Director of Student Wellbeing

Visible Wellbeing

Our focus in Mentor Period this term will be the Relationships element of the Visible Wellbeing framework. We know that relationships are a protective factor for all people, particularly our young people. Students will work in their Mentor Groups and Year Level groups to make new connections and develop a range of friendships.

Pulse

We continue to use PULSE as a platform for our students to check in each week. PULSE is a 3 minute digital check in that asks students about how they are feeling.

We use this information to monitor the mood of individuals and groups so that we can identify any emerging issues and put the right supports in place. One of the great features of PULSE is the gratitude feature. Students and staff can issue each other gratitudes for any kindness, humour, fairness, determination or just to say thanks.

Focusing on Strengths

Another element of the Visible Wellbeing framework is Strengths and giving gratitude is a key skill in spotting the strengths in others.

Focusing on strengths contributes to greater growth and performance over time, while focusing on deficits contributes to a decrease in mood and performance. A strengths-based approach supports confidence and empowers our students to stretch and to manage the discomfort of being just outside their comfort zone, which is the proximal zone for learning and development. Parents and carers can support this mindset by highlighting their child’s strengths and using this language to help them manage their challenges. Repetition and focus on these strengths help this to become an automatic thought and supports their formation of identity and self-belief.