Standards & Expectations

Dress & Grooming

Monticello Montessori Public Charter School’s dress and grooming standards are intended to encourage respect for self and others, support good hygiene, minimize safety hazards, and maintain a learning environment free from distractions, commercialism, and undue attention to external appearances.

Please review the Student Handbook for the complete dress and grooming requirements.

In general:

• Students must wear a solid-colored, long- or short-sleeved polo shirt. Any solid color and collar style are permitted, but shirts may not have patterns, holes, commercial images, or media messages.

• Plain, solid-colored crew-neck sweatshirts may be worn over polo shirts, but the polo collar must remain visible.

• Plain, solid-colored long-sleeved shirts may be worn under polo shirts.

• All students must wear solid black, khaki, or dark blue pants. Jeans, stretch pants, and joggers are permitted. Pants must be clean and free from holes, tatters, patches, fading, commercial images, and media messages. Joggers may not be excessively baggy, and stretch pants may not be excessively tight.

• Pants may not be shorter than two inches above the knee. Polo shirts with attached skirts are permitted if the skirt reaches fingertip length and appropriate pants are worn underneath.

• Shoes, boots, and sneakers must be free from tears and holes and must fasten securely to the foot. High heels, flip-flops, backless shoes, sandals, and shoes with wheels or lights are not permitted.

• Outdoor shoes and snow boots must be stored during class. Indoor shoes should enclose the entire foot, have a sturdy sole, and be free from holes and media messages.

• Students must wear socks at all times.

• Hats and caps are for outdoor wear only and must be stored during class.

• Hair must be clean, neat, and kept out of the student’s eyes. Distracting hairstyles and unnatural hair colors are not permitted.

• Students are expected to maintain good personal hygiene.

• Dangling jewelry is not permitted for safety reasons. Stud earrings are allowed. Religious jewelry may be worn as long as it does not dangle or cause a distraction, and necklaces must be tucked inside the shirt.

• Visible tattoos are not permitted.

• Makeup may be worn but may not be brought to school.

• Cultural or religious concerns related to the dress requirements will be addressed by the school administrator on a case-by-case basis.

Students who have perfect attendance Monday through Wednesday—including arriving on time—may wear a Monticello hoodie on Thursday.

Students may choose an activity as long as they:

• Have received a lesson on the activity
• Work safely, appropriately, and quietly
• Respect themselves, others, and the environment
• Take materials to a mat or table
• Return materials to the shelf in the same or better condition than they found them
• Follow the one-student-per-activity guideline unless otherwise directed by the teacher
• Push in their chairs
• Clean their work areas and any spills
• Refrain from touching another student’s work or interfering with another student’s activity by distracting, correcting, taking over, or otherwise disturbing their concentration

With an invitation and the teacher’s approval, a student may join another student’s activity. This includes observing, which means watching without touching the materials or talking.

Students are not required to share their activities or materials. They may choose to share or invite a classmate to join them with the teacher’s approval. One goal of the Montessori classroom is to help students develop patience and respect for others.

Students will be invited, but not forced, to participate in group activities. They may observe but may not disrupt an activity they choose not to join. A student may be excused from an activity if they participate inappropriately.

Students may occasionally choose to take time away from their work to think or reflect. Although this may appear unproductive to an observer, it can provide important time for the student’s mind to rest, solve problems, and deepen learning.

We encourage and expect all students to participate in rigorous learning activities that stretch their comprehension and cognitive skills, develop their ability to work with ideas, and teach them to solve problems creatively.

Students may also reinforce their learning by assisting others. Teaching someone else can help solidify mastery of a concept or skill, build self-confidence, and strengthen intrinsic motivation for learning.