HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Seven years after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward County students and staff members came together Friday to honor the 17 lives lost.
Through a day dedicated to friendship, kindness, and community service, the school sought to reinforce the values of compassion and giving back.
The Day of Service and Love is an annual tradition across Broward County schools, created to ensure that the memory of those who were killed or injured in Parkland remains a lasting call for change.
Hollywood Hills High School Principal Daniel Most emphasized the importance of taking time to reflect and practice kindness.
“As a community, as a county, we remember and honor those lost and injured seven years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School,” Most said. “So many problems in the world come from not taking the time to show kindness and love.”
Throughout the day, students participated in various service projects, including writing letters of encouragement, helping local charities, and engaging in schoolwide discussions on empathy and respect.
Teachers led classroom conversations about the impact of small acts of kindness, and students were encouraged to perform gestures of goodwill for their peers.
“We want to make sure every year that we take the opportunity to be very intentional about having events that remind our students the importance of caring for others, doing for others,” Most added. “We never know what anybody else is going through, the weight that they’re carrying on their shoulders, and sometimes a smile, a hello, holding a door open for someone could be all the difference in the world.”
Flags at the school were lowered to half-staff in remembrance of the 14 students and three faculty members who lost their lives on Feb. 14, 2018.
At 10:17 a.m., schools across the district paused for a moment of silence, allowing students and staff to reflect on the impact of that day and the importance of fostering a culture of kindness.
At Glades Middle School in Miramar, students formed a heart on the P.E. field, a tradition that has continued each year. They also decorated cards for nursing home residents and painted parking spots with messages of kindness and resilience.
Noon report:
“For some of the students, that may be their first time, so this is something now when they go back into their classrooms — that’s why it’s not an academic day,” said Glades Middle School Principal Daniela Fatout. “It’s a day where we discuss this. We’re here for one another, and we’re there to assist those students through that struggle.”
As the names of the 17 victims were read aloud, students listened in silence.
In Miss Aviles’ Spanish classroom, students also made Valentine’s cards for seniors in nursing homes.
“It’s important to love and accept everybody,” said student Kaitlyn Gonzalez.
“It’s just so important to show the people you love that you love them,” added student Lillian Ku.
Fatout emphasized the importance of both service and remembrance.
“Besides the fact that it is a day of community service, it’s a day of love. That’s always something that we should be instilling in our children and our students and our community,” she said. “But also, it’s very important that we don’t forget what occurred and that we remember how important mental health is and that we are here for one another to support one another through any tragedy and through any difficult time.”
Other schools, including Hollywood Hills High School and Harbordale Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale, held their own ceremonies, with students participating in service projects and discussions about the power of kindness.
For younger students in Broward County, the day was one of service and kindness, with many learning for the first time about the tragedy that took place at MSDHS.
Alana Borrero, another student, emphasized the importance of remembering the victims as classmates and friends.
“They were once students just like us in this amazing county,” Borrero said. “Understanding them and remembering them as students is very important.”
Earlier in the day, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation recognizing Marjory Stoneman Douglas Remembrance Day, urging all Floridians to pause and reflect on the tragedy.
Most hopes students will carry these lessons beyond the classroom and into their futures.
“I want to make sure that when my students graduate and go on to bigger and better things in this world, that they are equipped with the kindness, the humility, and the love for philanthropy and giving back to really be successful and kind human beings in our world,” he said.