Pink Shirt Day sparks conversation for bullying prevention: NLPS

On Wednesday, February 26, each of Northern Lights Public School (NLPS) Division’s  schools and offices will observe and celebrate Pink Shirt Day. Many of NLPS students and staff will wear pink shirts and host a variety of activities and discussions surrounding the prevention of bullying. NLPS has a couple ways students and parents can get involved in this initiative; including a video contest and wearing a pink shirt to school on February 26th.

Video Contest

In conjunction with Pink Shirt Day, Northern Lights is holding a Pink Shirt Day/Anti-Bullying video contest for students.

As individuals, groups, or classes, students may create a video that reflects the Pink Shirt Day 2020 Theme, “Kindness Starts Here.”

The video that best exemplifies the spirit of Pink Shirt Day will be chosen, and the winners will receive a pizza party for their entire class.

Guidelines:

• Videos can be created by individuals, groups, or as a class.

• Videos must be 60 seconds or shorter.

• Submit videos to communications@nlsd.ab.ca. Submissions can contain a YouTube link, Google Drive link, etc., if the files are too large to email.

• Deadline for submissions is 4 p.m. on February 11.

• Videos will be viewable by the public and will be shared on Northern Lights’ Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

Wear a PINK shirt

On February 26, NLPS encourages 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.

NLPS Pink Shirt Day T-shirts, featuring our “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully” design are available through School Cash Online.

The deadline to order is February 6.

 

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.”