Earlier this year, Boston Latin School guidance faculty members Ms. Samantha Curtis (‘08) and Ms. Jennifer Segal launched an interactive bulletin board outside the guidance offices to spread positivity and create a stronger sense of community.

The board has featured several different activities since its debut. The first activity involved coloring a giant mandala, followed by one where students could add a few stickers at a time to complete a larger picture. 

The board is now titled “Pass on the Positivity” and offers sticky notes for students and faculty to leave positive messages or drawings of encouragement. So far, it has been a huge success, completely filled with positive post-it notes.

As a BLS alumna, Ms. Curtis understands the pressure current students face. She states, “It’s really important for students to remember that there’s always something positive to look forward to and that they have a community of support around them.”

The board has garnered a considerable amount of support from BLS students and faculty. Many have left notes behind or reflected on the existing messages. Students greatly appreciate the board, especially as they go through rough times. Winnie Yuan (I) says, “Last week, I saw a post-it on the board that said ‘TRY,’ and weirdly, it helped motivate me. It made me think that I need to put in some extra effort before the end of Term 2 in order to get the grades that I want.”

Other positivity and mental health initiatives at BLS include the new Mental Health Advisory board and an Awareness Day event that took place earlier this year. Some students, however, believe that even more could be done to make these events accessible.

Benjamin Fortuin (I) adds, “I believe that a more active platform to notify students of events throughout the year, whether with a physical calendar in some prominent place or a central area for flyers and notices, might help galvanize students into finding their interests and doing something meaningful.”

Ms. Curtis and Ms. Segal hope to continue the board’s success by updating it consistently. For February, the board will focus on self-love and friendship, rather than solely romantic love, which is most often associated with Valentine’s Day. Afterwards, the board will display the college stars that appear annually to celebrate the senior class.