“I went to Girls State and heard Brooke DiPalma speak about P.S. I Love You Day and how she created it,” said JHS senior Cece Eklum. “Her story was so powerful. She took a situation that was so difficult and found a way to make it positive. Because of COVID everyone has been very focused on physical health, but mental health is just as important. I thought having the P.S. I Love You Day at JHS would help everyone know that they are not alone and there is help if you need it.”

On April 23rd, 2010, just one week after her fourteenth birthday, the DiPalma family experienced a tragedy. On that Friday morning, her father, Joseph DiPalma, dropped off Brooke at middle school. Joey was a man who was always smiling, laughing, and was very involved in the community. On her way out of the car, her father said, “I Love You” and she said, “I Love You” back. Little did she know, only hours later, she would be taken out of school and told that her father died by suicide. Brought home to a scene nobody should ever see, she felt let down, lost, and unsure of where to turn. Just one month and a day before the DiPalma family lost the glue that bonded their family, West Islip lost a high school senior to suicide also. Both these suicides brought the town together and made each person realize just how truly precious life is. However, “Tragedy should not be the force for togetherness; Togetherness should be the force that ends tragedies.” Seven months later, as Brooke was thinking about what she had faced, she remembered the last three words her father said to her, “I Love You.” Brooke took those three words and with the help of her high school’s class club and family, she created P.S. I Love You Day.

The “post-it wall,” spearheaded by Jaymin Morano and Siena DeAngelo, holds notes with words of encouragement such as: hope, gratitude or “you are loved.” The wall is meant to be there so anyone can “take what he or she needs.” There will also be a pen and blank post-it notes for students to leave their own words of encouragement for others.

“We had seen it done in other places and thought it would be a nice add-on to P.S. I Love You Day,” said Jaymin. “February is often looked at as a month for couples but we want to stress the importance of self-love. We also all tend to focus on the big things, but sometimes the small things can make a really big difference.”

JHS sophomore, Ella Storms, purchased a carnation from seniors Leanne Stafford, Annika Spitzer and Natalie Reinhardt for P.S. I Love You Day.

The seniors know it is important for their fellow students to take care of their mental health.

“With COVID we know there is a higher rate of anxiety and depression,” said Siena. “JHS is a big school with a large and diverse population and sometimes it is hard for students to ask, or get, what they need. We want our friends to know that they are seen and heard. We are hoping these little reminders that they are loved will help others ask if they need help in any way.”