Sixth-grade students’ Hall of Heroes event draws nearly 400 people
Voorhees Middle School sixth graders honored their personal superheroes this month at the school’s Hall of Heroes celebration.
The annual celebration was held during the afternoon of Oct. 2 in the middle school cafeteria. The ceremony, which began in 2002, encourages students to choose a hero in their lives and honor that person at the school ceremony.
Voorhees Middle School sixth grade social studies teacher Noreen Saggese started the project with a team of teachers as a way to help students heal after Sept. 11, 2001. Her goal for students at the event is to reflect on people who have exuded qualities of heroism in their lives.
According to Saggese, nearly 400 people attended the ceremony, including the students and their heroes, parents, teachers, Mayor Michael Mignona of Voorhees and New Jersey assemblyman Louis Greenwald, who was nominated as a hero by his daughter.
Prior to the ceremony, students created essays and pictures detailing their heroes, who included parents, grandparents, family members, police officers, pastors, nurses, doctors, firefighters and military personnel.
At the event, 12 students at a time honored each hero with copies of their essays, a hug and an American flag pin purchased by the Voorhees Parent Faculty Association. Sixth-grade students and members of the orchestra, band and Breakfast Club chorus also presented selections of music and poetry throughout the event.
“It was beautiful. The students have never seen anything like this, and people were hugging and crying,” Saggese said.
Currently, copies of the hero essays are on display on the “wall of heroes” outside of Saggese’s classroom.
As part of the sixth-grade history curriculum, Saggese teaches students about Sept. 11, 2001, and sees the ceremony as a way to show her pupils it is possible for something good to come out of a tragic event.
“Sept. 11 changed all of us. It started as a healing response ceremony and really blossomed into a learning experience for our students here,” she said. “The people that the children have nominated are heroes and have left such an imprint on their lives.”
Saggese thanked parents, teachers and school administrators for their support and plans to hold the event next year.
“The students were excited about writing their essays for their heroes and were thrilled about having their hero come to school to be with them. As the celebration unfolded, some of the kids had tears of happiness when their hero came up to them,” she said.
Jill and David Kumpf, of Voorhees, were honored by their sixth-grade twin sons Paul and Phillip Kumpf. Paul and Phillip played “America the Beautiful” on acoustic guitar during the ceremony. The two wrote about their appreciation for the time their parents spend with them and their lessons about life.
Jill said the event allowed her family to celebrate heroism together.
“As parents, it was an honor to participate. It was really exciting to be there and to experience the meaning of the day and what it meant to the kids. Ms. Saggese did an outstanding job, and it was a wonderful experience. It was just a real honor,” Jill said. Sixth-grade student Gabrielle Jackson, 11, honored her aunt as a hero because of the hurdles her aunt overcame throughout her life. Her aunt also read to her and helped take care of her as a child.
“My aunt always encouraged me to try, and because of what she’s been through that really touches me because she never gives up,” she said.
Gabrielle, of Voorhees, spoke at the event about how she feels people should honor everyday heroes for their good works.
“To me it was exciting and nerve-racking at first, but I did enjoy speaking [I] had a lot of fun. I think it was heartwarming to see all the kids pin their heroes,” she said.
The annual celebration was held during the afternoon of Oct. 2 in the middle school cafeteria. The ceremony, which began in 2002, encourages students to choose a hero in their lives and honor that person at the school ceremony.
Voorhees Middle School sixth grade social studies teacher Noreen Saggese started the project with a team of teachers as a way to help students heal after Sept. 11, 2001. Her goal for students at the event is to reflect on people who have exuded qualities of heroism in their lives.
According to Saggese, nearly 400 people attended the ceremony, including the students and their heroes, parents, teachers, Mayor Michael Mignona of Voorhees and New Jersey assemblyman Louis Greenwald, who was nominated as a hero by his daughter.
Prior to the ceremony, students created essays and pictures detailing their heroes, who included parents, grandparents, family members, police officers, pastors, nurses, doctors, firefighters and military personnel.
At the event, 12 students at a time honored each hero with copies of their essays, a hug and an American flag pin purchased by the Voorhees Parent Faculty Association. Sixth-grade students and members of the orchestra, band and Breakfast Club chorus also presented selections of music and poetry throughout the event.
“It was beautiful. The students have never seen anything like this, and people were hugging and crying,” Saggese said.
Currently, copies of the hero essays are on display on the “wall of heroes” outside of Saggese’s classroom.
As part of the sixth-grade history curriculum, Saggese teaches students about Sept. 11, 2001, and sees the ceremony as a way to show her pupils it is possible for something good to come out of a tragic event.
“Sept. 11 changed all of us. It started as a healing response ceremony and really blossomed into a learning experience for our students here,” she said. “The people that the children have nominated are heroes and have left such an imprint on their lives.”
Saggese thanked parents, teachers and school administrators for their support and plans to hold the event next year.
“The students were excited about writing their essays for their heroes and were thrilled about having their hero come to school to be with them. As the celebration unfolded, some of the kids had tears of happiness when their hero came up to them,” she said.
Jill and David Kumpf, of Voorhees, were honored by their sixth-grade twin sons Paul and Phillip Kumpf. Paul and Phillip played “America the Beautiful” on acoustic guitar during the ceremony. The two wrote about their appreciation for the time their parents spend with them and their lessons about life.
Jill said the event allowed her family to celebrate heroism together.
“As parents, it was an honor to participate. It was really exciting to be there and to experience the meaning of the day and what it meant to the kids. Ms. Saggese did an outstanding job, and it was a wonderful experience. It was just a real honor,” Jill said. Sixth-grade student Gabrielle Jackson, 11, honored her aunt as a hero because of the hurdles her aunt overcame throughout her life. Her aunt also read to her and helped take care of her as a child.
“My aunt always encouraged me to try, and because of what she’s been through that really touches me because she never gives up,” she said.
Gabrielle, of Voorhees, spoke at the event about how she feels people should honor everyday heroes for their good works.
“To me it was exciting and nerve-racking at first, but I did enjoy speaking [I] had a lot of fun. I think it was heartwarming to see all the kids pin their heroes,” she said.
