Parents of seniors at Biglerville High School in Pennsylvania say the district went too far by making inappropriate comments in a letter about dressing appropriately. The letter told girls in the graduating class to refrain from having “sausage rolls,” or rolls of fat, in their graduation outfits.  They also reminded girls that “you can’t put 10 pounds of mud in a 5 pound sack.” Female students were also asked to keep "the girls" covered up and not to have their "bits and pieces" hanging out.

Here's the letter that was sent out by administration:

Gentlemen:

  • A pair of khakis or dress slacks and a collared shirt would be appropriate.
  • If you choose to wear a t-shirt, make your choices wisely.
  • If you feel that you must wear jeans, wear nice ones.
  • PULL YOUR PANTS UP! Your underwear choices should be your own private choice and remain private. Besides, it is a really bad look to be walking in hanging on to your drawers to keep them from falling down.

Ladies:

  • A skirt or nice slacks would be appropriate. Keep in mind that many of you will be on the stage and the stage is raised above the audience. This means that the audience will be looking up at you. Therefore, if your skirt is too short, it means that everyone in the auditorium will know exactly what kind of underwear you have on. The same guideline applies to you…some choices should remain private. If you don’t have a longer skirt, choose slacks.
  • Choose modest attire. No bellies showing, keep "the girls" covered and supported, and make sure that nothing is so small that all your bits and pieces are hanging out. Please remember as you select an outfit for the awards assembly that we don’t want to be looking at "sausage rolls" as Mrs. Elliott calls them. As you get dressed remember that you can’t put 10 pounds of mud in a five-pound sack.

This letter is a perfect example that words matter and that it matters how words are written. I don't think that the intention of the letter was malicious, but the way the letter was expressed makes it seem that way.

Let's face it- In the real world, nobody is going to warn these kids when they look like 10 pounds of mud stuffed in a 5 pound sack. They'll simply be passed over for jobs and such for someone who has it together. It's sad that our kids have adopted a sloppy attitude about so many things. It shows that we, as parents, have failed them in some respect. While the school might have been trying to speak to the kids on their level and prevent them from embarrassing themselves on their graduation day, they really could have found a better way to word it.

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