Tribute to Courage: Hudson Fire Station Showcases 9/11 Collage made by HHS

HUDSON — A 9/11 memorial collage created at Hudson High School is now on display at Hudson Fire Station 1 in downtown Hudson.

On Sept. 11, history teacher Tim Reinhardt, graphic design teacher Arianna Ciesluk, science teacher Judy Pavao, the art department, and dozens of students collaborated on the project as part of a school-wide ARC curriculum honoring the victims of the attacks.

The collage features a black-taped silhouette of the New York City skyline with the Twin Towers, surrounded by student quotes and reflections.

“By remembering 9/11, it helped us recreate the skyline,” Reinhardt said.

Each grade contributed to the remembrance in different ways. Eighth graders listened to recordings of phone calls made by victims. Freshmen watched documentaries about ordinary heroes. Sophomores participated in a panel discussion and built the collage. Juniors and seniors wrote letters of thanks to first responders in New York, Boston, and Hudson.

“I received an email from a sergeant in the New York City Police Department saying they got our letters and appreciated our reaching out,” Reinhardt said.

Ciesluk noted that today’s students are part of the first generation to grow up after the attacks. “This group in high school right now is really the first people who were not alive when 9/11 happened,” she said.

The annual project will continue to expand, adding new activities to deepen understanding of the attacks and their lasting impact.

Teachers say the collage itself is a powerful visual. “The New York City skyline before and after 9/11 was totally different,” Ciesluk said. “It’s powerful to see the buildings towering over the skyline.”

On Sept. 25, with help from local firefighters, the collage was moved from the high school cafeteria to Station 1. Firefighters welcomed the tribute.

“One of my best friends is a firefighter here in Hudson, and he told me how much they love getting those cards, because sometimes the work can feel thankless,” Ciesluk said.

Art teacher Erin Jameson said she wanted the project to connect students to both national and local responses. Jameson preserved student notes from 2001, written in the days after the attacks.

“You could see what students were thinking back in 2001, when this was happening in real time,” she said.

The time capsule gave today’s students a chance to reflect on what the tragedy meant for people their own age at the time.

“The world definitely changed then,” Jameson said