Irvington Police Send Positive Messages To Irvington High Students

IRVINGTON, NY — Members of the Irvington Police Department shared motivating and positive messages with students at Irvington High School, thanks to more than 600 Post-it notes that were left on school lockers and doors throughout the building. This is the second school year that Irvington High School students have received the positive messages.

Last year, members of the Positive Impact Club at the high school coordinated the project at the beginning of the school year, according to a spokesman, while the PTSA coordinated it around midterms and the police department led the project at the end of the school year. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

“It has been a rotating effort to involve as many students, parents and community members as possible,” said Jennifer Nunziato, student assistance counselor and advisor of the Positive Impact Club. “The Post-its continue to hang on the lockers, and the project seems to be well-received by the students and staff of Irvington High School.”

This year, Irvington Police Detective and Youth Officer Michael Toolan organized the project. Police officers wrote encouraging messages, such as “you matter,” “you are loved,” “you are incredible” and “you can do it, yes you can” on Post-it notes, while members of the varsity football team placed them on the lockers throughout the building prior to the start of the school year.

As the student assistance counselor, Nunziato works to enhance positive and healthy decision-making, as well as reduce the factors that put students at risk for alcohol and other drug use.

Det. Toolan is a board member of Irvington About Safe Kids, which is a coalition that represents all sectors of the community — parents, students, educators, law enforcement officials, medical professionals, businesspeople and more — and works to motivate youth to make healthy, happy and responsible decisions.

Photo credit: Irvington Union Free School District.