On Tuesday, October 31, the students of Rancho Cucamonga High School will be allowed to dress up, in the spirit of Halloween with, of course, some rules. Some of the dress code rules that are Halloween-specific include no facemasks, no full face paint, and no fake weapons. Students, even though they are in costume, still need to be identifiable.

In reality, the dress code is really no different than any other day, though certain rules need to be more enforced, for the safety and well-being of the students.

“Technically, our standard dress code is still in place on Halloween; however, we know to expect different types of costumes,” Ms. Alyssa Castro, RCHS Assistant Principal of Discipline said. “That doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all, but at the same time things we really want to make sure students are doing is maintaining the safety in terms of not having anything like play weapons.”

The dress code was put into place to make sure as a student learns, they are able to show self-expression in a way that is seen as school appropriate.

“I do believe that schools should have a dress code that is enforced just due to the fact that students are still able to exercise their freedom of expression, while also following dress code and we are here yes to have fun, we are here to make friends, and express ourselves and figure out who we are as humans and teenagers, but we are here bottom line to learn,” Castro said.

While the dress code has changed in the past couple of years, some believe that it is in a more positive way.

“You know, I remember prior to the dress code change that happened last school year, the dress code in my opinion was too strict and unrealist,” Castro said.

At the end of the day, every staff member wants a student to be safe. But in order to have a fun, and safe campus, students have to take certain precautions, and follow the rules.

Mr. Richard Martin, RCHS Assistant Prinicpal of Student Services said “Halloween, everybody wants to make a statement, and so, it’s our job to make sure the dress code makes students feel identifiable in case something happens, but so they can still have fun.”