The benefits of school uniforms are many. In addition to increasing a sense of belonging and school pride, school uniforms diminish economic and social barriers between students, help identify intruders on campus, encourage discipline and help students resist peer pressure to buy trendy clothes, not to mention the savings in time on those busy mornings when you may be running a bit behind schedule.
Information about required uniforms can be found on our website with complete details about our school uniform policy and dress code located in the parent and student handbooks.
There are two uniform companies that carry the St. John Bosco uniform. Pricing and quality will vary slightly between each uniform supplier. Shop around or ask your mentor family which company they prefer. The choice is yours. Give your business to the company that best serves your needs. You can buy shorts at one location and shirts at another, whatever works for you. Scrip is available for both stores.
Uniform Tips
Shop early for white sneakers. There always seems to be a shortage of white sneakers, in the size you need, right before school starts. K-Swiss is a popular style and available at many stores. Look for sales at Famous Footwear. They usually have a buy-one, get-one free sale over the summer. Payless Shoe Source is also a good source of white shoes for the younger kids. Tip for girls ... the white sneakers sold as "boy shoes" are really a unisex style and most girls seem to prefer them to the styles offered to girls. Also, they are much easier to find and usually in stock. Keep in mind that the sneakers you purchase will need to be appropriate for PE class, no slip-ons or "skater" type shoes.
Students have the option of wearing long sleeve or short sleeve polos in the colder months. The choice is of course yours and you should base your decision on the like and dislikes of your child. We have found though that most kids prefer to wear the short sleeve shirts year round, wearing the sweatshirt over them during the colder months. If you think this sounds like your child, don't waste your money purchasing the long sleeve polo. With that said, keep in mind that while the navy sweatshirt is great for hiding the dirt that kids seem to attract, they will not be able to wear it during mass. Along the same lines as the polos, with exception of the younger kids (PreK - 1st) the majority of students also wear shorts year round, even on cold days so you may want to hold off purchasing any slacks or sweatpants (on PE days) for them.
The uniform stores get extremely crowded starting about two weeks out from the start of school. Expect to wait in lines and also be mindful that some sizes and styles may be out of stock. If you wait until the very last minute to purchase your uniforms, you may be out of luck and will have to wait for backorders to arrive. If you are an early bird shopper, remember to account for any growth spurts your child may have over the summer. Skirt and shorts must be within 2'' of the knee.
The PE shirt is not available at either uniform store. It must be purchased online at the SJB Store. The cost is $10 per shirt. www.sjbstore.com.
