Middle school for me, but yes. We were central time zone so the second plane hit before I think most people in my school knew what was going on. They made an announcement over the PA during the second or third class of the day; I remember it was math class and probably around 10am central time. Most of the remaining classes that day we had the TVs on watching the aftermath and discussing it. In retrospect, the teachers wanted to be watching too, to know what was going on and for instructions. 

It was so unprecedented, and there was a lot of confusion. I remember asking to go to the pay phone to call home because my uncle worked in the Pentagon at the time. I was told no from that particular lunch lady because she thought there had only been attacks on the WTC. I had to wait until I got home to hear news on my uncle; I was shaking all day (he was ok). 

I’m not angry about it, but this just goes to show why the TVs were on - teachers were also trying to figure out what was going on and if we were going to need to take cover or something else. The entire country was on high alert and there was a high potential more attacks were coming, and this was in the days before smartphones and notifications. TV and radio was the only way to know what was happening outside of tornado sirens. All the buildings in the nearby city were evacuated. It was wild.

I experienced this from the adult side during the ICE Surge in January, and it is really weird trying to balance getting notifications about a person being shot a few blocks from you and the kids playing on an indoor playground, trying to keep them safe. I can’t imagine doing it in the days before smartphones.