Launched for the first time, on Friday, January 30, Middle School’s Day Zero was a deliberate pause from the typical seven-day class rotation. Ushering in the new semester, students came together with the goal of fostering conversation, understanding healthy habits, participating in hands-on service learning, building leadership skills, and having fun. 

Conceived by Head of Middle School Dan Doughty alongside Dean of Students Jared Winston; Health and Well-being faculty members Jessie Frith and Phoebe Aberlin-Ruiz P’30; Director of Middle School Learning Support Ed Craig; Learning Support Faculty Olivia Coyle-Henao; and Associate Director of Speech Cait Bliss; the day was designed to both energize and prepare students to enter the second half of the school year with confidence.

Making Consent Understandable, Relevant, and Real

The Consent Project, an organization established in 2015 that normalizes conversations about sexual consent, came to Dyker Heights to lead interactive programs for Grades 5 to 7. In each session, New York Director of The Consent Project Kaitlin Andrews, Esq., combined a legally-informed presentation with hands-on activities and real-life scenarios. Andrews, who spent 15 years advocating for children in Brooklyn Family Court, supporting victims of sexual violence, and working with those who harmed others, made difficult topics feel accessible to students.

Rather than a standard lecture, Andrews used interactive games and role-plays, from “green, yellow, red” consent signals to scenarios that name the body’s fight/flight/freeze reactions, in order to gently challenge misconceptions and surface the attitudes that shape everyday behavior. The exercises gave students age-appropriate language, agency, and an opportunity to voice their thoughts. They left with a clearer understanding of how the law applies to real-life situations and how they can make safer, more informed choices.

For example, when a group-chat scenario was introduced that included a problematic participant, the students worked together and suggested practical responses such as removing or blocking that participant from the chat and alerting the targeted person. They also also received a clear warning about the power and longevity of screenshots: what spreads online can last forever. The workshop concluded with a simple, vital directive: if you or someone you know needs help, seek a trusted adult. “Day Zero was a meaningful and energizing departure from our usual schedule,” said Doughty, “giving students time to pause, reflect, and reset in ways that do not always fit into a typical class day. Throughout the day, students asked thoughtful questions, worked collaboratively, and engaged deeply with one another and the experiences in front of them. We were especially excited to welcome Poly alumna Ayisha McHugh ’12, who led one of the three sessions and brought a powerful, relatable perspective to the discussion. Students appreciated the opportunity to ask questions in an open, age-appropriate dialogue about consent and healthy relationships.

Putting Poly Values Into Practice: Day Zero Service Learning

Service learning is a core element of character development at Poly Prep and helps students think about their role in their community. It took center stage on Day Zero as Middle School students worked to address food insecurity and health needs across New York City. For many, this marked their first experience with the Service Learning Department’s Food Rescue Fridays and their impact was tangible. Over the course of the day, students helped save an more than 100 meals, prepared food for community distribution, assembled hygiene packs for individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity, and created Valentine’s Day cards for patients at the Veterans Hospital.

“These hands-on experiences reinforced empathy, generosity, and the impact of working together. Equally important were the moments of community building that came from breaking our routine. Spending extended time in advisory and grade-level groups allowed students to connect more deeply and support one another in meaningful ways,” said Doughty. 

In advisories, Grade 7 explored what food insecurity means in New York City—the daily uncertainty of where and when the next meal will come from or whether it will be nutritious. Students learned that nearly one million children and their families rely on NYC food pantries each month, a reality that has persisted since the pandemic. Within this context, advisories took on different service roles: some focused on food rescue by packing leftover meals in Commons, others designed posters and signage for an upcoming food drive, while additional groups prepared sunbutter-and-jelly sandwiches for donation to the One Love Community Fridge.

Across Grades 6 and 7, students also collaborated to assemble hygiene kits destined for The Floating Hospital in Long Island City, Queens. A ship docked in the harbor, the vessel is a health clinic that provides free and low-cost medical, dental, and emotional care to individuals and families living in shelters or temporary housing. Ahead of the activity, students reflected on what it would mean if they had to leave home suddenly and which items would help them feel comfortable, clean, and confident. These conversations grounded students’ efforts in empathy and purpose.

Working in an assembly-line style, students opened reusable toiletry bags, added dental, hair, and body care items, prepared laundry detergent packets with instructions, and finished each kit with a personal handwritten note and stickers. Along the way, students learned how basic hygiene (and access to it) helps prevent illness, supports mental health, preserves dignity, and makes everyday tasks, from school to work to friendships, more manageable.

By day’s end, the numbers told the story of unity across Poly Middle: 110 meals saved, 400 kits packed, and plenty of sandwiches made. But the deeper takeaway was just as meaningful: students left with a greater personal understanding of community need and the knowledge that collective action, even by young people with a drive to help, can make a real difference.

Purpose and Play Throughout the Day

A light, playful energy threaded through the rest of the day. Students tested their world knowledge in flag trivia, tackled quick math challenges, burned off energy during supervised open-gym period, and moved into quieter stations for contemplative letter-writing and collaborative art projects.

Students also participated in learning sessions that prepared them for the year ahead. For example, Grade 6 reviewed the letter-grade system and the rubric, anchored by the reminder that “learning is a process, not an event.” Doughty explained, “Grades are one measure of progress, but don’t fixate on them. Don’t compare yourself to others; everyone learns at their own pace.”

When a student asked about GPA, teachers welcomed the question as exactly the kind of practical conversation the day was designed to invite: giving clear answers, easing anxieties, and helping students feel seen as they grow and navigate change.

The day closed with a sense of purpose and play. Students departed campus with new information, practical tools, and the satisfaction of having conveyed small acts of kindness. On Monday, they returned ready to bring what they learned back into classrooms and everyday life.

“Looking ahead,” shared Doughty, “Day Zero highlighted exciting opportunities for future programming, including expanded service experiences, continued dialogue around consent, and additional grade-level conversations that allow students to engage thoughtfully with topics that matter to them.”