Principal Points: Using the Internet

This Principal Points is basically a repeat of one that we ran in the spring when we first introduced the concept of School Sweaters. It is largely from a letter I wrote to a student who had voiced some concerns about the new sweaters.

First, when it comes to deciding on any kind of common article of clothing, there is never universal agreement. This has been quite thoroughly discussed, and a number of options were considered such as golf shirts or hoodies. The feeling was that the golf shirt would be too light to be worn year round, and the hoodies conveyed a rather casual or sports image which was not what we were after. What we wanted was something that conveyed the sense of excellence that we believe in and that would indicate that we are part of one body.

Nearly all of the private schools in our area have full uniforms (e.g. Bearspaw, Heritage, Glenmore, etc.). We did not feel that uniforms were a right fit for AKCS (have you seen our portables?!). At the same time, the Board has been concerned that we work to communicate “excellence” in all we do. They have invested nearly $12,000 in uniforms for our sports teams, bell choir, and senior choir to make the statement, "AKCS is an excellent school". I think they've done a good job, and our students look sharp now. Adding one more item, a school sweater to be worn by everyone for chapels and some other special events, seemed appropriate for us.

While the idea of "nice clothes" for chapel days and field trips is OK, it is impossible to police. Who determines "nice"? It also fails to send the message that we are one body. Part of the idea behind a uniform is to place the emphasis on the group over the individual. Our society is far too "me-centered" as it is. This is one way of stating that we belong to something bigger. Wearing the school sweater to chapels may also help us to recognize that they are special times, and we dress up a bit for them to show our respect. That's not a bad thing either.

As far as warmth, the intention is to not wear the sweaters during hot weather. This may mean that we don't wear them much in Sept., May & June, though if it’s a cold year, we may wear them even for much of those months. The reality is that there isn't one item of clothing that can be worn all year round appropriately. So whatever we come up with will involve some trade offs. Some students will wear it over a T-shirt; others will wear it over a shirt. There's some flexibility there depending on personal taste or comfort. This same sweater is actually used in most other private schools in Calgary and doesn't seem to cause a major problem for them.

The issue of "elitism" was also discussed. The reality is that school sweaters and uniforms are becoming more and more common. Even many public schools are now moving to them to avoid problems with gangs and the competition that students have over clothing. Because they are increasingly common, they don't have the same "elitist" feel that they once did. One board member made the observation that being "elite" (in a class by itself) is OK as long as we are not "elitist" (exclusive). So the goal was to find one thing that would look elite (classy) but not elitist (snobby). We are not a sports school (have you seen our gym?! ) but we certainly are in an elite group academically. So the sweater seemed a reasonable way to go.

The experience in all the other schools has been this: when uniforms (and a sweater is a far cry from a uniform) are first brought in, there is a lot of disagreement over them. Typically, 50% of the parents are strongly opposed, and even more of the students are opposed. At the end of the first year, there is typically 90% support from the parents, and many if not most of the students see it as a good idea also. It becomes a way of stating that they belong to something pretty special.

I think AKCS is pretty special, and I hope you feel the same way. A school sweater is not the only way to send this message out, but it seems like a reasonably good compromise for us. I understand that we will not please everyone, but the decision has been made, and I trust that we will all be able to move forward graciously and focus more on the positive things a sweater will do for our school than our personal likes and dislikes.

Some practical considerations:

Sweaters are to be worn from 8:30 to Lunch each Chapel Day, and for field trips and/or special events as requested by the teacher in charge. We will have extra sweaters available for those who forget to bring their sweater to school. (Secondary students can leave them in their lockers, so they won’t have to worry about that.) Of course, they may also be worn at any other time as well.

Brian Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School