Pink Shirt Day
Being kind is a focus at schools not only on Pink Shirt Day but throughout the year. Schools are trying to ensure the impact of Pink Shirt Day goes beyond just wearing a pink shirt and attending a school-wide assembly. Rather, Pink Shirt Day is being used to help drive a change to reduce bullying, and increase awareness about being more tolerant and kind to others.
For example at Armstrong Elementary School, Principal Corrinne Langston explains the school-wide year long theme is “AES Owns it With Kindness”. “We have monthly kindness initiatives and try to embody the sentiment that Pink Shirt Day ought to be everyday of the year.”
She adds that the school’s February theme is “Friendly February” and students complete kindness challenges. When they complete kindness challenges they are entered into a draw to win weekly prizes.
“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions. And the roots spring up and make new trees.”
Amelia Earhart
At Shuswap Middle School an assembly was hosted by SMS Leadership students, who gave a recap of the story behind Pink Shirt Day. This was followed by a personal story from Assistant Superintendent Carl Cooper and a visit with therapy dog Woof and handler Taryn.
Assistant Superintendent Carl Cooper talked about his experiences in school surrounding bullying, how your actions define you and how we should all be standing up for each other. He encouraged students to think about how it might feel to be picked on, and how good it might feel to stand up for someone else. He encouraged everyone there to stand up for others, that you don’t have to be an adult to affect change, it just takes one person to start a change.
After this presentation Taryn introduced her dog Woof. Woof was born deaf and has seizures. Woof is different and training was different but she loves people and makes people happy.
Over at Len Wood Middle, class reps presented a video to their classes by Travis Price, founder of Pink Shirt Day. The video explains the reason why people wear pink on this day! Click here to view video.
The reps also introduced Kindness Bingo, which encourages students to complete the squares which each contain a kind act. Students hand the completed bingos in at the office for a button or bracelet.
In addition, the reps introduced the power of Random Acts of Kindness. They showed a video that demonstrated how one kind act can spread to others. They gave each student a mini paper pink shirt on which students can record when someone does a kind act to them. The mini pink shirts will be posted on a bulletin board in the front foyer of the school.
At Parkview Elementary the Grade 6 leadership students led the schools in creating a giant Parkview Pride Kindness Pink Shirt, which was signed by students and hung in the gym for the Pink Shirt assembly. The school’s grade 5 students were busy being “kindness ninjas”.
Yet other examples are from Highland Park and Carlin where the focus was also on promoting kindness in the schools with various students and classes doing presentations, including singing and dance.