The good vibes were felt throughout the building on Feb. 14 as Wantagh High School celebrated P.S. I Love You Day, a national initiative to raise awareness about the importance of mental health.

In Wantagh, activities were spearheaded by students from the Key Club, Morgan’s Message and Physical Education Leaders. They spent the day at a table in the main lobby giving out cookies, selling bracelets and encouraging their peers to sign a large I ♥U banner. 

To prepare for P.S. I Love You Day, members of the three clubs decorated the school with sticky paper hearts that had positive and inspirational messages. As students came to school that morning, they were greeted by cheerful chalk messages on the sidewalks. 

Students in culinary arts classes made about 600 purple heart-shaped cookies for the day while students in health education classes wrote messages on coffee cup sleeves. All proceeds from the sale of bracelets with uplifting words and phrases were donated to the Long Island-based P.S. I Love You Day organization.

Julia Avena, an ambassador with Morgan’s Message, said there was an excitement in the school on P.S. I Love You Day, and the smiles were evident as students walked by their table. Many students showed their support for the cause by wearing purple. 

Senior Bella Sandoval, a member of both Morgan’s Message and P.E. Leaders, said hopes to see the event continue grow after two successful years. She noted that students throughout the school were very receptive to the message of the day.

“Everyone’s important, everyone’s different in their own ways, and we should respect that,” she said. 

Overseeing the efforts were Morgan’s Message adviser Valerie Gompers, P.E. Leaders advisers Deborah DiBiase and Marissa Caccese, Key Club adviser Alexis Valentino, and health education teachers Jenna Messina and Jaclyn Stevens. 

“The students are incredible,” Ms. Gompers said of the members of the three clubs who planned the day. “They’re so dedicated. They put in so much time and effort to make everything perfect because they want to do this and believe in the cause.”

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