Dear staff,

On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, we encourage all HWDSB students and staff to wear a pink shirt in honour of Pink Shirt Day, a day to raise awareness and stand up against bullying.

Pink Shirt (or Anti-Bullying) Day is recognized annually in communities across Canada as schools and workplaces come together by wearing pink shirts to show they are against bullying. This year, HWDSB will ground its theme for the day in the title of the recent Review Panel report: “Building Healthy Relationships and Inclusive, Caring Learning Environments.”

This year, more than ever, we acknowledge the work we must do to address bullying. The scope of this work was recently identified in the final report and recommendations from the Safe Schools: Bullying Prevention and Intervention Review Panel.

As a Board, we believe in creating and maintaining a positive culture to support well-being for everyone. We know that some communities face bullying at higher rates than others, namely those who are members of racialized or 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. This must stop.

You may notice that we recognize Pink Shirt Day in February and International Day of Pink in April. The days have similar origins, but are distinct: Pink Shirt Day has a general anti-bullying focus, while International Day of Pink focuses on homophobic and transphobic bullying.

Thank you for considering to wear pink on Wednesday and for fostering an environment where kindness and inclusion are the norm. Please share your participation on social media using the hashtags #pinkshirtday and tagging @HWDSB_Climate. You may also consider learning opportunities that include:

• Asking: What can we do to participate in Pink Shirt Day?
• Proudly wear a pink shirt
• Starting a conversation about kindness and inclusion
• Designing your own pink shirt logo or slogan
• Creating an anti-bullying school banner for all students and staff to sign
• Practicing random acts of kindness all day long
• Visiting pinkshirtday.ca to learn more

You can also learn more online about HWDSB’s bullying prevention and intervention resources and the Safe Schools: Bullying Prevention and Intervention Review Panel.

Together, we will make a difference.

Sincerely,