In honor of the 11th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, students, staff and teachers on the seventh-grade purple team at Islip Middle School invited retired FDNY Captain Vincent Ungaro to speak with the students. On 9/11, Mr. Ungaro was a member of Squad 288 in Queens, which lost 19 members of their house. “There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t remember our fallen brothers,” he remarked.

During his visit with the students, Mr. Ungaro answered student questions and presented a slideshow that featured photos from 9/11, as well as from the months of clean-up following that fateful day. “On a day such as today, we all come together as human beings to remember those who lost their lives on September 11, those who volunteered their skills that day and the days after, and those who risk their lives every day to protect our freedoms,” he said.

Added school social worker Shari Pennington, who helped organize Mr. Ungaro’s visit, “My hope is that the students learn that no matter what you go through – whether individually or as a nation – if we work together, anything is possible. Even in the worst circumstances, good can be found.”