While there is still little information on the subject, homeroom and SEL (social-emotional learning) changes set for next year are already very controversial among students and staff.

Homeroom will now be after 3rd/8th blocks instead of at the end of the day.

It is designed so that fewer people leave during homeroom.

The vast majority of the newspaper staff thinks that homeroom should stay the way it is and not move to the middle of the day.

They would have to leave during their last class and miss whatever happened that day.

On April 25, 150 students left during homeroom.

The number usually ranges from about 90-200 students leaving every day during that time.

“Once it hits 2 o’clock, Tonya (Johnston) and I don’t stop taking phone calls until 3,” said attendance assistant Candace Morgan.

SEL tends to have lessons that are very child-like.

For example, some of the lessons in the program feel like they are made for elementary school students.

Things like responsibility, forgiveness, and kindness are commonly mentioned in SEL.

High school students need to be connected with on a deeper level.

We know and have heard all about basic human decency, but what do high schoolers struggle with?

Drugs, alcohol, relationships, peer pressure, mental health, physical health; those are things that many students struggle with, and don’t know how to handle.

We know how to be basic human beings.

A new focus would be team-building and interacting with your classmates more.

More engagement from everyone seems to be the goal.

There is not a lot of information out yet, but SEL will have more significance in homeroom next year.

Once again, most of the staff believes that more SEL lessons in homeroom are unnecessary.

A lot of details and information have not been released or confirmed yet, but many students and staff agree with our opinions.

“I hate doing SEL. After a long day it’s the last thing I want to do,” sophomore Mkynzie Arrington said.

It affects the academics of athletes who often leave during homeroom for games and practices.

The controversial topics aren’t talked about simply because they are controversial. But those are the conversations that need to happen the most.