Five students will get “pied” next Wednesday – Pink Shirt Day – at Hugh Boyd secondary as part of a school fundraiser.
While this might seem like a “bizarre” activity for an anti-bullying day, student council president Sarah Luong said, as a leader in the school, she made sure anyone who gets a pie in the face during lunch on Wednesday is comfortable with it.
Herself, she is looking forward to it and sees it as a fun way to raise money and create school spirit.
Student council executive members are going around collecting money from students into cans with their faces on them – whoever's face in on the five cans that raise the most, one from each grade, will be pied.
Luong has noticed students are being encouraged to donate to her can, so she fully expects a pie in her face next Wednesday.
The student council executive is hoping to raise $200 by next week for the CKNW Kids’ Fund.
Keeping up the tradition of Pink Shirt Day is important for the school to remind students it’s a “safe place” and that anyone who feels picked on or bullied knows they have allies in the school, Luong said.
She said the student council should help make the school feel “inclusive, welcoming, a safe community” for all students.
“Pink Shirt Day is just to stand together with those who may be feeling bullied at school or any other place, (so they) come to Hugh Boyd knowing that they have allies and people supporting them, and standing up for them,” Luong said.
Bullying can take place on devices with students hiding behind their screens, other times, it takes the form of teasing that turns into aggression, Luong said.
Luong said she is impressed with the school’s principal and vice-principals who know how to intervene if there’s a fight or conflict in the school.
But as a school leader, Luong also keeps her eyes and ears open to possible bullying behaviour, and she said she’s not afraid to stand up for people she believes are being bullied.
“I think not saying anything is no help to the situation,” she said, adding, though, she doesn’t want to pry into other people’s business but to be supportive.
While there is good-natured joking and teasing among students, when the person who’s being teased isn’t laughing, it’s no longer a joke, Luong said.
“If jokes aren’t funny, it’s not a joke,” she added.
Hugh Boyd students have done “pie in the face” events before – often with school staff being the targets – but this year Luong said it seemed to align with Pink Shirt Day.
The CKNW Kids Fund was chosen as the recipient of the Hugh Boyd fundraiser as it seemed to be a worthy cause, Luong said.
The money goes towards children and youth who need specialized medical equipment and therapies and for at-risk youth.
