Archway Classical has a primary objective of developing a “community of learners,” dedicated to the highest standards of academics and deportment. As such, a distinctive uniform is a unifying factor within our school community. It is also a visible signature of our school to the larger community, an indicator of our unity and of our pride of purpose.  This is one of the most important functions of a uniform: it identifies its wearer as part of a distinctive group with a distinctive purpose. It is a reminder to its wearer of that purpose and of one’s responsibility to that group.

The uniform is the basis of a dress code that reflects the nobility and seriousness of our mission. Our students should dress their best, look their best, and do their best. All clothing must be clean, neat, reasonably pressed, and in properly fitting condition. If a child is deemed to be wearing inappropriate attire, the parent will be notified and a change of clothing may be required for attendance that day. If in doubt about the appropriateness of an article of clothing, check with the school office before purchasing. Good judgment exercised at home will be a learning activity for the child that will help to avoid embarrassment or wasted time at school. Questions about the appropriateness of apparel may be referred to the Headmaster, whose judgment will be final. The Headmaster may make specific exceptions to the dress code, as demanded by particular religious customs; parents should address specific concerns to the school administration before the first week of school.

Our desire is not to squash students' individuality, but to secure their commitment to scholarship and character development, goals which can potentially be obscured by a focus on the latest trends or fads. We ask not only for the student's commitment to this concept, but for the parent's as well. The uniform and dress code of Archway Classical support and reinforce our academic goals. The uniform assists us in staying focused on the true individuality offered by healthy dialogue and the development of the life of the mind for each student.

Students must stay in uniform whenever they are on campus (including the parking lot) during a school day. This means arriving on campus fully in uniform and leaving campus fully in uniform (correct shoes, shirts tucked in, etc.). Students may only change out of uniform after school with permission from a faculty member to participate in an approved curricular or extracurricular activity that requires an immediate change in dress.

Purchasing Note:  Some components of the uniform will need to be purchased from either Simply School Uniforms or Anton Uniforms. Please see the chart that follows.

Required Student Uniforms

Polo Shirt - Short or Long sleeve with school logo

Color: White or Burgundy

Fit: Shirt must always remain tucked in

Vendor: Simply School or Anton Uniforms.  The long sleeve shirts are not kept in stock and must be ordered.

Pants -  Girls and Boys

Color: Navy Blue

Style: Flat front dress pants, no pleats, no jeans or cargo pants, with belt loops and a solid, dark belt  

Fit: Pants should reach the shoe but not drag on the ground. No excessively baggy or tight-fitting pants will be permitted. Pants should be worn at the waist with no undergarments visible. The slacks should have belt loops and a solid, dark belt should be used.

Vendor: Any as long as pants are indistinguishable from the Simply School and Anton Uniform pants

Plaid Jumper and/or Skort - K-2 Girls

Color: Grey and Burgundy Plaid jumper or skort, or navy skort

Length: The skirt hem may be no higher than just above the knee, both in front and in back. Skirt hem should be within two inches of the ground when properly adjusted at the waist and kneeling on a level surface; may be longer if desired. Skirts must be worn at the waist. Dark spandex tight-fitting shorts must be worn under the jumper

Vendor: Plaid only available at Simply School Uniforms, Navy skort can be purchased anywhere as long as it is indistinguishable from the Anton Uniform skort.

Skort and/or Skirt -  3-5 Grade Girls

Color: Grey and Burgundy Plaid or navy blue

Length: The skirt hem may be no higher than just above the knee, both in front and in back. Skirt hem should be within two inches of the ground when properly adjusted at the waist and kneeling on a level surface; may be longer if desired. Skirts must be worn at the waist. Dark spandex tight-fitting shorts must be worn under the skirt

Vendor: Simply School Uniforms only for plaid, navy can be purchased anywhere as long as they are not indistinguishable from the Anton Uniforms skirts and skorts

Shoes

Color: The shoes should be predominately black, white, or grey. They may have  some stripes in a different color but should not have any characters (i.e. superman, Barbie), lights,  glitter, etc.

