To the Ramsey School Administration,
PS I Love You Day is this Friday (2/13), a day students brought to this school, a day we turned into something meaningful because we actually care about each other. But because the truth matters, I’m done sugarcoating anything for the sake of adult comfort. Our community has been hit by mental health struggles again and again. Students have felt it. Families have felt it. We all know it. And yet the people in charge are still acting like acknowledging reality is somehow “too much.”
Well, here’s the reality…
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in teens. More than cancer. More than gun violence. That is the scale of what we’re dealing with. That is the level of seriousness adults should be responding to.
But instead of facing that, you minimize it.
Students asked for PS I Love You Day to actually matter. We asked for awareness that isn’t watered down. We asked for honest conversations, real recognition, and real support. And instead of stepping up, you shut it down. You dismissed every idea that required effort, honesty, or leadership.
You told us, “We already do more than other districts.”
As if the bar is supposed to be other districts instead of the actual needs of the students in front of you. As if doing slightly more than someone else means you get to stop trying altogether.
You chose the easiest route.
You chose optics over impact.
You chose to shrink a meaningful day down to “sell the sweatshirts and move on.”
And yes. That makes us angry.
Because we didn’t bring PS I Love You Day here for it to become a marketing moment. We brought it here because students in this building needed it. Still need it.
You reduced something powerful to a prop.
But here’s what you clearly don’t understand:
Students aren’t afraid of the truth. Students aren’t scared to speak about what actually affects us. Students aren’t going to pretend a sweatshirt sale counts as support.
We are not going to let you tidy this up into something convenient.
If the administration refuses to acknowledge the seriousness, then students will. If the administration refuses to lead, then students will. If adults refuse to step into discomfort to protect the people they’re responsible for, then students will step into it for each other.
This Friday, we’re wearing purple, not for you.
For each other.
For the people who needed this day long before the school decided to tolerate it.
For the community that has lived through things you’re too uncomfortable to talk about.
We are done letting you minimize this.
We are done letting you hide behind comparisons.
We are done letting you pretend the bare minimum is enough.
If you won’t take this seriously, we will.
Loudly.
Proudly.
Sincerely,
Massimo Randazzo
