Hurupaki School pupils Olive Garbutt, Sienna Oxborrow and Romy Garbutt show off their floral sweetness. Photo / Tania Whyte
Hurupaki School pupils Olive Garbutt, Sienna Oxborrow and Romy Garbutt show off their floral sweetness. Photo / Tania Whyte
Schools in Whangārei donned their pink outfits yesterday to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation’s Pink Shirt Day.
The initiative is a celebration of diversity and spreads anti-bullying messaging by encouraging participants to wear pink.
Totara Grove School teacher Aimee Marinkovich said the tamariki were “buzzing” as they flooded into school gates on Friday morning, dressed in their pink outfits.
She said being in the teaching business means not just teaching academic skills, but life skills too, such as kindness.
“We’ve had tamariki out there complimenting each other on outfits and out there helping each other out if they didn’t have anything,” she said.
One pupil, Shannon Evans (9) had been passing around stickers to those who hadn’t donned a pink outfit. Shannon said the aim of the day was to spread awareness of how “bullying hurts people”.
Totara Grove school pupils, Shannon Evans, Hemi Tangariki-Pou and Maddison Pairama jump for joy. Photo / Tania Whyte
“We’re just proud to be part of supporting Pink Shirt Day, every child deserves to come to school and feel celebrated and included,” Marinkovich said.
Student Maddison Pairama (9) said she likes that the school “stands together” on Pink Shirt Day.
Schools across the region participated on the day, including Hurupaki Primary School.
Evie Coates (10) said Pink Shirt Day is “all about being an upstander”.
Hurupaki School pupils Grace Fitchett, Ayla Raynel and Evie Coates rocking the colour pink. Photo / Tania Whyte
She explained the origin of the day comes from a student who was once bullied in Canada for wearing a pink shirt, and their friends decided to stand up and wear pink too.
Principal of Hurupaki School Danny Clarkson said “It’s been awesome” seeing the students getting involved.
“It’s also about having those talks around kindness and inclusiveness and obviously the anti-bullying messages that go alongside that as well,” he said.
Image 1 of 5: Finn and Nixon show off their poses. Photo / Tania Whyte
Students at Hurupaki School were given the opportunity to write a kind message on a paper pink shirt in honour of the day.
At Totora Grove, the event was celebrated through sporting events and a pink morning tea between staff members.
At Kamo High School, the message was spread through a competitive edge.
Kamo High student Temiha Tangariki-Pou rocks his pink ensemble. Photo / Tania Whyte
Students competed against each other in their Iwi groups in a photo competition which aimed to not only promote awareness but promote the best Iwi who represented the day best.
Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Shaun Robinson said stopping bullying comes down to “calling it out” when it happens.
“Don’t be a bystander, be an upstander. People who are bullied are more likely to experience mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, but studies show that over half of bullying incidents stop when intervention happens.”
“We strongly believe that it’s everyone’s job to make Aotearoa a kinder, more inclusive place, where diversity is celebrated”.
“Wearing a Pink Shirt Day T-shirt sends a powerful message to your peers, colleagues and whānau who are being bullied, or have experienced it before, that they are not alone,” Robinson said.
