The idea to change the uniform did not come about lightly, nor was it spear-headed by Head of School Susan Toohey.  Marian has been in the process of aligning all aspects of the school message for the past three years.  It began with returning to school colors for athletic uniforms and continued to stationery, signage, marketing materials and staff shirts.  The uniform is the last piece to come along in this process.  The discussion began last spring when research was conducted about many aspects of Marian, one of which was the look of our uniform.  The research stated time and time again that our students looked sloppy and unkempt. When future students were questioned about Marian’s colors, the majority answer was green and navy blue.  In addition, it was noted many times that it was not convenient to purchase a Marian uniform from our current vendor.  All of these reasons brought Marian to form a committee to further research what our options might be. 

The Black Watch plaid uniform is not the only uniform in Marian’s history. Over the past 54 years, Marian has had six uniforms, with its current in place for 24 years. 

Marian is partially to blame in how far this uniform issue has come. Over the past 20 years, the current uniform standard has become lax.  Some of you may recall that students used to wear white oxford shirts with their skirts, and then it was decided that the students should not have to be bothered to button-up or iron these shirts, so polos were introduced.  Then the white polos were dismissed because they were becoming so soiled due to their color, which once again was because our girls were not taking care of their uniforms.  They were throwing them on the floor or sleeping in them.  Then we shifted to banded shirts so that we wouldn't have to bother our students with tucking in their shirts.  Marian fostered the sloppiness that is referenced in the research.  We should hold our students to the standard with which we hold them for their studies:  they should strive to look their best as they strive to be their best. 

The navy blue, long-sleeved, embroidered cardigans and navy blue socks will be permitted; however, none will be available for sale. If you currently own a navy blue cardigan or navy blue socks, you may continue to wear them. The khaki pants and navy tights will not be grandfathered in. Students who wish to wear pants must wear the black uniform pants with the Marian emblem.

When school resumed this fall, a Uniform Committee was formed to help with this decision. 

The uniform committee was not hand-picked.  First, members of Marian’s staff were invited to join.  Then, Susan Toohey announced to every parent at mini-school night that Marian would welcome input and participation from any interested parties.  From that night, four parents joined the committee.  The Student Board represented the student voice, as they are elected by their peers to this position of leadership, which made these students an obvious choice to speak on behalf of their classmates.  There were seven alumnae on the committee who also expressed interest to be a part of this process.  Four in-coming ninth-graders generously volunteered to assist so that the next generation of Marian girl was represented.  Never in Marian’s history has there been such an array of input on the uniform selection.

The committee set out with a few goals in place:

1. To gather information from all uniform vendors in town and decide if we needed new representation.
2. To view other uniform options that better represented Marian’s royal blue primary color
3.  Based on the uniform options, to vote on the option that best represented Marian as a school that develops strong, confident, empowered young women.  In other words, to find a look that was clean, crisp and classy.

With the help of the 32 members of the committee, and input from several more parties, Marian found a look that is a much better fit for brand. 

Marian asked all three uniform vendors to present options to the committee. Each vendor brought plaid options with royal blue as the primary color as well as top choices that went well with the plaids. Each vendor presented the options separately over three weeks. The committee discussed and voted on the choices, narrowing down the plaid options to three.  The uniform top option was unanimous.

Over a lunch period, the uniform plaid options were modeled in the cafeteria to the junior, sophomore and freshman classes. Input was given from the students and taken into consideration. The most popular plaid with the students was ironically the committees’ first choice as well.

To help ease the financial burden of having to purchase a new uniform, all current freshman and sophomore students will be given a voucher from Educational Outfitters for one FREE short-sleeved, embroidered polo shirt and one skirt.   Educational Outfitters has the vouchers at the store.  In order to claim your uniform, please present a photo ID at time of pick-up/purchase.

The new uniform is available for purchase at Educational Outfitters or Alamar Uniform Company.

Educational Outfitters is located at: 2528 S. 130^th Ave. (402) 333-1099
Hours of Operation: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Saturday
Educational Outfitters is locally owned by a 1988 Marian Graduate.

Alamar Uniform Company is located at: 3105 Leavenworth Street (402) 341-8790
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

The Class of 2011 may continue to purchase items from Marian's Black Watch plaid uniform from Dennis Uniform.

Dennis Uniform is located at 726-740 N 109th Ct
(402) 496-9911
Hours of Operation: Tues. 12 noon to 7 p.m; Wed.-Fri. 12 noon to 6 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Alterations are available at both Educational Outfitters and Alamar Uniform Company.

Please note the following prices are price points from Educational Outfitters.

