School District No. 19 (Revelstoke)
So what did our schools do on Pink Day?
Our district goal to promote the overall Health and Well-being of our students is well supported through
programs and services provided throughout the year. This year, during the week of February 23 – 27, each
of our schools celebrated and acknowledged their work toward creating and maintaining safe environments
in their schools. Following are some highlights of “Pink Shirt Day/Week”.
Arrow Heights Elementary
Students from buddy class wrote a "Kindness note" to each
other. These were placed on student desks to them to
school Feb 25th. A photo was taken of each student with
their note which was put together in a slide show that was
displayed during our special assembly held on Feb 25th.
Each student saw how positive they made their buddy feel
by saying something kind. The notes were placed on a large
'heart' during the assembly by each student and is now
displayed in the hall.
(Slide show is on the school website
http://arrowheightselementary.weebly.com/ourassembly-slideshows.html). We continue to sell our
school designed 'stop bullying' t-shirt. Our annual
'sea of pink' photo was taken and is now presented
on our school website. The photo represents us
standing together to be kind and putting our hand
ups against bullying.
Library programming has focused on understanding
bully behaviour and how to create and maintain
positive relationships. Stories for primary students
and internet and social media for upper intermediate
students help to bring awareness and encourage prosocial behavior.
A 'Friendship Fruit Salad' with our class buddies in
kindergarten and grade 3/4 ended pink week.
Students brought a cup of fresh fruit, the recipies to
go with it, and described how each fruit represents a
positive characteristic to have in the class (friendly,
helpful, happy, kind...etc.etc).
The recipies will be displayed in the hallway.
Begbie View Elementary
On Pink Day, the student led assembly featured two grade 7 students from the Me to We Team and their presentation
on the Power of One. They read the book One by Kathryn Otoshi. In simple language and vivid pictures through a slide
show, described issues around bullying and the Power of One. A YouTube video featured an amazing speech by a grade
5 girl on bullying and kindness. The assembly ended with a grade 3/4 class presentation of a poem "Choose Kindness",
written and performed by the whole class.
Pink day serves to reinforce our ongoing antibullying initiatives and monthly
themes: Putting-ups/filling a bucket in January; Friendship February, Gratitude
in March. The themes are introduced to the whole school through weekly
assemblies, and to parents in newsletters. Classes do activities to reinforce
these
themes
and
positive
behaviours,
e.g.
students
have made buckets to put positive/putting up notes in on a daily/weekly basis.
Parents also supported their children at home by helping them set a daily goal
to fill people's buckets.
Mentoring Programs engage High School students with grade 7 students on building relations and promoting kindness.
Class meetings, like restorative circles in Gr. 4/5, tackle bullying incidents and resolve issues together. At Staff meetings
strategies and resources on antibullying and building a safe and positive school culture and community are shared
including programs like “Friends for Life” and “Kids in the Know”.
Columbia Park Elementary
Our school goal on student health and well-being
guides our work as we build social and emotional skills,
and create an environment that CARES (Cooperative,
Achievement, Respect, Enthusiasm, Safety).
Our theme this year has been "Free to be Uniquely Me
at CPE!” Where people are accepted and celebrated
for being themselves, bullying cannot thrive. Each
class has done a healthy relationships workshop, using
Diane Gossen's restitution materials on the basic
needs (survival, power, love and belonging, fun, and
freedom) and how to get those needs met in positive
ways. We highlight diversity in our world, and
recently, focused on Metis culture including dance,
and learning about Chinese New Year.
On Pink Day, students wear pink, OR wear something
that shows their own unique-ness. A “sharing fair” of
students' collections, or samples of things they've
made that they're proud of (lego creations, sewing, art
work, etc.) demonstrated our many talents.
Our
grade
7s
introduced the history
and meaning of Pink
Shirt Day, along with
our
focus
on
celebrating
each
other’s unique qualities
at
an
afternoon
assembly. A skit and a
video clip finished their
presentation. In our
Family Groups the
grade 7s lead their
group to fill the letters
of a huge banner,
which reads "FREE TO
BE ME AT CPE!"
Drawings, their names, things they're good at, etc fill the
letters. The laminated poster will stay up in the Gym to
remind us that everyday is pink shirt day!
Revelstoke Secondary School
RSS has a strong cultural belief in respect and tolerance as is evidenced
everyday by our entire school community. The underlying concept about Pink
Shirt Day is that RSS continues to promote respect and tolerance everyday,
and on this day will wear pink in order to symbolize RSS' strong stand against
bullying.
Over the past week morning announcements were made by both staff and
students that described features of our positive culture and spread the
message of supporting this day for anti-bullying. The RSS 'Love is Louder'
campaign and Youth Mentoring programs were referenced as well--all in the
name of promoting Revelstoke Secondary Schools' continued efforts in these
areas.
On Feb. 25, Revelstoke Secondary School students and staff dressed in pink to
support anti-bullying and to acknowledge the importance of creating a safe
school environment every day. Our twitter feed (@Revelstoke Secondary)
celebrates the wide variety of ways that our school community promotes
healthy environments. High school students mentors, the Me-to-We movement, and Love is Louder campaign are
formal representation of the daily acts of kindness and caring we have come to expect at Revelstoke Secondary School.