Some parts of my job fall into the category of things I would rather not do, but they still have to be done. Dress code is one of these things. This is about that task, taken from September 12, 2006.
As do all first period teachers at Westbury Christian School, I am in charge of dress code verification for my class. Since we wear school uniforms at WCS, this might seem a very simple exercise but it has a number of facets. Our students are required to wear one of two monogrammed Westbury Christian shirts along with khaki pants/shorts/skirt. But beside the major components of the uniform, we also have to check to insure the following criterion are met:
Shirt tucked in
Belt worn if shorts/pants have loops
Pants/shorts worn at waist level with belt showing
Skirts no more than two inches above the knee
Shoes tied or fastened
T-shirt under oxford/polo shirt must be white
Socks must be worn
After checking for a while, you can take care of the procedure with a glance. My first period class is my basketball team. My players are in a different situation than other students in that they come to school dressed to practice. I am not able to check until we change after practice and are preparing for our intercom devotional. This morning, as I was performing my inspection, I could not see socks on one of my players. Styles have changed in recent years and a number of our kids wear footies, which are cut below the visible level of running shoes. Chelsea, one of my eighth graders, responded to my inquiry about her socks by starting to remove her shoes. I stopped her and pulled her aside. I don't know Chelsea very well- she didn't play last year and wasn't in my class until this August. Her reaction to my question was that she believed she had to show me. My response to Chelsea was that I trusted her and if she tells me she is wearing socks, I believe her. Calling all seventeen of the young ladies together, I tried to make the point that trust is earned as is distrust. Chelsea is a good girl, an excellent student who is working hard in basketball, a game completely foreign to her. I trust her as I do the other girls- I have no reason not to. Honesty is a trademark of the Christian life. My Bible class students grade their daily quizzes and at the bottom of their papers, I have them write, "I will not cheat." Last school year, one of my Asian students, a young lady from China, used a slight variation, stating, "I would not cheat." I like that better. It implies that I never have to doubt her honesty, even in the smallest matter. To quote Billy Joel, "It's always been a matter of trust." I guess that even applies to socks.
To listen to Billy Joel's A Matter Of Trust, click or copy/paste the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yYchgX1fMw
Applicable quote of the day:
"To be trusted is a better compliment than to be loved."
George Macdonald
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
As do all first period teachers at Westbury Christian School, I am in charge of dress code verification for my class. Since we wear school uniforms at WCS, this might seem a very simple exercise but it has a number of facets. Our students are required to wear one of two monogrammed Westbury Christian shirts along with khaki pants/shorts/skirt. But beside the major components of the uniform, we also have to check to insure the following criterion are met:
Shirt tucked in
Belt worn if shorts/pants have loops
Pants/shorts worn at waist level with belt showing
Skirts no more than two inches above the knee
Shoes tied or fastened
T-shirt under oxford/polo shirt must be white
Socks must be worn
After checking for a while, you can take care of the procedure with a glance. My first period class is my basketball team. My players are in a different situation than other students in that they come to school dressed to practice. I am not able to check until we change after practice and are preparing for our intercom devotional. This morning, as I was performing my inspection, I could not see socks on one of my players. Styles have changed in recent years and a number of our kids wear footies, which are cut below the visible level of running shoes. Chelsea, one of my eighth graders, responded to my inquiry about her socks by starting to remove her shoes. I stopped her and pulled her aside. I don't know Chelsea very well- she didn't play last year and wasn't in my class until this August. Her reaction to my question was that she believed she had to show me. My response to Chelsea was that I trusted her and if she tells me she is wearing socks, I believe her. Calling all seventeen of the young ladies together, I tried to make the point that trust is earned as is distrust. Chelsea is a good girl, an excellent student who is working hard in basketball, a game completely foreign to her. I trust her as I do the other girls- I have no reason not to. Honesty is a trademark of the Christian life. My Bible class students grade their daily quizzes and at the bottom of their papers, I have them write, "I will not cheat." Last school year, one of my Asian students, a young lady from China, used a slight variation, stating, "I would not cheat." I like that better. It implies that I never have to doubt her honesty, even in the smallest matter. To quote Billy Joel, "It's always been a matter of trust." I guess that even applies to socks.
To listen to Billy Joel's A Matter Of Trust, click or copy/paste the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yYchgX1fMw
Applicable quote of the day:
"To be trusted is a better compliment than to be loved."
George Macdonald
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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