On Wednesday, February 28, our schools and offices will observe and celebrate Pink Shirt Day. Many of our students and staff will wear pink shirts and host a variety of activities and discussions surrounding the prevention of bullying.
What is Pink Shirt Day?
Pink Shirt Day is a worldwide day of bullying prevention that has its roots in Nova Scotia:
David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organised a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Price, 17, who organised the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”
On February 28, we encourage everyone - not just students, but teachers, principals, support staff, and parents - to practice kindness and wear pink to symbolize that you do not tolerate bullying.
Resources
For Students
Four Steps to Stop Cyber Bullying
For Parents and Caregivers
For Teachers