Uniform update 8 December 2020

Tēnā koutou e te whānau o te Kura A Rohe o Whaingaroa

Thank you to all who have responded in many ways to the information that we have been sharing online about the proposed introduction of a school uniform for Raglan Area School. This notice will be printed in hard copy and sent to all whanau today. We invite you to take some time to read this through. 

The Board wants to make the right decision for our community and we will be hosting a Q and A evening to discuss this on Wednesday 3 February 2021 at 6.30pm for families of students who are enrolled at our school. This will be followed up by a school whanau survey for the families of students who are enrolled at our school. The information gained from the community meeting and survey will enable us to determine our final decision with regards to the implementation of a school uniform.

 

Why did the board decide to implement a uniform?

During 2019, our school welcomed a new Principal and Board of Trustees. Together, we are working to respond to the strategic objectives set in the current school charter and annual plan. It is planned to introduce this uniform in Term Three, 2021. The Board will be subsidising the cost – please read further down.

 

Student Uniforms: Desired Outcomes

1. Growing School Culture. We believe that the introduction of a school-wide student uniform will contribute to increasing our students’ sense of belonging and shared school identity, pride and spirit.
2. School uniforms level the playing field. When everyone is dressed the same, worrying about what you look like isn’t so important. There is no competition about being dressed in the latest trend, which can put a great deal of financial pressure on students and parents. Potential bullies have one less target for their insults; it’s harder to make fun of what someone is wearing when you’re dressed the same way.
3. School uniforms can increase student safety. Students cannot wear gang-affiliated clothing or colours. Individual style, in this case, is sacrificed for a safer learning environment. Something as simple as a teacher being easily able to spot and identify students on a field trip or spot an intruder in the school grounds due to their wearing of mufti clothing is another important benefit of school uniforms.
4. School uniforms are usually cheaper than a year’s supply of other clothing and not having to decide what to wear is both convenient and saves time for families.
5. The wearing of uniforms by students can lessen distractions in the classroom. No one is sidetracked by someone’s T-shirt message or where a friend got their “label” jacket or footwear from.

Further details around styles, colours and pricing will be shared as soon they are confirmed. This will give families at least one school term to prepare for the changes and to implement payment plans if needed.

It remains a priority for us to celebrate each student’s unique and individual sense of identity through our school values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga and poutama. Our students have multiple opportunities to be supported to do this in their day to day social interactions with their peers and school adults, and in their engagement with the rich learning tasks provided in our school curriculum and extra curriculum programmes.

 

Current Student Uniform Practices at Raglan Area School

1. “Te Roopuu Aroha ki Te Reo” students proudly wear a uniform when they welcome visitors to school, go on trips outside of the school and when representing the school in kapa haka competitions.
2. Our sports teams proudly wear their school uniforms every time they compete against other schools and always do so with obvious pride in the shared identity that the wearing of a Raglan School sports uniform helps to convey.
3. Current student leaders enjoy wearing their leadership uniforms and have expressed support for the Board’s decision to bring a uniform into the school.
4. Years 7-13 students are currently encouraged to wear the school PE uniform when they engage in physical education or school sports activities – most importantly for basic hygiene purposes.

Students, teachers and whanau observations are very supportive of the positive outcomes experienced by the students who do currently wear these uniforms.

 

TIMING:

When will the uniform become available for purchase?

• All going well with production/logistics, the uniform will be available for purchase during the middle of Term Two, 2021.

When will students be required to wear the uniform?

• The uniform will be mandatory for students starting in Term Three, 2021 (as long as we can meet our production deadlines).

Will all students be required to wear the uniform?

• In 2021, the uniform will only be required for students in years 0-11. Students in years 12 and 13 will continue with the existing dress code.
• In 2022 the uniform will be extended to Year 12.
• Year 13 will wear mufti. 

COST/PURCHASING:

When will the uniform become available for purchase?

• The uniform will be available for purchase during the middle of Term Two, 2021.

Where can I buy the uniform?

• The Uniform will be for sale online via a Webshop with NZ Uniforms.

How much will the uniform cost?

