There was an early kindness epidemic last week at the Innisfail Schools Campus.
The three Chinook's Edge School Division schools held their Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 15, a week earlier than the official date because students and staff are off for a weeklong winter break.
Pink Shirt Day is celebrated nationally this year on Feb. 22 to raise awareness of the ongoing problem of bullying in schools, workplaces, homes and across the Internet. Its origins go back to 2007 when Nova Scotia Grade 12 students David Shepherd and Travis Price went to a discount store and bought 50 pink shirts after hearing about the plight of a Grade 9 student who was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt on his first day of school. Their stance quickly grew nationally with a special day marked as a means to raise awareness that bullying should never be tolerated anywhere. The power of Pink Shirt Day has also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support youth agencies and programs across Canada.
The message that was first launched by the two Nova Scotia students resonated spectacularly last week at the Innisfail Schools Campus. Janette Charlton, a librarian at the campus who helped organize the event, estimated 80 per cent of the three schools' combined population of about 1,200 students participated by wearing pink shirts, necklaces or hats.
"It is basically about how to be a friend, and awareness against bullying and basically remind us to be a kind person," said Charlton, adding she saw many acts of kindness throughout the day. "I saw friends helping friends and (heard) generous and kind words."
"Yes, I know it is national and we should be doing it every day but it (Pink Shirt Day) is a reminder that we are supporting it," she added.
Meanwhile, staff and students at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School are also off this week, but there are plans to mark Pink Shirt Day early next week.
Adam Sia, the school's vice-principal, said it's always important to bring to light that bullying does happen, and that Pink Shirt Day is a reminder that everyone has been bullied in "some way, shape or form" and that the national event is a way for everyone to come together in solidarity to stop it.
"If we didn't have those national days to remind us that bullying is going on, we may never know that it is still happening because bullying doesn't always have a public persona. Having awareness and showing solidarity and not accepting bullying is really what Pink Shirt Day is to me," said Sia, emphasizing the problem is not confined to young people and that many adults painfully face the issue as well.
"Bullying does not have a creed. It is not prejudiced. It happens to everyone at different severity levels, and also how we are able as adults and children to deal with it. It is very similar to mental anguish."
For more on Pink Shirt Day visit the website at http://pinkshirtday.ca
Adam Sia, vice-principal at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School
"If we didn't have those national days to remind us that bullying is going on, we may never know that it is still happening because bullying doesn't always have a public persona."
