Woodward Elementary Student Inspires Campuswide Movement for Kindness
On Wednesday, February 25, Walter Woodward Elementary School wore pink as students and staff united in a powerful stand to spread kindness, inclusion, and prevent bullying. What made the day especially meaningful was that the initiative began with one of Woodward’s own students.
Fifth grader Skylee Valiante brought the idea to her campus after learning about Pink Shirt Day through a YouTube video and conducting her own research. Inspired to make a difference and spread kindness, she created a flyer and submitted a written proposal to Principal Heather Thomson, requesting that the school host a campus-wide Pink Shirt Day.
Thomson invited Skylee to her office to discuss her vision for the day and what she hoped it would look like. When asked how she felt after receiving her principal’s support, Skylee described the experience as “surreal.”
To build excitement, Skylee took over the morning announcements on Monday, February 23, sharing the purpose of the day and encouraging everyone to participate. Teachers also used the opportunity to discuss the importance of kindness and the meaning behind Pink Shirt Day with their classes.
When Skylee arrived at school on Wednesday, students and staff were proudly dressed in pink! Classrooms participated in social-emotional learning activities focused on empathy and what it means to be an “Upstander”- someone who speaks up or takes action when they witness unkind behavior.
In second-grade teacher Dora Micheletos’s classroom, students worked in small groups to write kind words and messages of encouragement on pink butcher paper cut into the shape of T-shirts. Messages included “Kindness is free!” and “Kindness never goes out of style!”
First-grade teacher Julie Ellis’s students created paper-bag “Upstander Capes” to represent the idea that standing up for others is a superpower everyone has. Capes featured messages such as “you are not alone” and “Believe in yourself!”
For Skylee, seeing the entire school embrace the message was both exciting and empowering, as everyone was spreading important messages. She hopes the day will encourage students to always take action and spread kindness.
“No matter where a classmate is from, how they do things, how they walk or talk, they’re all human, and you can treat them just like how you want to be treated,” Skylee said.
Principal Heather Thomson said she was immediately impressed by Skylee’s initiative and confidence and knew it was important to support the effort.
“It’s powerful for kids to see other kids make a movement. I’m hoping other kids see that and know their voices matter!”
Thomson noted that the impact was visible across campus, with over half the campus wearing pink and teachers doing activities in their classrooms.
Left: Students in Dora Micheletos’s 2nd grade class pose with their pink shirt ID cards.
Right: Woodward Elementary office staff, including Principal Heather Thomson and Vice Principals Christopher Correia and Nashekah Kimbro, pose together in their pink shirts for Pink Shirt Day.
Beyond wearing pink, the day reinforced Woodward Elementary’s ongoing focus on empathy, kindness, and community, as well as its Wednesday social-emotional learning days.
“Kindness and empathy have to be modeled every day,” Thomson said. “We can teach it all day in a classroom, but if it’s not being modeled for kids, they’re going to struggle with what that looks and sounds like.”
For Skylee, the goal was simple: to make her school a kinder place.
When asked what she hopes students remember about Pink Shirt Day, she replied, “Hopefully, just by doing an act of kindness.”
Skylee Valiante, fifth-grade student at Walter Woodward Elementary.
Skylee also shared her hopes of being a leader of kindness and helping make the world a better place.
Woodward Elementary’s Pink Shirt Day serves as a powerful reminder that one student’s idea can spark meaningful change — and that when a community comes together, even small acts of kindness can have a big impact.