New Uniforms?
A handful of local parochial schools are switching school uniforms to go with a single vendor. The most populat package is opting for a navy or khaki pant with a polo shirt complete with school emblem in one to two colors. The benefits includes one stop shopping, easy enforcement, and good prices for quality clothing. The draw back would be increased immediate costs for the first year of implementation. Notre Dame High School switched to this format two years ago and St. Thomas' Junior High will be adopting a new dress code next fall. Any comments or concerns?
posted by croy @ 3:32 AM
21 comments
21 Comments:
I think the new uniforms would be great. I loved it when Notre Dame switched to them. It was almost impossible to find the right kind of khaki pants for girls before they got the new uniforms. I think St. Mark children would look a lot better in a standardized uniform. No matter how many rules you have for the dress code, there are still many kids who are wearing wrong clothes. I think the kids would look a lot better in the new ones.
I am against this for the grade schools. At Notre Dame, the growth factor is not quite the issue that it is with the younger children.
Many of us have kept expenses down with hand me downs and the uniform exchange. For some families, pants may have to be purchased more than once a year, which coud get quite pricey. If they have to buy new ones now, they have the option of going to Walmart, Kmart, or Target to purchase inexpensive pants. It is my understanding that the standardized pants can run between $25 and $35 a pair. Is this correct?
I would not be in favor of requiring the students to wear uniforms from a single vendor. I agree that a lot of parents use the uniform exchange and kids grow out of clothing so fast. The younger boys are constantly putting the knees out of pants.
I don't think enforcing the dress code should be difficult. The requirements are stated in the handbook and if kids aren't following it, they should be reprimanded. Its also up to parents to be sure the kids are compliant. If parents are having trouble finding uniform pants, especially if it is a problem for the girls, then the school could possibly have a vendor with pants on hand that parents could purchase as an option.
I don't really think changing school uniforms will help with the disregard to the rules. It is difficult to explain to my daughter why she has to follow the rules and wear what is in the dress code and so many others break the rules on a daily basis. I hope whatever the dress code becomes next year, that we have consistancy throughout the school.
While I do not necessarily think that standardized uniforms are the answer, I agree that something needs to be done about the current policy. I am in agreement with Andrea...it is difficult to explain to my children why they cannot wear certain items that are being worn by others. I also have a tough time when my 8th grader gets reprimanded for a minor infraction (untucked shirt). Although I agree that it should not be allowed, how can you pick out one or two issues and ignore all of the others? I would rather see my child with an untucked shirt or a missing belt than having on a very short skirt, chunky shoes, or cargo pants. Which is a more blatant violation of the policy?
It could be phased in, with year 1 being optional, but the vendor being named and available. In year 2 it could become manadatory, and then hand-me-downs would be available.
When you have a class of 30 kids, it would be extremely difficult to notice dress code violations...you have too much else to do...with a smaller class, it becomes easier. I think going to a single vendor is a great long term option - particularly if all the local Catholic grade schools eventually go with the same one...then hand me downs become even more available. The quality of the clothing (e.g. reinforced knees through size 12) would be very important.
I would rather see more flexibility in color choices. Navy blue or khaki pants, maybe black. For shirts, white, navy, green, light blue shirts, as long as they are polo's, turtlenecks...
Light blue used to be a permitted color. Why did this change?
Sweaters are a real pain. It is very hard to find solid, no logo, navy blue sweaters. Some minimal patterns should be allowed as long as it fits in with a color guideline.
my .02
Switching to one vendor is ultimately easier for families, staff, and administration. If the changes were to be implemented over a period of 2-3 years (first two years optional) the cost issue becomes moot and the uniform exchange would ease in gently.
I agree enforcement can be improved, and it will be. Thank you for making that apparent. Nothing makes enforcement easier than single vendors. The arguments of interpretation over the nuances of dress code language cease to exist.
Ultimately the students look better, perform better, and enforcement becomes easy. Our current dress code has the complexity of quantum mechanics.
I know change increases costs slightly but the payoff in the end is worth it.
I believe we owe our children the best.
I strongly disagree with using a single vendor for the uniforms. As a parent of small children who go through several different sizes a year this would not be very economical for us. We can easliy go to any department store and pick up dress code appropriate items that is more cost friendly to us. If you want a better look than make the uniform white polo shirts and navy pants for all. This would be easier to see who is compliant with the dress code and who is not. If a student can NOT follow the rules then they need to be reprimanded. I ask you to please think about the issue very carefully because I have heard alot of negative feedback regarding using a single vendor.
I would not want to go to a single vendor primarily because of the cost. I purchase new & used uniform pants & shirts from e-bay, consignment shops and on sale and I rarely pay over $10 for anything. My kids are growing too fast and my boys rip the knees out too quickly to pay $25 per pair of slacks.
Is it possible to go with one brand instead of one vendor? For example, if a "uniform committee" were to pick out the acceptable style numbers from the French Toast line, parents would have the freedom to purchase at many different places..and on SALE! This brand is available at Target, Kmart, & Sears (which offers a 100% same size replacement if the kids wear through the item). The French Toast website also has the entire collection available at very reasonable prices (most items are around the $10 range). This would be the most economical way to standardized the uniforms.
