Dene laws shape Deline school plans for pink on Pink Shirt Day
At Ehtseo Ayha School in Deline, staff are preparing students for pink on Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 25 by emphasising a Dene law about respecting everyone around you. The school's principal, Jason Dayman, frames those teachings alongside the WITS anti-bullying program as a way to give youth concrete skills for handling conflict.
Dene law emphasis at Ehtseo Ayha School and leadership from Jason Dayman
Ehtseo Ayha School in Deline is centering the Dene law of being respectful to everyone around you as Pink Shirt Day approaches on Feb. 25. Principal Jason Dayman, who has led the school for five years, said the teachings are integral to how mentors operate "in the school and within the community. " Dayman praised the school's approach to anti-bullying programming and said it is about "giving the kids the skills to be able to deal with conflict on their own, teaching them the skills they need to have to be successful in society. " The piece that included Dayman's comments was published 4: 01 pm Tuesday, February 24, 2026, by Kody Ferron.
Monthly Dene law lessons and feather awards for students
At the school, staff examine a different Dene law each month and recognise a student who exemplifies those values by awarding them a feather. That monthly recognition is tied to mentorship: the teachings guide mentors' behaviour and expectations for youth both in the classroom and in the community.
WITS program spelled out as walk away, ignore, talk, seek help
Dayman highlighted the WITS program used at the school as the formal anti-bullying tool. WITS stands for walk away; ignore the inappropriate behaviour; talk the situation out with their peers; and, if all else fails, to seek help. "The WITS program that we use, I like because it’s an acronym, and a ‘word’ that they can remember, " Dayman said, adding the program's aim is "giving kids the skills to be able to deal with small problems on their own. " He reminded students they are not alone when confronting bullying and said, "You know, I don’t use the word bullying lightly. Bullying is repeated behaviour, and that’s where the kids, if they’ve tried using their WITS, they have that opportunity to talk to an adult. " The program name is presented to youth as a cue to remain calm and to think situations through when faced with undesirable peer behaviours.
Pink Shirt Day timing and theme: national recognition on Feb. 25
Pink Shirt Day will be recognised across Canada on Feb. 25; this year it falls on Wednesday, February 25. The theme for this year is "Sprinkle Kindness. " Each year Pink Shirt Day draws attention to the issue of bullying in schools and to what parents and teachers can do to address that behaviour.
Regional examples: PEI review, a Montague presentation and a Nova Scotia protest
Regional coverage included a recent review of Prince Edward Island’s educational authorities by retired chief justice David Jenkins, which showed bullying remains a major concern for Island parents even though the scope of his report was limited to sexual misconduct. The review sits alongside community-level anti-bullying efforts: former Charlottetown Islanders forward Giovanni Morneau spoke during an anti-bullying presentation to students at Montague Consolidated School in 2023. Another widely cited example of student-led response came from Nova Scotia, where, after witnessing a new student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt, a group of Grade 9 boys organised a protest. The students stood in the school entryway with bags of discounted goods and distributed pink shirts to all the boys in the school.
