Today, 25 years after the attacks of September 11, 2021, Charlotte Latin School observed the anniversary with a moment of silence and with special programming that educated students on the meaning of the event and brought them together with a collective project of healing.

Introducing 25 Years Later, an educational film by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum that spotlighted the experiences of survivors and the families of fallen heroes, Middle School Dean of Instruction Lauren Putman reminded students, “Tragedy showed us how fragile life can be — but it also showed us how strong community can be when it matters most. That lesson is just as important today as it was 25 years ago.”

The Hawk Block programming continued back in the Middle School, where students met in their advisory groups; teachers shared their own 9/11 memories and personal connections, providing the cultural context of the time. Each student learned to fold an origami crane, a Japanese symbol of healing that evoked a moment of hope from the bleak days of September 2001, when Japanese students sent thousands of cranes to the emergency workers at Ground Zero.

“In the upcoming weeks, we will find a way to display them in our Middle School as a vibrant reminder of the importance of community,” Putman said of the 2026 flock of cranes. “Because that is the enduring lesson of September 11, 2001: that even in the face of hardship, we can choose to make a positive difference in our own communities.”