Page 8 January 14, 2016 School Uniform Policies Approved For Five Hawthorne Campuses By Cristian Vasquez For several years half of the schools in the Hawthorne School District have required their students to wear a school uniform. Thanks to the school board’s approval of five resolutions to implement school-wide uniform policies, as of Thursday, Jan. 7 the remaining schools will have their students dressed in new and matching attire. The approved resolutions were for Kornblum Elementary School, Ramona Elementary School, Bud Carson Middle School, Hawthorne Middle School and Prairie Vista Middle School. “When you try to implement a school uniform, you have to give at least a six months notice to families but we actually gave them a year,” Hawthorne School Board member Luciano Aguilar said. “We wanted to give them [families] every opportunity to learn about it [uniform policy], to tell us what they thought about it and the majority of them supported it.” Families from the affected schools were invited to share their thoughts, comments and concerns at any of the 16 presentations hosted by district officials to discuss the uniform policy. Board members share that there was overall support expressed by the parents attending the public hearings and among the reasons mentioned for wanting the uniform policy implemented were safety. “It helps in being able to recognize who is “It helps in being able to recognize who is whom, so when you go onto a school site you would immediately know who is supposed to be there and who is not supposed to be there.” whom, so when you go onto a school site you would immediately know who is supposed to be there and who is not supposed to be there,” Aguilar said. “I have spoken to some police officers that shared that they are able to better recognize the kids that are in our high school.” The uniform policies are also expected to have an impact outside of the schools with regards to safety since they will also help to identify any students out on the street Be Prepared, Stay Informed C M 10 Ways to Weather El Niño 1. Create an emergency kit, today! If you’ve already got an emergency kit prepared, check it regularly. 2. Check your car. Make sure your car’s tires have good tread and that your windshield wipers work well. Your headlights should always be on in the rain! 3. Check your house. Clear your outdoor drains and gutters of any leaves, dirt or debris. Secure trash, recycling bins and any other items that have the potential of blowing or floating away. Have weakened trees inspected by an arborist. 4. Got flood insurance? Consider purchasing flood insurance. Keep in mind, most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period. 5. Use sandbags. Sandbags can be utilized to help protect your home and property before a storm. 6. Don’t risk your life. During significant storm events, avoid waterways, flood control channels and the ocean, which can all rapidly swell and become extremely dangerous. NO PLACE outside is safe when lightning is in the area! 7. Have Emergency Alerts sent to your mobile phone and email. Register at lacounty.gov/emergency, or simply search “Alert LA County” on the web. 8. Download “The Works,” LA County’s FREE app for iPhone and Android, to report storm-related problems. 9. Prevent stormwater pollution. Rain washes everything into storm drains that lead to our rivers and ocean. Secure household hazardous waste with tight-fitting lids and store these items in covered areas. 10. Capture rainwater. Prepare your landscaped areas to capture and retain more water by using compost. Collect rain that falls on your roof by installing rain barrels. Y CM MY CY CMY K 13_Hawthorne Press_10_25 x7_875 El Niño_fullBleed_Ad_CMYK_GHedman.pdf 1 1/5/16 2:57 PM during school hours. “You also limit the gang attire and that type of stuff,” Aguilar said. “We do have kids that are getting older and we want our kids to identify more with their school.” However, there was opposition to the uniform policy by some parents who cited the financial burden it would impose on them, while other parents considered that the uniform policy was a hindrance to their child’s individuality and ability to express themselves via fashion. “We covered the price issues by making it available to them [parents] to obtain uniforms by filling out an application from the school district,” Aguilar said. “We would give them assistance by providing a few uniforms for them to help cut the cost.” Each school has been able to determine the color of the uniform for its student population through the use of their own school site committee, which is made up of teachers, parents, administrators and students. “The uniforms include a solid color collared shirt with a twill fabric bottom,” Dr. Helen Morgan shared through her Message from the Superintendent on the district website. “In an attempt to make the acquisition of uniforms as simple as possible we have kept the requirements very basic.” It took a little more than a year but now that the resolutions have been approved and the policies put into effect, district officials are happy that every district school has its kids in uniform. “We want to build a culture and want everyone to look at all of our schools the way that they look at our charter school,” Aguilar said. “We had to give everybody ample opportunity to speak their mind and tell us what they thought about it, that is why we had so many meetings and that is why it took so long; by law we can’t just come in and say it is changing tomorrow.” •
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