Pink Shirt Day is a national event encouraging Canadians to wear pink shirts and take a stand against bullying, and on Wednesday, a Grade 5 class in Riverview was a sea of pink.
Nathan Cooke, who was among the students at Riverview East School sporting the colour to show support, said he was wearing it proudly.
“I think Pink Shirt Day is important because I want to stop bullying because it hurts other people,” he said.
The anti-bullying movement began in Nova Scotia in 2007 after a student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. The event is now celebrated across Canada by people of all ages, with many schools joining in the fight against bullying.
READ MORE: Pink Shirt Promise anti-bullying campaign kicks off in Dartmouth
Ten-year-old Madison Bates said she believes nobody should ever be made to feel bad.
“I feel like I want to stop it and I don’t want it to happen,” she said.
Vice-principal Jonathan Godbout said the school tends to shy away from using the word “bully”. Instead, the focus at his school is on celebrating kindness.
At Riverview East, students are taught to focus on good behaviour in the classroom and on the playground, and that the school is a place where compassion for others is celebrated.
“The idea is that we promote a positive learning environment,” Godbout said. “We need to teach our kids to be positive not only here, but to prepare themselves for the workforce later in life. Not everybody needs to be best friends, but we definitely need to interact and co-exist together and enjoy each other’s company.”
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