School uniforms soon mandatory for DoDEA schools Published Dec. 10, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Carissa Morgan 36th Wing Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Children in Department of Defense Education Activity schools on Guam will soon be required to wear uniforms to school. All DoDEA schools on Guam have adopted a district-wide uniform policy for the 2007-2008 school year. "The uniform task group has been working diligently to ensure the implementation is as smooth as possible," said Michael Diekmann, the superintendent of all DoDEA schools on Guam. In order to ensure suppliers have the uniforms ready for purchase next school year, the wearing of uniforms will be voluntary until after the winter break. It will be mandatory Jan. 7. "A written policy is in the final stages of development to be in place and distributed before the mandatory implementation," said Mr. Diekmann. Since there will be many choices in the uniforms, parents are not expected to purchase all the uniform parts. Uniforms are going to be standard without taking away personal touches. There will be outer garments such as a light jacket, a sweater and a 'hoodie' type sweatshirt available. "These uniforms are going to make everyone uniform but at the same time allow for individuality," said Mr. Diekmann. Students are not going to be regulated on what shoes, socks, hair accessories or jewelry they wear as long as it is within the school's dress code. For example, at some of DoDEA schools, flip flops are not allowed for safety concerns. "I wore a uniform to school until the eighth grade," said Tech. Sgt. Coleen Gibson, the executive assistant to the Andersen command chief master sergeant and mother of two, one of which goes to Andersen Middle School. "Parents don't have to fight with their children over what trend is cool and what it costs to wear that trendy item," she said. "The children will be properly dressed everyday with no underclothing or body parts hanging out. And they won't have to worry about who has cooler pants or better clothes." For more information about the new uniforms, contact Mr. Diekmann at 344-9571.