Pastoral Care and Wellbeing
Locus of Control
In a recent newsletter, we explored the principles of 'Choice Theory,' the idea that any behaviour is chosen as a direct result of an attempt to meet a need. To expand on this concept, it could be suggested that through our choices we can, to a significant extent, control the direction our lives take.
How much control do we have over what happens to us?
A concept developed by Julian B. Rotter in 1954, Locus of Control refers to the extent to which people feel that they have control over the events that influence their lives.
Rotter suggests our beliefs about what causes our actions then influence our behaviours and attitudes.
For example, a fatalistic attitude (an external Lotus of Control) towards life might suggest that everything that happens to us is the result of external influences on our lives and we have little control over our experience.
Alternatively, self-determination, (an internal Locus of Control) suggests that the entire path of our life is decided by our attitudes and actions.
Whilst neither is necessarily right or wrong, Rotter would suggest people with a significant internal locus of control tend to take responsibility for their actions and have a strong sense of self efficacy, or belief in their ability to succeed in particular situations. A person with a predisposition to having an external Locus of Control might believe they are powerless to change their situation through their own efforts. Circumstances might be seen as the result of outside forces and any success is the result of luck or chance.
Just as someone with an external Locus of Control might struggle to recognise how their thoughts and attitudes might shape their lives, someone with an internal Locus of Control might struggle with a situation in which they have no control or influence over. It is important to recognise the balance.
In a school environment, students are encouraged to recognise that the vast majority of the time, they have influence and control over their experiences through immediate choices and actions.
For more information, check out the following links:
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-locus-of-control-2795434
https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/What%20is%20Locus%20of%20Control%20by%20James%20Neill.pdf
Attendance
Every day counts!
We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school. There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.
The main reasons for absence are:
Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and setting good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference. It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term if it can be avoided.
'Day off' – Think twice before letting your child have a 'day off' as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.
Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission. There can be many reasons for truancy. The best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.
Openly communicating with your us about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer. A School Attendance Officer is a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Regional Director who has authority to follow up attendance issues. Attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice. If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your student’s Learning Mentor know so we can work together to get your child to school every day.
For more information and resources to help address attendance issues, visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/ behaviour/Pages/studentattendance.aspx
Happiness and Gratitude
Happiness is defined as the balance of positive and negative emotions, combined with overall life satisfaction. Happiness and gratitude have been studied in positive psychology for many years and researchers have found that gratitude is always strongly associated with greater happiness. Although everyone has their own definition of happiness, many of us want to feel more positive emotions than negative ones. However, negative emotions are still important. They have a lot to teach us and alert us when things need to change. Practising gratitude helps people feel more of the positive emotions, enable us to relish good experiences, improve our overall health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships.
For more information, go to our SchoolTV site: https://sje.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/happiness-gratitude
We continue to provide access to School TV and the wonderful resources and information that are imperative in supporting parents, families and students as we work together to navigate challenges, and celebrate successes, joys and milestones.
Please check out our SchoolTV by using the link below:
We would love your feedback!
If you have accessed SchoolTV and benefited from any of the resources and information available, please let us know at: wellbeing@sje.vic.edu.au
Rach Chapman
Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Leader