Pink Shirt day is a worldwide campaign that New Zealand has been celebrating since 2009, aiming to raise awareness among New Zealanders of the power they have to stop bullying within their own schools and communities. The worldwide initiative - beginning in Canada when a group of students stood up for a student bullied for wearing a pink shirt - has spread from the other side of the world to a like-minded group of students at Trident High School.
Trident High School’s Student Health Advisory Committee is led by students who have a drive to inform their community, so that they are more aware of the issues; social and medical, in our community. The students have found an affinity with the anti-bullying initiative. Sariah Ratford [pictured] has taken charge to bring the event to fruition, stepping up to design and create the school wristbands, brandishing the empowering message ‘Step Up So Others Don’t Get Stepped On’. The school has granted permission to allow them to be a year-round statement for students to show their support, and have organized a schoolmufti day on the 18th to raise awareness. They encourage the public to wear pink, to provide a united front against bullying.
Pink Shirt Day aims to empower people into believing they CAN make a difference. Everyone has the power to talk to someone, to change their behaviour, and support their friends. Trident High School encourages all their students to ‘Step Up So Others Don’t Get Stepped On’.
Click on this link to find out more about the National Schools Poetry Award! Great prizes up for grabs, entries close 13th of June.
Go to http://bnz.co.nz to find out about this year’s short story competition, even BETTER prizes up for grabs! Entries close 30th of June.
See Miss Hamilton in the English department if you have any questions, or talk to your English teachers. We’d be more than happy to help you with your entries!