Educational Oufitters style and sizes	Price
Skirt – Plaid (Girls)	$40.00
Skirt – Plaid (Juniors and ½ sizes)	$41.50
Skort Plaid (Girls)	$43.50
Skort Plaid (Girls)	$45.50
Polo – Pique, Long-Sleeve – Royal (Adult sizes)	$19.50
Polo – Pique, Short-Sleeve, Banded – Royal (Adult sizes)	$22.00
Polo - Pique, Long-Sleeve, Banded – Royal (Adult sizes)	$24.00
V-neck Cardigan, Grey (Adult sizes)	$35.50
Black Pants (junior sizes)	$34.00
Embroidery (per item)	$3.50

 *Note: pricing is subject to change based on supplier’s price increases. Any change in pricing will be communicated to Marian immediately upon notification to Educational Outfitters by its suppliers.

The Marian bookstore will make plain black shorts Nike available for purchase after the Christmas holiday.  Also, plain black shorts can be found at any major retailer or department store such as: Kohls, Target and JcPenney.

Black pants must be purchased from Educational Outfitters.

No. The voucher is exclusively for Educational Outfitters.

Marian High School will be donating the existing uniforms to a school in Uganda.  A donor has generously come forward to cover the costs of shipping.  Watch for collection details at a later date.

Marian will work personally with each family to meet all demonstrated financial need.  We welcome the opportunity to talk about how to make Marian affordable for you.

Marian has many payment plan options including annually, quarterly, semi-annually and monthly.  In addition, many families prorate their payments to include anticipated tax refunds. 

Family income is the base factor for the aid awarded.  In addition, the number of children in the family, number in Catholic schools, number in college and special circumstances such as health issues and debt are also considered

200 students work before, after and during school to provide secretarial and light cleaning duties. Only students who receive tuition assistance may work for tuition credit with the Work Program.

Although not completely knowledgeable of other schools’ tuition assistance programs, we have compared our aid amounts with other Catholic schools and found most to be similar.

Communication is key.  Contact the Director of Finance, Joan Becker, to discuss any change in your circumstance.

Catholic education is a choice and a sacrifice.  As such, each family is expected to commit to a Marian education through some amount of monetary investment. 

Marian is much more than a school; it is a community.  This community believes strongly in the value of a Marian education and her mission of educating young women to be leaders and life-long learners who will bring hope to the world.  The members of the Marian community support Marian High School through substantial gifts of time and treasure, which ultimately support the tuition assistance program.  The Marian Endowment, Annual Fund and fundraising events contribute a significant amount to our budgeted tuition assistance.

I have no regret, what-so-ever. The atmosphere is more relaxed and less catty without boys, leaving more room for work and friends. I can be myself and not take the time every morning to fuss over how I look, like I did in grade school. Believe me, you see enough of the boys on the weekend!

In a school Marian’s size, you’d be surprised by how quickly you can make GREAT new friends. Another benefit is how many fun and interesting clubs there are. Also, there are a lot of classes to choose from and you’ll have many opportunities for one-on-one time with your teachers.

I meet boys through my friends, football games, sports and dances. Knowing guys through grade school helps because they go off and make other guy friends that you can meet and become friends with. You have to allow yourself not to be shy, and just be yourself as you would around your friends.

As a freshman, I cannot drive, but I know of some upperclassmen who live in my neighborhood. I called one if she could take me to school. It was very easy to coordinate. I pay a fee to cover expenses, and I have a great time getting to know my driver on the way to school. We chat about Marian clubs, activities and sports as well as our weekend and families.

As a freshman, you have a great chance of making a sports team at Marian. Several sports offer one or two freshman teams that you have a great chance of making. The remaining teams determine their cuts depending upon the number of girls who try out. Also cross country does not cut at all.

There are over 30 clubs and organizations all together and it is so easy to get involved. I am a member of the Latin Club, and the Polar Bear Plunge Team. To become members of these clubs, I just needed to sign up! I am also a member of the Recruitment Team and the Big Sister/ Little Sister Program. These two organizations require completing an application form, which is really a questionnaire about you. Clubs are a great way to make new friends, be part of a team, and grow as a leader.

I, along with more than 200 other girls, participate in Marian’s Work Study Program, which helps to reduce tuition costs. You can do work study before, during or after school. Getting a job outside of school, like babysitting, helps as well.

Being motivated and staying organized is essential for academic success. At Marian there are endless resources available including tutors, the library and college center. Also, the teachers at Marian really inspire you to stay motivated and excel in your classes OR anything you pursue!

There are so many nice girls who are very welcoming. You would be surprised by how much you'll have in common with so many of them, and how many opportunities there are to meet them.