SUPERINTENDENT’S CHAT

Richard J. McClements, Shonto Preparatory School

I get a kick out of student dress, fashion, and hair styles. This article captures some of my observations of our Middle and High School students during November.

Boys:

· It seems that a very large percentage of boys at the High School wear baseball caps. Many wear them backwards. I’ll never understand this cultural fad. The bills in front were designed for a purpose and were worn that way for decades. If this look is in, why not wear the beanie hats of old that had no bill. You don’t see as many hats at the Middle School.

· Jeans are standard with every type of brand on the market. The nice thing about them is that you can wear them day after day, and they still look good. I’ll never understand why anyone finds it cool to have a hole where the kneecap shows, but some seem to think it’s fashionable. I am glad that the ridiculous fashion style of a couple of years ago, “the Sag,” has pretty much ended. Shorts persist, even now when the weather is cold.

· Hair, for the most part, is short and well groomed if it isn’t matted down by a cap. Out of 50 boys, perhaps one or two will wear it long in the style of the 70’s. I was surprised to see that many middle school boys are now wearing the crew cuts of the 1950’s. Boys don’t appear to use the hair dryer, gel, or hair spray.

· Tops often include flannel shirts and sweat shirts. Sweaters don’t seem to be very popular.

· On the one occasion where I have seen boys dressed up, the Homecoming King and Queen selection event, the tone definitely steps up with bright shirts, coats, and ties from some other dimension.

Girls

· In general, the overwhelming majority of girls wear slacks or jeans to school. Rarely do you see a dress. At the high school, I would say perhaps once a week, you might see one girl in a skirt. At the Middle School, one girl had on a skirt during three days of checking.

· High School young ladies all seem to wear make-up, but it is generally very tasteful and in moderate cover. Middle Schoolers rarely wear any type of make up, and those who do use a minimal amount.

· Middle School girls typically wear their hair in a pony tail. Some have an assortment of butterfly-berets. A couple had rainbow hair – that is pink, green, and orange hair. I asked how did they do it. The answer is mascara hair treatment – whatever that is.

· The hair styles of high schoolers is more varied and often reflects visits to the beauty parlor or a lot of self styling. Hair spray is moderate. Gel is uncommon, but the few who use it really spike it. Teasing is not excessive. Most wear it long.

· The blouses and tops of the girls at the High School are tasteful.

· Pierced earrings are very popular in both schools, especially two different types per lobe.

· At the Middle School, all girls wear sneakers. At the High School, you see a blend of shoes and sneakers. The shoes tend to be the several inch platform mode.

· Our young ladies seem to like body glitter.

· Stickers on the face seem to be now making the rounds for fashion.

Both Genders

· Perfume/after shave are not prevalent.

· Nobody, it seems, wears a coat when I think a coat ought to be worn. I watched the Middle School kids at recess. I am shivering like a whimp with an overcoat on, and some kids are running around in t-shirts.

· I see far more gum chewing than I would like at special events and occasions. In many cases, it demeans the ceremony or honor being received. I would hope that parents would counsel their children about time and place.

· A few have their body parts pierced. I know that I am old fashioned and fuddy-duddy in a lot of ways, but I wouldn’t have the courage to have my ears, nose, lips, or eyebrows pierced. I did want to have a tattoo when I was a teenager, and I planned to do so every year when the fair came to town. It never happened though, as I only had enough money for the admission and a few rides. In retrospect, I am awfully glad I didn’t.

· Sneakers are far more common than shoes. I am surprised that I don’t see more loafers. Black sneakers, which nobody wore for years, seem to be making a comeback.

· Everybody has a backpack.

· Both genders seem to pay careful attention to good grooming. Hair is combed, clothes are clean, and good hygiene seems to be the rule.