Exact costs will be provided once confirmed.

The estimated cost for a complete set of uniform items for one child is as follows:

• Years 0-6:  $200-250 (2xTs, 1 short or skort, 1 sweater, 1 hat, 1 trouser, 1 PE T-shirt). A bare minimum number of items would cost $159 (1 x T, 1 short or skort, 1 sweater, 1 PE T shirt).
• Years 7-10: $250 – $350 (same as above, skirt option, option to wear shirts instead of Ts, plus PE hoodie and trackies)
• Years 11-13: $350 – $500 (same as above plus blazer option and long skirt option).

Are there any second hand options?

• Initially there will not be as the uniform is brand new and designed specifically for our school. As students leave school or grow out of their old uniforms we will be establishing a second hand uniform shop.

Will there be payment options available?

• Yes, NZ Uniforms has a full range of payment options including Zip where you’ll be able to split the total cost into 4 payments. For further details please see the Payment Options page on their website.

Will the school subsidise the cost of the uniform?

• Yes, in 2021 as we are rolling out the uniform for the first time there will be an optional subsidy of $50 per student available from the school by way of a Gift Certificate for NZ Uniforms. Details on exactly how this will be distributed will be made available closer to the time. If families choose not to use this $50 contribution, it will be redistributed to other families who might need extra help.

What happens if I can’t afford the uniform?

• If you genuinely cannot afford to buy the school uniform for your child(ren), please make an appointment to speak with school leadership to review options available to you.

UNIFORM RANGE:

When will the uniform range be made public?

• The range will be shared with the school community as soon as it is confirmed.

When will we be able to see and try on uniform samples?

• We anticipate the samples being available to show parents and students in Term One, 2021.

My child is in Te Roopu Aroha Ki Te Reo and already has a uniform, I don’t want to buy a new one.

• Students with existing Roopu uniforms will be permitted to continue wearing these uniforms until they have grown out of them or they are worn out.

What will happen to other RAS uniforms currently in use i.e. hoodies, sports uniforms etc?

• Students will be permitted to wear these uniforms as appropriate to purpose e.g. approved school sports uniforms will be able to be worn at sports practices or sports games, RAS branded hoodies will be worn out of school hours or during school camps and / or school mufti days.

What fabric will the school uniform be made from as my child has very sensitive skin?

• Most items in the range where possible will be made from a natural fibre. The fabric we have chosen is; organically grown, breathable, durable, soft on the skin, moisture-wicking & odour resistant, antibacterial & antifungal, and UV resistant, It is easy-wash & care, does not contain any microplastics, won’t shrink, is resistant to mould & mildew, and is fully biodegradable.
• Our uniform range will be made from natural fabrics, as well as also using natural labelling and plastic-free buttons. All garments will be flat-packed in biodegradable and compostable packaging.
• Studies show that comfortable clothing has a positive effect on students’ understanding, performance and productivity. A child spends an average of 35 hours a week in their school uniform —that’s more than 16,000 hours across a school-life. It makes sense that we clothe them in comfortable, healthy and environmentally-friendly clothing.

Is there a specific uniform shoe?

We have set the following guidelines for shoes

• Shoes / sandals are required to be totally black (including the laces) with a low heel.
• Shoes / sandals need to have a back on the heel i.e. jandals or slides are not permitted
• Unisex plain white OR black socks (with no labels) are to be worn with the shoes.
• The one pair of shoes can be worn all year.
• Bare feet are still allowed at school. 

Are there rules for hair and jewellery?

• Hair, including facial hair, must be clean and tidy.
• Hair is to be tied back from the face when required for health and safety reasons e.g. in the food tech or materials technology classrooms.

Is there a different uniform for PE?

• Yes, there is a specific, unisex range for the new PE uniform.
• Students with existing PE T-shirts will be permitted to wear them until their existing T-shirt is either worn out or too small.

Are there any unisex uniform options?

• The entire uniform range offers unisex options.
• If in doubt about which items of clothing to purchase please seek guidance from school office or leadership staff.

 

Ngaa mihi

Raglan Area School Board of Trustees