When Roosevelt School’s academically talented (AT) sixth grade students learned about the exploits of Weehawken native David Mearns and his expedition to find the sunken remains of the famed British HMS Hood warship earlier this year, they were so intrigued that they wanted to know more.
"I sure was very interested," said 11-year-old Nora Giannini. "Especially when we found out that he was from Weehawken. I think we were all amazed that someone from Weehawken could have done so much. It says a lot."
"I didn’t know much about oceanography," said 11-year-old Miranda Ginebra. "I thought it was just studying life in the ocean. But I became very interested once we found out who he was and where he was from."
In July, Mearns led an expedition to discover the wreck of the Hood, a historic British battleship that was sunk in a battle with the German battleship Bismarck 60 years ago in the Denmark Strait off Iceland on May 24, 1941. More than 3,500 sailors perished in the sinking of both ships – 1,415 sailors and crew aboard the Hood and 2,131 people aboard the Bismarck. It was the single largest loss of life in British Royal Navy history.
The students became so interested in Mearns’ expedition to find the Hood – the culmination of six years of research and dedication – that they wanted him in their annual "KidWitness News" feature, a program they videotape and enter in the national Panasonic awards competition.
But Mearns currently resides in London and his busy schedule doesn’t allow for many visits to his hometown, where his mother, Caroline, still resides.
However, Mearns was paying a visit for the holidays and with the help of his mother’s friend and neighbor Jimmy Festa, who is also a close friend of sixth grade AT teacher Eileen Hochman, the visit was arranged and took place last Tuesday morning.
In preparation for Mearns’ visit, the students did extensive research and created gigantic drawings of both the HMS Hood and the German battleship Bismarck, which was also sunk in the same battle as the Hood.
The students also watched a PBS documentary that was made about Mearns’ expedition of locating the Hood, and they went to the Internet for information about both ships and the expedition.
"They did volumes of research, mostly on their own at home," said Hochman. "They went to every site that they could find. They really got excited about it because they knew that David came from Weehawken."
When Mearns arrived, the students were prepared, which impressed him. "I thought they were great," Mearns said. "They were not only keen on the job, but they were also interested in the history of Hood and Bismarck and I thought that was fantastic. They did so much work that they knew even the subtle points that most people don’t know, like the difference between Bismarck being a battleship and Hood being a battle cruiser."
When it came time to ask Mearns the questions for the interview that would be on the taped presentation, the students were ready.
"I asked him about what other ships had he discovered," said 11-year-old Jack Montanile. "I was nervous at first, but he made me feel so comfortable. I was really amazed by the whole thing, especially seeing those ships after they had been underwater for so long. And it was amazing that he is from Weehawken."
"I wanted to know what inspired him to get into oceanography," Ginebra said. "I learned so much. I was one who helped to draw Bismarck and we had a tough time getting it correct. I also learned that the Hood was the most beautiful ship in the British navy."
Mearns spent more than an hour with the students, answering the questions for the taped presentation. He also personally autographed a copy of his book for them.
"It was rewarding to me," Mearns said. "Most of the work I did on the project was done with older people, with veterans who wanted to make sure to tell their story to a new generation. We figured that the new generation would be those in the 20-to-25-age range. But to go as far as to a group of sixth graders in New Jersey is terrific. It was very fulfilling."
Hochman said that Mearns gave the students a reason to dream. "He told them that they should follow their dreams, to pursue their dreams, for anything is possible," Hochman said. "He just related so well to the children. He was delightful, and his message to the children was powerful."
Both Giannini and Montanile said that they are now more interested in oceanography since meeting Mearns.
"It was definitely more interesting and more exciting than what I thought it would be," Giannini said.
"It makes me wonder whether I could ever find a ship like that," Montanile said. "I’m definitely interested."
Mearns said that he didn’t come home to Weehawken to deliver an inspirational message. "I think that these children were already ready to take that message themselves," Mearns said. "I didn’t turn them around. I feel slightly embarrassed and don’t think in those terms that I’m an inspiration. These students are very dedicated and want to strive to succeed already. If I gave a little bit of an example, that someone from a little place like Weehawken could achieve elsewhere, then that’s wonderful. But these children understood that and will far surpass anything I’ve ever accomplished."
The Panasonic competition will take place in the spring, culminating in an awards presentation in May. Chances are that these students from Roosevelt School will be representing their hometown once again, thanks to the generosity of a famed oceanographer from their backyard.