Las Vegas students reach out to school near crash

Terry Webster

Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

Students at Cashman Middle School in Las Vegas are sending messages of hope to an elementary school located more than 2,400 miles away, where small children witnessed the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

A group of children at Hoffman-Boston Elementary School in Arlington, Va., were outside on the school playground when a hijacked jet swooped down from overhead and crashed into the Pentagon in a ball of fire, school officials said.

Hoffman-Boston, a pre-kindergarten through grade 4 school, is about one mile from the Pentagon.

Cashman students are "adopting" the school, sending it cards and large paper hearts decorated with glitter and feathers.

A card with an American flag, carefully drawn with red, white and blue crayons, reads: "Dear Kids, I'm sorry for what you saw. I hope you never have to see anything like that again."

Beneath the card's flag, in bold white letters outlined in blue, are the words: "God Bless America."

Many students throughout the Clark County School District, the nation's sixth largest, are reaching out to families and victims of the terrorist attacks, along with rescue workers, by sending them cards and donations.

"I told them that everyone in the nation feels your sadness, so don't feel lonely because we are feeling that too," said seventh-grader Chase Schmidt, who led Cashman's adoption of Hoffman-Boston.

Melinda Johnson, an eighth-grade student at Cashman, said her school is trying to help the students at Hoffman-Boston move past the tragedy.

"They have to go to school knowing that all of those people died right next to their school," she said. "I hope they are able to stop worrying about it so much."

Seventh grader Jade Castro said: "We told them 'We love you' and to have faith."

The terrorist attacks, which killed thousands, most of them in the World Trade Center in New York City, are still causing alarm for Clark County youths. Students said they are afraid to be away from their parents and are having nightmares.

"I cried when I heard that kids' mothers died," said seventh grade Cashman student April Snyder. "Who is going to make dinner or help them with their homework?"

The cards made by Cashman's 1,259 students are expected to be taken to other schools in the area surrounding the Pentagon.

"The principal is going to take enough cards for her students, she has about 400, and then she is going give the rest to other schools that are close to the Pentagon, as well," said Cashman Principal Sheri Davies.