MHS learners, teachers and staff joined together on Sept. 11 in honor of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Led by the Student Service Center, the team packed 700 snack bags that were donated to the Mary Brennan INN, a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization that provides essential services to assist those challenged by hunger, homelessness and poverty on Long Island.

Immediately following the service activity, the group gathered in the Reggie Carter Commons for a ceremony where they were reminded of the importance of honoring the victims with service and kindness and living by the motto “We Honor, We Help, We Heal.” The ceremony included a poetry reading and the story of the Survivor Tree, a Callery pear tree, that was discovered buried in rubble at Ground Zero and was rehabilitated and returned to the Memorial in 2010 as a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth.

In 2011, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Mineola planted a Survivor Tree at the high school that is growing strong and serves as a spot of solitude and contemplation. At the conclusion of the annual 9/11 ceremony, students take turning watering the tree to contrast the fire that caused immense destruction and tragedy and to symbolize water as a primary element of rebirth and renewal.

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Date Added: 9/12/2023