Starting the day after Thanksgiving Break, administration will require scholars to trade in their cell phones for a loaner polo and/or pants for those who come onto campus violating the dress code.
In order to fund this policy, the school has invested $2,100 into purchasing new polos so that everyone’s needs can be met. These will also be a “dri-fit” material which does not fade or look worn out with time. Along with this, the school will be trying to obtain new sweatshirts.
Administration believed that too many scholars do not wear the uniform and do not represent the school appropriately. Now that more and more students are taking the trolley, scholars that don’t wear the uniform not only break the dress code, but also become a public safety issue.
“Naturally, when we went remote learning no one you know really cared about what you wore. And then later, returning to campus there was a definite lack of expectation wise. It’s funny, something as small as the uniform to school makes people more serious about coming here. It gives scholars a purpose of why, why do I attend Preuss,” expresses Ms.Agliam, vice principal.
A trend that admin noticed was that the people who are mainly breaking dress code were high-school scholars, who often wear tank-tops under the Preuss zip-up jackets. With more high school students breaking dress code, having to wear loaner polos, and then not returning them, administration realized that in order to maintain a sustainable loaner polo program, they have to implement a trading system: a scholar is lended a polo in exchange for their phone until school ends. This new method will better ensure that the polos get returned.
Wearing the uniform to school causes scholars to have a more serious attitude about coming to school every day. Preuss scholars not only meet expectations but also to go above and beyond them. Through wearing the uniform, students get a mental change to act the Preuss Way.
“It maintains an air of professionalism at our school that we’d like to keep as a part of being a college prep school. The goal is always that we want to prepare our students to be successful in the academic and professional world,” said Allison Lee, also known as Ms. Allie the Preuss School’s Administrative and Health Office Assistant.
Ms. Agliam expressed that asking for phones should not be seen as a punishment but as a helpful way to remove distractions present in a learning environment.
“I just want to see a little more appreciation of how we’re trying to meet students and families in the middle, while we do have uniforms, at the end of the day, we’re also a school of choice, ” stated Ms. Agliam.
