On Feb. 8, H. Frank Carey High School participated in P.S. I Love You Day, founded by Brooke DiPalma of West Islip, whose father, Joseph DiPalma, committed suicide. This was the school’s first time taking part in the event.
The theme of P.S. I Love You Day was “Be Proud of Who You Are,” and one of the first activities Carey students participated in was a T-shirt logo contest. More than 100 students submitted entries to have their design appear on the front of the shirts worn that day. Freshman Sandy Yang won the contest, and other logo submissions were emblazoned on a banner that greeted students as they entered school.
The momentum of the day quickly sprang forward as teachers decorated their classroom and departmental office doors in purple with messages of love, hope and kindness. When the day finally arrived, students walked into a building transformed from the school colors of orange and black to purple right before their eyes. Purple flags and positive messages lined the walkways, purple balloon arches framed doorways, and students and teachers were dressed in purple. Every student’s locker had an inspiring quote waiting for its owner, bathroom mirrors greeted students with motivational thoughts, and songs meant to empower played between class periods. A purple bake sale that could rival that of any famous bakery filled the lobby during periods 0-3 and was sold out before period 3 even ended. Thank you to all who donated baked goods. A photo booth fundraiser was in full effect during the lunch periods for everyone to have fun and dress up, wearing props and holding signs containing powerful messages, such as “I am loved.”
While the magic was seen and experienced on the surface, what occurred in each classroom provided students with the true impact of the day. Every teacher devoted each school period to topics such as kindness, bullying and dealing with depression. Each lesson was the same across all classes, grade levels and periods. DiPalma was kind enough to make a personalized video addressed to Carey students, which kicked off the day in period 1.
In addition, the school teamed with Dans Plan, an organization that’s also spreading suicide prevention awareness. It was founded in honor of Dan Babich, a 2008 graduate who took his own life. Michael Babich, Dan’s brother (Class of 2010) came in before the event and was interviewed by social studies teacher and dean Michael Stanley about his brother’s suicide and its impact. The result was a raw, emotional and informative interview that was seen by all classes during period 2. Michael Babich visited Carey on P.S. I Love You Day and viewed the finished video in Mr. Stanley’s senior class. He participated in a Q&A session with the students.
One of the activities that Carey hopes will live on long after P.S. I Love You Day is the Kindness Boomerang Pin Challenge. Every faculty and staff member in the building starts with one pin decorated with the logo designed by Yang. When a random act of kindness is witnessed, the teacher will pass the pin to a student. The student will wear the pin proudly on their Carey lanyard until he or she passes it along to another student for simply displaying kindness, generosity or caring. The hope is that being kind to everyone becomes second nature to everyone in the building, pin or no pin. Students also submitted written or artistic assignments about how they display kindness to others through Schoology. The results already have been overwhelmingly heartwarming.
Assistant Principal Sharon Flynn expressed her gratitude to all of the local businesses that donated gift cards and/or merchandise that were used as prizes for faculty and students, saying, “The generosity from our neighboring businesses was unparalleled.”
All of the money raised on P.S. I Love You Day will go to keeping Challenge Day alive at Carey, scholarships for deserving seniors and donations to the Long Island Crisis Center and Dans Plan.
