School uses Pink Shirt Day to create sense of belonging
Teacher says kids who feel more connected to other students more likely to stand against bullying
Dr. Knox Middle School in Kelowna was a sea of pink Wednesday, as students and staff celebrated Pink Shirt Day to combat bullying.
Leadership students organized a series of games for students to play in the gymnasium.
They also sold pink cupcakes and pink lemonade to raise money for mothers in Uganda and local kids who cannot afford to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities.
Creating a sense of belonging brings awareness to anti-bullying not only on Pink Shirt Day, but year-round, said Grade 9 leadership student Riley Binne.
“I think it helps all year round, because after these events everybody . . . meets new friends and they’re closer to each other,” she said.
Pink Shirt Day also gets the whole school doing fun activities together, said leadership student Ben Hoppe.
“It’s a great opportunity for everyone to feel included,” he said.
Pink Shirt Day is part of a month-long series at Dr. Knox Middle aimed at promoting kindness and belonging.
The previous weeks focused on kindness, positivity and gratitude.
This week, the school is focusing on belonging, with the main event being Pink Shirt Day.
“It’s creating a real positive vibe in our school,” said Darcey King, a leadership teacher at Dr. Knox.
If students feel more connected with other students, they are more likely to spread kindness and stand up for people who are being bullied, said King.
“We hope people will make connections and have that sense of belonging so they’re not by themselves,” she said.
While Pink Shirt Day is about anti-bullying, the focus is more on kindness than on bullying, said Raylyn Larment, vice-principal of Dr. Knox.
“We like to focus on the positives, not the negatives,” she said. “It’s about building that capacity in kids, on what does kindness look like, what does it sound like, what does it feel like (and) what does belonging look like, sound like, feel like.”