PRINCE ALBERT — Pink Shirt Day is on Feb. 26 for 2025 and the lessons from it resonate at Ecole Holy Cross in Prince Albert.
Gisèle Stalwick, Principal of Ecole Holy Cross, said that the message of the day is important not only to students but to everyone who comes into the school.
"I think the main thing is to bring awareness to our students and to the communities that we don't condone bullying and we work towards having a bully-free environment in our schools,” she said. “I think it's important for us to bring awareness to our students and all those who come through our schools.”
Pink Shirt Day began with a small act of kindness in Nova Scotia in 2007. Since then, Pink Shirt Day events have spread to more than 110 countries, and more than 493,000 Pink Shirt Day shirts have been sold.
Stalwick said the Prince Albert Catholic School Division has monthly themes including one about preventing bullying.
"We have a topic that talks about bullying prevention and the types of bullying that occur, how to see them, how to prevent them, and, when you're faced with (bullying), different means of reacting, what you can do to stop the bullying and that kind of stuff,” she said.
On Feb. 26, the school will offer students the opportunity to purchase shirts from the Pink Shirt Day website.
Stalwick said several students have already purchased the shirts from previous years, and staff are encouraging them to wear them to school.
“We also have some stickers that are Pink Shirt Day promo stickers for those who do come without, and who forget or don't have,” she added. “They have the opportunity to just wear one of those if they choose.”
Stalwick said that typically there is also an assembly on Pink Shirt Day, but older students are on a ski trip so the assembly will be a day later.
"We always have an assembly just dedicated to Pink Shirt Day and the history of it, and the importance of being aware and diligent in trying to reduce bullying in our society,” she explained.
Stalwick said that the message resonates with students, especially with the vocabulary around anti-bullying.
“I think the kids have a voice on how to stop it, or how to address the bullying behavior,” she said. “Instead of being quiet and just taking it, they have a voice. Even those kids who might be on the sidelines can step in and help each other out. I think that using that language we give them. We front load them with language that they feel empowered to use and be able to stand up for themselves.”
Since 2008, Canadian anti-bullying programs have received more than $2.5 million in funding thanks to Pink Shirt Day merchandise sales and donations. In 2020 alone, Pink Shirt Day funding supported programs for more than 59,000 youth.
Pink Shirt Day began with a small act of kindness in Nova Scotia in 2007. Since then, Pink Shirt Day events have spread to more than 110 countries, and more than 493,000 Pink Shirt Day shirts have been sold.
