What does family mean to you? Some might say love or happiness; others might say fun or crazy. Family carries different meanings for different people. At Robert J. Burch Elementary, family means creating a sense of community, respect, and belonging – all qualities implemented in their new school community program called ‘Dens of Respect.’
‘Dens of Respect’ is an opportunity for students to build community and friendships, encourage one another, practice values and citizenship, perform service projects and develop critical thinking and leadership skills.
This initiative was created after principal Lisa Howe and the Burch PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) team examined the needs and wants of students and parents in the school community, discovering the immense desire for relationships among students and adults.
“What our students wanted more than anything was time and relationships with others. We wanted to create a community of people focused on upholding our values while encouraging, celebrating, and supporting each other,” says Howe.
Once a week, students are divided into four “dens” – Polar, Andean, Bhalu, and Panda – which were named after several bears on the endangered list. Each den includes a den leader and a group of students from all elementary grade levels.
Students and staff are considered one big school family and each den is an extension of that idea, creating family within a family, “Creating whole families gives the Burch faculty and staff an opportunity to build special, long-lasting relationships with each student as they grow,” says PBIS coach Mary Beth Thompson.
To uphold the idea of family, siblings who attend the school are in the same den and teachers are in the same den as their own children. The custodial, cafeteria, and after school staff are also a part of a den, emphasizing the importance of involving the entire school community.
Each den created a special “den greeting” to greet each other with as they see members of their den throughout the school, “It is great to see students sharing their den greeting with the staff and each other in the lunchroom. It truly makes us smile,” says Howe.
Dens also set goals to meet each week. Den members are able to reach some of their goals by earning den points based on positive things they are doing around the school whether it’s picking up a piece of trash or simply being polite. Not only is this an opportunity for students to earn points, but den leaders stress that this is not a competition and it is important for students to cheer on and encourage other dens because in the end, all students at the school are Burch bears working towards a common goal – to make Burch and the world a better place.
Evan Harvey, a Burch fifth grader and a Polar Bear den member, is excited about the future of ‘Dens of Respect’ stating, “I want to be a good role model for younger students in my den and get to know new people.”
The faculty and staff at Burch Elementary hope ‘Dens of Respect’ is safe place where students have the opportunity to thrive in various relationships, “When our students move on from Burch, we hope we are giving each child the assurance that there are people at Burch who care and are here for them every step of the way,” Howe says.
