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Dress Code

The school’s decision to rely on guidelines for dress, rather than adopt a student uniform, is consistent with its philosophy of emphasizing individual growth and development and is intended to provide opportunities for children to make appropriate decisions for themselves.

The school day includes both indoor and outdoor activities. Children should dress in layers in order to ensure proper comfort. At all grade levels, all removable clothing (sweaters, hats, gloves, coats, and boots) should be marked with your child’s name in order to simplify identification. Specific expectations for student dress increase across divisions, as outlined below.

Please note that PE Uniforms, required for students in Grades 4 to 6, are purchased by parents during the summer. Students should keep these uniforms at school during the week and take them home for laundering on weekends only. Only children properly dressed in their PE uniforms or athletic logo wear will be allowed to participate. Sneakers are required for participation.

PK3/PK4 Guidelines

Children should dress in neat, functional, comfortable clothing suitable for an active program that includes daily outdoor time, even in cold weather. Please help your children care for themselves and their belongings by following the guidelines below.

Dress them in clothing that they can manage by themselves.
Avoid sending them to school in clothing that is so special that a dirt stain, spill, or paint splatter will cause disappointment or frustration.
Send in a change of seasonally appropriate clothing to be kept at school in case of accidents.

These additional guidelines below should help you when you are buying new clothes for school.

Buy sturdy shoes with non-slip soles that fasten securely.

Avoid moccasins, clogs, Crocs, and flip-flops, as these shoes present safety concerns in physical education/motor classes and on the playground. Sneakers are required for full participation in motor classes.
Label all pieces of clothing with your child’s name in order to simplify identification. Choose mittens instead of gloves to allow children to don them independently.
Select warm clothes, including boots and snow pants, in winter. The children go outside every day. Make certain that children have adequate rain gear to allow comfortable entry into school in all weather conditions.
Children do not need umbrellas at school, so please do not send them with your children.

Lower School Guidelines

St. Patrick’s asks its Lower School students to come to school dressed in neat, clean clothes that reflect a serious attitude toward their work and contribute to creating pride in their appearance as well as in a school environment that is orderly and appropriate. Students may wear neatly fitted pants or, in warmer weather, shorts. Shirts should be worn with fabric that falls below the waistline on all sides. No hats should be worn inside the building.

All children must wear sneakers or similar rubber-soled shoes for PE classes. Children who are not wearing proper shoes for PE will be asked to watch rather than participate in class. Flipflops, clogs, Crocs, platform shoes, and open-toe sandals present safety concerns on the playground, on stairs, and in PE classes and should not be worn to school.

Teachers will identify proper attire for field trips.

Middle School Dress Code

All students must wear: Non-athletic shirt, pants, shorts or a skirt, and shoes. Dresses are also acceptable. When in doubt, neat, plain, and simple works best.

Specific information about each follows below.

Shirts: Appropriate shirts include any shirt without any printed words or prominent logos. St. Patrick’s logo wear is generally allowed. Shirts must have a minimum of a 1-inch wide strap at the shoulders and fabric that falls below the waistline on all sides.

Pants and Shorts: Students may wear neatly fitted nonathletic pants that are not ripped or torn. Leggings and hemmed, non-athletic shorts are also appropriate. (For example, khaki shorts are acceptable but Lululemon athletic shorts are not.) All shorts and skirts must cover one’s backside completely.

Dresses and Skirts: Students may wear dresses or skirts with spandex bike shorts or leggings worn underneath.

Shoes: Closed-toed, flat dress shoes, casual shoes, and sneakers, appropriately laced and tied, are acceptable.

Hats and Outerwear: Students may not wear hats inside the building. Students may not wear jackets or other outerwear inside the building. Hooded sweatshirts are not acceptable unless they are St. Patrick’s logo wear.

Kindergarten to Grade 8 Chapel: All students should be dressed appropriately for Kindergarten to Grade 8 Chapel, even when Chapel coincides with what otherwise would be a Casual Dress Day. Tee-shirts and shirts with narrow straps, along with shirts with logos are not acceptable Kindergarten to Grade 8 Chapel attire.

Field Trips/Special Events: Teachers who want to specify field trip or special-event attire that is more appropriate to the specific activity, event, or destination may do so after consultation with the Head of Middle School.

Students who, in the judgment of any faculty member or the Head of Middle School, are dressed in a way that does not comply with this Dress Code—in letter or in spirit—will receive a demerit and be directed to change into Dress Code appropriate clothing. If three demerits are earned, students will attend a lunchtime detention, and parents will be notified. Repeated violations will be referred to the Head of Middle School.

Once a month, on the first Friday of the month, Grades 6 and 7 students have a Casual Dress Day. Grade 8 students enjoy casual dress once a week. Please note Kindergarten to Grade 8 Chapel dress requirements below. If the first Friday coincides with a Kindergarten to Grade 8 Chapel or a day off from school, the casual dress day will occur on the next full Friday at school.

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