Common sense in common fashion?

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- New uniforms at Newport Elementary School have

students and teachers strutting about proudly.

Although the restrictive dress code had some students griping in

anticipation last spring, students now say they’re “cool.”

“I love them,” said 6-year-old Gabriel Rousset, holding out his arms

proudly to show off his new duds.

Newport Elementary was one of four elementary schools in the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District where parents voted to put their

children in uniforms this fall.

When students began their new classes at Newport, Kaiser Primary,

Newport Coast and Sonora elementary schools this week, the majority of

them were sporting similar outfits.

Each of the schools now ask that students wear navy or possibly khaki

bottoms and a white -- or in some cases -- red shirt. There is one very

popular variation at Newport Elementary, where nearly every student can

be found wearing a blue and white Hawaiian-print shirt with the words

Newport Elementary stitched across the pocket in red.

Still controversial, the issue of a uniform policy divided the

communities of eight Newport-Mesa elementary schools last spring. And the

fight is not yet over for several of them.

After lengthy debates, parents at Andersen, Kaiser, Lincoln and

Mariners elementary schools shot down uniform proposals.

While the naysayers won those battles, they are not in the majority so

the war will wage on for many parents.

Both Andersen and Lincoln elementary schools will revisit the issue

again this spring.

In the meantime, schools with the new policy in place report high

participation rates, with a remarkable 98% to 99% of Sonora Elementary

students sporting the new look.

Parents have the option of signing a waiver if they do not want their

children to wear uniforms.

Administrators and teachers also said they noticed a change in

children’s attitudes. Teachers said they have never seen students behave

so well.

“It’s so wonderful,” said Sheila Rogers, who teaches second grade at

Newport Elementary. “It really changes their behavior. You can tell that

they are taking seriously what they are doing.”