Dress Code Policy

Basic Policy

Complete Policy

School-Wide Dress Procedures

Consequences for Non-Compliance

Basic Policy

1. Navy blue or khaki slacks or pants. (No jeans*) 2. Navy blue or khaki shorts. 3. White, navy blue, or khaki shirts with collars* and sleeves. 4. Shirts must be worn tucked into pants, shorts, or skirts. 5. White, navy blue, or khaki socks. 6. Only the Dowdell Middle School's logo*.

7. Female students may also wear navy blue, white, or khaki dresses, skorts, skirts, or jumpers. 8. Shoes must be worn with backs. 9. All jewelry must enhance the learning environment. 10. Hats and caps will not be worn on campus. 11. Inappropriate or distractive body adornments will not be acceptable. 12. Dowdell Middle School recommends solid colors of navy blue, white, or khaki jackets, coats, or sweaters for outerwear during school hours.

Dear Parents,

"Learning for All - Whatever it Takes!" is the motto for all effective schools. Here at Dowdell Middle School, we can make a difference by insuring a positive learning environment for your child. To help eliminate peer pressure, to encourage more learning, to improve behavior, to raise self-esteem, to increase self-discipline, to improve on-task skills, and to model the real world business community, our School Advisory Committee (SAC) has submitted to the Hillsborough County School Board our School Dress Policy for Dowdell Middle School.

The 1998-2001 School Dress Policy for Dowdell Middle School students reflects our School Improvement Goal which is "Dowdell Middle School will prepare students in an environment conducive to teaching and learning as evidenced through improved reading, mathematics, and writing performance." Therefore, the School Dress Policy of Dowdell Middle School contributes to a healthy and safe environment for each of our students, and the School Dress Procedures are non-disruptive - allowing "learning for all."

All students are expected to follow the School Dress Policy for the 2000-2001 school year. Students must be in compliance with the policy every day. Team shirts will be worn on designated days to be determined by your child's team teachers. Early Release Days will be designated as "YOU ARE SPECIAL" days, and students will be able to express their individuality as long as they abide by the Hillsborough County School System's Dress Code Policy.

Below is the complete policy and procedures' guide. Please read all this information with your child. If you have any questions, please contact the school. We have a committee in place to assist you with any questions.

Sincerely,

Robert Lawson

Robert Lawson, Principal

1. Navy blue or khaki slacks or pants.

These slacks or pants must be secured at the waist, which is defined at Dowdell as at or above the navel or belly button. Baggy pants or slacks, housing, low riders shall not be worn.

(*Jeans will be worn on designated days to be determined by your child's team teachers.)

2. Navy blue or khaki shorts.

These shorts must be secured at the waist, which is defined at Dowdell as at or above the navel or belly button. These shorts must be below mid-thigh.

3. White, navy blue, or khaki shirts with collars* and sleeves.

Team shirts which do not have collars may be worn on specific days. The decision will be made by the core teachers of each team. For example, the 7th grade Tigers or Jaguars core teachers may decide every Friday that their students may wear their team shirts.

4. Shirts must be worn tucked into pants, shorts, skorts or skirts.

Tank, tube, see through, or mesh tops, spaghetti straps, and clothing that exposes the entire shoulders may not be worn.

5. White, navy blue, or khaki socks.

6. Only Dowdell Middle School's logo* or a Dowdell Middle School's team logo may be worn on the clothing.

*(Small manufacturers' labels do not apply - for example a small alligator, horse, or other type animal is allowed.)

7. Female students may wear navy blue, white, or khaki dresses, skirts, skorts or jumpers. (Female students may also wear shorts or pants.)

Dresses, skirts, skorts, or jumpers must be knee length. These may not have tank, tube, see through, or mesh tops, spaghetti straps, or expose the entire shoulders. Underclothing (slip and/or bra, and panties) must be worn with dresses, skorts, skirts, and/or jumpers.

8. Shoes must be worn with backs.

Thongs, house slippers, or similar type of footwear without backs or straps are not school shoes.

