Uniforms
A mandatory school uniform policy is in place at all schools in the Hawthorne School District. The uniform at the middle schools consists of the following:
- White, navy, or light blue collared shirt
- School Spirit Wear can be worn in place of a collared shirt.
- Khaki/tan, or navy blue pants/shorts/skirts in twill material
- Jeans, regardless of color, are not part of the school uniform.
DRESS CODE
Students and parents/guardians share primary responsibility for student compliance with the dress code. School personnel shall be responsible for enforcing the dress code when students are on campus, at school functions, extracurricular activities or other special school activities.
1. Student clothing, accessories, shoes and personal items (jackets, headgear, backpacks, handbags, fanny packs, gym bags, notebooks, water bottles, etc.) shall be free of writing, pictures or any other insignia which display crude, vulgar, obscene and/or sexual content, profanity, or drug-related, alcohol-related, or tobacco-related content, advertising or symbols, or which advocate racial or ethnic prejudice, death or violence, or which contain gang-related symbols or insignia.
2. Gang-related attire is strictly prohibited, as defined below and by the specific dress code established at each individual school site.
3. Clothing shall not be intentionally ripped, frayed or cut.
4. Clothing must not be revealing.
a. Skirts and shorts shorter than mid-thigh are prohibited.
b. Off-the-shoulder tops are prohibited.
c. No low-cut tops which expose excessive cleavage or tops that expose an area larger than the collarbone.
d. Tops/shirts/blouses should cover all undergarments, including bra straps.
e. No backless tops or shirts (i.e. that do not cover the back entirely).
f. No see-through clothing or fish-net fabrics.
g. No short tops that would result in bare midriffs. Midriff (stomach) must be covered when arms are raised over head.
h. No halter tops or tube tops.
i. No spaghetti-strap tops.
j. No athletic undershirts shall be worn as outerwear.
k. No excessively large shirts that reach below the crotch area.
5. Pants/shorts/skirts
a. Pants, jeans, shorts and skirts must be worn at least at the natural waistline at all times. Pants, shorts and skirts shall not be worn in a manner that results in exposed undergarments.
b. Baggy pants and pants that are saggy or drag on the ground are prohibited. Pants and shorts must be fitted at the waist and crotch and must be appropriate in size for the students' height and weight. Pants must not be more than two inches bigger than the student's actual size in width and/or in length.
c. Tights or leggings may not be worn solely as outerwear.
d. No excessively wide pant legs will be permitted.
e. If the width size of pants, shorts or skirts is too large so as to result in the exposure of undergarments, the student shall be required to wear a belt.
f. Prohibited items include sleepwear and bathrobes.
6. Belts must be threaded through all belt loops.
a. No belt ends hanging down from the buckle.
b. No spiked or studded belts.
c. No chain belts or wallet chains.
7. Shoes must be worn at all times and must meet safety standards. They must be close-toed and have a strap across the back.
a. No sandals.
b. No slippers.
c. No platform soles.
d. No combat-style boots.
e. No untied or unfastened shoes or boots.
8. Each school shall allow students to wear sun-protective clothing, including but not limited to hats and caps, for outdoor use during the school day, but must be removed when entering buildings. (Education Code 35183.5)
a. Bandanas, beanies, hair nets and head scarves, except for religious purposes, are prohibited and shall not constitute "sun-protective" clothing.
b. Headgear used for sun-protective purposes is subject to all dress code regulations regarding prohibited content.
9. Accessories and jewelry that may cause injury, pose a safety hazard, or substantially disrupt or materially interfere with student safety or instruction are prohibited. This can include, but is not limited to:
a. Long dangling earrings, nose rings, hoops.
b. Long and thick chains/necklaces.
c. Spiked jewelry.
d. Jewelry worn in pierced areas of the body that substantially disrupt or materially interfere with student safety or instruction.
10. Students will be required to wear athletic shoes in physical education classes. However, no grade of a student participating in a physical education class shall be adversely affected if the student does not wear standardized physical education apparel because of circumstances beyond the student's control. (Education Code 49066)
11. Students who participate in a nationally recognized youth organization shall be allowed to wear organization uniforms on days when the organization has a scheduled meeting.
Gang-Related Apparel
This administrative regulation is the legal basis for both the district-wide and the local school dress codes which prohibit gang-related attire for the purpose of ensuring student health and safety and to protect against the actual or threatened disruption of school activities. The banning of gang-related apparel shall be part of each individual school site's comprehensive safety plan.
Gang-related apparel or insignia can include, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Sweatshirts, jackets, jerseys or other clothing with professional team logos or insignia.
2. Specific gang-related colors, as determined by individual school sites.
3. Clothing with lettering styles attributed to local gangs or gang activity, as determined by individual school sites.
4. Prison Insignia.
5. Baggy pants with frayed or slit cuffs.
6. Pendleton shirts.
7. Belt buckles with gang-affiliated numbers, symbols or insignia.
8. Fingerless gloves.
Because gang-related symbols are constantly changing, definitions of gang-related apparel shall be reviewed at least twice a year and updated whenever related information is received. Check with the school administration to obtain a complete list of gang-affiliated apparel that is prohibited at each school site.