Over the loudspeakers each morning, students hear the mantra “Respect Your Learning, Respect Yourself, Respect Each Other, and Respect This Place.” These pillars are what Westview was founded on, and stemming from this was the prioritization of community. The integration of Homeroom, now evolved into Den, created a non-academic space where students could exercise this concept of togetherness. 

Originally, Homeroom was formatted as a tri-weekly 30-minute pause in between first and second period. Students were randomly placed, and they would remain in that Homeroom for four years. According to Assistant Principal Shannon Parker, it was structured this way to not only build connections among students but to provide a consistent relationship with a staff member outside of an academic atmosphere. 

As time has gone on, Homeroom has changed from three times a week to two, and from 30 minutes to 20. With Homerooms meeting only twice a week—often less than that—the limited time produced lessened opportunity for connection. In an attempt to combat this and reignite the idea of community, the administration introduced Dens, a more personalized and niche approach to a concept that was slowly losing popularity among students. Unlike the random assignment that came with Homeroom, Dens let students choose. However, even with the rebranding, many students still report feeling disconnected and unsatisfied.

With only two a week, the current Dens are often more of a transition space or quick break without a substantial amount of time to really do anything. 

One of the primary benefits of Homeroom, originally, was that students could form a close relationship with a trusted adult whom they could turn to for academic, social, and general advice. Instructors were in charge of attendance and aided with four-year planning. Like nearly all people, students who don’t see a purpose in what they are doing often opt out of speaking with people they don’t know and would rather use their screens—killing the value of Homeroom.

Many teachers don’t find it worthwhile to dispense time into planning for Dens when the time for elaborate projects or activities is simply not there. In addition, some teachers have no real reason to speak with students when lacking incentive or drive to deepen those connections.

Another issue with the current set-up for Dens is students’ tendency to choose their class based on wanting to be with friends, which can be harmful for other students who have chosen the same Den because of the actual topic and end up feeling isolated. The cliqueness subtracts from the original intention of Homeroom. 

Throughout last year, teachers and administrators discussed many different proposals to replace or refine Homeroom, with one option even being removal. It may be time to revisit that discussion.