Maya McFadden Photos
Knox and Kenzl Ellis: Used to uniforms in New York preschool, ready for uniforms in New Haven kindergarten.
Eighth graders Nike, Kaylee, and Aaliyah with Principal Eugene Foreman (back right) and Troup Culture and Climate Specialist Da'Jhon Jett. As Kaylee said, "Nobody is going to want to be disrespectful with Mr. Jett. He's everyone's fave."
Troup kindergarteners Knox and Kenzl Ellis showed up to the first day of classes Thursday wearing matching green polo shirts and khaki pants — in line with the return of uniforms to the Edgewood Avenue public school.
After a pandemic hiatus, Troup’s administration has brought back its uniform requirement with the goal of encouraging higher levels of attendance by reducing the number of clothing decisions, and purchases, students and their families have to make.
That was the scene as students, staff, and families flooded into the K‑8 neighborhood school Thursday morning for the official start of the 2024 – 25 school year.
As parents dropped off students suited up in the school’s newly mandated uniforms, several expressed their support for the cost-effective shift.
Parents joined their students in the school’s gym for a brief morning celebration for the first day. Principal Eugene Foreman offered parents and students a welcoming address while parents also got the chance to meet their children’s teachers.
Foreman said that Troup has around 330 enrolled students this school year.
While waiting to enter the school at around 8:15 this morning, one parent who requested to be unnamed said the switch to school uniforms was the “best decision they ever made.” She said the uniforms, which are a green or white shirt and khaki pants, are much cheaper than regular school clothes. “They’re real easy and you can find them any where,” she said.
She added that she is most excited for her third grader to improve in reading this school year.
Troup lead cook of 12 years, Robin Jones, gets morning hugs from students.
Camille Ellis, the parent of twin boys Knox and Kenzl Ellis, sent off her kindergartners Thursday morning with excitement about enrolling in a new school with newly required uniforms.
Ellis moved to New Haven from New York a month ago to a home right across the street from Troup. She said she wanted a school with uniforms because it was what her boys were used to when they attended preschool in New York. She was worried when she heard from her sisters, who have been living in New Haven for years, that some local schools don’t have uniforms. “When I saw the uniforms on the top of the school list, I loved it,” she said.
She also said she prefers uniforms because it “teaches you to be coordinated” and can even teach youth not to be materialistic.
“I love it here. I don’t know why I didn’t come earlier,” she said of New Haven.
She added that the green polo shirts and khakis she got for her boys were cheap, which she enjoys most as someone who always loves a clothing deal. “I am a bargain shopper so when I found some pants for $16 at one place I went to another store and found it for just $13,” she said.
She has spent recent weeks leading up to Thursday getting her five-year-olds back in the flow of going to bed early. Rather than going to bed at 11 p.m., she was able to get them back to going to bed at 8 p.m.
While her boys are in school she plans to make a two-hour commute to her job back in New York.
To avoid limiting parents’ options, Troup’s new required uniform is for students to wear a green or white shirt and khaki pants. It does not specify any particular type of green shirt for them to wear.
Troup Culture and Climate Specialist Da’Jhon Jett said the goal is to help parents cut down on costs and stress related to the clothing their kids wear to school. He added that after the first weeks of adjustment, students will be required to wear their uniforms daily with the consequence of missing out on non-academic trips during the year to places like Urban Air Adventure Park or the bowling alley.
Foreman, Troup’s principal, said before the Covid pandemic Troup did require students to wear uniforms. During the pandemic that mandate was set aside. After receiving parent feedback, Foreman said many parents were in support of uniforms returning this year.
The uniforms are also an attempt to rebrand Troup and transform the negative narrative the community has formed of the school, Foreman said. The school is now a Commissioner’s Network school, which he added will help to develop the school’s theme this year of “#TransformingTroup.” He said the school will also place a special emphasis this year on improving students writing skills; teachers will encourage them to write all year and in all subjects, including in math and art, to develop that skill.
Foreman made plans Thursday to visit all classrooms throughout the morning to check in on educators and say good morning to students.
Another change soon to come to Troup is the introduction of Yondr phone pouches for all middle schoolers. Those are magnetically sealed pouches designed to keep smartphones and all of their distractions out of the classroom. A handful of NHPS middle schools are piloting Yondr pouches this year, as the state has recommended — but not mandated — that elementary, middle, and high schools across Connecticut do more to cut down on school phone use.
As of Thursday, the school hadn’t yet received its pouches for fifth through eighth graders, so no pouches were in use on the first day of school. But when those devices arrive, Foreman said students’ phones will be required to be put into pouches that they can keep with them from the start of the day until dismissal time. Then the pouches will be unlocked for students to access their phones.
Foreman noted that last school year, the school observed that its fifth through eighth grade students struggled most with staying distraction free from phones during instruction time. He concluded that when the initiative was shared with parents at orientation, many offered nods of agreement with the use of the pouches.
Troup's welcome wagon Karen Barrow, Robin Jones, and Ana Reyes.
For many students, the highlight while entering the school Thursday morning was seeing the bright smiles of the school’s cafeteria staff, who handed out bagged breakfasts. Many students quickly resumed their morning routines of giving lead cook Robin Jones, also known as “Ms. Robin,” a big hug.
Robin welcomed nearly every student in by their first names as they entered Troup, reminding some that, “You know I got my eye on y’all this year” while also offering some dance moves to wake families up.
When asked how she feels about the new uniform requirement, eighth grader Nike said, “I still look fly.” Fellow eighth grader Kaylee said she’s worried her uniforms will get dirty too fast. She and Nike agreed that the uniforms will really just keep students from wearing short shorts and cropped shirts in the summer, “but in the winter there’s no problem.”
Nike and Kaylee said they are looking forward to their eighth grade year’s formal dance and end-of-year trips to Lake Compounce. Nike hopes to attend Cooperative Arts High School while Kaylee is thinking about heading to Hillhouse next year.
They added that Jett’s new position as a culture and climate specialist at the school will be good and hopefully reduce the number of student behavioral incidents. “Nobody is going to want to be disrespectful with Mr. Jett. He’s everyone’s fave,” Kaylee said.
The duo also were surprised to hear that Yondr pouches will soon come to Troup. Nike said Troup’s most recent eighth grade graduates were constantly distracted by phone drama, but they argued their class won’t have those same problems. They also argued that rather than having to lock their phones up for the whole day, staff should unlock phone pouches during down times for at least ten minutes.
“All day is crazy, my mom’s gonna be calling me, I gotta pick that up or else,” Kaylee said.
Foreman welcomes families outside Troup Thursday.