Style: Athletic (tennis, Keds) shoes

Socks

Color: White or navy

Length: Ankle or knee-high.  Girls may also wear white or navy tights.  Leggings are not allowed.

Optional:

Shorts -  Girls and Boys

Color: Navy Blue

Style: Flat or pleated front walking shorts. Shorts should fall mid-thigh and not be longer than the knee, with belt loops and a solid dark belt

Fit: No excessively- baggy or tight-fitting shorts will be permitted. Shorts should be worn at the waist with no undergarments visible. The shorts should have belt loops and a solid, dark belt should be used

Vendor:  Any as long as the shorts are indistinguishable from the Simply School Uniform shorts.

Sweater

Color:  Burgundy or navy with school logo

Style:  Vest, sweater, or cardigan

Vendor:  Simple School Uniforms or Anton Uniforms

Outerwear

Jackets may be worn to school for warmth but must be free of logos and messages. Jackets may only be worn before and after

school and during recess.

Hair, Jewelry and Makeup 

Hair

Girls

Hair should be neatly combed or styled. Neat bows, barrettes, headbands, and "scrunchies" are permissible so long as they coordinate with the uniform.  Hair should not be arranged or colored so as to draw undue attention to the student.  Hair must be natural looking and conservative in its color (no bleaching or unnatural streaking/highlighting, no deep/bright reds or oranges, no artificial jet-black coloring, and no unnatural colors). Glitter and feathers in the hair will not be allowed.

Boys

Hair should be neatly combed or styled. Hair must be well-off the top of the shirt collar. Hair should not fall below the eyebrows or past the mid-point of the ear. Hair cannot be tucked behind the ears. No shaved heads, Mohawks, rat’s tails, pony tails, or braids.  Hair must be natural looking and conservative in its color (no bleaching or unnatural streaking/highlighting, no deep/bright reds or oranges, no artificial jet-black coloring, and no unnatural colors).

Jewelry

Girls may wear small studded earrings. No loops or dangling earrings are permitted. Boys may not wear earrings. No other body piercings are permitted.  Boys and girls are permitted to wear one watch. Bracelets, rings, and necklaces are not permitted unless for religious reasons. 

Makeup

Students may not wear makeup of any kind.

Additional Guidelines 

Hats and sunglasses may only be worn outside and must be removed when the student enters the building.

Student’s skin should be free of any painted or ink drawings of any kind. Students should not draw on themselves or on others.

Athletic Practice and Outdoor Field Day Dress Code

Just as Archway provides guidelines for dress code in the classroom, it is important to project the image of professionalism in our athletic attire as well.

All shirts worn for athletic practices and field day should be modest, loose fitting, in good repair (no holes, torn sleeves, etc), should be worn either tucked in or well over the waist of the pants/shorts if not tucked in.  No midriffs may be shown.  T-shirts are preferred—not tank tops, camisoles, or sports bras may be worn as outer garments.  Sleeveless shirts may be worn if modest. 

Shorts should be modest, in good repair (no holes, torn sleeves, etc.)  Shorts should be worn at the waist and should be no shorter than mid-thigh, and no-longer than just below the knee.  No short-shorts or long baggy shorts may be worn.  No boxers or undergarments may be visible.

Attire should be free of logos and messages, with the following exceptions: sports team logos (e.g., Diamondbacks, Notre Dame), and apparel brand names (e.g., Adidas, Abercrombie) are acceptable, provided they do not make inappropriate allusions (as do some skateboarding/ snowboarding brands).  These guidelines also apply to sweatshirts and jackets that students may wear.  Footwear should be athletic in nature: no sandals, open-toed, or platform shoes.  Hats and sunscreen may be appropriate, if the students will be in the sun.  Hat styles should follow the same guidelines as above.

Semi-formal Events Dress Code

There are specific, semi-formal dress requirements for special events, including periodic fine arts concerts.

Concert Dress

Concert dress is, white and black for both boys and girls.  Boys wear white collared dress shirts with black slacks and black dress shoes.  Girls wear a white blouse with a black skirt or black dress slacks and black dress shoes (open-toed shoes and reasonable heels are permitted.