The school dress code is intended to instill a sense of belonging and pride in the school and to eliminate any idea of competition in the matter of personal dress. We believe that dressing according to the code shows respect for the school community, fosters a sense of teamwork, and mitigates the influence of materialism in our school. It is urged that students, faculty and staff be neat and clean. Faculty and staff need not abide by this dress code, but are expected to dress in a business professional manner (i.e., no short skirts, blue jeans, denim shirts).

Discipline Guidelines: All students must attend school each day in accordance with the Dress Code unless otherwise specified (i.e. Spirit Day or Casual Day). The dress code will be strictly enforced by the principal, the teachers and all staff members. If a student’s appearance violates the dress code, s/he will be retained in the principal’s office and the parent(s) will be notified to either correct the infraction or to pick up the student. When parents fail to pick up their child for a dress code infraction for the second time, the student will receive in-school suspension, which will be recorded on the student’s permanent record. If a student violates the dress code three times, the student will automatically receive in-school suspension. Any further violations will result in out-of-school suspension.  

General Rules:

**Clothing must be without contrasting logos, lettering or images other than those of the school itself.
**Clothing must be clean and, if torn, well-mended.
**All clothing must be appropriately sized for the child, no more than one size larger than the student actually measures.
**Extra wide/ long/baggy/sagging clothing is not acceptable.
**No clothing should reach the floor and/or pose a tripping hazard.
**Shirts and bottoms are mandatory, overshirts are optional.
**Shirts must have collars and sleeves.
**Students in 6-7-8th grade are allowed to wear shirts that can be plaid, striped or solid-colored.
**Overshirts must be solid-colored, no hoods.
**Bottoms must be solid-colored: black, blue, grey, brown or khaki (no blue jeans).
**Shirt hems cannot extend past the bottom of the back pant pockets or must be tucked in.
**Unacceptable fabrics include: mesh/fishnet, spandex-type, sheer, see-through, shiny, denim, or noisy fabrics.
**No display of any undergarments.
**Clothing that exposes the back, chest, shoulders or midriff may not be worn.
**No tank tops, halter tops, tube tops, or sleeveless shirts may be worn.
**Acceptable earrings must be less than ½ inch long.
**Light-, solid-colored nail polish is allowed (no bright, vibrant or dark colors, no nail art) for grades 6-7-8.
**Hair dye is not allowed.
**Light make-up is a privilege reserved for middle grade students (7 & 8).
**No chains, dog collars or spike bracelets/necklaces allowed.
**Hats or other headgear (hoods, caps, visors, bandanas, etc.) must be removed upon entering the building and may not be carried during the school day.
**Tattoos and facial jewelry are inappropriate for students at school.
**Sunglasses/contact lenses which obscure the eyes may not be worn in school.  
**Boy Scout and Girl Scout uniforms are allowed to be worn on meeting days.

Shirts: Acceptable shirts must have a collar and sleeves (i.e. polo or dress shirts) and should be buttoned above the chest line. They can be striped, plaid or solid colored for students in 6-7-8th grade only. They must be solid colored for students in grades K-5. The only logo allowed on these shirts is a Rilke Schule logo or very small (less than ½ inch), subtle, non-contrasting logos (same color as the shirt and thus hardly visible; non-contrasting logos will be tried for one year). Solid-colored long- and short-sleeved T-shirts can be worn underneath collared shirts.  

Overshirts: Tops that may be worn over collared shirts need to be solid colored and display no logos. Acceptable choices include crew-neck, zip-neck, mock-neck, turtleneck and v-neck style sweaters, sweater vests, vests and cardigans as well as plain, non-hooded sweatshirts. Rilke Schule shirts can be worn on field trip days. 

Bottoms: Bottoms must be worn at the waist and completely zipped or fastened. Logos should not be in plain sight (i.e. small logo on waistband, covered by shirt, is acceptable). All bottoms must be solid colors: black, blue, brown, grey, and khaki. Capri- and cargo-pants (with side pockets) are allowed as long as they are fitted, not baggy. Skirts, skorts (skirt/short combination), polo dresses, over-alls, jumpers, and shorts cannot be shorter than four finger-widths above the knee. No blue jeans, track or sweat pants are allowed during the regular school day.  

Spirit Day: Once a month is Spirit Day – On that day all shirts and sweaters with an official Rilke Schule logo are allowed to be worn (including T-Shirts without collars and hooded sweaters). 

Field Trip Day: If a class is going on a field trip, students are allowed to follow the same guidelines as on Spirit Days - all shirts and sweaters with an official Rilke Schule logo are allowed to be worn (including T-Shirts without collars and hooded sweaters). 

Casual Day: One school day during the last week of each quarter will be designated as Casual Day. On that day students do not need to follow the dress code (blue jeans and T-shirts are OK). However, ASD dress guidelines of modest, non-offensive apparel and proper appearance still apply. 

Footwear: Children are expected to have weather-appropriate footwear, securely attached to the foot, for outside (i.e. snow boots once snow is on the ground) and for inside (athletic or casual dress shoes). Shoes have to be tied for safety reasons. Footwear should be sturdy enough to withstand an evacuation drill (no ballet slippers, bedroom slippers, flip flops, shower shoes, spike heels, platform shoes, Heelys, etc.). For hygienic reasons, tights or socks should be worn at all times. They can be any color or pattern, but no fishnet stockings. Leggings are allowed to be worn underneath skirts/skorts, dresses, and jumpers. They can be any color or pattern (patterned leggings allowed for one year). 

Outerwear: There are no dress guidelines for outerwear, other than that outside clothing (i.e. boots, hats, gloves, windbreakers, etc.) should be weather-appropriate and may not be worn in the classrooms during the regular school day.

The administration reserves the right to make changes to the dress guidelines. Exceptions to the dress code can be made for special occasions (such as plays and performances).
Dress Code Approved: 08/08/2008 by the APC.

Although Rilke Schule has a dress code rather than a required uniform, it may be easier and cheaper for parents to buy certain items through a uniform catalog.  French Toast (www.frenchtoast.com) carries quality, reasonably priced items. You can also go to Lands’ End School Uniforms to outfit your boys and girls in clothing that meets dress codes and exceeds expectations! Shop online at www.landsend.com/school. Take advantage of their 3% cash back program and use our school code 9001-2148-4 when ordering, and Rilke Schule will get credit. JC Penney has a great sale going on right now - please check out the following link: http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp. Locally, JuniorTowne offers clothing that complies with our dress code. They are located on Fireweed and online at http://www.juniortowne.com/files/RilkeSchule.pdf.