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DRESS CODE GUIDELINES FOR 2014-15 REV.3-25-15
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School has a dress code designed to promote modesty, safety, neatness, and cleanliness
among students in a cost-effective manner. The purpose of the code is to enable our children to study in a Catholic
educational setting without the distraction and excessive costs associated with a non-uniform environment. Our dress code
represents a cooperative effort among parents, administration, and staff and is designed to promote the student’s training in
personal responsibility, self-control, modesty, humility, and self-discipline. We strongly suggest you go over the Dress
Code with each of your children and remind them they are ultimately responsible for knowing and adhering to it.
Dress Code Guidelines
Appropriate dress for school days at Immaculate Heart of Mary School includes a collared blouse/shirt, twill
pants/shorts or jumper/skirt/skort in Hamilton Plaid, socks and shoes according to the following specific guidelines:
General Guidelines
• All clothing should be clean and neat
• Uniform attire is to be worn on all school days unless specifically labeled as Dress up Day or Jeans/Casual Day.
• Failure to comply with guidelines will result in a call home for correct clothing to be brought. The child will be
required to stay in the office until they are dressed in line with the dress code.
• Classwork missed during a stay in the office is up to the student to collect and complete.
• Consequences for multiple infractions of the dress-code will be specified by the student’s homeroom teacher and may
include: recess/lunch detention, afterschool detention, and/or loss of dress up or jeans days.
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If in doubt, err on the side of caution and have your student pack extra clothes. Feel free to check with the
school office (616-241-4633) on any clothing issues.
Blouses/Shirts
* May be purchased from any store.
• A uniform shirt must be worn at all times, even when accompanied by a sweater/sweatshirt.
• Polo or knit oxford style or turtleneck, peter-pan, or an oxford straight-point collared blouse/shirt
• Not form fitting (too tight)
• Long or full-sized short sleeves
• Solid colored white, red, or navy blue (not royal, light blue, maroon, brick, or other such shades) with no colored
edging or piping
• The only logo allowed on any shirt is an IHM logo. (The IHM logo is optional and is available through Lands’ End.)
• No chambray, denim, or ribbed materials.
• Shirts must be worn tucked in at all times, even when sitting.
• No other shirt should show below sleeve line.
• If an (under)shirt is worn, it is to be white with no pattern/designs showing through.
Pants/Slacks NOTE: 6th grade is now considered under JUNIOR HIGH Status
* May be purchased from any store.
• Plain, navy blue (kindergarten – 5th grade), full length, cotton twill (to the top of shoe)
• Plain, khaki (6th, 7th, 8th) full length, cotton twill (to the top of shoe)
• Cotton twill only (no knit, corduroy or spandex)
• Pants and uniform skirt are not to be worn simultaneously.
Shorts
* May be purchased from any store.
May be worn only in the months of April, May, June, August, September, and October or at the discretion of school
administration.
• Plain, cotton twill navy blue (kindergarten – 5th grade), or plain, cotton twill khaki (6th, 7th, 8th)
• Must sit at waist, no hip-huggers or low risers
• Must be fingertip length all the way around the leg. (This applies to uniform and special dress days.)
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DRESS CODE GUIDELINES FOR 2014-15 Continued
Jumpers/Skirts/Skorts
*Must be purchased from Educational Outfitters or Lands’ End
in Hamilton Plaid from Educational Outfitters or Classic Navy Large Plaid from Lands’ End
Jumpers are for grades 1-4 only
• Skirts and Skorts may be worn in grades K-8
• Length should be no more than 2 inches above the knee
Socks
*May be purchased from any store
Socks must be worn EVERYDAY
• Girls K-8 must wear plain white, red, black, or navy knee socks or tights November thru
March.
• Plain white, red, black, or navy blue (no logos or prints) short socks permitted Aug, Sept.,
April, May, and June. (defined as visible above the top of the shoe)
• Plain white, red, or navy blue, tights are acceptable year-round.
• Plain white, red, black or navy leggings may be worn under skirts that are no shorter
than two inches above the knee. Socks must be worn with leggings.
Shoes
*May be purchased at any store
• Must be completely closed shoe style (no sandals, open heel clogs, open heel shoes).
• Shoes should be tied or fastened at all times.
• Boots may be worn to and from school and during recess only on uniform days; dress boots and Ugg-Style
boots may be worn during the school day on dress-up/down days.
Sweaters
*May be purchased at any store
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Solid, plain, with no trim
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No designs or logos except for IHM logo (available through Lands’ End and Educational Outfitters).
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Must be worn over a uniform shirt/blouse that shows at the collar.
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Crewneck, v-neck pullover, cardigan or vests are permitted -- no hooded sweaters.
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Solid red, white or navy blue (not royal, light blue, maroon, brick, ivory, etc. or other such shades)
Sweatshirts
*Must be purchased from the school office, Educational Outfitters or Lands’ End
IHM school sweatshirt only, in white, grey, navy blue, or red and must be worn over a uniform shirt/blouse that shows
at the collar
• No IHM team sweatshirts or shirts allowed during school hours or during Mass (except for special events as allowed
by the administration).
