All dress and grooming must be modest (with no midriff showing), neat, clean, properly fitting, and in good repair, with no extremes or distractions.

For the 2008-2009 school year, grades 1-4 will not change clothes for P.E. and grades 5-6 will only change into a Principia P.E. shirt. This will help reduce transition times and provide more instructional time. The dress code has been adapted to meet this change, and it has been simplified.

Wear comfortable pants, blue jeans, sweat pants, or shorts (long enough to be modest when seated or playing) that allow freedom of movement. If girls wear skirts or dresses, they must wear modest shorts or pants under them.

Shirts and dresses must have sleeves, and they may be collared or collarless. No heavy outside coats should be worn inside.

Pictures and words on clothing must meet Principia’s moral standards. Pictures of and references to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, profanity, obscenities, skeletons, and items that are crude or disrespectful are some examples of what would not be acceptable. There is no longer a limit on the size of pictures or words.

Sturdy, multipurpose athletic shoes (secured with laces or Velcro) with socks are to be worn at school. (See concert dress note below.)

Hair must be a solid, natural color. No hats or head coverings may be worn in the building. Headbands and ribbons must not be a distraction.

A maximum of two earrings per ear for girls. No pierced ears for boys. No body piercing jewelry. No temporary or permanent tattoos or drawing on any part of the body. No glitter or other distracting makeup. Jewelry worn should not be excessive, create a safety hazard when playing or doing sports, and be a distraction. If the teacher feels it is unsafe or a distraction, the student may be asked to remove it.

Students should have access to a fleece or jacket in cooler weather. When the temperature is below 40 degrees, legs must be covered and students must wear a hat, gloves, and warm coat (or layers such as a fleece and outer shell). Boots are needed when snow is more than an inch deep.

Boys should have a collared shirt tucked in, tie, nice slacks (no cargo pants), dark socks and dark dress shoes; girls should have a nice dress, skirt and blouse, or dress pants and blouse, and dark dress shoes.

Beginning Band (fourth graders and some fifth and sixth graders): Black dress pants, or girls may wear a solid black, long skirt that is modest when sitting up on the stage; black socks and black dress shoes (flats for girls). The school will supply a colored t-shirt.

Advanced Band (most fifth and sixth graders) and Choir (sixth grade): Black dress pants, or girls may wear a solid black, long skirt that is modest when sitting up on the stage; black socks and black dress shoes (flats for girls). White dress shirt (collared dress shirt for boys; dressy shirts with shoulders and upper arms covered for girls; no turtlenecks, polos, or shirts with ribbed collars)

Students in grades one through six should wear athletic shoes to school daily. They will wear their regular school clothes to PE, except fifth and sixth graders should have a t-shirt into which they will change. The t-shirt should be regularly brought home and washed. The t-shirt may be a Principia shirt or another type (with wording that meets Principia's standards). For the annual track meet (grades 3-6) and Field Day, students should have blue shorts and a white t-shirt, which may have the Principia name on it.

For cooler days, students should have a sweat shirt and long pants or sweat pants.

A one-piece swimsuit is needed for swimming units