The school uniform issue is one I think that most of us aggree on. I think the issue is how to insure that the uniform is consistent. One vendor certainly makes sense with that purpose in mind.
A vendor that can meet our uniform standard for taste,quality and cost is the challenge. What about a company like French Toast. They carry sizes from children to juniors, are things that we already wear and can be purchased retail and through the internet. The quality and the cost are both reasonable as well. Mr. Roy and/or a committee could pick the specific styles that would be acceptable and that would be it. It could be possible that they would give us a group discount if we made one big order. We could even ask if they would be willing to join the script program, so that the school would directly benifit from the required purchases.
Heather, I really like the French Toast idea, and I had no idea that they had the return policy that they do. This would be a great compromise. I would also be more at ease with the standardized policy with the "ease in" plan that Mr. Roy explained.
There will always be people that break the rules, but we do need to simplify... hoodies or no hoodies? Colored socks, polo shirts, oxford shirts, belts, no belts... it gets very confusing.
Is obsessing over uniforms really such a priority? Aren't there bigger more important issues? I think there are...
Mahko, there are bigger issues. By making the "fashion playing field" as equal as possible takes the attention away from something less important,such as why do some kids where things that aren't on the dress code. Let the kids express their individuality with their clothes at home. Then you the parents control the limits. At school, everyone dresses the same.
I am against the new uniforms. Like other parents I often get my kids clothes on sale, at consignment shops, etc. I never pay more than $10 and even less for new shirts at Wal-Mart. My kids can ruin a white shirt in one day with or without stain removers. And there is always the growth factor. Also would the plaid or navy jumpers be allowed?
Absolutely not.
Went through the ND change. Didn't like it. Made buying clothes WAY expensive and WAY less flexible. Our son had ended up in stained and tattered clothes `cause we're not getting him any more of those. Plus we "wasted" 2 years' worth of clothing that he could have worn . . . that look EXACTLY the same as what we were forced to buy . . . that he can't wear cause they don't have right company tag. But of course, we'd NEVER require, say, a Nike logo on all catholic clothes!
I think the uniform issue at ND had WAY more positive impact on female students, as the single-vendor approach lowered the bar, somewhat, on the corners that the young ladies cut when purchasing clothes. But it really really stuck it to the boys (and their parents).
We have two girls left in the system. But I'd still rather not be given over to a clothing monopoly. It's bad business under current practices.
Oh . . . BTW: why is it that leadership isn't able to exact quantity discounts from vendors to whom we are given over in a monopoly relationship. This stuff should cost WAY LESS, not way more. The business should be given to the vendor with the deepest discount, even if that's Walmart or Sears/Kmart, than to the vendor who seems most convenient for the school administrators/diocese.
I am very opposed to one-vendor clothing. The same people who disregard the rules now, will disregard the rules by tailoring, rolling, or wearing too small of a size of of a standard brand.
I do not have the funds to buy multiple pairs of a standard brand. I would have to wash my boys' shirts every night and would not be able to afford to replace them when they are stained. A new shirt in August would look horrible by October.
I pay as little as $2 or $3 for items on sale racks, and I stick to the rules (color, pockets, belt loops etc). Don't punish me because someone else doesn't follow the rules.
Being a new St.Marks Mom... I do not agree with purchasing uniforms from a single vendor! I feel this option will allow parents to be financial captives to the vendor and cause higher prices in the long run. I realize there are many different looks at the school currently. Enforcement of the rules is what is needed and not trying to make everyone change vendors. . I know that I had to ask other parents where to buy uniforms!?! Look toward enforcing the current or new revised dress code as a solution. Why not have an assembly where parents and students can see what is acceptable and why. I personally like the uniform exchange; it helped me a lot. My child is tall for her age. After this year, I may not be able to locate uniforms jumpers that are tall/ long enough for her. I would need the option of making her uniforms. If we go to standardized vendor...I will not have those options...w/o spending extra money.
I do really like the single vendor idea at ND. The uniforms look nice and are durable. It is difficult to buy navy pants for older girls that both fit the dress code and don't make them feel like old ladies. I personally do buy the navy pants at the ND vendor for my oldest at SMS for this very reason. That being said, I'm not sure how it well it would work at SMS because of the financial aspect of buying clothes constantly for growing children. I would like to see khakis added to the uniform, oxford blouses allowed for girls again, and would also like to see the light blue shirts come back.
I don't know who voted for the new changes in the uniforms but it wasn't me. I think the girls K-8 look so much more uniform in skirts. It's all about enforcement!!!! Skirts (and culots like SI/AOL had) have not been a problem for the past 100 years so why now? Someone just needs to step up to the plate when the rules are being broken. Maybe when the offenders are talked to about why wearing a skirt that is too short is inappropriate, they will learn from that and take the lesson ouside of school as well.
One vendor....No Way!! What a mess!
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