Uniforms and School Supplies
School Uniforms
Lower School
Uniforms are a tradition at The Birch Wathen Lenox School. The school uniform is purchased through the Mills Uniform Company. The BWL school uniform code is 6736. New required uniform items for Lower School are available for purchase from Mills for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The following list is the required uniform for children in the Kindergarten through the Fifth Grade. Please follow the uniform guidelines without individual adaptations. The girls' jumpers and skirts switch from Khaki to Plaid during the Late Fall/Winter season, and girls return to wearing Khaki in the Spring. FRIDAYS ARE DRESS DOWN DAYS IN THE LOWER SCHOOL and in all divisions of the School.
Boys Kindergarten through Grade 5 (all year required uniform):
Shoes: Dress shoes or sneakers (sneakers must be worn for gym); with white or navy socks.
Pants: Tan chino or khaki pants (may be purchased from Mills or elsewhere).
Shirt: Navy or white polo shirt with the BWL logo, short or long-sleeved, must be purchased from Mills.
Sweater: Unisex v-neck cardigan sweater (available through Mills) or any navy cardigan sweater. Sweatshirts featuring the BWL logo or mascot, such as Varsity team sweatshirts or Spirit Wear in connection with a BWL event (BWL "Swag"), may be worn over the uniform instead of a solid color sweater. Sweatshirts are available through the Gym Uniform Order Form.
Girls Kindergarten through Grade 3:
Jumper: Khaki uniform jumper and Plaid uniform jumper to be purchased from Mills, and worn according to these seasonal dates:
Early Fall: Khaki uniform jumper from Thursday, September 7, 2023 to Friday, October 27, 2023.
Late Fall/Winter: Plaid uniform jumper from Monday, October 30, 2023 to Friday, March 15, 2024.
Spring: Khaki uniform jumper from Monday, April 1, 2024 to Friday, June 7, 2024.
Pants: Tan chino or khaki pants may be worn year-round instead of jumpers (worn with uniform shirts). Tan chino or khaki pants may be purchased from Mills, or at any store. Leggings may be worn with jumpers, in navy, black or white (also available through Mills).
Shirt or Blouse: Navy or white polo shirt with the BWL logo, short or long-sleeved, or Peter Pan blouse with the BWL logo, must be purchased from Mills.
Shoes:
Dress shoes or sneakers (sneakers must be worn for gym); any navy, white, or black socks or tights.
Sweater: Unisex v-neck cardigan sweater (available through Mills) or any navy cardigan sweater. Sweatshirts featuring the BWL logo or mascot, such as Varsity team sweatshirts or Spirit Wear in connection with a BWL event (BWL "Swag"), may be worn over the uniform instead of a solid color sweater. Sweatshirts are available through the Gym Uniform Order Form.
Girls Grade 4 and Grade 5:
Skirt: Khaki uniform skirt and Plaid uniform skirt to be purchased from Mills, and worn according to these seasonal dates:
Early Fall: Khaki uniform skirt from Thursday, September 7 to Friday, October 27, 2023.
Late Fall/Winter: Plaid uniform skirt from Monday, October 30, 2023 to Friday, March 15, 2024.
Spring: Khaki uniform skirt from Monday, April 1, 2024 to Friday, June 7, 2024.
Pants: Tan chino or khaki pants may be worn year-round instead of skirts (worn with uniform shirts). Tan chino or khaki pants may be purchased from Mills, or at any store. Leggings may be worn with skirts, in navy, black or white (also available through Mills).
Shirt or Blouse: Navy or white polo shirt with the BWL logo, short or long-sleeved, or Peter Pan blouse with the BWL logo, must be purchased from Mills.
Shoes: Dress shoes or sneakers (sneakers must be worn for gym); any navy, white, or black socks or tights.
Sweater: Unisex v-neck cardigan sweater (available through Mills) or any navy cardigan sweater.Sweatshirts featuring the BWL logo or mascot, such as Varsity team sweatshirts or Spirit Wear in connection with a BWL event (BWL "Swag"), may be worn over the uniform instead of a solid color sweater. Sweatshirts are available through the Gym Uniform Order Form.
If you have any questions about these uniforms, please contact Sharon Firester, Director of the Lower School: sfirester@gbwl.org.
Middle School/Upper School
STUDENT ATTIRE AT THE BIRCH WATHEN LENOX SCHOOL
Certain elements of the School uniform must be purchased from the Mills Uniform Company. Uniforms may be ordered online: http://www.millswear.com. The BWL school uniform code is 6736.
Gym uniforms are required in Middle School, and can be purchased through BWL (see Gym Uniform tab below for the form). No gym uniforms are required in grades 9 through 12.
Please note that any student who has excessive uniform infractions will have his or her transcript noted, meaning that other schools and colleges may be made aware of school policy infractions.
THE UNIFORM DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
We have eliminated the formal distinction between the boys' uniform and the girls’ uniform, in the Middle and Upper School. The uniform for Middle and Upper School incorporates the BWL logo into a required polo shirt, and there are two color options: white and navy. All Middle and Upper School students, whether male or female, will have the choice to wear any of the following items:
1. Tan khaki pants of choice (no cargo pants or pants with decorative zippers) to be purchased through Mills or elsewhere; tan khaki skirt of choice (mid-thigh length), to be purchased through Mills or elsewhere. Socks, tights, or leggings may be worn with the uniform skirt.
2. Short-sleeved white polo with the BWL logo, and/or short-sleeved navy polo with the BWL logo--both polo shirts to be purchased only through Mills. Long-sleeved polo shirts with the BWL logo are also available.
3. Crew neck or cardigan sweaters may be worn in solid colors only; no hoodies or sweatshirts allowed; any shoes or sneakers, other than flip-flops or high-heeled shoes.
4. Sweatshirts featuring the BWL logo or mascot, such as Varsity team sweatshirts or Spirit Wear in connection with a BWL event (BWL "Swag"), may be worn over the uniform instead of a solid color sweater. Sweatshirts are available through the Gym Uniform Order Form.
5. Fridays will be dress down days in all divisions of the School.
If you have additional questions about the Middle and Upper School uniform requirements, please contact Lori Kennedy, Director of the Middle School: lkennedy@gbwl.org or Ben DiNardo, Co-Director of the Upper School: bdinardo@gbwl.org.
Physical Education Uniforms
Lower School
At this time, the students in grades K-5 will not be changing into athletic uniforms for Physical Education classes. BWL logo merchandise is available through the Gym Uniform Order Form.
Middle School
Students in grades 6- 8 are required to wear gym uniforms for Physical Education classes.
The gym uniform consists of a navy shirt with BWL in white, and gray shorts with the letters of the school in blue.
To purchase gym uniforms, please use the Gym Uniform Order Form.
Upper School
Students in the Upper School may wear appropriate athletic clothing during Physical Education classes. BWL Logo merchandise may be purchased here: Gym Uniform Order Form.
School Supplies
Lower School
All supplies mandated by the teachers are delivered to the Lower School classrooms on the first day of school. A flat fee has been added to each student’s tuition bill to cover the cost of these supplies. However, this fee does not cover the cost of additional supplies, accessories, or supplies damaged by mishandling.
Middle School
All supplies mandated for the academic year are delivered to the teachers in the Middle School for direct distribution to the students. A flat fee has been added to each student’s tuition bill to cover the cost of these supplies. However, this fee does not cover the cost of additional supplies, accessories, or supplies damaged by mishandling.