy of The Gary Sinise Foundation. With the assistance of a tour guide, they visited the Reflecting Pool, exhibits, viewed artifacts, and heard final recorded messages of those awaiting rescue or those searching for loved ones, and panel presentation led by first responders who worked the pile for months after the attack.

Before the bell rang, Mr. Tallerine reminded students to be nicer to people, to help each other, and try placing each other in front of yourself as a great way to honor those who were affected by the events of September 11.