• Hooded sweatshirts are allowed during recess, but cannot be worn during the school day or during Mass.
Belts
*May be purchased at any store
Students in grades 2-8 must wear a belt when wearing pants or shorts (plain brown, black, navy or Hamilton Plaid)
Accessories
• No make-up
• Clear nail polish only ~ no colored nail polish
• No dangling earrings (Small hoops, no larger than 1.5” in diameter are acceptable.)
• Earrings are not permitted on boys.
• No body piercing other than earrings will be permitted.
• No choker chains
• Jewelry must be discreet and small in scale.
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DRESS CODE GUIDELINES FOR 2014-15 Continued
Hair
• Neat and clean
• Boys’ hair should be cut above eyebrow, collar and ears. NO eccentric cuts (ie. Mohawks, shave designs); natural hair
colors only for boys and girls.
• Bows are allowed in solid red, navy, white, or combination thereof, or Hamilton Plaid and no larger than 2” in
diameter.
• Hairbands/headbands should be Hamilton Plaid or solid red, white, navy, or combination thereof. Thin black or dark
brown plastic head bands or barrettes are acceptable. NO LOGOS allowed on hairbands.
Hats
• Must be removed upon entering the building
• May not have offensive words or logos
• Will be permitted during the school day on designated HAT DAYS
Non-Uniform Days
These will be noted in the weekly school bulletin as to when they will occur and what kind of dress will be acceptable, i.e.
Dress-up or Dress-down (Jeans/Casual Day). Students are allowed a non-uniform day during the week of their birthday
(or half-birthday) except on Mass days; the student must make the arrangements for this with the homeroom teacher.
Dress up days
“Sunday Best” is the rule of thumb when selecting clothing for Dress-Up Days
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For Girls – Skirts, jumpers, and dresses not shorter than 2 inches above the knee are acceptable. Dress slacks are
appropriate.
No make-up
No spaghetti straps, sleeveless or tank tops
No spandex, inappropriate logos
For Boys—long pants, belted, collared shirts tucked in, ties if desired but not mandatory.
SOCKS MUST BE WORN EVERYDAY
Jeans/Casual Day
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“Modest Comfortable” is the rule of thumb when selecting clothing for Jeans/Casual Day.
Jeans, sweatpants, painter-pants, Capri-pants, wind-pants, Dockers, shorts (if during Sept. May or June) are all
appropriate for this day.
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Leggings can be worn under skirts or dresses or loose-fitting tunic tops that reach the ends of the girls finger
tips (all around the body) as the arm extends down along her side.
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Straight-legged jeans (aka “skinny jeans”) MAY be worn with a shirt, skirt, or dress that reaches the ends of
the girl’s finger tips (all around the body) as the arm extends down along her side.
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No words or designs on the seat of the pants allowed
May wear “hoodies,” sports jerseys, appropriate t-shirts—don’t need to be collared.
No spaghetti straps, sleeveless or tank tops, no spandex or tight fitting shirts
No over-sized baggie shorts or pants, open ended shoes, boots, hats or inappropriate logo t-shirts
SOCKS MUST BE WORN EVERYDAY
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DRESS CODE GUIDELINES FOR 2014-15 Continued
Gym Uniform
*Shorts May be purchased at any store
A gym uniform is required for grades 5-8
• The uniform consists of solid navy blue MESH shorts (no more than 4 inches above the knee) –AND- any shortsleeve t-shirt with IHM on it. (Can be a youth ministry t-shirt with our logo, an athletic team t-shirt with our logo etc.
(“IHM Athletic Dept” gym shirts are available for purchase in the school office beginning in August).
Birthday Jeans Day
Each IHM student is allowed ONE “FREE” Jeans day in celebration of their Birthday day each year. Students with their
birthday falling on a school day may enjoy a free Jeans day on that day only. Students with a birthday falling on a
weekend day or during a holiday may enjoy their free jeans day prearranged with their teacher. Students with birthdays
falling on a summer date may celebrate their ½ birthday, prearranged with their teacher. Students with a birthday
falling on a Wednesday or Holy Day during the week, may choose to bring jeans day attire and change after Mass
or arrange with their teacher to celebrate their jeans day on another day.
Free Used Uniform Exchange
We encourage Families to save uniforms they may have outgrown and donate them three time during the school year to our
Uniform Exchange Tables. Beginning this year on August 12, 2014 and again on January 5, 2015 and finally on April 15,
2015, tables will be outside the office for collection of used uniforms. Take what fits, leave what doesn’t.
Lost and Found
Labeled items are returned to families/students. Non labeled items will be donated to St Vincent DePaul Society at the
end of each month. Our office staff makes weekly checks of the contents of our lost and found box and tries their best to
help locate lost items. Label EVERYTHING
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