Students from across Humboldt Schools took a stand against bullying by recognizing Red Cross Pink Day on Feb. 28.
St. Dominic, Humboldt Collegiate (HCI), and Humboldt Public School all participated by wearing pink shirts.
The Red Cross Imagine No Bullying campaign also brought Saskatchewan Roughrider, Eddie Steele, out to speak with students at HCI on Feb. 26, both about his personal experiences with bullying and winning the Grey Cup, says teacher, Jamie White.
The presentation was well received by the students.
“It hit home, had good information, and was really clear. But it was also a Roughrider. When you have that aspect presenting the message of no bullying, it was good.”
Tonnes of students and staff wore the green and white for Steele’s presentation and then sported the pink for Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 28.
White says bullying at HCI is getting better with awareness posters and safe guards in place for students to speak with teachers about bullying.
Principal Clayton Parobec says that Humboldt Public School (HPS) was an awesome sea of pink for Pink Shirt Day.
“It was pink everywhere,” says Parobec, “just to see the students rally behind it and obviously in the classrooms we talk about what the day represents and why we wear pink.”
Unfortunately bullying continues to happen both in and out of schools and the more we can recognize it and empower students to know what to do and eliminate it, says Parobec.
HPS conducts surveys with their students regarding bullying twice a year and Paraobec says they are happy to see the percentage of bullying incidents have decreased over the last couple of years.
“It’s not zero. I don’t think any school is but now we’re at a point where we’re headed in the right direction.”
Director of Education for Horizon School Division, Kevin Garinger, says there was a message for everybody, especially students who used this as a visual representation of their commitment to the anti-bullying message.
“It is also an opportunity for our schools to make their commitment to this work known to students and communities through activities and events.”
Teachers were also reminded the resources that are available for their students if they are being bullied, says Garinger, including the Report Bullying SK Student Online Reporting Tool and the I Am Stronger program.
As well, Garinger says the day is also a way to encourage students to intervene when they see bullying happening.
“It is also important to teach our children that they need to be ‘upstanders’ rather than bystanders,” says Garinger. “As the famed human rights activist Desmond Tutu stated, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
According to 8,800 students in grades 7-12 from 114 schools who participated in the Saskatchewan Alliance for Youth and Community Well-Being 2016 Provincial Youth Health Report, around “two in five students had been bullied at least once in the past month,” and “nearly 1 in 5 (19%) students had considered suicide in the past year,” with half of those who considered it attempting suicide.
