Uniforms are a traditional part of the classical and Christian education movement across our nation and even worldwide. I think our students look especially sharp! But it’s not just about looking nice, TRA students wear uniforms for several very important reasons.
Uniforms indicate a purpose, a job: Just as many people wear uniforms to designate the focus of their work, so do we don them for our focused day of school work. Be assured, what we wear affects how we behave. You may ask any seasoned teacher and they will tell you that on non-uniform days, the amount of focus for learning is greatly diminished. Students who put on a uniform set themselves up as ready to attend a place of learning.
Uniforms help students focus on learning: While I would always prefer to wear my joggers and my awesome sneakers, those items indicate that I’m prepared to go work-out or drop everything and play a game of hoops. In the same way, wearing a Spiderman costume or a princess dress to school would be distracting for the wearer as well as the other students.
Uniforms are inclusive: When everyone has the same options for clothing the divide between those who have less and those with great wealth is decreased. All are equally dressed to learn.
Uniforms let teachers focus on teaching: Without a uniform, in order to assure modest attire, a complicated dress code would have to be enforced. Teachers want to focus on teaching, and not degrade their relationships with students by having to police clothing that doesn’t fit a confusing dress code.
Uniforms simplify dressing: As a mom, I loved that I didn’t have to go through a big hassle of helping my kids find appropriate clothing for school. “Blue polo or white today?” Fewer choices meant less stress for everyone in the mornings, and no worries about being teased or singled out because of clothing.
A couple of related notes: Please help your student remember that the uniform shoes for Monday are to be dressier, as in; all brown, black or gray. Also, we have a new plan for boys who forget or lose their ties. We will have rental ties in the office for students who lose or forget theirs, the family FACTS account will be charged $5/day. (If the tie doesn’t come back to the office by the end of the week the full cost (plus shipping) will also be charged to the FACTS account so we can order more for the next kids.)
As I’m sure is true at the many other classical schools around the nation and the world, there will always be students who wish they could wear their fashion jeans, or boy band t-shirts. However, the well dressed students who can focus on learning and let the teachers focus on teaching speak to the value of wearing uniforms to school.
-Tonya Griffith, TRA Principal
