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TAYLOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
School Dress Code Clarification – Taylor Jr. Guidelines
Updated June 2006

As stated in the MPS Guidelines for Student Behavior, district dress standards prohibit student dress and/or grooming that:

• Presents a risk to the health, safety, or general welfare of students or staff.
• Is counterproductive to curriculum goals and/or educational objectives.
• Immodestly exposes the chest (including cleavage), abdomen, genital area or buttocks.
• Displays a message that would cause a reasonable person (student/staff), to feel insulted, demeaned, threatened, intimidated or harassed because of that person’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
• Displays a message that is sexually suggestive, vulgar, obscene, or plainly offensive.
• Displays a message that advocates or promotes violence, terror, expresses gang membership, affiliation or support.

Students will refrain from displaying tattoos or wearing clothing, jewelry, or other accessories which display, advocate or encourage the use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco are also prohibited.  This has been in effect for several years and constitutes the dress code for Taylor as well as every other junior and senior high school in the Mesa district.  Taylor's School Improvement Advisory Council (SIAC) recommended that some clarifications be provided that would make it easier for Taylor parents, students and staff to know what would and would not be considered acceptable dress under the above guidelines. 

We appreciate parent's continued support and ask again that as you shop for back-to-school clothing, please be sure that these dress standards are taken into consideration.  This will save time and prevent problems when school resumes in August.
 
     Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, the following clarifications of student dress expectations are provided to guide parent purchases of school clothes and planning for the upcoming school year. These guidelines are in addition to Mesa Public Schools policy for dress.
 

• Hats or other head apparel may not be worn inside school buildings. Bandannas, hairnets, and do-rags are prohibited. Pajamas, slippers, or house shoes are considered inappropriate and may not be worn on campus.
• Pants and shorts must be worn at the natural waistline and must not drag excessively on the ground.  No sagging is allowed.
• Tube tops and halter tops are prohibited.  Tank tops, spaghetti strap tops, etc., may only be worn if a T-shirt is worn underneath.  Necklines must be high enough to modestly cover the chest area.  Tops that expose cleavage are prohibited.
• Sleeveless shirts or tops must have straps wider than 1 ½ inches and armholes that are no lower than 2 inches from the armpit.
• All shirts, tops, etc., must be long enough to completely cover a person's midriff, including if the person were to raise his/her arms up to shoulder height. See-through clothing is prohibited.  No undergarments may show at anytime.

Shorts must have at least a 2 inch inseam and extend to the tip of the student’s fingers.  Shorts/skirts must extend at least 1 inch beyond the tip of the student’s fingers and cover the individual at all times and not is too tight fitting as to be immodest.

Skin-tight outer clothing, such as spandex, is prohibited unless it is worn for a school-sponsored extracurricular activity (for example gymnastics or wrestling). 

• If an outer garment is sheer, all visible clothing must meet the dress code standards.
• Pajamas and other sleepwear are prohibited.
• Trench coats and other oversized clothing that can conceal contraband are prohibited.
• Footwear must be worn at all times.  Shoes, such as ‘wheels in the heels,’ that pose safety hazards and shoes, such as cleats, that may damage flooring are prohibited. 

For safety reasons, closed-toe shoes are recommended.  Sandals, including flip-flops are strongly discouraged.

• Students will refrain from dressing in costume unless special permission is given by the administration (e.g., if it is part of an approved "Spirit Day").  On approved Spirit Days, all dress standards still apply.
• Secondary students may use cosmetics.  Heavy mascara and other use of cosmetics that give the student a disturbing or distracting appearance are prohibited.  Face paint is prohibited.
• "Spikes", chains and potentially dangerous accessories or jewelry may not be worn.  Sunglasses may be worn indoors ONLY if there is a medical need to wear them.
• Any piercing should be done by a licensed facility and may not display accessories that are potentially dangerous to the health, safety, or general welfare of the student, other students or staff.
• Hair Policy; hair that is dyed in unnatural shades or that is styled in disorderly fashions, that are disruptive to the learning environment of the school are not permitted.  Students may be asked to wash or re-dye hair, or to modify the style as appropriate.  Disciplinary action could result from failure to comply with reasonable requests to respect the learning environment of this school.

The guidelines for dress standards will be followed in the same manner as in the past as far as enforcement.  In the wording of the district guidelines, students who violate the district's guidelines, students who violate the district's dress standards may be asked to do any of the following depending upon the specific circumstances:

• Change into clothing that may be provided by the school
• Have other clothing brought to the school
• Remove the accessory.

Repeat violations of the dress standards may result in appropriate disciplinary action being taken, including suspension from school.

A Note on Student Safety

Parents and Guardians: To increase the safety of our students we need you to help us with the following areas of concern.

Student Pick-up in the North Parking Lot

If you pick up students in the north lot, please pull ahead to the farthest empty space, including in front of the pool on the east side of the lot.  You may need to move forward more than once as curbside traffic clears ahead of you. Open curb area is often available on the other side of the lot.  Students will need to look for your vehicle around the perimeter of the entire lot, not in one specific place each day. 

Student Pick-up on the Perimeter of the School Grounds

 If you meet your student on the street around the school grounds, we ask your help with the following:

 1.     Please make every effort to pick up your student on the school side of the road to reduce the number of students walking across the streets to their rides.   The area north of the pool is often available.
2.     Please avoid making U-turns and other unexpected traffic movements in these congested areas.  
3.     Please encourage your students to cross streets only at intersections or in crosswalks, to ride bikes safely on the correct side of the street, and to take reasonable precautions for their own safety and that of others.