From the moment they arrived, students at Fairfield Elementary School were surrounded by kindness on Feb. 13. The positive vibes helped mark P.S. I Love You Day, a national initiative focused on promoting mental health awareness and ensuring that everyone knows they are loved and valued.
Children were greeted by positive messages, chalked on the sidewalk by the PTA. Throughout the day, they enjoyed the hallways decorated by the Best Buddies and Mindfulness clubs. There were purple hearts, representing the color and image that symbolizes P.S. I Love You Day, and “Light up the world with kindness” posters, as this year’s theme was “Be the Light.”
The day concluded with a lantern walk in the auditorium. With the lights turned off and curtains closed, students walked through a path lit up by small battery-operated candles placed in about 550 paper bags. Assistant Principal Megan Pavlick led children on a guided mediation as they walked through. Students in the younger grades were paired with buddy classes from the upper grades.
All of the paper bags had positive messages and images created by students earlier in the week. Ms. Pavlick explained that just like a lantern, kindness can be the light that pushes the darkness away. She asked students to think of ways they can be that shining light for others.
Psychologist Jaclyn Cardillo spearheaded the P.S. I Love You Day committee, which planned the lantern walk and the preceding spirit week. Children decorated paper light bulbs which were hung on the door of each classroom. P.S. I Love You Day co-founder Brooke DiPalma also spoke at a pair of assemblies about the power of kindness and community. Several teachers also planned classroom activities that focused on kindness.
“We want students to remember that they have a light that shines within them that makes them special and unique,” Ms. Cardillo said, “and they can give that kindness to others. The magic they have within them is very powerful.”