Primarily a day to spotlight bullying, Pink Shirt Day also has the important goal of developing positive child and adult attitudes towards accepting and including others different to ourselves.

The element of empathy is so important in this. Pink Shirt Day spotlights the need to show empathy and understanding for others. The ‘old’ word for this is compassion… atawhai or tautoko… support. These are very important for children and adults alike.

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa. Let us keep close together, not far apart.

At home, talk to your tamariki about respecting and supporting others, one of Redwood School’s key values, and having empathy and compassion for others. As adults it is so important to role-model this even though others may sorely try us at times. By role-modelling positive behaviours you are reinforcing such important messages for your tamariki. It’s not easy sometimes, but we have to match words to actions. As adults, even if we disagree, we must role-model positive resolution or compromise. If we do this we stay together and relationship is less likely to be damaged or broken.

Thank you to everyone who supported our Pink Shirt Day.