Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 7113

Dress code..

A while back a letter was sent home about our dress code.

Do you believe in having a dress code, required uniforms, or just letting those who attend high school wear what they please?

Here are some nice items from the dress code:

An important issue is your discussion with your son of our student dress code, which I have attached for your reference. Your assistance with compliance of the dress code will alleviate our having to contact you during hte day to pick up your son from school or bring a change of clothing due to inappropriate dress. Our entire administrative and teaching staff appreciates your help with this.

1. Student attire shall be school appropriate - neat, clean and reflecting an appearance of modesty.

2. Clothing with inappropriate pirctures, liquor advertisements, sexually suggestive messages (i was busted for that one), profanity, tobacco or gang affiliation slogans, offensive or obscene symbols, sighs or slogans degrading any race, societal group, color, creed, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, social or economic status, sexual orientation or people with disabilities is not permitted. Drug related pictures and messages that support and/or condone drug use are also unacceptable. (busted for that as well)

3. Buttons, pins and other accessories are permitted as long as they comply with the above mentioned regulations and do not cause disruption, disorder or a danger. (got me on that as well)

4. Footwear must be worn and securely fitted at all times.

5. Bare midriff, crop tops with expose the abdominal area, halter tops, tube tops, and tank tops with straps that are less than one inch wide are not permitted. tops that expose even partial cleavage are also not permitted.

6. No tank top shirts of any kind are permitted to be worn by boys. (got me there)

7. Clothing which is extremely ragged, extreme in tightness or transparency is not permitted. Bathing suits are not permitted.

8. Very short shorts, very short skirts and/or very short culottes are not permitted. Shorts should have an inseam of at lesat 8 inches from the top of the thigh and skirt length should be at least 8 inches from the top of the thigh.

9. Lingerie, including bra straps and underwear, and sports bras may not be exposed. Students are required to wear appropriate undergarments at all times.

10. Aricles which can cause damage to other students and/or property are not permitted.

Studnets who are in violation of this policy will be sent to the appropriate house office and given an opportunity to change into more appropriate dress. If a student does not have a change of clothing, he or she will be required to return home to change into clothing that is in compliance with the above policy. Vice principals will make the final determination as to whether clothing in question is in violation of the dress code. Parents are strongly encouraged to assist students in being in compliance with the dress code before students leave home for school.

Dress Code applies during school hours and on school sponsored activities and trips. In addition, some department restrictions on attire may be prescribed for participation or implemented for reasons of safety.

*wipes brow*
I agree with having a school code, just not one this extensive.

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'`'budnick@rcn.com'`'
'`'My opinions are'`'

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Location Location
Posts: 26385

Bathing suits aren't permitted?!!?!!!

RIOT!!!!!

Heh. I remember in high school I kept getting busted for my shirt that read "I Like the Pope, The Pope Smokes Dope" with a big picture of the Pope smoking a blunt. I'm not sure exactly which category that falls under in terms of what they list as unacceptable. Probably all of them.

I am pretty sure they would have made me turn my Gwar shirts inside out as well if they ever could figure out whatever the hell they were exactly.

Though they sure hated my "Fuck Art Let's Kill" shirt. Especially the art teachers.

So no, I don't agree with school dress codes, but I see their point.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 1606

I strongly support school uniforms.

Let the children shine for what they do and not for what their parents can afford.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: :noitacoL
Posts: 2327

It's a carbon copy of the one we had when I went to school. (Man, it's so cool to be able to say that.)

My first day of my senior year I was warned for wearing a polyester anime shirt because the lesbian councelor thought it was satanic. (for anyone who has seen that bad, horrible, nasty pic of me with the pink hair... that one)

My first day of my second semester I was threatened to be suspended from school because of my hair until it was a "normal" color. I was able to negotiate my way out of that one, and in doing so created a trend of "odd" colored hair among some students.

Point to all this? School is fucking stupid yo.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Location Location
Posts: 26385

quote:

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Originally posted by splAt:
I strongly support school uniforms.

Let the children shine for what they do and not for what their parents can afford.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 7113

Actually, a more interesting topic would be: What type of shirts(or lack of) have you worn to school, that did/nt get you in trouble?

