Bullying in school is an issue that has, over the past decade, been thrust into the spotlight.
The negative impacts of bullying, for both the bullies and the bullied, has been found to hit every level of an individual's life, from their academic achievements in school, to their sense of self-worth and success later in life.
Arcola School has therefore taken the step of joining the growing number of schools that take the time to recognize 'Pink Day,' as a method of addressing the issue of bullying.
The Pink Day movement, also known as Pink Shirt Day, and the Day of Pink, was started in Nova Scotia following a bullying incident where a student at a school in that province was bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
Since then the pink shirt has come to be the symbol of the movement against bullying, and for the various Pink Day activities that occur throughout Canada and the world.
It was Wednesday, April 4th, when the students at Arcola School donned their pink t-shirts, and gathered in the gymnasium for the day's activities.
Following a photo session where the students joined in groups to make a sun shape, the students, teachers, staff and parents all went out to do a walk-around of the town of Arcola.
Mary McNair, an educational assistant at Arcola School, is one of the driving forces behind the Arcola Pink Day.
"This is our first year having a Pink Day," McNair explained. "The idea is to promote anti-bullying, as opposed to dealing with the effects of bullying after the event."
The weather was warm, and the breeze was slight as streams of students and people made their way around Arcola, the majority resplendent in their pink shirts.
"When I was in school I wasn't really bullied," McNair said. "I served as sort of the lookout, watching the other kids at recess."
"I liked making friends, and I think I acted as a bridge between a lot of people to make more friends through me."
Despite her lack of experience at being bullied, McNair nonetheless feels strongly about the bullying issue.
"It's a problem, and I'm happy to see that people are taking it seriously," McNair said. "I've been with the committee since 2010, and I'm glad to be taking part in it."
The shirts were made available for Pink Day for only $5.25, for students and individuals who ordered their shirts previous to Christmas.
The t-shirts were sponsored by Sask Energy, Saskatchewan Credit Unions, and Extreme Hockey.
