Two South Surrey students were made to cover up their outfits with jerseys this week 乌鸦传媒� and were called with their female peers into a 乌鸦传媒渄iscussion乌鸦传媒� about what乌鸦传媒檚 OK to wear 乌鸦传媒� after staff deemed their clothing inappropriate for an elementary school.

School district spokesman Doug Strachan confirmed the step was taken Tuesday at South Meridian Elementary, and involved students in Grade 6 or 7. He did not have details on the offending outfits, and did not know which event occurred first, the discussion or the demand to don jerseys.

Parents were not given advance notice of the discussion, and Grade 6 and 7 boys were not included, Strachan confirmed.

The jersey measure, he noted 乌鸦传媒� described by one parent as a 乌鸦传媒渟carlet letter乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� was 乌鸦传媒渁 one-off, a temporary cover-up for clothing that was considered inappropriate.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not an institutionalized approach,乌鸦传媒� Strachan said.

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Peace Arch News learned Wednesday that some parents at the 16244 13 Ave. school were upset by the school乌鸦传媒檚 steps.

乌鸦传媒淭he issue is singling out the girls,乌鸦传媒� Derek Thornton told PAN by email.

乌鸦传媒淎lso, the dress code, purely in my opinion, is quite vague. I乌鸦传媒檓 sure it is left that way intentionally so that it is simply left to the discretion of the day. However, a 乌鸦传媒榮carlet letter乌鸦传媒� of a jersey is completely inappropriate and definitely crosses a line.乌鸦传媒�

Thornton said many parents voiced concerns and frustrations through comments on a private Facebook page. A screenshot of part of that online conversation 乌鸦传媒� with commenters乌鸦传媒� names obscured by Thornton for privacy reasons 乌鸦传媒� shows comments including some questioning why the boys weren乌鸦传媒檛 spoken to at the same time.

One describes the scenario that played out as 乌鸦传媒渞idiculous.乌鸦传媒�

Another commented that 乌鸦传媒渋t irked me.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淛ust the girls,乌鸦传媒� commented another. 乌鸦传媒淚 get some clothes are not appropriate in the school乌鸦传媒� but a lecture about it乌鸦传媒� they also now single out the offender so she wears a jersey at school for first offence and 2nd gets sent home乌鸦传媒� this could have been handled so differently.乌鸦传媒�

Strachan said the discussion with the Grade 6 and 7 girls was simply about 乌鸦传媒渁ppropriate dress,乌鸦传媒� and that the Grade 6 and 7 boys were not spoken to as a similar issue or trend has not been identified amongst them.

He said, generally, the genders are spoken to separately, 乌鸦传媒渨hen it might allow the students to feel more comfortable to speak out.乌鸦传媒�

Contrary to reports, Strachan said the girls 乌鸦传媒渨ere not told乌鸦传媒� in Tuesday乌鸦传媒檚 discussion that their clothing was distracting the boys.

He said the school will be involving parents in discussions regarding dress-code guidelines, approaches and options.

乌鸦传媒淭he school will be continuing the dialogue from this week about the dress code and related expectations and processes with parents,乌鸦传媒� he said.

The issue was also expected to be on the agenda of this evening乌鸦传媒檚 (Nov. 29) parent advisory committee, after PAN press time.