My shirt that simply read BONG on it got me in trouble.
A friend of mine had a "\/ breathalyzer test" shirt. That was pretty damn good
I wore a sign above my waist that kinda got me in a bit of trouble.
That and the whole tank top incident


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'`'budnick@rcn.com'`'
'`'My opinions are'`'

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 7113

My teachers actually really liked my hair color. Well my gay guidence counselor thought it stood for straight pride, or something, so that kinda got his panties in a bunch =\

We have a lot of teachers like flo though, (age and attitude-wise, my us history teacher was so much like him.. it was scary)so most of them understood why a 15 year old might want blue hair. Highschool being what it is, a week later the total of blue hair went from 1 (myself) to 10 or so.
Damn trendy kids.. *looks around* so I had to go with kinda a frosty white hair. *sighs*

oh yeah.. um.. STRAIGHT PRIDE!! WOO!


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'`'budnick@rcn.com'`'
'`'My opinions are'`'

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: anywhere but here
Posts: 4420

i had this great marilyn manson t-shirt with the slogan 'you cannot sedate all the things you hate' on it that got me some flak but but nothing serious.

my secondary school had a uniform, which i rebelled against with full force, we had to wear shoes, and i hate shoes so i got a black pair of nikes and my teachers never knew the difference, i wore a knackered old rugby top with bleach stains on it instead of my school sweater, my tie was a disater area, you could definitely tell i was into the grunge thing at school. i think uniforms are stupid if there are too smart, now if it was a t-shirt and shorts then that would be ok......

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Nanaimo, BC
Posts: 1122

Dress codes are good for one thing - keeping MTV-addicted retards from building the cult of Fubu, Nike, and Hilfiger. Aside from that, it's just an excuse for principals to censor whatever offends their sense of taste. It's a ridiculous and unwarranted restriction on freedom, supported by the notion that authorities seem to have that children should "learn their place." *shakes his head*

Let's bring back arranged marriages and chaperoned dates, too.

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Prying open my third eye, one sliver at a time...

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Registered: Sep 2000
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Posts: 1925

i got a lot of shit from teachers about my ausrotten t-shirt, they all thought i was a neo nazi. i had weekly check ins with my principal so he could see what i was doing with my hair and if it was acceptable or not

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Registered: May 2001
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 987

I think there should be some regulations on what you wear to school. While coming naked might be a statement, it would be hard to get the class calm enough to teach. But they tend to go overboard.
And I'm definately opposed to school uniforms. Our high school spoke out against the school board and they didn't make us wear them.
Some say that they let the children shine for who they are and not what their parents can afford. But dont you think there are a million ways kids show how much money they have? If its not their shirt then tis their necklace, or shoes, their car or watch or how much they brag etc.
And as for making them behave, just b/c everyone looks alike doesn't mean they think alike and behave alike.
But enough, sorry for the rant. I just am big on that whole freedom of expression thing.

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Paperclips and Nosebleeds

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Registered: May 2001
Location: Arizona
Posts: 969

I think....school uniforms are a good thing...I am sure I would not have thought so as a child, but as an adult I believe in them...Young people in this country are obsessed with looks and fashion and status statements..this interferes greatly with our education system..and...school uniforms are cheaper and easier on the parents..they could then more afford the other clothing that is so important as a teenager...even without the uniform idea we must have dress codes...school is not there to create individuals only, its also to create children who now how to do what is required to get along in this world and dress codes are part of that, training for the future..

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 4737

Schools should at least have some form of dress code. Otherwise, you're just asking the school to turn into some kind of fashion competition.

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May a hundred thousand midgets invade your home singing cheesy lounge-lizard versions of songs from The Wizard of Oz

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Van Diemen's Land.
Posts: 3607

I go to a private school. Uniforms are compulsory, I don't think it's a bad thing, quite the opposite in fact, because parents and kids who can't afford new clothing, or even a variety of clothing would become the center of abuse no doubt. (see Bullies thread).

A uniform ensures the rich kids are as similar to the poorer kids as possible. Which I think, in the context of a school, is only a good thing.

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: where the buses don't run
Posts: 1002

I don't agree with dress codes. I don't think that being allowed to wear whatever you want encourages competition. My school had a dress code, but it was never enforced. I certainly tested the limits, and only got in trouble for a spiked bracelet. They had no problem with my vinyl clothing, huge boots, graphic band shirts, and brightly colored hair.

