Broward schools to observe day of service in honor of eight years since shooting

In honor of the 17 lives lost eight years ago in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Broward schools are observing their annual day of service and love.

Students and staff across the district will participate in service and volunteer-related programming on Friday, Feb. 13, before they’re released early.

The activities will pause at 10:17 a.m. for a moment of silence to remember the students and staff who were killed on Feb. 14, 2018.

“On this day, we honor the lives of those who were taken from us, those who were injured and those whose lives were forever changed eight years ago,” Superintendent Howard Hepburn said. “Our Day of Service and Love reflects the compassion, resilience and unity that define our community and reinforces our commitment to leading with kindness, empathy and care for one another.”

Schools will be doing different activities, but “they share a common goal of creating stronger connections with all of our families, our students and staff,” Hepburn said in his remarks last year.

The superintendent will be speaking this year at Ramblewood Elementary School in Coral Springs, where students have collected food items and will put together “weekend packs” for children and families through a partnership with a community church.

For instance, at South Broward High School in Hollywood, students will make bookmarks for elementary school students, paint coffee cup sleeves with kind words and create Wishing Tree Notes. Deerfield Beach Elementary School students will create “path to kindness” wall artwork, decorated with stickers they earn throughout the day for acts of kindness.

Parkland’s annual commemoration event will be taking place again at Pine Trails Park Amphitheater at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Broward County Public Schools has also put together a guide with tools and resources for talking to your kids about the tragedy.