On February 14, Valentine’s Day is celebrated all around the world. However, at Preuss it is known and celebrated as “Value Day,” where friends and peers demonstrate their appreciation and value for each other. Unlike other high schools, Preuss students aren’t allowed to bring any kinds of gifts on campus.

“A reason why we celebrate Value Day instead of Valentine’s Day is mainly because we want to take out the romantic part of it and we want to emphasize that it doesn’t always have to be a romantic relationship in order to be loved by your peers or friends and showing that appreciation to one another” said Ms. Allie.

The bulletin informed students that administration has stated any Valentine’s Day items such as gifts, flowers, and balloons are prohibited due to them being a distraction to students in their learning process. If gifts were brought on campus, they were confiscated by the front office and were held until after school.

This approach from the administration is needed because some students may want to show their friends what they got for Valentine’s Day during class when they are supposed to be listening to the teacher or focusing on classwork (which is harmful to their learning time).

Depending on what was given to the students, it may be difficult for them to hold while being in the classroom. It would lead to many things being kept on the tables, which could even start distracting their table partners by the lack of space. It can also become a safety hazard when it comes to leaving the items on the floor as a way to place the gifts. It can block the aisle where students walk by, which is not the safest option.

For many years, the school has not celebrated Valentine’s Day. For this reason, Preuss celebrates Value Day with Value Day donations for high schoolers, and a Value Day scavenger hunt for middle school students.