February 15th, 2023

Wednesday, February 22 is Pink Shirt Day and we encourage the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) community to participate with us by promoting respect for all individuals and communities and taking a stand against bullying of all kinds.

This year, the theme “Lift Each other up” is a reminder that even small acts of kindness can have a significant impact on someone’s day. On Pink Shirt Day, we encourage all students, staff, and members of the WRDSB community to wear something pink to show their commitment to creating a positive and inclusive school environment. By wearing pink, we send a message of support and stand together against bullying, discrimination, and hatred.

Bullying has no place in our schools or in our society. It is important that we work together to create safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environments for all students. Pink Shirt Day is an opportunity for us to come together and make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Having students experience a caring learning environment, whether virtual or in-person, that addresses their well-being is crucial to their development and sense of belonging. We recognize and appreciate the relationship between student mental health and academic success.

About Pink Shirt Day

This movement was inspired by the actions of two high school students from Nova Scotia. In 2007, the students witnessed a Grade 9 boy being bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt on his first day of school. Bullies harassed the boy, called him a homosexual for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up. Disgusted with this treatment, the students went to a nearby discount store and bought 50 pink shirts. Then they went online to email classmates to get them on board with their anti-bullying cause that they dubbed a “sea of pink”. The next day not only were dozens of students outfitted with the discount tees, but hundreds of students showed up wearing their own pink clothes, some head-to-toe.

Pink Shirt Day is now an annual anti-bullying campaign that has grown across Canada and around the world as a way to symbolize bullying will not be tolerated.

Wear pink to show your support.

Participating is as simple and easy as wearing pink in your hair, as a piece of clothing, a cool accessory, or even a pink background picture for your virtual learning environment.

It is one small way you can positively contribute to the well-being of those around you. We need to come together to understand the impact bullying can have on a person, gain knowledge to help provide support, and learn to be more empathic to those struggling.

If you are planning to wear pink on Wednesday, please help us spread the word that bullying is not tolerated by tweeting or sharing a picture using the hashtag #WRDSBpink and #PinkShirtDay.

Resources

Research shows that a positive and welcoming school environment is essential to the physical and mental wellness and success of each and every one of our students.

We understand that families are looking for support and resources for children who may be experiencing acts of bullying, which is why we have created resources on our website that includes bullying prevention and intervention information, what a positive school climate looks like, and the process for addressing concerns if you believe your child is being bullied.