Kindness & inclusion shine at Surrey schools on Pink Shirt Day
“Where is the love?” Justin Timberlake famously asked in the 2003 smash Black Eyed Peas collaboration.
It’s right here, in our schools! Students from across the district showed the love this week, encouraging kindness, respect and care while celebrating Pink Shirt Day, the annual anti-bullying campaign.
Students at North Surrey Secondary made a creative video using pink balloons with words like “bullying,” “violence,” “sexism” and “discrimination.” In the video, the balloons are popped with sharp sticks carrying signs with encouraging messages like “kindness is never random,” “say something,” “uplift others” and “be kind.” North Surrey’s leadership students also put together engaging activities to celebrate Pink Shirt Day.
Surrey Centre Elementary students designed a colourful display board to share the message that Everyone Belongs, showcasing diversity and kind words in the paper hands that surround the message.
The rain didn’t stop Douglas Elementary students from sharing kindness – students decorated pink posters with messages like “I am so glad you are here” and “You make the world a better place” and greeted people as they came to school.
Erma Stephenson Elementary students spread positivity in the community, tying pink ribbons with uplifting messages throughout the neighbourhood.
BASES students at Enver Creek left encouraging notes for teachers, IESWs, administrators, counsellors, custodians, youth care workers and office staff. Some of the messages included “Have a wonderful day!,” “Nice job!,” “Think positive!” and “You matter. A lot!”
Kwantlen Park Secondary’s Social Justice Club participated in Pink Shirt Day in several ways: they collaborated with the school’s Crochet Club to raise money for the CKNW Kids Fund by selling mini crochet pieces, conducted a presentation on cyber-bullying to Grade 8 classes and posted cutouts with positive messages and messages against bullying around the school.
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary Student Council hosted a Kindness Bingo this week, giving participating students a bingo card of kind activities to complete. Students who finished all activities were entered in a draw for a prize.
The Frank Hurt Secondary and L.A. Matheson Secondary libraries showcased their recommended reads for this year’s Pink Shirt Day, including:
- The Bully, The Bullied, The Bystander, The Brave by David Booth & Larry Swartz
- Dear Bully by Megan Kelley Hall
- Freaks and Travelers by Brett Riley
- Starfish by Lisa Fipps
- Hate List by Jennifer Brown
- I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- The Insiders by Mark Oshiro
- Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
- To This Day by Shane Koyczan
- Felix Ever After by Kaven Callender
- Booked by Kwame Alexander
- A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima
- Flamer by Mike Curato
- Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
- Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan
- Symptoms of Being Human and The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin
- Incredible Doom by Matthew Bogart
- Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore
- The New David Espinoza by Fred Aceves
These are just some of the inspiring ways our staff and students displayed their commitment to the messages of inclusion and kindness that the day symbolizes.
Thank you to everyone who upholds the spirit of Pink Shirt Day every day and takes a stand against bullying!
