Dear Pressman Academy,
I’m writing today to share an important update for the 2023-2024 school year. We will be implementing a more cohesive and comprehensive dress code policy called “Pressman Wear,” and I am very excited to explain the what and the why of this new initiative.
Beginning in the fall of 2023, students in grades 1-8 are required to wear an unaltered Pressman Academy, Pressman Bulldogs, or Camp Keshet top at all times. This includes both shirts and sweatshirts. Students may wear bottoms of any kind that fit comfortably, so long as the bottoms cover their underwear and private body parts, even when a student fully engages in P.E. and sports. You can read all the details of the Pressman Wear Policy here. We are proud to have an ECC and Kindergarten where kids often get their hands - and by extension their shirts - dirty as they learn. As a result the Pressman Wear Policy begins in 1st grade, when learning gets a little less messy.
We are transitioning to Pressman Wear, which sits somewhere between a dress code and a uniform, to help to create a cohesive culture in which students feel they belong to something bigger than themselves. Dress is a powerful tool for community building which we are not currently utilizing. Additionally, we believe that a more standardized dress policy will allow us to spend more time on what matters - learning, growing, connecting - and less time policing clothing.
This morning we shared the new Pressman Wear policy with our middle school students. Change is hard, and we anticipate big feelings. I encourage you to look through the Powerpoint presentation we went through with our 6th, 7th and 8th graders. It provides a useful frame for talking to kids of any age about Pressman Wear: what our values are, why we’re making this transition, how it will impact students, and what they might lose and gain in this process.
Pressman Wear is the culmination of several years of conversations. This policy was created, and then refined, with the help of the Pressman Academy Leadership Team, Day School Faculty, the Day School Committee, the Middle School Committee, the Committee on Trustees, the Education Cabinet, and Student Council. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped get us to this point.
Now, for some logistics. Our new, expanded merchandise offerings will be available later this summer. You will hear from us in July with more information. But here’s some of what you can expect:
- Pressman Wear will be available in the fall in a variety of different designs, cuts, fabrics, and styles for purchase through the Gift Shop during in-store shopping hours and online ordering.
- Students may wear any Pressman shirts or sweatshirts they already own.
- T-shirts and sweatshirts will be priced with Pressman families in mind – we know it’s important to be cost-conscious.
- White Pressman shirts will be required on Fridays and will come in multiple styles
- Gift Shop Summer hours will be announced in mid-July – there will be an opportunity for in person shopping days prior to the start of school.
- Pressman Thrift, a place to buy gently used Pressman gear at a discount, will launch later this summer as well.
- Starting Monday there will be a bin in the office to donate your gently used Pressman gear for Pressman Thrift.
I am so looking forward to seeing Pressman Wear come to life next year. In the meantime, I’m here if you have any questions or concerns, and will be in touch with all the logistical details over the summer. Thank you in advance for helping us make this transition a smooth one.
Warmly,
