CVHS implements dress code

Though some may have been under the impression that a new dress code has been instated, Principal Mary Ann Valles clarified that various dress regulations over the years have simply been collected and combined.

Last year, Valles had received a number of complaints from both staff and parents concerning inappropriately dressed students. This feedback contributed to the revised code at the start of the 2011-2012 school year.

“I don’t think a single thing is new. We’ve simply unified the different variations of dress codes that this school has gone through,” said Valles. She had noticed that there were multiple publications, but no single document existed for student reference. For instance, only some codes in the past have explicitly prohibited strapless shirts, while certain others may have restricted the minimum length of a skirt.

However, as AP Jesse Woodward pointed out, skirt length is one of the issues not addressed in this revised dress code, because “the cheerleaders’ skirts are shorter than their fingertips,” a commonly used rule of thumb when it comes to school regulations.

What will be enforced includes no tops without straps or that expose the torso, or any sort of clothing that exposes undergarments in any form, of which the latter has been a notorious issue in the past. Sensibly, no clothing with vulgarity, gang references, offensive or hateful messages, or promotions of alcohol or drugs will be allowed.

One may be reassured that initial, minor violations will result in an administrative warning and a requirement to change into more appropriate clothing. If necessary, “parents will be contacted to bring a change of clothes for the student,” Valles said.

Depending on the severity of the offense, students who continuously violate the dress code will either be sentenced to detention, Saturday school, or be suspended.