The teacher dress code is more of a guideline than an actual rule, according to Ms. Diane Hagner.
Men have to wear dress “pants, socks, shoes, shirt, tie” states religion teacher Mr. Edward Hester. “It’s a good thing.”
On days when visitors come or on Mass days, coats are required. Mr. Kevin Keiser, who teaches ninth and twelfth grade history, says of wearing a coat on Mass days, “I don’t mind it.”
For women, skirts are required on Mass days and biology teacher Dr. Yvonne Boldt, who says she is not particularly fond of dresses or skirts, says she considers this an opportunity to honor God by following her dress code. Dress pants are allowed on the other days.
Each division of the upper, lower and middle schools have their own directors who determine how the dress code is enforced and what things are most critical.
PE teachers have an exception because they participate in the class with the students and need to wear tennis shoes and not dress clothes.
Industrial arts teacher Mr. Michael Plucinski states, “(It is) important to look professional in the teaching world.”
Mr. Plucinski, who wears his hair in a distinct, full and longer curly style, said that he has never received an explanation of why he is allowed to have hair like his at Providence. It is “compared to gravitational theorists in physics like Einstein and Newton,” he said.
He said at his wedding, his dad displayed pictures of scientists who studied gravitational physics and quantum mechanics as a joke and referenced to his hair. He said pictures of Niels Bohr and Rutherford’s hair, short, slick and pulled back, and identical to his father’s, were also displayed.
Upper School Directory Dr. Kevin Ferdinandt states that there are no official and strict rules for the dress code, but it is important that the teachers set a good example for the students.
“Some people think that Mr. Plucinski’s hair is not a good example for high school boys,” said Dr. Ferdinandt.
When asked if Mr. Plucinski would have to cut his hair in the future, Dr. Ferdinandt responded saying, “You can quote me on that as ‘no comment.'”
When looking at PA teachers’ style of dressing overall, Dr. Ferdinandt weighed in.
“Some people think that bow ties are weird” he said. Another strange thing he says he has also seen are flip flops at work, more commonly worn by women than men.
Dr. Boldt says the weirdest thing she has ever seen is not related to clothing, but to whole raw carrots in the pockets of Latin teacher Dr. Jeff Biebighauser.
English teacher Mrs. Laura Leonard is appreciative that her female colleagues dress professionally following the neat, clean, and modest guideline, which is similar to the rules for students.
Bow ties are cool.