(Editor's note: The following letters were written
by I.S. 89 students regarding the debate over
when P.S. 89 students should return to the building
that the two schools share. I.S. 89 students
returned on Jan. 22.)

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to the article written about the P.S. 89 kids not wanting to go back to their old school ("P.S 89 Teachers Denounce Feb. 4 Move," January, 2002). In my opinion, the teacher, Rebecca Caban, is wrong about the kids not wanting to move back because of emotional reasons.

I know a lot of kids in kindergarten to 5th grade, and they seem perfectly fine. They aren’t acting at all worried after the events of September 11th.

I think that what might be going on is the teachers are assuming that the kids are reacting in the same way that they are about September 11th. My suggestion for the teachers of P.S. 89 would be to try to also include the opinions of the kids.

Richard Reitzfeld

To the Editor:

I appreciate your article about the disagreement between parents and the Board of Education concerning the return of children to P.S. 89 ("P.S. 89 Teachers Denounce Feb. 4 Move," January, 2002). I am a student at I.S. 89 and I live at 71 Leonard St. Recently, we returned to our school and are happy to be here.

I feel it is unfair not to let children return to school in their own neighborhood. Some teachers from I.S. 89 also felt it was unsafe to return here, but it’s not. It is perfectly okay. I feel no different now in school than I did before September 11th.

Some P.S. 89 children have been by the school to pick up an older brother or sister. They say they are all right and not in any way emotionally wounded or physically harmed by the atmosphere. Their parents should understand that although they may be fine in the school they are in now, they would still be better off in their permanant school. Since P.S. 89 is safe and open, I think they should come back as soon as they can, and not put it off. No matter when they move back—it’s still like coming home.

In my opinion, having the school population back together will help heal the whole school community and make every child feel safe back in their own neighborhood, their own school.

Nicolas Castellon

To the Editor:

I read Jim Stratton’s article ("Its Innocence Lost, I.S. 89 Eagerly Returns," January, 2002) and found it very factual. I am an I.S. 89 student and I agree about crowding in the West 17th Street school. I am happy to be back at the I.S. 89 school building. I also think your article is very interesting and it describes most of the events my school has been through.

Thank you for writing about my school.

Andrew Lee

To the Editor:

After reading the story about the teachers at P.S. 89 I thought I would not get to go back to I.S. 89 ("P.S. 89 Teachers Denounce Feb. 4 Move," January, 2002).

From my own experience living across the street from Ground Zero, I know that the air was not all that good I thought that air quality would keep us from returning to our school on West Street.

Then, when I found out that we were going back, I was not only surprised, I was happy because I would now have a shorter commute and be in a nice clean school building.

Maybe some day my neighborhood will be back the way it was, but until then I will live with it the way it is.

Peter Begley