Uniform Policy

Policy

The uniform identifies one as a student of Our Lady of Fatima Parish School, and the school maintains a strong tradition of school uniforms that reflect school pride, modesty, and appropriate regard for personal appearance. Parents are expected to understand and support this policy and help their children make good choices about appropriate attire and grooming. Please contact the school before purchasing any items to be worn at school if you have questions or are unclear about the dress code. Parents are encouraged to utilize our Uniform Exchange where students may borrow uniform items.

Every student in Preschool through 8th Grade is expected to be in uniform every day. Failure to cooperate with the uniform policy will result in uniform infractions; uniform infractions may result in the loss of a non-uniform day.

Where to Purchase / Uniform Exchange

Lands’ End is our preferred uniform vendor (Preferred School #900078882). The Lands’ End School Uniforms Customer Service phone number is 800-469-2222.

Used uniforms are available through Uniform Exchange, a great resource for refreshing your child’s school wardrobe or for handing down gently used uniforms and spirit wear. Take the items you need and return them as your child grows at no cost. Please return only freshly washed uniforms that are free of holes, stains, and fading. If you would not choose an item for your child, it does not belong in Uniform Exchange. Instead, please donate it to a participating Threadcycle organization.

Uniform Exchange is located at the Our Lady of Fatima Parish office at 3307 W Dravus St, immediately west of the school building. Parents and Guardians are welcome to stop in during parish office hours to select items from Uniform Exchange.

Please refer to our Uniform Policy and Spirit Wear Guidelines chart for quick reference.

Note: CYO uniforms are not to be returned to Uniform Exchange or to the school, but rather to the team coach who inventories and organizes the uniforms prior to returning them to the CYO Athletic Director. Please be considerate of this process and return CYO uniforms in a timely manner to the coach.

**REMEMBER TO LABEL ALL CLOTHING ITEMS WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME.**
We recommend peel-off name labels from companies such as Name Bubbles or Label Daddy), which can be easily removed when an item is returned to Uniform Exchange.

Expectations

Parents/Guardians are expected to help children keep the school uniform code. At Our Lady of Fatima Parish School, we wear uniforms because:

  1. They represent our Catholic school image and tradition.
  2. They discourage differences brought about by various income levels, thus eliminating unnecessary peer pressure and allowing the attention of the students to be directed to learning.
  3. They assure that the dress standards of the school emphasize neatness.
  4. They promote an image of pride both at and away from school and help create a positive climate of discipline and responsibility.
  5. They are less costly to families and more easily maintained.
  6. They promote an attitude of moderation and modesty.

Student Uniform Rules:

  1. Students will be in uniforms that fit properly and are neat and clean.
  2. Students will be in uniforms that are in good repair (no holes, rips, tears, frayed edges, missing buttons, broken zippers, etc.).
  3. Uniform shirts and blouses must be worn under the school sweatshirt, sweater, or fleece and are to be tucked into pants/skirts/skorts.
  4. T-shirts worn under the uniform shirt or blouse must be plain white. Undergarments must not protrude from clothing.
  5. No sweatshirts, large shirts, sweaters, jackets (other than uniform logo wear) will be worn during school time.
  6. All hats are to be taken off as students enter the building.
  7. Students are not allowed to write on any part of their bodies, as this creates a distraction in the classroom.
  8. All students shall have a uniform sweater, fleece, or sweatshirt and will wear “full uniform” on designated days. Students are required to be dressed in full uniform on Fridays for Mass, for Stewardship Masses, and for other special events. “Full uniform” means wearing a uniform sweater, logo fleece vest, logo fleece jacket, logo fleece pullover, or logo sweatshirt (not athletic) as the top layer of the uniform.

Current trends and fads will be addressed as they arise. Should changes be made, students and families will be informed. The goal is to maintain an atmosphere that reflects Catholic values and is conducive to academic pursuits.

If a student does not comply with the dress code for either uniform or non-uniform items, the problem will be brought to their attention, and they will be asked to correct the issue. The uniform infraction will be noted in the school’s behavior tracker, and the student may be asked to wear an alternative item from Uniform Exchange while in school that day. If students have more than 3 uniform infractions in a calendar month, parents/guardians will be notified, and the student will forfeit his or her next non-uniform dress day. Our Lady of Fatima Parish School reserves the right to send any student home to change following parent/guardian notification.

Personal Appearance

Students are to be well groomed at school. Students should use deodorant as needed and practice proper hygiene. No cologne or perfume may be worn at school.

Hair – Hair must be neat, clean and kept out of the eyes. Natural-colored, subtle highlights are permissible; however hairstyles or colors that draw attention to the individual or distract from the learning environment are not acceptable.

Jewelry – Should be simple, not distracting, dangling, or overly large. Earring guideline: earrings should be the size of a dime or smaller. Hoop earrings are not allowed for safety reasons. No jewelry should be worn which would impact the students’ safety. No facial piercings of any kind are allowed.

Makeup – Middle school students may wear makeup if it is simple, subtle, and appropriate. Makeup should look natural and not be noticeable; if it is noticeable, then it’s too much for school. Makeup is not to be applied or freshened during the school day and may not be brought to school. Long press-on or acrylic nails are not permitted as they pose a safety risk during PE and recess. 

