Pink Shirt Day is happening in Wood Buffalo a little early this year.

The actual day is next Wednesday, February 26th, but because both the Catholic and Public School Districts will be off for a Teacher’s Convention, Wood Buffalo will celebrate this week.

Pink Shirt Day began in Nova Scotia in 2007 when a grade 9 student was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Two teen boys at his school noticed this and brought pink shirts for all the boys in their school to wear to stand up to the bullies.

This year’s theme is ‘Lift Each Other Up.’

Superintendent of the FMCSD George McGuigan tells Mix News they hope to focus the day on kindness rather than bullying.

“We try to avoid the words anti-bullying and look for ways to be proactive and to be kind and considerate of others. Our Elsie Yanik Catholic School for example, she herself always said ‘Kindness is Contagious’ so if you walk in that school you’ll see that big sign there, and its our messaging each and every day, its in everything that we do. ”

Students at the FMPSD are encouraged to join the movement and wear a pink shirt to school this Thursday, while students with the FMCSD are set to celebrate on Friday.