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Dress Code

Dress Code SY2022-2023

GENERAL DRESS GUIDELINES:

  • Clothing worn by Shenandoah students should always be neat, clean, and modest.
  • Garments should not be tight or form fitting. 
  • The clean-cut look will be expected rather than the faddish. 
  • No sleepwear or pajamas are allowed outside of the dormitories.
  • Shoes or sandals must be worn when a student is out of the dormitory.
  • Clothing should not advertise or reference music groups, alcohol, cigarettes, slogans, pictures that are offensive, or suggestive of a lifestyle out of harmony with Christian principles. 
  • No type of head covering is permitted in the classroom buildings, chapel, or church.  Exception:  Females may wear head scarves or wraps. 
  • Hair color must be of a natural shade.
  • Carvings in hair or slits in eyebrows are prohibited.
  • Tattoos and/or body art should not be seen.
  • Jewelry is not acceptable at Shenandoah. Please keep your wrists, ankles, ears, necks, etc. “clean” of all adornment.

CLASSROOMS and ADMINISTRATION BUILDING:  

The SVA school uniform must be worn in classes, classroom buildings, cafeteria, library, and the administration building between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

  • Uniforms must:
  • Be purchased from Lands’ End from our Lands’ End approved list (Preferred School Code:  900121252); 
  • Be properly sized to fit the student (not tight or form fitting);
  • Be kept clean and in good repair with no tears, holes, or frayed cuffs.
  • Polos:  Approved polo colors are: navy, white, evergreen, red, pink, and yellow.
  • Pants:  Must be straight leg-style, plain-front khaki pants and must be full length. “Skinny” pants or jogger-style pants are not permitted..
  • Skirts:  Must come to the top of the knee.  
  • Outerwear:  Must be chosen from our Lands’ End approved list and is the only acceptable outerwear that may be worn while in classes, classroom buildings, library, and Twomley Hall from 7:30-3:30.  Any other type of outerwear must be removed upon entering Twomley Hall or any other classroom building.
  • Acceptable items that may be worn under the uniform are:  leggings and tights under the skirt, and long-sleeved clothing under the polo; these must be a solid color. Only items from the SVA-approved list may be worn over the polo. 
  • Hoodies are not allowed in Twomley Hall from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

BANQUET & SPECIAL OCCASION ATTIRE:  

  • Guys:  Dress should match the occasion.
  • Girls:
    • Banquet and class dresses/skirts must adhere to the Sabbath Attire guidelines except spaghetti straps are allowed and a halter dress with a neckline and back no lower than the parallel line from armpit to armpit front and back may be worn. 
    • Dresses/skirts must be no more than 2” above the knee (walking and standing) and may not be tight or form fitting. 
    • All young ladies must have their dresses approved by the dress committee – no exceptions. 

CAFETERIA ATTIRE:  

General dress guidelines apply. Tank tops, undershirts, sleepwear, or half T-shirts are not acceptable at any time. We ask students to wear Sabbath clothes to lunch on Sabbath; however, ties are not required for the guys.   

GYM AND RECREATION ATTIRE:

General and casual dress guidelines apply in the gym, weight room and during recreation events.  Only non-marking gym shoes are allowed in the gym.

  • Guys – Shirts must always be worn in mixed company.
  • Girls:
    • Spandex gym wear must be covered by regular boxer style shorts of an appropriate length. Tops must meet casual dress guidelines.
    • Shorts - At a minimum, shorts should be long enough to reach the tips of the fingers when standing and arms are held straight at the sides.  
    • Tops - Tops may be sleeveless with shoulder fabric at least 2” wide. Tops must be long enough to cover the top button of the pants or skirt. 
    • Garments should not be tight or form fitting.

SABBATH ATTIRE:  

  • Guys -- Dress slacks and a dress shirt are required attire for Friday vespers. Shirts must be tucked in.  Dress slacks and dress shirt with a necktie are required for Sabbath services.
  • Girls – 
    • Dresses, skirts and blouses, or dress slacks are appropriate for all Sabbath services. 
    • Sleeveless garments are allowed as long as the straps are at least 2” wide.
    • Halter tops are not allowed.
    • Necklines should be modest in cut and should be no lower than the parallel line from the top of armpit to armpit front and back.
    • Sheer material should be avoided.  
    • Appropriate undergarments should be worn to maintain modesty.
    • Hemlines should be no more than 2” above the top of the knee. Slits or openings in skirts/dresses should be modest. 
    • Garments should not be tight or form fitting. No leggings of any length are allowed.

SWIMMING ATTIRE:  

  • Guys – Only modest swim trunks or shorts are allowed. No bikini- or “speedo”-style trunks are allowed.
  • Girls – Only modest, one-piece swimsuits are allowed. Swim shorts are required over all swimwear. Bikinis, tankinis, or any other type of two-piece swimsuit are not allowed, even if covered by a t-shirt. 

WORK ATTIRE:

Students who work in the administration building or classroom buildings should remain in School Dress Attire. Certain campus work areas, such as the cafeteria and plant services, have job-specific work attire guidelines. Those guidelines will be presented to the student workers at the beginning of the year during orientation.

DRESS CODE VIOLATION CONSEQUENCES:

  • 1st Offense:   Faculty/Staff member will enter a behavior report in FACTS and an e-mail will be sent to parents/guardians.
  • 2nd Offense:   Step 1, plus the student will have a one-on-one meeting with the dean and a call home.
  • 3rd Offense:   Letter of Advice
  • 4th Offense:   Letter of Warning
  • 5th Offense:  Letter of Suspension

TO COMMUNITY STUDENTS

Community students are expected to wear appropriate clothing while participating in any school-sponsored activity whether it is on or off campus, i.e. vespers, outdoor church, field trips, Saturday night activities, etc. Please see the weekend update for required dress for planned activities.