Have you ever had a bad hair day? Have you ever been cold at school? Have you ever worn a cool outfit but felt like it was missing something? There’s really only one good solution to all of these problems: a hat. If you attend SPASH, you know hats are against the dress code. However, the school policy, the students and staff aren’t all aligned on this topic. Let’s talk about it.

What does SPASH policy say? 

In the student handbook, under section 5 in the dress code chapter, it is stated “Headwear (hats, caps, bandanas, hoods, ect.) is not to be worn in the school building during the instructional day [7:35am to 3pm], except for medical or religious purposes.” This policy is really straightforward, it pretty much inhibits any and all hat wearing with the exceptions of faith based and medical purposes. 

What do the staff have to say? 

If you are a SPASH student who likes to wear hats, you may have realized that some teachers ask you to remove your hat and some do not.

 Ms. White, an English teacher at SPASH doesn’t feel that wearing hats is an issue. She states “I typically don’t even see that students are wearing hats right away. Hats can be a symbol of identity and keep us warm. They can even provide anxiety relief for some students. I am more concerned about students keeping their masks up and staying engaged in class. Ultimately, hats are a low priority.” 

Mr. Gostomski, one of SPASH’s assistant principals, claims that “The concept of hats and the dress code overall have been up for debate recently. We have started reviewing the policy with students to get their feedback. It is a pretty divided issue among staff, students and parents.” 

When asked about the potential issues that hats cause, he said “There are some issues that they do cause in school. They include identifying students, minimizing distractions or disruptions, and the idea of proper decorum. The main question is whether or not those issues are significant enough to continue the current hat policies at SPASH or do they need to be revised.”

“The dress code has not been updated in years. We are in the beginning stages of reviewing the dress code policy at SPASH. If any students are interested in being part of the process, they can reach out to me to join the student team,” Mr. Gostomski also stated in the interview. 

What do the students have to say? 

Overall, the main consensus amongst students is that hats should be allowed to be worn at school. One student, Ayla Hurtienne said “I think hats can be an important part of self expression. Personally I think hats should be allowed, as long as they don’t preach or display hate.” 

 Another student, who chooses to stay anonymous, says “Any kind of hats should be allowed to be worn at SPASH with the exception of hats that promote politics. We just don’t need that here.” 

Katana Provost, when asked about whether or not hats should be allowed at school said “I believe that it is a student’s form of expression, no matter what group or clique they are a part of, hats are a great way to express your style.”

All things considered, it looks as if the SPASH hat policy will remain a hot topic for both students and staff, at least for now. Revision of the policy and the advocacy from students and teachers continues to give avid hat wearers at SPASH hope for the future.