Our staff used PINK SHIRT DAY 2021 as a springboard to have a school-wide focus on our School Goal.

We asked learners from all classes to reflect on how they could “Lift each Other Up” at Westwind.   Leading up to PINK Shirt Day, our students were asked to consider the following provocation:   "How we treat each other matters.  How do we "lift each other up" at Westwind?”. Students thought about this prompt and shared their ideas in a culminating hallway display. 

Using words and pictures on small hearts we can see that our learners know how they can lift each other up!   At  Westwind, our current school goal is focused on this essential question:    How do we help our students develop a community of caring?  PINK Shirt day has certainly provided the opportunity for us to show and discuss our ongoing learning in this area of the Personal and Social Core Competencies.  We know that students who are personally aware and responsible recognize the factors that affect their holistic wellness and take increasing responsibility for caring for themselves. They make choices that contribute to their safety in their communities.  If learners can recognize factors for that contribute to their personal happiness it helps empower them and thereby helps them have access to strategies that help find peace in challenging situations.   Collective experiences like this help our learners become aware of others’ needs and feelings and then we hope they can adjust their words and actions to care for their relationships.  Ultimately, we strive for all our learners to reflect on the  impact of their decisions and actions and that like this week on PINK shirt day, they can advocate for and act to bring about positive change.

On PINK SHIRT DAY we had a school "Zoombly"

We showed this Kindness Video and then had all learners reflect ont he following questions:

• Why did he show kindness?
• How did he show kindness?
• What did he get in return?

Discussions around the school asked our learners to reflect as an individual and as a community.  We will certainly be continuing these discussions far beyond this one day.

During our  Pink Shirt Day Assembly, we were introduced to one small and new way to include others by using our Buddy Bench to support one another. (Please see "Buddy Bench" School Story Post).   Ms. Lai and Ms. Ludwig also visited classes  to discuss ways our Buddy Bench can be used and how it will continue to help Westwind have a Community of Care.