All around campus, colorful posters of encouragement are plastered in hallways and buildings to remind everyone that ‘You Matter.’ This week, dress up days, lunch-time activities, and an assembly with a guest speaker complete the ‘You Matter Week’ festivities. 

“You Matter Week is to remind everyone how special and unique every one of us is and reminds each of us that we all matter every day – this is just a week to celebrate it,” Kara Dietz, Link Crew advisor and Skills for Success teacher, said. 

In honor of You Matter Week, Link Crew is hosting dress up days and lunch time activities relating to this year’s theme, ‘You’re Outta This World’, signifying the importance and value of every person. 

In the past years, BOHS would celebrate Suicide Prevention Week before You Matter Week was introduced. However, it was “flipped” to a different approach to “create a positive spin of how important each and every person is,” Valenti said.

Each dress up day will represent a different positive affirmation: today, wear green or dress up like an alien (You’re unique as an alien), wear a jersey tomorrow (You’re an All-Star), wear your favorite pajamas on Wednesday (Dream Upon a Star), and dress as Adam Sandler or your favorite celebrity on Thursday (You’re a Superstar). 

Adeline Dang, junior and Link Crew cabinet member, is “most excited for the spirit days because it makes [her] proud seeing people participate and have fun with their outfits,” she said. 

Link Crew also planned activities and games to be held during lunch. Some of these games include: alien bowling, planet toss, saturn hula hooping and space scavenger hunt. 

“Along with the fun activities and dress up days, it’s amazing how we are dedicating this week to remind everyone how important they are,” Alisha Choi, sophomore, said. “Sometimes we get really stressed out and distracted that we forget to take care of ourselves.”

To end the week, Thomas Valles, who played a runner from the sports drama film, McFarland USA, will be speaking at an assembly talking about the struggles of being a migrant farmer and how these obstacles pushed him to win the CIF Championships. All grades will attend the assembly held tomorrow in the Main Gym. 

The main focus of You Matter Week is to show students and get them to “understand how much of an impact they have on the lives around them and how important each one is,” Pam Valenti, ASB advisor, said. “Every person matters and affects other people in ways they don’t even know and we want to bring awareness to that.”

“It’s great that our school is able to set aside a whole week to prioritize appreciating and celebrating our students and staff,” Irene Kim, ASB president, said.