Philosophy of the Dress Code
Attending Our Lady of Refuge Catholic School is a privilege and the school expects its students to conform to a consistent and reasonable code of acceptable dress. OLR believes that a student’s appearance has an impact on his/her attitude, behavior, and learning. The dress code is also designed to help students develop a sense of pride in their appearance while promoting modest and appropriate dress expected of Catholic school students.
Parents/guardians and students are expected to cooperate with the dress code. If there is a disagreement about a student’s acceptable appearance at school, the principal will make the final decision, in consultation with the pastor or regional superintendent as needed. The principal may deem unacceptable any particular item of student dress or appearance that is not specifically mentioned in the parent/student handbook but is inconsistent with the school’s regulations.
Non-uniform dress is a privilege granted to students at different times during the year. Non-uniform dress clothing must be neat and modest. Acceptable non-uniform dress includes jeans (cannot be ripped or freyed), crew neck tee shirts, knee length shorts and skirts, blouses sand shirts with sleeves, sweaters, overalls, midi-dresses. Parents/guardians are responsible to ensure that students are dressed in a manner suitable for Catholic school students.
If a student frequently violates the published standards of dress, grooming, or hygiene, and the school has asked the student to follow the standards, the principal will seek cooperation from the parents/guardians to ensure compliance with the standards. In questions of personal appearance, it remains the principal’s discretion to send the student home for the remainder of the day. If a student is inappropriately dressed, the school may also reserve the right to require that parents/guardians bring an appropriate change of clothes to the school.
Uniform Policy
OLR has had a long-standing contract with Vicki Marsha Uniform Company. All school uniforms (boys and girls) must be purchased from VMU Company. A limited number of used uniforms are available through the school office. In order to avoid uniform infractions and/or detentions, make sure that your child(ren) leaves the house and/or car in full uniform. This includes shirts that are tucked in and shoes that are tied. All uniforms should be clearly marked with the child’s last name. Items which are left behind after recess, lunch and after school will be placed in the Lost and Found bin located in the Cafeteria. At the end of the year, any items remaining in Lost and Found will be disposed of. All shirts must be tucked in to uniform pants, shorts, skirts, skorts and jumpers. Belts (solid black or navy) MUST be worn by students wearing pants or shorts. The smaller sized pants and shorts may have an elastic waistband and if belt loops are not sewn in, belts are not required. Hooded sweatshirts are not permitted to be worn during school hours (this includes older version of the red sweatshirt and the blue Spirit Wear sweatshirt). If a student wears a non-uniform sweatshirt or other outer wear to school, he/she will be asked to remove it at the start of the school day and it will be returned at the end of the day.
Vikki Marsha Website -
https://vickimarsha.com/our-lady-of-refuge-school.html
Mass Attire
For all Mass Days, including weekly student Mass and Holy Days of Obligation, school uniforms are required. Mass attire uniforms may include the red OLR crew neck sweatshirt, sweater, and/or vest. Shorts are not permitted to be worn during Special Occasions, such as the Christmas program.
Girls: TK-4th Grade: Round collar Blouse w/Jumper or OLR Polo Shirt w/Skort & Choice of Any OLR Sweater Style or OLR Sweatshirt.
Girls: 5th - 8th Grade: OLR Polo Shirt, Plaid Skirt or Skort & Choice of Any OLR Sweater Style or OLR Sweatshirt
Girls are not permitted to wear pants to Mass.
Boys: TK-8th Grade: OLR Polo Shirt, Pants or Shorts w/Belt & Choice of Any OLR Sweater Style or OLR Sweatshirt
Spirit Wear
Students have the option of wearing a Spirit Wear shirt on Fridays. The shirt must be worn with standard uniform pants, shorts, skorts, and/or skirts. Girls may wear the Spirit Shirt over the uniform jumper, as well.
Outerwear
Students must wear the school’s uniform jacket, fleece jacket, sweater or sweatshirt. Raincoats are permissible only on rainy days. For safety reasons, all outerwear is expected to fit the students properly. No over-sized outerwear is allowed. Students arriving in any non-uniform items will be requested to remove them before entering the classroom and will not be permitted to wear them throughout the course of the school day. Hats may not be worn on campus or in the classroom.
Socks
Boys must wear plain, white crew socks. No “at ankle” or “below ankle” socks are permitted for boys or girls. Girls' socks (bobby, crew and/or knee length) must be plain and white. Girls also have an option of wearing tights under their uniform jumpers or skirts. Tights may be white, red or navy blue. Leggings, jeggings, or above the knee socks are not permitted. No emblems, logos or affiliations may be visible on either boys' or girls' socks.
Shoes
All shoes must either tie or Velcro. For the health and safety of the children, we cannot permit slip-on shoes, ballet flats, rain boots, light-up shoes, high tops, or boots. Please keep in mind that the children do a lot of running and playing on black asphalt; therefore, the most practical type of shoe is an athletic shoe. Shoes must be a solid, neutral (black, gray, navy, red or white) color. Name-brand logos on shoes must be of a solid neutral color and unobtrusive. Shoe laces must be white, black, or the same color as the shoe.
Personal Appearance
Our Lady of Refuge students are expected to attend school well-groomed and in complete uniform every day. Clothing that is torn, ripped, freyed, or with holes are acceptable. Shirts and blouses must be tucked (not folded) into the uniform and waistbands should be visible. All clothing should be of appropriate length. The appropriate length for boys’ shorts falls at or above the knee. The appropriate length for girls’ jumpers, skorts, and skirts must fall no shorter than 2” above the knee. All clothing should be clearly labeled with the child’s last name and first initial.
