>> The prospectus makes clear that jewelery may not be worn except for earrings and watches. ... ‘We do want children to be proud of their Christian faith, therefore we would like to encourage them to wear crosses,’ she added.
>>In fact, they’ve invited her to wear one on the outside of her clothing.
Well, sorta - I’ll be sure to look for all those cross-shaped watches the next time I’m in Wally*Mart. Maybe they’ll have one with a little man on it.
She can wear the exact same item as a brooch. That’s a pin. Take the crucifix off the chain, put a pin on the back of it (which can be done for about 50 cents with epoxy and a pin from the jewelry parts section of a crafts store, or pay a jeweler a few bucks to do it), and put it right on the front of her shirt — she could even put it in the exact same spot where the crucifix sits on her shirt when it’s hanging from a chain. I’ve done this myself with pendants I preferred to wear as a brooch. Since the crucifix presumably already has a little hole at the top, she could also get a little stud earring of the same metal, and fasten it to her shirt like a lapel pin, so no permanent alteration would need to be made, and it could still be worn elsewehre as a pendant.
The school bans necklaces of all kinds, not just religious. The Sikhs’ bangles were granted an exception because wearing them is a specific requirement of the religion, just as many workplaces ban hats, but make an exception for Jews who must wear a yarmulke. I know of no branch of Christianity which teaches that followers must wear a crucifix on a chain around their necks, and this family is not claiming to follow any religion which has such a requirement.
If parents at the school want to challenge to overall ban on necklaces, they’re free to do so. But I expect an insurance company is at the bottom of the rule.