Starting next week, students at Dare Elementary School will go to classes once a week dressed to learn like it is their job.
Thursday marks the first day of Dare’s third annual “Ties and Tiaras” program. Every Thursday through April 30 students at the school will be encouraged to dress professionally to attend class. For boys, that includes slacks, a collared shirt and an optional tie. For girls, it’s a dress, skirt or slacks, paired with a nice top.
“Really, anything but jeans,” Dare Principal Lindsey Caccavale said.
Caccavale said the program was not unique to Dare, but was pitched by two teachers as an idea for the school.
Although elementary students are years away from working in an office environment, Caccavale said the program had definite benefits for students, teaching them respect, showing them how to act in a professional manner, and sending the message that the school is a serious learning environment.
Originally promoted for third- through fifth-graders, Caccavale said the program became so popular that school staff decided to expand it all the way to kindergarten.
“A parent approached me earlier this year and said her kindergartner had gotten nice new clothes, and that she was so excited for Ties and Tiaras,” Caccavale said. “I just didn’t have it in my heart to say that kindergarten wasn’t included in the program, so we decided to include the whole school.”
While dressing up is encouraged by Dare staff, the program is entirely voluntary. For students whose families might not be able to afford professional clothes, Caccavale said the school had assembled a donation box of professional clothes from which students could pick items to wear for the day.
Caccavale said the program’s success had made Thursday into special days at Dare.
“The atmosphere perks up,” she said. “The students have a lot of pride, they’re feeling good.”
Caccavale also said disciplinary issues appeared to go down during Ties and Tiaras Thursdays.
“It’s hard to capture the data specifically, but there’s definitely been a positive effect on those days,” she said.
Caccavale said the program benefits students, but there will also be a treat at the end of the year for students who participate. Students who dressed up for 75 percent, or 15 of 20, of the Thursdays will be able to attend a party at the end of the year.
The program has yet to catch on at other buildings in the York County School Division, but Caccavale is content with Ties and Tiaras being Dare’s special program for now.
“It’s a great opportunity to talk about things like respect and attitude,” Caccavale said. “It creates a sense of mutual respect of teachers for students and students for teachers.”
Williamsburg Christian Academy students learn about fire safety
Preschool students at Williamsburg Christian Academy concluded a unit on fire safety with a demonstration and presentation from parent and Hampton firefighter Tino Salud Oct. 29.
After the presentation, the students were visited by a fire truck from the James City Bruton Volunteer Fire Department.
