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PreK-Grade 12 International Day and Boarding School in Kobe, Japan | Since 1913

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Pink Shirt Day

Pink Shirt Day

In 2007 on the first day of classes, a teenager wore a pink shirt to his school in Canada. He was picked on, made fun of, and threatened because of his fashion choice. Two grade 12 boys who witnessed this harassment went to a nearby second-hand store and bought 50 pink shirts. They then spread the word to 'wear a sea of pink', and hundreds of their classmates came to school the next day dressed head to toe in pink as a sign of solidarity. Word spread and now each year, many schools around the world celebrate 'Pink Shirt Day', a time to reflect on one's actions as well as show support for fellow students.

At Canadian Academy, students and staff wore pink to school this past Thursday to join in this anti-bullying campaign, as well as to celebrate diversity and create an environment where all can feel safe, valued and respected. 

Moreover, our students participated in a variety of discussions and activities that led them to consider the idea of 'radical empathy', which simply means pushing yourself outside of your usual ‘base level’ of emotion and consciously committing yourself to considering and caring more about others. We all demonstrate acts of kindness when it is clear the situation warrants, but we also need to consider the idea of acting purposefully with kindness towards others in our daily lives and interactions.

Teenagers in general face various types of bullying including cyber, verbal, physical, and social. While no school (or any social institution) is completely free of this, our students actively discuss, identify, practice and promote the attitudes, skills, and actions that help 'fight' bullying. 

Although the Pink Shirt observance is only one day, we revisit these ideas throughout the year through our advisories/classrooms as well as during our Extended Learning Opportunities block. 

Being a diverse and inclusive school, we encourage all of our community to consider how to make a positive difference in the lives of others.