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| Tue, 12-06-2005 - 11:45am |
DD goes to a school that requires all students to wear uniforms. She doesn't mind at all. There are several styles/patterns of skirts available, at least 1/2 dozen colors of polo shirts, as well as shorts and slacks. It's not like every kid look exactly the same when you drive up to the school. Jeans are allowed on Fridays, but only with a school shirt.
With winter approaching, mornings are pretty chilly and last week, DD wore her fleece jacket to school. It's NOT a jacket purchased from the uniform or school store. When I asked her if she was allowed to wear that, she said she'd seen lots of kids wearing their own jackets. In fact, one of her good friends had worn a jean jacket the day before.
DD was asked to remove her jacket that day by her English teacher because it was in violation of dress code. DD told her teacher that there were dozens of kids in their own jackets at school that day. Teacher insisted she take it off, so she did. When she got home, we checked the Student Handbook and sure enough, it states clearly that jackets must be purchased from the uniform or school store.
The next day, I sent DD to school with a signed check and told her to go to the student store and buy a school jacket, which she did.
Do you think I have a beef with the school? This is one of those things that makes me batty! If rules are rules, and important enough to be put in the Student Handbook, why are they only enforced by some of the staff some of the time? I've seen kids in violation of dress code plenty of times ... skirts much shorter than stipulated, undershirts hanging out below the uniform shirts, etc.
I told DD that I wanted her to COUNT how many non-school jackets she sees at school today. I'd like to write a letter to the school saying something to the effect that "my child was asked to remove her non-school jacket last week. Today, she counted X number of students in their own coats, blah, blah, blah ..." The objective would be to point out that the dress code is only being enforced some of the time to some of the students.
What do you think?

Oh, yes ... I am with you. Dd has uniforms at her school. She loves it and she usually doesn't change out of it until bedtime most nights. They only have one skirt (but there are different skirts for the high school, middle school, etc) and three colors of polo shirts. There is also a "dress uniform" for Mass and special occasions - the skirt, a white oxford and a pullover sweater. They can wear school sweatshirts on Thursdays (as long as they still have the rest of the uniform on). Seniors can wear any sweater they want and they can also wear tennis shoes.
In middle school, I dutifully bought her the required plain brown or black shoes as stated in the handbook. She started wearing her tennis shoes and other fun shoes because others were getting away with it. I was not happy spending hard earned money on something she refused to wear. At the end of last year, a note came home stating that the shoe rule would be strictly enforced. Before we went shoe shopping this summer, I called the school and told them I'd gladly buy her the right shoes ... but only if they would enforce the rule across the board (except for seniors). I was assured it would be done and it has.
I don't blame you for being mad. Your poor dd! It's embarrasing to be singled out like that.
My guess is they are at least partially motivated by the financial reward of selling the kids jackets from the school store.
We don't have jackets (only letter jackets for the upperclassmen) and the school is FREEZING. On parent visitation day I jokingly accused them of putting the chairs in a giant cooler every night! They can only wear the pullover sweater to keep warm. (and we are in OHIO! brrrr)
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That sounds just like DD's dress uniform! Is it from Mills? Girls are supposed to wear heels and hose on dress/mass days. DD does, but says very few actually do, too. Boys are supposed to wear ties on dress days and that seems to be enforced consistently.
DD says jrs and srs can wear their future college sweatshirt or jacket, but everyone else is supposed to wear school sweatshirts and jackets.
Shoes are student choice and that seems to be wear the kids express themselves -- I've seen some pretty wild shoes around campus ... beaded and sequined flats, checkerboard skate shoes, etc. The girls went through a cowboy boot phase until the school made a blanket statement during morning announcements that cowboy boots were verboten. I think they should be doing that with the jacket thing.
I think part of the reason DD got singled out is because the teacher knows her on a more personal level. DD took a trip with the Drama department in October and the English teacher was one of the chaperones so may just notice her more than she notices the quiet kid sitting in the back row ... in his Old Navy jacket!
I think I'm gonna have DD count jackets for the rest of the week, THEN I'll write my letter.
Thanks for your input.
I agree that you should make it an issue with the school administration. Rules should be enforced by everyone or not at all but not piecemeal. This kind of thing drives me nuts as well. Uniforms are there for a reason that provides a benefit to the entire school but the standards must be enforced or don't bother with a uniform at all. My daughter attends a Catholic school where everyone DOES dress the same. They all wear white polo shirts with the school insignia, black pants and black dress shoes. They also have a black pullover they can wear on cold days. And they cannot wear anything else. First week of school my daughter was sent home for having shoes that were black with white and I had to go out and find her all black shoes. And I did that. When she is cold she can't wear just any cardigan or hoody she has -- it must be the uniform stuff and I insist with her that if its cold she layer with undershirts rather than try to wear clothes that are outside the uniform rules. And I absolutely HATE it when I see kids who are getting around those rules somehow. Luckily it seems to be a very rare occurrence at our school because the school principal is very adamant about these regulations. It has to start from the top....
Yep, I think it's a good idea. We don't wear uniforms, but we are required to wear an ID, on a school provided chain that specifies our class, around our neck. You really only need to wear it in the gym hallway, commons, left side of the english/social studies hallway, economics and foreign language hallways junction, and the right side of the math/science hallway. Yep, that's where the people that enforce them are. Kids wear them in those areas, but know when they can take them off. Last year only a few teachers cared, and I didn't even HAVE one for the entire second semester, and didn't get caught.
Of course it's harder with something like a jacket. Sometimes though, I suppose it is hard to get all the teachers to cooperate and disipline kids wearing jackets. But I'd still do something about it.
And are all schools cold? We weren't allowed to wear jackets or gloves at all until people started showing up by the dozen in the nurses office shivering and with blue lips wearing sweatshirts.
And are all schools cold? We weren't allowed to wear jackets or gloves at all until people started showing up by the dozen in the nurses office shivering and with blue lips wearing sweatshirts.
I think they keep it cold so the kids will stay awake ......