OCCA believes that a students’ appearance has an impact on their attitude and behavior at school. Therefore, a school uniform is crucial to a successful classical school, accomplishing three key goals. First, it creates an attitude of respect for the school community and the students themselves. By wearing uniforms, students are creating an environment of excellence set forth by the pillars of OCCA. Second, it keeps students focused on their education and not on their clothes. This creates an attitude of professionalism that supports a philosophy of dressing up for education. Third, it enhances school pride, unity and community spirit.
As a way to show mutual respect to our school community and culture, to promote an emphasis on education and as a sign of school pride and unity, the following dress code has been developed and updated. For these reasons, students are expected to uphold the uniform policy as a personal commitment to what OCCA represents.
The OCCA uniform consists of the following clothing:
White, Navy or Grey polo shirt (long-sleeve or short sleeve) with embroidered school logo from Vicki Marsha
Khaki or navy blue pants, shorts, skorts or skirts (with leggings/bike shorts must be worn underneath skirts)
Approved plaid skirt, skorts and jumper from Vicki Marsha only
Closed-toe sneakers or dress shoes (No bright colors or large logos) - please see “shoes” section below for appropriate styles
Neutral solid color, plain socks (white, navy, black only)
Navy blue outerwear with embroidered school logo (jackets, sweaters and sweatshirts) from Vicki Marsha
Upper school PE uniform (grades 6th-9th): Navy shirt and bottoms (shorts or pants) with logo from Vicki Marsha
Backpacks without logos
Approved OCCA Vendors:
VICKI MARSHA is the approved OCCA vendor beginning the 2023-2024 school year. Previously purchased items that meet the uniform requirements and were purchased prior to the 2023-2024 school year are also permitted.
VICKI MARSHA ordering information can be found on our school website.
Uniforms and Financial Assistance
At minimum, the school will fund one of each required Vicki Marsha uniform item and/or item that must bear the school logo, upon request.
Additional Uniform Provisions:
Outerwear:
Students can only wear one of the navy blue embroidered outerwear items from the Vicki Marsha. This includes navy embroidered jackets, sweaters and zip up sweatshirts. Please write your child’s first and last name on the inside tag of their outerwear.
Other OCCA outerwear not purchased from Vicki Marsha, including hoodies, are considered spirit wear and can be worn only on free dress days.
Shirts:
White, Navy or Grey polo shirt (short sleeve or long sleeve) with embroidered school logo from Vicki Marsha. All shirts must be tucked in. All polos may have the top button unbuttoned. All other buttons must be buttoned. Students may wear plain long sleeve shirts under their polos in a solid gray or navy color.
Skirts, Skorts, Jumpers ,Shorts and Pants:
Skirts, skorts, shorts and pants must be navy blue or khaki. Jumpers must be purchased from Vicki Marsha. Plaid jumpers and skirts can be purchased from Vicki Marsha. Skirts, skorts, jumpers and shorts shall fall no higher than 2 inches above the knee as measured when the student is standing. Students may wear gym shorts or compression shorts underneath their skirt, so long as these are not visible when the student is standing. Leggings or tights may be worn underneath clothing but must be ankle length or footed in a solid color— white, navy or black. Leggings are not to be worn without other bottoms on top. Belts, if worn, must be plain in navy, khaki or black.
Hair:
Hair must be clean, neat, and out of the eyes. Mohawks are not permitted. Students may have naturally colored hair in one shade (black, brown, auburn, blonde and natural red hair color) and natural colored highlights. It is encouraged that hair accessories are white, navy, orange or neutral colors and are not a distraction to others.
Jewelry:
Modest jewelry is allowed. An object that has a purpose other than jewelry cannot be worn as jewelry (i.e. chains or collars). Students may wear no more than two necklaces at one time. Students are permitted a maximum of two earrings per ear on the earlobe only. Earrings must not be larger than a quarter. No Hoop earrings are allowed due to safety
concerns. No stretched piercings (gauge) or holes may be visible. Students will be asked to remove jewelry that does not fit this description.
Skin:
Skin must be clean with no visible tattoos.
Makeup and Nails:
Nails must be clean and neat at all times. Nail polish must look natural in color and length. Lower school students should not wear any makeup. Upper school students are permitted to wear makeup that is minimal and natural in appearance.
Hats:
Hats and sunglasses are not to be worn in the building. Hats include visors and bandanas. Religious headgear is permitted when worn for religious purposes.
Shoes:
Shoes and shoelaces should be mostly white, navy or black. Shoes must be closed-toed, closed-heeled lace-up or slip on athletic shoes or sneakers. Students may also wear dress shoes, such as “Mary Janes” , ballet style flats or oxfords (same colors listed above). Shoes must cover the entire foot for safety reasons. Rain boots are
permitted on rainy days only. The following shoes are not permitted: boots (any high ankle and/or hard sole shoe), uggs, sandals, flip-flops, moccasins, and slippers.
P.E. Requirements:
Non-marking tennis shoes are required for P.E. class and/or sports in the gym. K-9 students will not change for P.E.
For Upper School only (grades 6th-9th), students must wear an OCCA PE school uniform that consists of a navy shirt and bottoms (shorts or pants) with a logo from Vicki Marsha.
Socks:
Neutral solid color, plain socks white, navy, black only. Socks must be plain. No pattern, logo or design of any kind. Socks must match (mismatched socks are not permitted).
Hygiene:
Good personal hygiene is required at all times. Strong/offensive body odors are
inappropriate.The use of perfumes, oils, and body sprays by students should not
inhibit the learning environment and smells should not be detectable in the course of a normal school routine. Smells of this nature that saturate a room often cause
headaches, exacerbate allergies, and cause a disruption to the learning environment. Should this occur, students will be excused to the front office to call home.
