School Policies

Spencer Center Dress Code

While we are not a uniform school, we maintain expectations of student dress to support a safe and focused learning environment. The primary purpose of school is education, and all matters of dress and grooming must be weighed against that single objective. To that end, students should avoid dress that distracts attention from the orderly pursuit of knowledge, disrupts the educational process or constitutes a threat to individual safety or safety of the group.

In addition, students are expected to maintain high standards of personal cleanliness and hygiene by making sure they are neither offensive to others nor a threat to the health of the school community. When a student's appearance is unacceptable, the student will be removed from class and required to change clothes. We may need to call home to have a change of clothing brought to school.

Exceptions must be approved in advance by an administrator. An administrator will make the final judgment on the appropriateness of student dress. 

For the safety of students, we ask that students wear full-footed shoes to prevent slipping, particularly on days when students have physical education. Because all students have recreation time, we believe that footwear is an important safety issue.

Examples of inappropriate appearances:

• Hats, hoods or headgear not religious in nature (in class or assemblies)*
• Underwear worn as outerwear*
• Clothing that exposes cleavage, breasts, buttocks or midriff; students must be covered from shoulders to mid-thigh (approximately four inches above the knee). This includes shorts, skirts and dresses.*
• Pants that expose undergarments or skin*
• Leggings or tights worn as pants (unless covered to mid-thigh)*
• Clothing with offensive slogans, cartoons, illustrations or diagrams, that depict or promote illegal activities, products or violence*
• See-through, spaghetti strap or strapless tops or dresses: sleeveless shirts should fully cover the shoulder
• Clothing with rips or tears above the knee*
• Sleepwear, including slippers*
• Any clothing items that detract from the educational process
• Students who come to school in these clothing choices will be asked to change, which may result in a phone call home.