Uniform Specifics

Belts – Belts will coordinate with uniforms: navy or black in color.

Blouses – Cotton, short- or long-sleeved, Peter Pan collar, white in color.

Coats – Non-OLF uniform sweatshirts, hoodies, or jackets may not be worn on campus. If a student feels cold, they must wear their OLF uniform logo sweatshirt, fleece jacket, pullover, or vest, or their uniform sweater. During recess, additional outerwear is restricted to raincoats, winter coats, hats, and gloves.

Jumpers, Skirts, and Skorts – Girls in PS-8 wear the plaid jumper or skirt (length must be no shorter than 3” above the knees) available from Lands’ End Uniforms. Girls may also wear the Lands’ End Uniform khaki, navy, or plaid skort (length must be no shorter than 3” above the knees). Bike shorts in navy or black must be worn under the jumper or skirt but may not be visible.

Leggings – Navy blue or black only. Leggings are to be full length only and without lace trim.

Pants – All pants must be a uniform-style pant. Students in Grades PS-5th wear plain navy, regular navy corduroy, or navy cotton/twill long pants, available from Lands’ End. Middle school students wear Lands’ End navy or khaki pants. Pants must not have contrasting stitching or adornments, and must be ankle length, straight legged, and hemmed to shoe tops. Pants should fit properly, being neither too tight nor excessively baggy, and must not drag on the ground. The waistband is to be above the hipline. No cargo-type pants are allowed.

Shirts – Students in PS-8 wear short- or long-sleeved, button front, knit-polo shirts with collars. Shirts may be solid white, light blue, or navy. All shirts must be tucked into the waistband. (NO logos or crests permitted.)

Shorts – Students may wear uniform, khaki or navy blue, walking-length shorts in cotton twill (not knit or athletic style). Shorts length must be no shorter than 3” above the knees but not fall below the knees.

Socks – All students are required to wear socks at all times. These must be visible above the shoe and can include anklets, various sport sock styles, or knee-highs.

Shoes – Shoes are to be tennis shoes or flats/Mary Janes with non-marking soles to preserve our gym floor. They must have a fully enclosed toe and heel. Sandals, Uggs, heelies, Crocs, or flip flops are not allowed. No boots of any kind are allowed to be worn with the uniform except at outdoor recess during inclement weather. If boots are worn to school, students must bring tennis shoes to change into for comfort in the classroom and for safety during PE.

Sweaters, Fleece, or Sweatshirts – The “top layer” of a uniform sweater or of a fleece jacket, fleece vest, fleece pullover, or sweatshirt with the OLF logo completes the full uniform. There are many comfortable choices available to complement your student’s uniform including the v-neck cardigan, sweater vest, or long-sleeve, crewneck pullover sweater in navy, as well as the navy fleece vest, fleece pullover, fleece jacket, and uniform sweatshirt embroidered with the OLF logo. All sweaters, fleece, and sweatshirts must fit appropriately and need to be kept in good repair and replaced when needed.

Tights – White, navy, or black only.

Non-Uniform Days (“Free Dress” Days)

Occasionally the school will announce non-uniform (free dress) days. It is the parents/guardians’ responsibility to send their children in appropriate attire for school. Dress on these days must be neat, modest, and appropriate for school, and the same guidelines apply as on regular uniform days. The following rules must be followed:

  • Jeans, cargo pants, and sweatpants are allowed, as long as they are in good repair (no holes, rips, tears, frayed edges, missing buttons, broken zippers, etc.). All pants must be worn at a reasonably normal waist level.
  • Leggings must be worn under tops, skirts, or dresses that are mid-thigh length or longer.
  • Shirts, sweatshirts, and dresses must cover the shoulders and midriff (no tank tops, spaghetti straps, or crop tops). Collars should not drop more than one inch below the collar bone (no low-cut shirts).
  • Shorts, skirts, skorts, and dresses must be no shorter than 3” above the knees. They must be worn at a reasonably normal waist level. Running shorts are only allowed at school for the Fun Run and Field Day, and students must bring sweatpants to wear over the shorts during class.
  • Clothing should not be clingy, tight, or excessively baggy. Pants must not drag on the ground.
  • No camouflage or military clothing. Imprints on clothing may not refer to politics, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, profanity, or anything in poor or questionable taste.

Spirit Wear Wednesdays

On Wednesdays throughout the school year, unless otherwise indicated, students are permitted to wear spirit wear as follows:

  • Spirit wear includes any Our Lady of Fatima sweatshirts or t-shirts that are available for purchase by the entire student body.
  • Items such as OLF club-specific and CYO sport-specific sweatshirts or t-shirts may be worn only on free dress days, not on Spirit Wear Wednesdays, because those items are not available to the whole school.
  • If a student chooses not to wear spirit wear, then they may always wear their uniform.
  • Spirit Wear Wednesdays only occur on Wednesdays and never on church holy days.

Lost and Found

All clothing and personal items should be clearly marked with the child’s name. Marked clothing is returnable. Lost and Found items are placed on the rack located in the breezeway, smaller items such as jewelry, keys, etc. are kept in the school office.

At the end of each trimester, items not claimed from Lost and Found are donated to charity while unclaimed uniform and spirit wear items are washed and returned to Uniform Exchange for dispersal to students.