WEAR SOMETHING PINK day - Friday 20 May.

By Belinda Hirst | Posted: Thursday May 5, 2022

This year OIS is doing something a little different for Pink Shirt Day. Instead, we are having a WEAR SOMETHING PINK day: so SUBSTITUTE uniform item/s for something that is pink.

The student council decided that we want to support Pink Shirt Day. This year it is on Friday 21 May, week 3. Instead of a pink shirt day, we are going with a 'wear something pink day'. So students must replace part or parts of their uniform with something pink, ie: a shirt, hat, shorts, skirt, socks, or shoes. It can be one item of clothing or multiple BUT it must be the majority colour pink!

Pink Shirt Day is about spreading Aroha and kindness and putting an end to bullying.

  • “Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora - Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!”

Celebrated annually around the globe, Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against bullying after a peer was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. In Aotearoa, Pink Shirt Day works to create schools, workplaces, communities, and whānau where everyone feels safe, valued, and respected.

Bullying in our schools is a real problem. In fact, New Zealand has the third-highest rate of school bullying out of 36 OECD countries. Studies show that rangitahi who get bullied are far more likely to experience health and mental health issues.

We need your help to turn this around. We deserve to live in a place where we all feel safe and valued, and where we’re not afraid to be ourselves. Together, we can create a school and community that celebrate our differences and practice kindness and acceptance every day.