Dress codes and student behavior rules parents should know about
The first day of school will commence next Monday and many of the children attending Pine Island Elementary will be newly enrolled. Those who are not familiar with requirements as established by the Lee County Public School System are encouraged to review what is expected before sending their children off to school.
“It is important for parents to sit down with their children prior to the beginning of the school year to review all of the rules established by the district. That way, there are no surprises should a child be called in for any violation,” said Pine Island Principal, Rob Mazoli. “The majority of the children who attend Pine Island Elementary are very well behaved and follow the rules, but there are always a few instances when a parent has to be called to bring a change of clothes for a student or for disciplinary reasons.”
Among the guidelines established by the school system is the dress code and while Mazoli said that it isn’t often a concern as his school, it is still important for parents to know what is and is not acceptable attire for school. According to the school system, the purpose of the dress code is to encourage students to focus on learning without the distractions of unsuitable dress and grooming practices and students are to maintain a clean and orderly appearance at all times. The following is the dress code as established by the county school district. These are what the county considers the minimum acceptable standard for all students:
? Shoes shall be worn at all times
? Apparel shall be adequate in both length and coverage to be considered appropriate for school
? Pants shall be worn fastened at the waist
? Shirts or blouses shall extend beyond the waist level
? Transparent or see-through tops, bare midriff, strapless, low-cut or tops and outfits that provide minimum coverage or are of a suggestive nature are prohibited, halters, backless dresses or tops, tube tops, tank tops, muscle shirts or any clothing which may be distracting are prohibited
? Any articles of clothing or jewelry that could likely cause injury, such as belts, chains, bracelets, rings, chokers with or without spikes, or studs are prohibited. Wallet chains of any length are prohibited
? Apparel, emblems, insignias, badges, or symbols that promote the use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco or any other illegal activity are prohibited
? Apparel or symbols which may be gang or cult-related are prohibited
? The wearing on campus of hats, caps, headgear, or sunglasses except in conjunction with designated school approved programs or at authorized athletic practices or activities is prohibited
? Clothing with slogans or advertising which by its controversial or obscene nature disrupts the educational setting is prohibited
Parents also should by aware that should a child be in violation of the school dress code or any other rules, certain disciplinary actions may occur.
Pine Island Elementary students are allowed to wear shorts. They must be of adequate length, fingertip length, and fit. No gym shorts, short shorts or spandex are allowed.
“At the beginning of the school year, I meet with all of the students in assembly to go over what is expected of them to reinforce the rules set up by the district,” said Mazoli. “Then, throughout the school year, the rules are continued to be reinforced by the teachers and school staff. Should a child repeatedly break a rule, the parents are called. After having taken the proper steps, if the child continues the unacceptable behavior, they are sent to me at the office.”
In most situations, discipline in the classroom is handled by the teacher, however, other infractions of the school rules will be dealt with by the principal or his assistant. Some of the reasons a student may be “sent to the principal’s office” include disrespect to any teacher or staff member, use of profanity, abusing school property, disruptive behavior, possession of weapons on school property, leaving the school or classroom without permission, fighting, drug possession or stealing.
As for school bus conduct, all students are expected to abide by the rules established by the bus driver and failure to do so could possibly result in the loss of bus riding privileges.
For more information regarding school policy and guidelines, call Pine Island Elementary School at 283-0505.