Paul Failla Paul Failla, a retired Suffolk county police officer, actor, and motivational speaker with experience in teenage social issues, shared his thoughts and experiences with GCMS 7th grade students on September 22. Throughout the 45-minute session, the students listened intently to Failla's powerful message: the importance of basic life values and tolerance of others' differences. He spoke of the importance of knowing your own values and went through examples such as family, friends, freedom, and peace of mind. He explored social issues such as respect, dignity, leadership, communication, decision- making, profiling, racism, and tolerance that influence our life values and experiences. Failla's message to the children was that "you are your values," and that you live for your values, but you die for your beliefs. He shared the experiences that made him so passionate about reaching out to young people. He also discussed the consequences of treating people with disrespect due to ignorance. Paul Failla's message about life values and tolerance was serious and thought-provoking, and was well-received by the 7th graders. This program was coordinated by the Arts in Education Committee of the Garden City PTA and GCUFSD Administration and funded by the Garden City Union Free School District.