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. 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.
Girls Kindergarten through Grade 3:
Monday, April 3, 2023– Friday, June 9, 2023: Pink uniform jumpers are required for Spring 2023.
Pink uniform jumpers will be phased out after the 2022-23 school year and are being replaced by khaki uniform jumpers to be worn in Early Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. Plaid uniform jumpers are required for Late Fall/Winter.
Shoes:
Dress shoes or sneakers (sneakers must be worn for gym); any navy, white, or black socks or tights.
Jumper: Pink uniform jumper is required for Spring 2023 ONLY.
Khaki uniform jumper will be required for Early Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, to be purchased from Mills. Plaid uniform jumper will required for Late Fall/Winter, to be purchased from Mills.
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.
Sweater: Unisex v-neck cardigan sweater (available through Mills) or any navy cardigan sweater.
Girls Grade 4 and Grade 5:
Monday, April 3, 2023 – Friday, June 9, 2023: Pink uniform skirts are required for Spring 2023.
Pink uniform skirts will be phased out after the 2022-23 school year and are being replaced by khaki uniform skirts to be worn in Early Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. Plaid uniform skirts are required for Late Fall/Winter.
Shoes: Dress shoes or sneakers (sneakers must be worn for gym); any navy, white, or black socks or tights.
Skirt: Pink uniform skirt is required for Spring 2023 ONLY.
Khaki uniform skirt will be required for Early Fall 2023 and Spring 2024; to be purchased from Mills. Plaid uniform skirt will be required for Late Fall/Winter, to be purchased from Mills.
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.
Sweater: Unisex v-neck cardigan sweater (available through Mills) or any navy cardigan sweater.
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.
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.
Gym Uniforms
Lower School
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
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.