9. All jewelry must enhance the learning environment at Dowdell.

Therefore, all jewelry which displays or suggests any sexual, vulgar, drug, alcohol, violence, or gang related words and/or graphics will not be worn at Dowdell. Any jewelry that distracts from the learning environment will be requested to be removed.

(The school is not responsible for jewelry.)

We recommend that gold and silver necklaces not be worn to school.

10. Hats and caps will not be worn on campus.

11. The learning environment will be maintained. Any inappropriate or distractive body adornments will not be acceptable on campus.

(A) Appropriate adornment is defined as pins, ear rings, rings, bracelets,and necklaces that maintains the learning environment.

(B) Body piercing jewelry of the eyebrows, nose, lips, and tongue is unacceptable on campus.

(C) Dog collars and chains are unacceptable.

(D) Body graffiti is unacceptable.

(E) Any hairstyle or hair color which distracts from learning is unacceptable.

Any adornment may be reviewed by the Dowdell's School Dress Committee and/or Administration on a case by case basis. The final decision will be Dowdell's and will be stated as it relates to our achieving and maintaining Dowdell's learning environment.

12. Dowdell Middle School recommends navy blue, white, or khaki jackets, coats, or sweaters for outerwear on campus.

(Early Release Days will be designated as "YOU ARE SPECIAL" days, and students will be able to express their individuality as long as they abide by the Hillsborough County School System's Dress Code Policy.)

1. Students should be in compliance the first day of school. New students, enrolling during the school year, must be in compliance with Dowdell's School Dress Policy within 10 days of enrolling at Dowdell Middle School.

2. Each student is expected to adhere to Dowdell's School Dress Policy every day during the 1999-2000 school year.

(Early Release Days will be designated as "YOU ARE SPECIAL" days, and students will be able to express their individuality as long as they abide by the Hillsborough County School System's Dress Code Policy.)

3. Each student's parent(s) may select the school dress items at a variety of stores and are not requested or required to purchase from a particular supplier. Dowdell Middle School will list stores that carry needed items to assist parents.

4. A parent may make application to the School Dress Committee and/or Administration for an "Exemption from Dowdell's School Dress Policy " for religious or health reasons. The next guidelines must be followed by the parent of a Dowdell student:

A. Parent makes the request for the form for an "Exemption from Dowdell's School Dress Policy " within the first 10 school days of attending/enrolling at Dowdell (see #1 above).

B. Parent meets with the School Dress Committee and/or Administration in person and discusses the reason for the application for exemption.

C. If the exemption is approved by the School Dress Committee and/or Administration, it is the parent's responsibility to have his/her signature notarized on the official form and to then submit the completed form to the School Dress Chairperson at Dowdell. A notary is available at Dowdell.

D. Any student who has received an official exemption must comply with the Hillsborough County School System's dress code policy.

If this policy is broken during the exemption period, the exemption will be immediately removed, and the student must comply the next school day with Dowdell's School Dress Policy. Teachers will be notified by the School Dress Committee of any student who has received an official waiver.

5. Dowdell is a full service school. Any parent that needs assistance in meeting our school dress policy may call our Full Service School Representative: Melissa Kimble, Guidance Counselor at (813) 744-8322.

1. First Offense:

The student will be expected to immediately comply with the School Dress Policy. The student will be requested to call his/her parent and have appropriate clothes brought to school or to get permission from his/her parent to go home and change. If the parent cannot be reached, the student will be given a letter of "Parent Notification for School Dress Non-Compliance" by a Guidance Counselor, Human Relations Specialist, Team, and /or Administration, and the student's team of teachers will be notified.

2. All following offenses:

The student will comply immediately with the School Dress Policy. The student will be requested to call his/her parent and have appropriate clothes brought to school or to get permission from his/her parent to go home and change. The School Dress Committee will have procedures in place to contact the student's parent and Dowdell's administration about a student's willful disobedience of Dowdell's policy. Dowdell will follow the Hillsborough County School System's guidelines for violations of school policies.