P.E. uniforms add to Evergreen Middle School spirit

When Evergreen Middle School students hit the gym, they’re all dressed alike – black shorts and shirt with orange lettering and a white space to write their name.

The sixth- through eighth-graders are the last group of middle school students in Central Valley School District to make the conversion to wearing physical education uniforms. The change is occurring in schools across the country, but it’s a decision often made by principals on a school-by-school basis.

The switch saves parents a little money, helps teachers identify who’s who and removes a social stigma of a “big, better and best” outfit.

“I feel the kids can focus on what we are there to do,” said Cassie Hare, an Evergreen health and fitness teacher. “Kids are not worrying about how they look.”

Hare also appreciates not having uncomfortable conversations about those really short shorts or too-tight shirts that don’t meet dress code.

The uniforms “look sharp,” Hare said. “The kids are responding well to them.”

Teachers also appreciate being able to easily identify students; there are sometimes 60 to 100 students in the field. “That way, we can give feedback to other teachers or talk to kids,” she said.

After years of listening to parents complain about cost of athletic gear, Principal John Parker is glad to offer the uniforms as an alternative.

Students get shorts and a T-shirt for $13.50, he said.

So far, parents seem pleased, he said.

Uniforms also help solve the school’s lost and found problem, he said. “We would have buckets and buckets of stuff that would end up unclaimed,” Parker said.

Hare is noticing benefits inside the locker room, too.

“It keeps the locker room a lot tidier,” she said. “As far as personal hygiene, it’s easy for me to go through and just visually track who is leaving their uniforms over the weekend.”