From the Desk of the Head of School- April 15, 2022

Dear Harding Academy Learning Community,

With COVID, we unwound many aspects of normal operations, including the dress code. As we now prepare to pivot back to normalcy, we want to be thoughtful and intentional as we look to resume normal operations and consider the broader questions surrounding how we dress at school.

Clothing at school has implications for our school culture and can be an expression of very personal values. It also influences the image we present to ourselves and to the broader community. Finally, there are very real logistical and financial costs associated with this topic.

There are a range of options, from no rules at all, to a dress code that gives guidelines, to a very specific uniform. While each of these options have potential benefits, they each also have a downside.

Our intention with this brief survey is to enable families to share their thoughts, values, and perceptions.  The results of the survey will assist the school in moving forward in a way that is consistent with our mission, vision, and values as articulated in the Community Code, handbook, and the pillars of wellness and belonging found in our Embracing the Future Strategic Plan. 

There are two parts: demographic information and then the survey. It is important for us to understand some basic information about our families and the answers they provide, as this will provide context for our decision. 

If you have multiple children at Harding, feel free to fill out based on overall experience and use the open ended response at the end of the survey to add your additional thoughts or you may consider completing the survey for each student’s experience.

Thank you in advance for your participation!