April 4th, 2014

On Wednesday April 9, Mary Johnston will be celebrating International Day of Pink with a special theme of Free To Be Me!

International Day of Pink began as a day to recognize that positive actions can make a difference and that each of us has something to contribute to put a stop to bullying.  In Nova Scotia, in 2007, those positive actions took the form of many students at one high school wearing pink shirts to show support for a male student who was bullied for wearing pink.  At Mary Johnston, we are taking this day to recognize that all students and staff at MJ are welcome and cared for… just as they are.

What you can do to help your child understand why Free To Be Me is so important:

1. Have a family discussion about what feels important to each person in the family as part of his or her identity (e.g., your religion, favourite past time, or country of origin).  Then talk about what it might feel like if someone stripped you of that part of your identity through taunting or shunning.

2. Talk about examples from history or current events where individuals or groups of individuals have not been accepted or included just as they are, and what the consequences were.

3. Ask your child about discussions his or her class has had about this topic and how your child contributed to the classroom’s graffiti wall and school’s Free to Be Me bulletin boards.

4. Let your child choose to wear clothes or accessories to school on April 9 which she or he feels are just what she or he would want to wear if there were no social or fashion norms affecting the decisions.

By recognizing the importance of Free to Be Me, staff and students, individually and together as a group, are promoting a positive and healthy climate for all.

Your MJ Safe, Caring and Inclusive School Team