Sparta High School Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of September 11

9/14/2026

by The Oracle Staff

On Friday, September 11, 2026, Sparta High School came together to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks through remembrance, reflection, and a powerful firsthand account of service.

The day began at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center. Student Council President Valerie Kopco delivered a moving statement to the Sparta High School community, honoring the nearly 3,000 lives lost and recognizing the extraordinary courage of the first responders, ordinary citizens, and countless others who stepped forward to help that day. The school community then observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims and their families.

The commemoration continued during lunch in the Sparta High School Library/Media Resource Center, where the Law Enforcement Club, in partnership with the Library, hosted a special viewing of a 9/11 anniversary documentary.

Librarian Mrs. Angela DeLuccia opened the program by providing students with historical context and reminding them why, 25 years later, it remains important for a new generation to learn about September 11. For today’s high school students, 9/11 is history rather than a lived memory, making firsthand accounts especially meaningful.

Following portions of the documentary, students had the opportunity to hear one of those firsthand accounts from a familiar member of the Sparta High School community.

SHS Security Guard Kevin Radday was a member of the New York City Police Department when the attacks occurred and participated in the rescue and recovery efforts that followed. Radday shared his experiences with students, providing a personal perspective on the courage, sacrifice, devastation, and humanity he witnessed during one of the most difficult moments in American history.

He also shared artifacts connected to those experiences, including items from fellow SHS Security Guard Robert Kelly, who also served with the NYPD.

The artifacts and personal stories brought history beyond the pages of a textbook or images on a screen. Students were able to hear directly from someone who answered the call to serve and to better understand the experiences of the first responders who rushed toward danger while so many others were trying to escape it.

While the program remembered the tragedy and tremendous loss of September 11, it also focused on what happened afterward.

In the days and months following the attacks, communities came together. First responders, volunteers, neighbors, strangers, and people from across the country worked side by side to rescue, recover, comfort, and rebuild. Differences seemed smaller, and helping one another became more important.

Radday ended the program by challenging students to carry that lesson forward in a simple but meaningful way: pay forward an act of kindness.

Twenty-five years later, that message remains an important part of the legacy of September 11.

For Sparta High School, the anniversary was not only an opportunity to remember a defining moment in American history, but also to remind a new generation that even in the darkest moments, courage, service, compassion, and unity can make a difference.

We remember those we lost. We honor those who served. And we carry their legacy forward through how we treat one another.