The classrooms and hallways at Floral Park Memorial High School were a sea of purple, as students and staff dressed in shades of the color to observe P.S. I Love You Day on Feb. 11. The annual event is held to decrease bullying and promote mental health awareness.
English teacher Emma Martin spearheaded the P.S. I Love You Day event. She organized student-led committees to assist in decorating the building and the activities throughout the day. To prepare for the day, the student committees blew up balloons and created balloon archways, as well as hung paper feet on the walls and placed a purple post-it with words of affirmation on every locker.
Throughout the day, a committee of students sold candy grams and key chains, which were made of purple hearts and small superheroes. Students were able to send a candy gram to a friend with messages of encouragement. In the classrooms, students learned about the history of P.S. I Love You Day and decorated hearts with positive phrases. The Floral Park Florettes volunteered to hang these hearts around the cafeterias, allowing students to continually read the positive affirmations. PALS students held a purple-themed bake sale, and the cafeteria staff decorated the lunch line and handed out cookies with purple hearts to each student. Additionally, staff engaged in a door decorating contest.
The contributions from the keychain sales and door decorating contest are to be donated to the P.S. I Love You Day organization.
