The Lakehead District School Board encouraged students and staff to wear pink on Wednesday to support the elimination of bullying and to show kindness to the people around them.

Students learned how to identify bullying and what to do when they see it. They also learned the negative impacts bullying can have on people and why kindness is always the better choice.

Leading up to Pink Shirt Day, the school board held a design competition for students allowing the opportunity to design the official pink shirt for the day.

Grade 5 student Emma Rzepczynsk from Kingsway Park Public School created the winning design.

“I decided to design (the shirt) because I see a lot of kids getting bullied, and I just feel bad for them, that they have to go through that, especially when they are new,” explained Rzepczynsk.

She was happy to see teachers and students wearing the shirt at the Pink Shirt Day assembly held at Kingsway, and she hopes Pink Shirt Day efforts help combat bullying at her school.

Grade 5 student Emma Rzepczynski’s winning pink shirt design – CJ Goater