To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, both communities in our Upper and Lower schools gathered to pray and reflect.

First on the turf field, the Lower School gathered for a prayer service led by the fourth-grade class to remember lives lost, honor those who sacrificed for others, and reflect on how each person in attendance can serve as a peacemaker.

“We gather as one Oak Knoll community to remember, to pray, and to ask God for the gift of peace,” said Erin Egan ’93, fourth-grade teacher. “Although none of our students were alive when the events of September 11 took place, we can still learn from the courage, kindness, and love from that day and the days that followed.”

As part of the prayer ceremony, the fourth graders blew bubbles into the air, and everyone was encouraged to think of a single prayer of peace they would like to send to God, whether for a loved one, people in another part of the world, or for help in becoming peacemakers.

A few hours later, the Upper School gathered to commemorate the day before a learning Mass designed to assist students in liturgical worship throughout the 2026-27 school year.

“We pray for peace in our hearts, in our nation, and in our world,” said Michele Van Kalsbeck, director of Campus Ministry. 

During his homily, Father Larry Evans reflected on the acts of service and sacrifice that followed the attacks and challenged students, who were born years after September 11, to carry forward that same sense of responsibility for one another.

“That’s why we need you to remind us of what we’re forgetting. It seems like an awful burden, but it’s not when you do it together, [it’s] when we do it together.”

The events of September 11, 2001, also left a lasting legacy at Oak Knoll — one rooted in faith, community, and service. 

Twenty-five years ago, as news of the attacks unfolded just miles from Oak Knoll, teachers faced an extraordinary question: how do you care for children in a moment no one yet fully understood?

Recently, Joanne Lucey Ainsworth ’64, former Lower School principal, shared with Oak Knoll a copy of the letter she sent to parents the following day, offering a glimpse into how the school community navigated those uncertain hours. As administrators and teachers worked to understand the rapidly unfolding event, they initially preserved a sense of normalcy for Oak Knoll’s youngest students.

“Thus, for the better part of the morning, the children were blissfully unaware of what was unfolding a mere twenty miles to the east,” she wrote to parents. “As I peeked into classrooms, I saw happy children eagerly participating in discussions, attentively completing math assignments, and skipping down the hill.”

As the day continued and more information became known, students were informed in an age-appropriate manner.

Ainsworth commended Oak Knoll’s teachers who, despite concerns about the well-being of their own family and friends in New York City, maintained what she described as “a calm and loving learning environment” for their students.

“As difficult as this may be, we must move forward,” she wrote. “The routines of school will be a source of comfort and continuity for the children.”

In the Upper School, students responded to the tragedy through prayer, reflection, and service — including an initiative that would become an enduring Oak Knoll tradition.

The school’s traditional service day, now known as the Sister Eileen McDevitt Day of Service, was established by Oak Knoll students in 2001 in response to the 9/11 tragedy. Today, this tradition continues to embody Holy Child Founder Cornelia Connelly’s motto, “Actions, not words.”

Students serving on the Upper School Campus Ministry team also helped plan a prayer and memorial service one month after the attacks. The students wrote letters of support to relief workers and military members and heard presentations from U.N. representatives to help them understand the events.

“I think it took a few days for us to comprehend what had truly happened and to understand the ramifications for the country going forward,” Darcy Newell ’05 said in a later interview. “However, Oak Knoll’s strong sense of togetherness and sturdy foundation in faith was likely how we dealt with the tragedy in our own terms and how we became such a close-knit group of girls so quickly.”

As the fourth graders’ bubbles floated into the sky, Lower School Religion Coordinator Patti Cepparulo reminded students to carry the message of the prayer service forward.

“Let us remember that our work does not end here. Jesus asks each of us to carry his light into the world through kindness, courage, and love,” said Cepparulo. “As we begin this new school year together, may we be people who bring light to others and people who bring peace wherever we go.”