Tuesday, 20 April 2010

The Dean’s Blog: ‘Warm and Sunny’.

You are probably going to think, ‘Wow! Has he got post Easter vacation blues to start off with a nineteenth century topic like this when all was warm and sunny!’ But it is actually all the fault of the warm and sunny. Warm and sunny, you see, makes kids select lighter, thinner, shorter, briefer, flimsy clothes in the early morning for the day ahead. Lighter thinner shorter briefer flimsy is fine for the lido, disco and other social treffs. But Monday to Friday when school is in session it is not so fine. We are a place of learning where many different cultures squeeze together for around seven hours a day. Learning in a classroom over five days is not always the easiest thing to stay focussed for and so we need to reduce unnecessary distractions that get in the way of equipping our kids to be innovative and influential members of society.

You and us
So your children need reminders from us and especially from you about what they think and what we think is suitable to wear on their bodies for those seven hours. And if in doubt they need to know it is what we think, you and ICS, that counts. (The good news for parents, as I observed in a previous blog, is that they get to own some clothes that you, when they wear them, are happy to be seen next to in public.) But what do we think? To be blunt, too much flesh on display is not acceptable is what we think. Any visible underwear at all is not acceptable. Short shorts and tops that do not meet the lower garment are not acceptable. Saggy baggy jeans worn without a belt that droop towards the knees are not suitable. And these concepts need firmly to be born in mind before new items of leisure wear are selected for purchase with a view to wearing them at ICS.

An opportunity to reflect
We at school reserve the right to make a judgement on sartorial suitability. The students have all been advised. If they decide to ignore our guide lines then, after a warning, they will meet with the Dean for a lunchtime detention to provide an opportunity to reflect on the matter and on the fact that in real life there are times when we just have to do what other people ask us to do. And I will contact you as you will surely want to know that your rules, too, are being flouted. It is not impossible that a child might be sent home to change in an extreme case.

Our community atmosphere of learning
None of this is new. It is not a radical departure from our philosophy or our previous practice. It is merely opportune to raise awareness of the issue now, in the spring, and by being proactive we will prevent unnecessary conflict which, in itself, would damage our community atmosphere of learning.

nickydarlington.blogspot.com

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