[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 115 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1575]]
    CONGRATULATING H. BYRON MASTERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF KENNETT, 
MISSOURI ON WINNING THE KIDS ARE AUTHORS CONTEST FOR ``SEPTEMBER 12TH . 
              . . WE KNEW EVERYTHING WOULD BE ALL RIGHT''

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                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 12, 2002

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor today with the 
memories of September 11th forever etched on my mind. I remember 
thinking that the world would never be the same again after that 
fateful day. I was right. Now, one year later, I am touched and moved 
by the courage, compassion and character that people across our nation 
have shown in the days and months since the attack on America.
  I am nearly moved beyond words by the ways our children have 
responded to the new challenges facing our nation. Immediately 
following September 11th I visited classrooms all over the Eighth 
Congressional district. I listened and spoke with students, teachers 
and parents and felt--for the first time I can remember--a bond and 
sense of purpose that was somehow missing in the days before.
  I have never been as proud to be an American as I was when I visited 
with the children at those schools in my district. To be honest, I 
wasn't sure exactly how to talk about the tragic events of September 
11th, because I wasn't sure how much they understood about why this 
tragedy happened to us. Instead of comforting them, they comforted me. 
Instead of me telling them what happened, through their patriotic 
songs, intelligent questions, cheers of pride, patriotic bulletin 
boards, and their hugs and tears, they shared what they had learned and 
seen.
  One of those schools was H. Byron Masterson Elementary School in 
Kennett, Missouri. The students shared their feelings, but they did 
more than that. They took action. And this week, a year later, the 
results of their actions were heard and seen in New York City. The 
message from the children is one of comfort. Their story is summarized 
in a story reported by the Associated Press and I would like to share 
it with all of you.

       Darlene Robertson says that on some days, the rut is the 
     best place to be. On Sept. 12th, it was the daily rut of life 
     in Robertson's southeast Missouri town that provided the 
     stability her first-grade students needed in that insecure 
     time after the terrorist attacks. ``September 11 upset the 
     routine of America, and these little children felt it,'' 
     Robertson said. ``That's why the rut was so important for us 
     that day.'' Those students, now second-graders at H. Byron 
     Masterson Elementary School, wrote about their experience in 
     a book entitled, September 12th . . . We knew Everything 
     Would be All Right. The book, which the children also 
     illustrated, won the Kids Are Authors contest sponsored by 
     Scholastic Books. Now Scholastic is publishing the book and 
     distributing it nationwide.
       When Robertson first heard of the contest, she began 
     talking with her husband about topics for a book her students 
     could write. They knew that a lot of children would be 
     writing about the terrorist attacks of September 11th, so her 
     husband suggested September 12th as a topic. So the idea for 
     the book was born, and in March, Robertson and her students 
     began to recall what September 11th and 12th were like--how 
     they had discussed what they saw on television, and how she 
     assured them they were safe inside their classroom. 
     ``September 11th shook us all up. As a faculty, we had to be 
     careful not to show our true feelings about the day. We had 
     to do things just like we had been doing the day before. It 
     gave the kids security.'' The book takes readers through the 
     day after the attacks and how the students' daily routine was 
     a comfort to them: ``The sun rose again, and the students 
     traveled to school as usual. They still had homework. And two 
     plus two still added up to four,'' they wrote in the book. 
     ``On September 12th, our parents still tucked us in our warm, 
     safe beds,'' they wrote. ``We knew we would be all right 
     because our parents said they loved us.''
       My favorite quote from the books is one that I used 
     recently in my weekly column about September 11th. The 
     children wrote, ``We knew everything would be all right 
     because the stars and moon came out and America went to 
     sleep. And the next morning the sun came up again.''
       The students, together with their parents, were recognized 
     for their achievement. They along with teacher, Darlene 
     Robertson and her husband, Dennis, and Masterson Principal 
     Elsie Heller, left for New York City early Monday morning, 
     September 9th.
       The group of approximately 40 spent three days in the Big 
     Apple including the one year anniversary of September 11th. 
     The trip, sponsored by NASDAQ, ended with the group taking 
     part in the ceremonial opening and ringing of the bell at the 
     NASDAQ market on September 11th. During their stay in NYC, 
     the group visited various sights including every child's 
     dream, Toys R Us, New York. They also toured the Empire State 
     Building and the New York Public Library. And they took a 
     trip to the company, Scholastic, whose contest made all of 
     this possible.
       Scholastic will be at H. Byron Masterson Elementary School 
     on September 12th for a banquet, where they will present the 
     students with medals. The school also will receive 100 copies 
     of the book and an autographed copy of the book will be sent 
     to President Bush.
       As their teacher Mrs. Robertson said ``We're just a little 
     small town of 11,000 in the Bootheel of Missouri but here we 
     are . . . It is an honor to be chosen.''
       It is an honor for me to represent these children and their 
     families in Congress. Congratulations on this remarkable and 
     special milestone in your lives. You children have inspired 
     me. You have shown your compassion for others. You have 
     displayed the true character of America. You have shown me 
     and other parents and adults your maturity and depth of 
     understanding about our great nation. You have given us 
     resolve. You have given us courage. And you will help us show 
     the world that no act of terror will ever bring us to our 
     knees. We will be stronger than ever in the face of 
     adversity. We will be one. We will be tougher. We will 
     prevail.

     

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