I have noticed in the recent newspapers and on Facebook that there is a lot of discontent about “school dress codes.”
It got me to thinking back to my school years and how things were so different then as to what they are now. I grew up in a time of full skirts, bouffant slips, saddle shoes or “penny loafers,” bobby socks and sweaters. Penny loafers were shoes that had a cut in the top, and we placed a penny in that little slot. That made them penny shoes. That was somewhat of a uniform. Everybody wore the same outfit just different colors and materials. I wore very few pants to school and never shorts. That was not even an idea that ever entered my mind. And I don’t know why because it was very hot in the school rooms. With no air conditioning could feel miserable.
We wore full, starched, fluffy slips/petticoats and as many as our frames would hold. They were not very comfortable but scratchy if I remember correctly but they were fixed in our personal dress. We would sit in our one-armed desk and the slips would pouf up and show just how many we wore. It was a fashion statement.
The boys were always in jeans and loafers and some type of tee shirt with that flat top and duck tailed hair. The “bad boys” would roll a package of cigarettes, usually never smoked, into their short shirt sleeves just for show and I loved their “devil may care ways.”
My grandchildren went to Presbyterian Day School in their lower years of school, and they wore uniforms, khaki pants and skirts and navy or white shirts with the PDS logo. Most of them really disliked this uniformity of dress and would pay a few dollars required to wear “street clothes” on Fridays.
I can readily understand why they are not allowed to wear really short shorts, tight or see through, or low-cut clothes. I am a mama, I understand. However, I will say that some of the persons in charge take their jobs way too seriously. I have seen some of the kids that they have sanctioned and to me it seems nonsensical. One that I saw that had been sent home for breaking the code was dressed in long pants and a long tee shirt. Where’s the offense? I speak as a mother of three and a grandmother of 14 and I feel that where some of the officials would be better off helping the children in their difficulties in learning. Of course, I’m speaking from my point of view and not that of a learned professional.
So, uniforms or no uniforms. This has been the question for our schools for years. I surely don’t have the answer, but I can see both sides of the issue and as I said earlier, I too wore the same as every other girl in my classes many years ago.
Corn Salas
1 can of Mexican corn niblets, 1 diced bell pepper, 1 small diced red onion, 1/4 cup of fresh julienned basil, 2 tbsp. sugar, 3 tbsp. wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix all together and marinate for at least one hour before serving. Goes well with other vegetables.
