X. UNIFORM CODE

General Guidelines for Pre-kindergarten through 8th grade

Parents/guardians are expected to help children keep the school uniform and dress rules. Taking time out of a student’s school day to change is not productive. Please help by monitoring your child before school starts.

At St. Mary School we wear uniforms because…

• They promote an image of pride both at and away from school. They represent our Catholic school image by promoting an attitude of moderation and modesty.
• They discourage differences brought about by various income levels, thus eliminating unnecessary peer pressure and allowing the attention of the student to be directed to learning.
• They assure that the dress standards of the school emphasize neatness.
• They help create a positive climate of discipline and responsibility.
• They are financially less costly to families and more easily maintained.

It is expected that students will be in uniforms that fit properly and are neat, clean, and in good repair. Shirts and blouses are to be tucked in. Uniform sweaters or sweatshirts, with the school logo, are required for Mass and assembly days. It is suggested that students bring a sweater, with the student’s name on the label, to school on the first day and keep it here for the year. Parents/guardians are to write a note of explanation when there is a serious reason for a student to not be in uniform.

The administration and staff reserve the right to determine whether an individual student is in accord with the dress code policy. If, in the judgment of the staff and/or administration, a student is in violation of the rule or spirit of the uniform code, the student will be sent home until the problem is corrected. The student will not be admitted to class until the violation is corrected.

Free Dress

Sometimes the school designates free dress days. This means that students may wear modest, non-distractive, and moderate clothing. Not allowed: short shorts, short skirts, halter tops, midriff baring tops, spandex, tank tops, spaghetti strap tops, clothing with inappropriate print or logo, or cut-offs. Make-up and jewelry are to follow normal uniform standards. Field trip wear will be decided in consultation with the administration and will depend on the circumstances surrounding the field trip. Weather and location will especially be taken into consideration.

It is recommended that all items, except those designated, be purchased at the following: The Uniform Store, Lands End, J.C. Penney, or Sears. Catalogs are available in the school office.
Uniform exchange

Parents/guardians are encouraged to bring in lightly used uniforms and exchange them for larger sizes from the uniforms at school. Parents/Guardians may also purchase, at a nominal price, items from the uniform exchange. Contact the school office for more details.
Outerwear

Students should bring warm/dry coats to school daily as the weather may change unexpectedly. Land’s End Polartec vests and jackets are welcomed but are not a required part of the uniform. They may be purchased and worn as outerwear. Outerwear and other coats, etc. are not to be worn indoors. Vests and sweaters may be worn indoors.

3 year old Pre-school

Free Dress or St. Mary School Uniform may be worn. Free Dress and Uniform rules outlined above apply.

Boys Grades Pre-K – 8

Pants – navy
Shorts – navy
Shirts – white polo or turtlenecks or Chambray shirts
Sweaters – Navy logo sweater vest, v-neck pullover, or cardigan (Uniform Store or Lands End)
Sweatshirt – logo sweatshirt 
Socks – navy or white, must be above the ankle

Girls, Grade K-8

Pants – navy
Shorts – navy
Skort or skirts – blue plaid (Uniform Store RR plaid – School Code XTM-440)
Jumper – blue plaid (Uniform Store RR plaid – School Code XTM-440)
Shirts – white polo or turtlenecks, white peter pan collar blouses
Sweaters – Navy logo sweater vest, v-neck pullover, or cardigan (Uniform Store or Lands End)
Sweatshirt – logo sweatshirt 
Socks – navy or white, must be above the ankle, white or navy tights

Shoes -all grades

No wheels or exceptionally high heels
No sandals.
No flip flops allowed. This is a safety issue. Save flip flops for non-school hours.
Students are expected to wear shoes in which they can safely play and run.

Hair – all grades

Hair should be clean, neat, and non-distracting. It must be of natural color and style.
Hair ornaments should be kept to a minimum. Plain or uniform plaid colors are allowed.
Hair must be kept out of eyes and for boys, must be cut above the collar.

Make-up – all grades

Make-up is not allowed, including fingernail polish, glitter, tinted lip-gloss or balm.
Perfume or scented hand/skin lotion is not allowed; many people are allergic.

Jewelry – all grades

Students may wear religious necklaces and medals only. The wearing of other jewelry around the neck is distracting.
Girls only may wear one pair of small earrings, no dangling earrings.
Rings may not be worn. This is a safety issue as they may be caught while playing or in P.E.
A watch or one small bracelet may be worn.

Grades 7 & 8

Grade 8 is allowed to wear free dress every day except Wednesdays which are Mass days. Grade 7 and Grade 8 students may wear Free Dress every Friday except those Fridays on which a Mass or special school event is scheduled. Uniforms are required dress for these special Fridays.

St. Mary School espouses Catholic values that include personal respect and dignity, care for others, and the pursuit of academic excellence. Student dress should be consistent with these values and the stated goals of the school; therefore, we expect that students will dress in a neat, clean and modest manner. Not allowed is any attire or appearance which is seen as:

• disruptive to the learning process
• contrary to basic Christian values
• not within modesty boundaries appropriate to the student’s age group, or
• presenting a safety hazard

The following guidelines are established for St. Mary School student free dress attire:

• Clothing should be in good repair (no holes, tears, or signs of excessive wear).
• Writing on clothing is primarily limited to school related organizations, slogans or place names. Any such writing must be appropriate for St. Mary School.
• For safety and health reasons, shoes and socks/hose must be worn at all times. Because of the playground surfaces, we recommend shoes with traction. No loose fitting, backless footwear such as flip-flops are to be worn that would prevent the student from full participation in school activities, including P.E. and recess.
• Shorts, leggings, or stretch pants may be worn to school as long as they are modest. Shorts must be “long” in style, sufficient to cover the leg at least to mid-thigh. (Cutoffs, short shorts, shorts with side vents, or Lycra/spandex shorts are examples of attire that would not be considered appropriate.)
• All pants (including “Capri” or “Clam Digger” style), skirts and shorts must have a modest waistline. All waistlines must be higher than hips. The bottom hem of all shirts must extend at least 3 inches below the navel. Shirts should pass the waist of pants to prevent skin from being seen.
• Hats and sunglasses are not to be worn in the building. Baseball caps are not to be worn anywhere at school. The only hats acceptable in any grade are those appropriate to inclement weather when necessary.
• Coats should not be worn in the classrooms or hallways unless the teacher has given special permission. They should be hung in classroom closets except during recess.
• The fad of pants “sagging” is not allowed. Likewise, the wearing of pants that are so oversized in width and/or length as to appear “sagged” is prohibited.
• See-through clothing, halter tops, over-sized and/or revealing tank tops, “spaghetti strap” blouses/dresses or clothing that exposes the torso is not acceptable.
• Gang-related accessories or other hazardous jewelry will not be allowed.
• Hairstyles must be appropriate for a Catholic School student. The principal (or designee) has the “final word” in deciding the appropriateness of a student’s hairstyle. Students appearing at school with haircuts, hair styles, and/or hair colors that are deemed extreme or disruptive will be asked to correct the situation or be excluded from St. Mary School.

Dress code guidelines are to be followed at all school functions including field trips unless the teacher gives special permission.

When in doubt about any clothing, it may be brought to the principal (or designee) for a determination prior to its being worn to school. All school staff regularly monitors student appearance and, in the majority of cases, problems will be handled at the classroom level. Should there be questionable or recurring situations; the final decision rests with the principal (or designee). Students not properly attired or groomed within the intent and guidelines of this code may be asked to change in clean Uniform clothing and/or be sent home by the principal (or designee) and school time lost can be required to be made up.