Beginning in the academic 2022-23 year, gym classes will implement a uniform in order to encourage dressing out for all students, promote hygienic behaviors and build school spirit.
“We are hoping to provide a bit of a level playing ground for all students. We have an increasing number of students that can’t afford or don’t want to bring proper attire for class. We have some students that have no problem…it’s not a matter of ‘what do I look like’, it’s a matter of ‘we’re all here to work out,’” said physical education department chair Chad Koepke.
Like other elective courses, there will be a fee for gym classes and the uniform would entail a standard t-shirt with two options for shorts, a shorter option and a longer option.
“What we’re hoping to do is not get something that says ‘Littleton P.E’ on it but something like ‘Littleton athletics’ or something like that where you might know it’s the P.E shirt but you could wear it to a basketball game,” said Koepke.
Although this decision stemmed from a few years of issues with students not dressing out, the physical education department wants to emphasize hygiene and promote healthy behaviors with uniforms.
“Part of this is when you go to Lifetime Fitness or you go to the gym, you workout and then you have to go to work after you leave. It will sort of drive the idea that we want you to pay attention to your hygiene after class,” said Koepke.
The P.E department also hopes that this decision will promote school spirit.
“Being able to put our students in a uniform and being able to put them in Littleton attire and just really having that unity…trying to promote school spirit in our athletics so everyone supports everyone,” said P.E teacher Jamie Mathews.
The details about this decision haven’t all been ironed out quite yet, but students who plan to be in a gym class next year can plan to be expected to have a uniform for that class and can also expect to pay a fee for the class.
