When Head of School Christina Broderick was hired for the 2012-2013 school year, the Board of Trustees assigned a six-point list of directives for her. The first bullet:
“Ensure that there is a meaningful and ongoing implementation of the One-School model, understood by all.”
With the “One-School model” high on her priority list, Broderick planned one Sion Family Spirit Night per quarter as well as “Coffee with Chris” dates and “Welcome Wednesdays” at the grade school. The next step? Uniform updates.
“From the theme of one school, we wanted our look to be unified,” Broderick said. “And I really believe in using our school colors for school pride in our uniforms. So we looked at a way that we could go from kindergarten through 12th grade, and ask at every step, what does it look like to go to Sion?”
Director of Public Relations and Marketing Emily Taylor said the update had a marketing and branding incentive as well.
“Especially at the grade school, (right now) we don’t really distinguish ourselves from other charter and public school uniforms,” Taylor said. “People will start to associate the (new) uniform with Sion.”
Although students can start wearing the new uniform for the 2013-2014 school year, both campuses won’t be requires to fully wear the new uniforms until the 2014-2015 school year. What does this entail?
At the grade school, girls through fifth grade will wear a purple, white and black plaid jumper, skirt or skort. Shirt options for boys and girls include a purple or grey polo. Boys will wear black pants or shorts.
High school girls will wear a purple or white polo, middle school a purple or gray polo. All are worn with a gray kilt or slacks. There will be two styles of kilt, one pleated and one A-lined. For dress uniform days, girls will wear a white blouse with a purple, gray and black striped tie.
“The uniform at the high school isn’t really changing all that much,” Broderick said. “We are tightening it up a little bit, and we are providing a dress uniform that has an update tie. Everyone seems to be rather excited about it.”
The new sweater options include a purple or black cardigan, v-neck vest or v-neck sweater. All tops will have a new embroidered Sion logo.
Broderick said she chose Mills Uniform Company to be the provider for both campuses because she had worked with the company in her former position.
“The quality of the uniform was what I was most impressed with,” Broderick said. “I think we’re going to be proud of wearing it because it’s going to always look good and be long-lasting and durable.”
Broderick said they had to start researching in October, and since she had only been at Sion for a month, she wondered if it was too early.
“It wasn’t,” she said. “People were excited about it. They wanted input, and so we asked a range of parents from the grade school to the high school: What are you looking for in a uniform, and what quality are you looking for? So we feel like we met those needs.”