I don't see the point in a dress code. You only have your young years to be yourself. Let's not force them to grow up too soon. I've never seen people beat up because they weren't wearing "cool clothes." That's a fallacy. Doesn't happen. Sure, some people gave me crap about what I wore, but fuck them. Who cares what they think? Certainly not me.

Maybe the problem here isn't the clothes but the ideas that are fed to young people by the media/parents who buy them everything they want/schools, etc. The ideas that money=popularity. They have to learn it somewhere, and I don't think it's in school.

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"Is there no place for the man with a 105 IQ???" - Homer Simpson

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9453

I think uniforms are a good idea. I think that there should be a few different styles available to the students, not just one single pants/skirt/sweater combo, but I like the idea. As far as the dress code at the beginning goes, I think it is fairly fair. Things need to be spelled out because punks push the limits.

At the same time, I heard about some kid who got in trouble for wearing a Pepsi shirt on "Coke-Day" (or was it the other way around?). THAT is fucked up and the principle or other disciplinarian should be flogged.

I see no reason why kids should be allowed to wear clothing that disrupts school. Personal expression is one thing, making a social statement in a learning environment is another.

I wonder how many people who disagree with the idea of codes and uniforms also bitch about the sorry state of American public schools?

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The Law of Fives is never wrong. CzEch yerself b4 joo rEck yerself.

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Registered: Jul 2000
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Posts: 7236

I have no problem with unifomrs at school. In fact I think they can be a very good thing. They are extremely egalitarian, and my worry is that in a world of over commercialisation and advert culture, you will actually help to exemplify class differences between the poor and the rich by letting kids wear what they want. This I think can produce imbalance in the social cohesion of a school, which admittedly is imbalanced enough given how nasty children can be to each other. If everyone looks the same, then you reduce the divisivness of class distinctions.

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sp00ky

I want lie shipwrecked and comatosed, drinking fresk mango juic. Goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes. Fun fun fun, in the sum sun sun.

[This message has been edited by Spooky (edited 07-01-2001).]

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Delaware
Posts: 5704

quote:

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Originally posted by Nutrimentia:

I wonder how many people who disagree with the idea of codes and uniforms also bitch about the sorry state of American public schools?

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 7113

quote:

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Originally posted by Nutrimentia:
Things need to be spelled out because punks push the limits.

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More media fed jargon. I love how language is bent to serve.

Do tell me, Nutrimentia, what exactly do you consider a punk, and how are these punks pushing the limits?



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'`'budnick@rcn.com'`'
'`'My opinions are'`'

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Registered: Jul 2000
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If what one wears really isn't important, then why argue against uniforms?

I really believe in them for a variety of reasons; economics doesn't even begin to tell why. Parents can save a bundle by purchasing two uniforms per year (perhaps five dress code shirts), as opposed to several pairs of jeans, shorts, skirts, sweaters, shirts, belts, shoes, socks, etc. This money can be better spent on things such as a savings account for vocational schools or college educations.

Also, with the shit that's out in the clothing world today, I can't imagine how any sane parent could purchase or allow children to wear most of it. I'm not a horribly modest person, but I couldn't see many clothes in the children's and teen's departments that I would feel comfortable wearing, much less allow my children to wear. I've almost determined to make all of my children's clothing, or to just shop at Land's End for them. Thirteen year olds do NOT need to worry about dressing "sexy" enough to compete with their peers for attention. They should not have to worry about having the right sneakers. These issues will come out enough after school, or on the weekends, so why bombard them with superficial worries throughout the day? The focus during the school day should be on getting an education. I feel that NOT having a uniform does enforce the idea that children grow up too soon. Having a uniform relieves their minds of some of their cares so that they can focus on developing as PEOPLE. Granted, a uniform won't make that a guarantee, but it at least gives kids a better chance. And there are many more interesting, intelligent, and creative ways to express oneself than through style of dress.

I remember never having to worry as a young kid about what I wore, because our grade school had a total uniform policy (aside from socks and shoes). In high school, we only had partial (uniform skirt or pants), so people were competing with their sweaters, shoes, tights, shirts, etc. I remember wishing we had a total uniform policy in high school, even though I hated the fabric our skirts were made from (cheap, unlined wool for winter or blue polyester for summer). Plus, they never enforced the skirt length issue, so people would hem their skirts up pretty short (defeating much of the purpose of a uniform). Every Friday, we had non-uniform day, which helped reinforce who had what even more.

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Deny closure. Honor ambiguity.

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