Last Friday, Nayland students and staff took part in Pink Shirt Day, a global initiative to raise awareness about bullying.

The initiative, which has been taken up by schools and workplaces worldwide, started in a Canadian high school when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a peer was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. They encouraged their classmates all to wear pink to show that we all need to stand up to bullying. 

Trudy Harvey, Pegasus House dean, was in charge of organising the casual dress day, which also raised money for the Mental Health Foundation, who do a lot of work to support those affected by bullying and to bring awareness to the issue. The day raised $550 for this cause.

Ms Harvey said that not only did Pink Shirt Day draw attention to bullying, it hammered home that there was support out there for students that were struggling with bullying.

"I think it is important that it (bullying) is not ignored. Students who have been bullied need to know it is not just them, they are not alone and there are people here to support them. We also want to make it clear that we are here to support those students who are doing the bullying, to help them reflect and change their behaviour. Pink Shirt Day gives us the opportunity to make this really clear to all students."