Pink here. Pink there. Pink everywhere!
Gordon F. Kells High School and Carlyle Elementary School teamed up for the first annual Anti-Bullying Awareness day. The initiative, which focused on battling the on-going issues of bullying, caused a Sea of Pink to take over Carlyle schools on Wednesday, April 13. With 500 people in attendance, the initiative included not only a fun-filled day of activities and guest speakers, but left some food for thought about the prevalent issue in not only our schools, but within our community.
Why pink you ask? The color pink is significant as to why anti-bullying campaigns are making their way across Canada. In 2003, in a Nova Scotia high school, two students decided to take action after being witness to a male student being bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt to the first day of school. Buying 50 pink shirts that evening, the two students went online to e-mail classmates and ask for their support. The result, hundreds and hundreds of students dressed in pink at school the following day. Due to the fact that two students had the courage and character to stand up and show a little activism, anti-bullying days are now widely participated in throughout Canadian schools.
That was the message that organizers of the Awareness Committee were trying to get across with the Anti-Bullying Awareness campaign. Organizers of the event, Bryce Birch, Jeff Lafroret and Melissa Roy-Brown, started planning the initiative back in December. Jeff Lafroret discussed the start of the planning process. "Bryce and I discussed the bullying surveys he had and decided to use them at G.F.K. [in October]. When they came in, we immediately noticed that bullying was a significant issue (akin to most high schools). Bryce was really familiar with holding Anti-Bullying Day activities at his previous school, so we thought the idea would work really well here. The one thing we agreed on initially, before any other work was done, was that both G.F.K. and C.E.S. needed to be involved."
With overwhelming support from all 500 involved, walking into the gym meant walking into a Sea of Pink. Students from kindergarten to grade 12, along with staff and invited guests, were outfitted with t-shirts that read "One Colour, One Purpose, One Community." The motto describes exactly what the Awareness Committee was trying to promote, to combat the issue as one.
The day was event-filled starting in the morning with an undisclosed guest speaker. In a surprise twist; not only one, but two Roughriders showed up to help spread the message. Luc Mullinder and Tad Kornegay spoke with the assembly about the daily effects of bullying and the consequences that arise from such harsh treatment.
Luc Mullinder started with "I think this is an important issue, stopping bullying and uniting against it. I was bullied when I was a young kidUnfortunately some of things we talk about today, some of you are going through. And what's worse, is that all of you guys know people that are going through it. And as a matter of fact, I am willing to bet my whole entire pay check that everyone in this gym has known someone that has been bullied or maybe they were a bully [themselves]." Luc took the message right from the young kindergartens to the impact throughout the age groups, finishing off with the staff, teachers and invited guests and making the message relevant to all in attendance.
Bryce Birch of G.F.K. said "It was very important for each of the schools to get involved. This isn't a high school problem or an elementary school problem. Bullying is happening all around us and at every age level. We want our younger students to hear the message at an early age, so that when they become our [G.F.K.] students that are looked up upon, they can role model what anti-bullying is, and they can make a differencefor the next generation of students."
Luc provided the students with three things they could do if they are being bullied at school.
You can avoid the bully.
You can tell somebody (which he identified as being the most powerful thing you can do).
You can take a stand.
Impressed with all of the support for the cause, Luc provided the students with a four-point message on how to help if they see someone being bullied. "An intervener is someone that stands up and gets the person being bullied out of his situation. And that's what you guys are doing today. Just by wearing pink shirts today, you guys are sticking up for people that are being bullied all over Canada. You guys are being interveners, and that is a great thing. Seventy-five per cent of the time when someone is getting bullied, if someone gets involved, whether it be a kid or a parent, it stops. And I don't know about you guys, but that is a big number. Unfortunately only about 25 percent of the time does somebody actually get involved."
The four-point message provided to the students on how to intervene included:
Make sure that it is safe to get involved.
Talk to the person being bullied and let them know that you are there for them.
Find someone to tell and report the situation.
Make sure that once you report the situation, someone does something about it and that the person being bullied 'gets out' and feels safe.
Birch reiterated the importance of this. "It is important for our students to know that when they are standing up to the action of bullying, they are not telling to get someone in trouble, they are telling to get someone out of trouble. There is a big difference there."
In the hour-long interactive presentation from Luc and Tad, the students in the assembly were all ears and all eyes. Hands shot up throughout the assembly with questions on what to do if you are bullied or see someone being bullied. When asked why it was important for Luc to be involved in this type of initiative, he stated "You know, my dad said when I came here, you should do something good in Saskatchewan. And you know, I feel this is an opportunity to do that. I have experience with bullying, and I've seen it happen a lot, so I felt that I could speak to it. Being the only sports team in Saskatchewan comes with responsibility. These kids look up to us."
The day continued with a lunch served to the students, staff and special guests. Hot dogs on pink hot dog buns, pink ice cream and pink lemonade filled the stomachs of all of those in attendance. It was at this point, that a request was sent out to the older students. Not only to keep an eye on the younger students, but to be a role model for the students. And look after them did they ever. Buddies were seen throughout the day and new heroes in the eyes of the younger students were born. An amazing display of what it means to "be one" was shown throughout the remainder of the day.
Following activities such as sidewalk chalk, relay races, lazer eye, keep the pink balloon up, pink elephant tag and silent ball, students gathered to create a human heart. The feat, accomplished with team work and a little determination, showed the capability of the schools working together.
One of many special parts of the day was the creation of the "Chain for Change," where the two schools created a human chain creating a safe pathway between the two schools. With the help of RCMP directing traffic, students and buddies from both schools united to create a chain from the Elementary School to the High School. The linking together of the schools was done to show the "oneness" that combating an issue like this requires.
Melissa Roy-Brown of C.E.S. stated that it was important to have this message provided to students in Carlyle. "Do unto others as you shall have them do unto you is an important motto to live by. As a teacher I see how often children seem to have the inability to put themselves in the other persons shoes. It is very important to me to teach children how to be kind and how to have empathy for others and to understand the consequences of their actions."
In addition to the many activities that happened throughout the day, the town of Carlyle is in support of the initiative. From hereinafter, April 13 will be known as "Bullying Awareness Day" in Carlyle with the town proclaiming the day and their support at a recent meeting.
The symbols throughout the day - the Sea of Pink, heart of students and Chain for Change - showed the students that if they put their minds to something, they can achieve anything. The lesson in itself, is a great reminder for the students, staff and invited guests, that bullying is something that can be eradicated within the schools if we all put a little effort in. If the students, staff and community members come together, anything is possible.
The Awareness Committee recognized that without the help of many individuals, the day wouldn't have been the success that it was. Ken King assisted the committee with obtaining pink t-shirts for the day, the Town of Carlyle recognized the significance of the day and supported the initiative financially, and the RCMP not only dyed their uniform shirts pink in support of the initiative, but attended throughout the day and assisted with traffic control during the Chain for Change.
The Carlyle Bakery was responsible for making the famous pink hot dog buns and pink donuts that were enjoyed throughout the day, and Moose Mountain Mud supplied a BBQ that was capable of cooking the 1000 hot dogs required for the day. Additionally, support was provided from the Student Councils at both G.F.K. and C.E.S.. The committee sends out a big thank you to all of those that supported and helped with the initiative including the school staff, parents, invited guests and of course, the students. In reference to the committee's plans for next year, Lafroret said "Bigger and Better! The Town of Carlyle is on board along with several members of the business community, to help us spread the concept of a safe community from within the schools to within the community. Let me just say, if you thought you saw a lot of pink this year, wait 'til next year!"
