which they can add their own flare.

The uniform was unveiled to the public yesterday when two upcoming CedarBridge students modelled the uniforms in the courtyard of their new school at Prospect.

The summer uniform will be a white crested polo shirt, with the choice of knee-length grey shorts or pleated pants for boys and the option of shorts, pleated pants or a skirt for girls.

In the winter, students will wear short or long-sleeved blue shirts with the CedarBridge striped tie while girls also can wear a striped scarf around their collar instead.

The girls' scarves come in two sizes and can also be worn in the girls' hair.

All students will be required to wear black "polishable'' shoes.

The uniform does not include the traditional school blazer as CedarBridge deputy chairperson Sandra Bain said "the students hate them and they are very expensive''.

Instead, the students have the choice of a school sweater, sweater vest, or nylon jacket with the crest.

The gym uniform is a reversible basketball-style outfit that has blue on one side and cranberry red on the other and long shorts.

Mrs. Bain emphasised the importance of students' personal input on the uniform.

"We often take away choices from adolescents and this makes them uncomfortable,'' she said.

Mrs. Bain added that school officials were trying to make students' fall arrival as smooth as possible.

However, she said: "Moving from something familiar to something very different, there is bound to be a period of adjustment, no matter how nice it is.

"It's a process that is going to take place, a tremendous psychological adjustment.'' Mrs. Bain explained that the uniforms where decided on by a committee who took into consideration the students' opinions, the price, availability and durability of the outfits.

"We took some mini-surveys to get some student input for the basics of the uniform,'' she said, "but we are waiting to talk to them before ordering many of the other things, such as book bags.'' The school will also be ordering CedarBridge bags, hair scrunchies, and school watches.

Mrs. Bain also mentioned that the school colours -- cedarberry blue and cranberry red -- were carefully chosen as the committee did not want to repeat any of the colour combinations from the old secondary schools.

The cost of the school uniform items, excluding shoes, ranges from $5.95 for the grey socks to $39.95 for the fleeced-lined, hooded jacket with crest.

The gym clothing will range from $15 to $25.

And while CedarBridge will sell the white polo shirts, ties, scarves, school crest, school sweaters, vests, hair scrunchies, CedarBridge bags, school watches, and other assorted items, the female students' clothing will be available exclusively through the English Sports Shop.

Boys' Town and Pirates' Port will sell grey shorts and trousers, as well as the grey socks for male students.

Gibbons Company will sell the patterns for the skirts, shorts and pants. The International Sports Shop will sell the gym uniforms.