Some students may already have heard that the SMPA St. Mary’s sweatshirt (Yellow Printed Logo) is no longer allowed on regular school days. Our reporters interviewed Principal Ms. Fradale regarding the school’s dress code and why it exists.
Ms. Fradale clarified that the SMPA sweatshirt, along with other school clothing, such as the Class Hoodie, can only be worn on Titans Friday. The only outer layers allowed on regular school days are the official St. Mary’s jumper and tank top that can be found and purchased from Top of the Class, as well as varsity jackets for high-school students.
The reason and rationale behind the school’s dress code, Ms. Fradale explained, is that she and the school organization believed that dressing professionally is very significant when it comes to how people view us as students, but more importantly, how we view ourselves as students. She read a study that quite strongly influenced her perspective on dress codes. In that study, 20 people were given the same coats to wear and take a test. 10 of them were told it was a “doctor’s coat” while the other 10 were told that it was a “painter’s coat”. The group that thought the piece of clothing was a “doctor’s coat” had better test results, proving that how people dress and what type of clothing they choose to wear can influence their mindsets and ultimately lead to success. Ms. Fradale believes that students looking sharp and professional leads to an improvement in academic performance and a successful career.