Hair Policy
All hairstyles (boys and girls) should be conservative.
Boys: Boys’ hair must not touch the collar of the shirt or have a tail. Hair should be worn close to the head and above the ears. Hair and hair color may not be altered in any way (such as with lightening agents and/or colors or dyes). Hair must be at least one-quarter of an inch long on top of head (number 2 clipper length minimum). If hair on top is longer, there must be a gradual decrease in length going from the top of the head to the sides. The "mop head" look (a lot of hair on top and shaved or dramatically shorter hair on the sides) is unacceptable. Hair length must be cut above the collar and neatly trimmed above the ear. Bangs must be above the eye level and tapered evenly. Step-type haircuts/styles including lines, shaved sides, tails/braids/buns are unacceptable. Razor- cut styles are unacceptable.
Girls: Girls' hair must be worn neatly back away from the face. A style that hides any part of the facial area is unacceptable. Shaved or dramatically shorter hair on either side is unacceptable. Bangs should be trimmed above the eyebrow or pulled back with a clip. The main purpose for hair accessories is to help keep the hair pulled back and away from the face. Hair accessories are limited to two and must match the school colors. Hair bows and bows on headbands, should be moderate in size (no "Jo-Jo" bows). Hair accessories which are only decorative in nature (such as feathers, glitter string, etc.) are not permitted. Hair color may not be altered in any way (such as with lightening agents and/or colors or dyes).
Other Accessories
Make-up may NOT be worn at any time during the school day. Nails must be neatly trimmed. Only clear nail polish may be worn. Girls may wear one pierced stud earring per earlobe. No cartilage piercings are permitted. Boys may not wear earrings. Students may wear one simple watch as long as it does not interfere with his/her ability to learn and does not disturb the class. Smart watches or other wi-fi enabled electronic devices of any sort are not permitted. Students may wear one simple necklace or bracelet as long as it is religious (ex: a cross, a crucifix, a saint medal, etc.). All other jewelry (including rings, anklets, pins, etc.) will not be allowed. If your child has a medical condition that needs to be identifiable to all adults on campus, please make sure that he/she wears a medical alert bracelet. Hats may not be worn on campus or in the classroom.
Free Dress Days
"Free Dress Days" are opportunities for students to wear non-uniform attire to school on selected days throughout the school year. They may occur due to a special day (class activities, field trips, dances, fundraisers or holidays) or as a reward. Free Dress passes are issued by the principal to the teachers who will distribute them during class time to the students who have earned the privilege to have free dress.
Regardless of the reason for the opportunity, free dress is a privilege and should be treated as such. As a Catholic community, we emphasize and promote modesty in our attire at all times; therefore, the following code is in effect for free dress days: As a general rule, all parts of the body that are covered by a school uniform must be covered by “free dress” clothing and the acceptable length for dresses, skirts and/or shorts should fall no more than 2 inches above the knees.
Students must wear a type of shoe that is in accordance with the regular uniform shoe policy; however, students have choice on the color of the shoes. Regular denim style jeans and pants are acceptable. However, the following have been deemed inappropriate for a school environment: skinny jeans, leggings, jeggings, joggers, yoga pants, tank tops, halter tops, spaghetti-straps, shirts that do not cover the midriff. Wearing a sweater, sweatshirt or some other form of cover up to conceal a tank top, halter top spaghetti top or dress or top which reveals the midriff area is in violation of the uniform code and will be dealt with accordingly. Boys’ shorts/pants must be worn at the waist and the belt rule applies at all times. Pants/shorts may not be worn below the hip. Beach wear (such as board shorts or swim trucks) are not permitted. T-shirts are acceptable. Shirts may not have pictures or lettering that is inappropriate for the Catholic learning environment including advertisements for nicotine, drugs and alcohol. Hats are not permitted to be worn on campus or in the classroom
We recognize that all body shapes are different and in some cases the “skinny-jean style” may be the only style that fits properly; therefore, a general rule of thumb is that the jeans/pants fit loosely and modestly. Pants must be hemmed, clean, without holes, and may not be excessively baggy.
Hats may not be be worn on free dress days.
Halloween Costumes
Halloween costumes are not permitted to be obstructive, offensive, and inappropriate for a Catholic school. Faces may not be covered by masks or bloody, gory, or violent makeup. Costumes shall not drag on the ground or impede walking, especially on stairs. The costumes may not cover the student's face, contain sharp objects, pointed objects, or materials that may accidentally strike another person. Costumes may not be inappropriately revealing such as shorts, skirts, bare midriffs, low cut top, torn leggings or tights that expose parts of the thigh. No teen/adult costumes are acceptable. No violent props such as pistols, knives or swords are allowed.
Dress Code Violations
Dress code violations will result in a phone call to parent(s) to bring the student’s school uniform to school. If a parent cannot be reached by phone, the student will be given a uniform from the used uniform collection and if one cannot be provided, the student will spend the remainder of the day completing his/her studies outside of his/her classroom. Dress code violations may result in the loss of the privilege to take part in in a school activity (such as a field trip, school dance, or future free dress day), if a parent cannot be reached by phone. Dress code violations will have an impact on the student’s behavior grade and may result in the loss of future privileges.
