Their words are simple, yet poignant.

        “I love you. I'm sorry for what happened in your town,” read most of the handmade cards hanging in the hallway at Whitaker Elementary in Finneytown.

        The school's 350 kindergarten through fifth-grade students are making the cards to mail to New York City children to help them cope in the aftermath of this week's tragedy. Whitaker's staff used the Internet to track down elementary schools near the crash site in lower Manhattan.

Ali Y. Taylor, 8, a student at Whitaker Elementary School, prepares a sympathy card for the students in schools near the World Trade Center in New York. (Michael E. Keating photos) | ZOOM |

        “We're trying to make them feel better so they won't have any bad dreams, and they'll know it will be OK,” said Allison Taylor, 8, a second-grader who was making her card on Thursday.

        Greater Cincinnati's children are taking action to honor those who died, support the survivors and bring together their communities as the nation mourns.

        Students around the Tristate are writing letters, hanging flags and holding prayer vigils in response to the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.

        Several schools are sponsoring Red, White and Blue Day today, encouraging students and staff to wear the nation's colors, while many others are organizing blood drives and collecting donations.

        “Children aren't helpless,” said JoEtta Bauer, a counselor at Whitaker. “They can't give blood. They don't have money, but they do have love. They have kindness and caring, and they can send that.”

        Activities such as that at Whitaker help empower students and calm their fears, school officials said.

        “They're very, very, very sad,” Whitaker second-grader Cameron Owens, 7, said of the children in New York. “If we don't do anything, they'll keep crashing into places.”

Alex Wardlaw, 8, a second-grader at Whitaker Elementary School in Finneytown, holds a card he made to send to students in New York City. ([name of photographer] photo) | ZOOM |

        Students in Boone County went to Superintendent Bryan Blavatt with their ideas for a unity gathering. Members of the superintendent's student advisory committee have organized and will lead a candlelight remembrance on Friday night at 7:30 at Ryle High School's stadium.

        “We just want to get everybody together to support one another,” said Chase Crigler, 17, a Ryle senior.

        The district postponed Friday's football game and all weekend activities for the event, which is open to the community. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend.

        Students from each of the district's three high schools will speak, and all three high school bands will play together. People are just asked to bring a candle.

        “You just feel so helpless when you're this far away and you want to do something to help,” said Lara Arlinghaus, 17, a senior at Conner High School.

        On a spiritual and emotional level, public schools are responding with moments of silence and patriotic songs. Parochial schools are holding prayer vigils and services.

        St. Veronica School in Mount Carmel held an all-day Vigil of Prayer on Thursday. Each of the 16 classrooms spent 20 minutes at church in prayer.

        “By doing something, it helps children cope,” Principal Paul McLaughlin said. “It helps them feel they're making a contribution. We always start our contributions with prayer.”

        The busiest table at Lakota East High School's Activities Fair on Thursday had nothing to do with sign-ups for the school's numerous activities.

        Across three long tables were white banners with bold, black lettering: “The Love of Lakota East High School is With You.” Students stood in line, anxious to scribble their name or a brief message on the banners, one bound for the Pentagon, the other to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's office.

        Students were also collecting donations for the Red Cross.

        “People are coming by dropping 10s and fives. I'm really amazed by this turnout,” said Crystal Singh, 17, of West Chester Township. “Everyone who walks by wants to sign.”

        Here's how other schools are responding to the tragedy:

        • Covedale School this morningwill hold a tribute to the victims of the attack, while students at R.A. Jones Middle School in Florence are gathering around the flagpole before school for a remembrance service.

        • Cheerleaders at Lakota West High School have found a high school in New York that is serving as a morgue and are writing encouraging notes on a poster that will be mailed to the teens at the school. They also collected $1,300 Thursday for relief efforts, with collections continuing today.

        • Mason Middle School's Student Council is collecting change during lunch this week for the American Red Cross. Students are also writing notes and making posters for people involved in the New York disaster, which will be delivered by the Red Cross.

        • In Deerfield Township, students at Columbia Elementary School are writing thank you notes to firefighters, police and other workers involved in rescue operations in New York and Washington.

       Cindy Kranz and Sue Kiesewetter contributed to this report.

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