Schools in Estevan marked Pink Shirt Day with presentations and activities aimed at promoting kindness, inclusion and the importance of standing up to bullying.
The Spruce Ridge student leadership team, along with teacher Mrs. Copeland and Spruce Ridge Principal Cheri Haberstock, planned several sessions throughout the day to effectively pass the message on to children of all ages.
David Briz and Maria Ayesha Esprera Fernandez led a Pink Shirt Day presentation at Spruce Ridge School, speaking to Grade 6-8 students about bullying prevention.
Briz admitted he was nervous but proud of himself after the presentation.
“It’s kind of my first time presenting to the upper levels … I made some mistakes, but I feel like I could do better when I grow,” he said.
Having faced bullying in the past, Briz said it is important to stand up for yourself and others. “When someone bullies a kid, I just tell them to stop,” he said.
Spruce Ridge Principal Cheri Haberstock praised the students for leading the initiative.
“I’m very, very proud of these students for taking the leadership to talk about these issues,” she said. “These issues were around when I was in school, and they were around years ago, and they’re still around today. I wish we could eliminate them completely, but it’s not an easy thing to do. I think we just have to work on making people aware of these issues and keep promoting the idea that standing up to bullying is the right thing to do, and being mean and bullying is a terrible thing to do.”
“It always comes from a better place when it's coming from the students themselves, talking about bullying,” Haberstock said. “They hear the teachers talk a lot, so sometimes just hearing the students talk about bullying helps. They decided what they were including in the content of the presentations.
“Each presentation was different and tailored to the audience, because the little ones may not even know what bullying is, whereas the older students can get into more complex topics. But I think it was a great opportunity, and the students came up with the content of the presentation themselves.”
Pleasantdale School also marked Pink Shirt Day, with Principal Devin Aspinall emphasizing the school’s approach.
“Pink Shirt Day is a date that’s circled on our calendar every year to promote anti-bullying and standing up for what’s right,” Aspinall said. “We kind of twisted it a little bit to focus less on the bullying part and more on kindness and the way we should be treating others all the time."
He said while this message was highlighted in the presentation, it is something they strive to reinforce year-round. These lessons, he added, can also be used with siblings and within the community.
Pleasantdale’s approach to anti-bullying extends beyond a single day.
“We do monthly assemblies where we focus on character building,” Aspinall said, referencing the school’s BARK principles: being safe, accountable, respectful and kind. “We highlight students of the month for their kind acts and just show that this is what you guys are striving to be, and we want to celebrate that with you every day.”
Aspinall acknowledged the impact of social media on bullying, stating that the school takes an educational approach to addressing cyberbullying. “It does exist,” he said.
