The Chinook's Edge School Division is letting its schools participate in an Innisfail initiative that is asking students to wear orange on Sept. 17 to symbolize greater awareness of the dangers of bullying, as it fits with the board's mandate to have a safe and caring environment.
“We wouldn't take issue with a school supporting that,” says Kurt Sacher, the superintendent of schools.
“What we have promoted across the division is for schools to really think through and be proactive in how they create an anti-bullying environment in a safe and caring school.
“For this particular scenario it would certainly be up to the principal. They have the authority to make that decision,” said Sacher. “If they see it fitting with what they are trying to accomplish within their school community and with their parents and staff, they certainly have the option to fall in line with that.”
He noted several schools within Chinook's Edge participate in a national event called “Pink Shirt Day” on Feb. 26, an event with an anti-bullying focus.
“They do that with our full support. That is their decision to do that if it fits with their other work,” said Sacher.
There are about 1,400 students in the division's five Innisfail schools with about 30 per cent bused in from outlying rural areas.
The Innisfail schools were asked by Talitha Watkinson, president of the Innisfail Minor Football Association, to have students wear orange on Sept. 17 as a way to support 14-year-old Aidan Remple's determined stance against bullying.
The home-schooled teen was attacked by six youths and one adult in an alleged bullying incident on Aug. 25 in Innisfail's Raspberry Park.
On Sept. 7 in Calgary, Remple's bantam football team, the lnnisfail Cyclones, wore orange tape to support his determined stance against the assailants.
“Aidan didn't allow these people to take anything from his spirit,” said Watkinson, adding she's asking supporters to visit and participate in a Facebook site called “Wear Orange for Aidan”.
“He is doing exactly what everyone is encouraging people who are bullied to do. He is refusing to accept that they have any power over him.”
Watkinson received a positive response from school principals. Jay Steeves, principal of Innisfail Middle School, said administration had its leadership students greet every student entering the building on the morning of Sept. 17 and tie an orange piece of yarn to their wrists.
“These makeshift bracelets will be worn all day and we will also encourage all students to wear orange clothing on Sept. 17th,” said Steeves. “Hopefully these ideas can encourage some other schools to feel free to duplicate as the expense is minimal.”
Jackie Taylor, principal at École John Wilson Elementary School, said she also asked her students to wear orange, adding the symbolism fits well with her school's five basic values – respect, responsibility, truthfulness and trustworthiness, cooperativeness and caring.
“”Everything we do is to lead with those values,” said Taylor. “If we lead with those values we won't have bullying.”
Meanwhile, Sacher said senior administrative staff is now working on adding to the division's record of excellence of having a safe and caring culture.
The initiative will include building on the board's work of being proactive on the issue of bullying.
“It is just the work that we do, building on that and great things will come of it,” said Sacher, adding the board does address bullying through its harassment and wellness policies.
“You can't have a safe and caring culture that has bullying inside of it. It just doesn't exist. You need to be dealing effectively with bullying to create a safe and caring culture.”
