Sayville Sophomore Collects Heartfelt Messages for Oxford High School

Heartfelt Messages from Sayville High School

for the Oxford High School community

Moved by the terrible news, Sayville Sophomore Michael Keehner had immediately told his mother, Leslie, he felt compelled to do something to mend the hearts broken by the tragedy at Oxford High School in Michigan. 

During discussions in Global Studies classes, Michael expressed his desire to help console those students that experienced the recent Oxford school shooting. “He came up with the idea,” his Global Studies Teacher Kaytie Ferremi said, “of sending small messages of hope and support to the Oxford students from our Sayville students.”

Taking the initiative, Michael spend a weekend cutting out seventeen-hundred heart shapes on his Cricut maker from sturdy paper, choosing gold stock because both Oxford and Sayville share that school color. Despite the hard work involved, he felt encouraged by both his mother and his need to find a way to reach out.

After, he brought these gold hearts to school to share with the High School students and faculty. “His hope,” Ms. Ferremi continued, “was that every student in the school would be able to participate so that there would be a message for every student at Oxford.” The tragedy had been briefly discussed in all the social studies courses during which the students were given the opportunity to complete a small message of hope. Nearly one thousand gold hearts were collected from the students and along with the faculty’s messages have since been packed into a protective mailing tube with a letter explaining the activity and a poster (see below), ready to be mailed.

Mr. Hoffer, Ms. Ferremi, and the Sayville High School community were impressed by Michael’s kindhearted efforts that will mean a great deal to the recipients of the gold hearts—letting them know Sayville hearts are with them.

Photo above: l-r Principal Ron Hoffer, Michael Keehner, and Global Studies Teacher Kaytie Ferremi.

Photos below: Sample Gold Heart and Poster recreated by Michael's mother from the above District photo.