Adrian, Deputy Principal Special School, Perth WA
Diane, Special Ed Teacher, Melbourne VIC
Leigh-Ann, Year 2 Teacher, Perth WA
Jane, Kindergarten Teacher, Perth WA
Jeanette, Pre-Primary Teacher, Perth WA
Judy, Inclusion Support Agency, Perth WA
Sharon, Kindergarten Teacher, Perth WA
Lynn, An Early Childhood Enrichment Teacher, Guildford WA
Deb, Aboriginal Kindergarten Teacher, Brookman WA
FROM ADRIAN, DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SPECIAL SCHOOL IN PERTH :
Hi Leonie. We must thank YOU for such a wonderful PD session. It was so well targeted to our population and the songs were not only very singable (even for me!) but very relevant to the needs of our students. Plus the session was so much FUN! The cds and books have been in high demand since Monday which is great. There haven’t been many PD sessions we’ve had that have generated so much follow up interest. Congratulations to you and the team.
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FROM DIANE, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER IN MELBOURNE :
I am a teacher at a special developmental school in Melbourne. I attended your workshop at the ECCPA conference held in Kew, in May this year. I was most impressed by your work and your music for students with special needs and subsequently bought your 'You Gotta Get Up ' CD.
I work with a group of eight prep level (5 and 6 years old) students with an intellectual disability and we use a lot of music throughout the day, for a variety of purposes. I just wanted to share with you one of the geat successes that we have had using your CD. My students have loved every track that I have introduced to them from the CD, especially the train song and 'You shake your hands'.
One of my students who has autistim and is an elective mute when at school, however his parents have reported that he speaks at home. At school he is a very capable Makaton sign user. He has particularly enjoyed the 'spit out' part of the brush your teeth section of the song. When I introduced 'Can you blow a kiss', he started vocalising all of the sounds and became increasingly animated and involved in his classroom interactions and began to vocalise more frequently. Today he started to speak! He named all of the staff and students in our room, repeated our shared big book story as I read it and named items and activities, such as 'paste' and 'stop'. He named and pointed out and things in a book that he loves about trucks. I think its rapidly reaching the point where I'm going to have to tell him to keep quiet!
While I realise that that he has had a lot of input and stimulation from a variety of sources and a multi disciplinary approach to his education, I am certain that it was your great music, that gave him the confidence to finally come out with the words. Thanks so much and I'm looking forward to your next CD!
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FROM LEIGH-ANN, YEAR TWO TEACHER IN PERTH :
"I have been using both the yellow and blue CD's in my year 2 classroom with amazing results. Getting the kids attention, mid-line crossing and many more skills are dealt with, as well as getting their little fingers moving for better hand-writing.
I am so impressed with the "easy-to-use-and-follow" instructions on the CD as well as in the books that I have sent a few collegues and parents on it! Even I can follow it if I don't know the words!!!! Thank you and I wish you all the best in this venture! What an exciting programme! Well done and thank you once again"
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FROM JANE, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER IN PERTH :
I attended one of your fantastic workshops at Curtin Uni where I learnt a lot, had a great time, purchased both of your books/cd's and have been able to use this in the classroom. I teach at a private kindergarten for 3 & 4 year olds and the children (& I) have really enjoyed the music and movement sessions, the Bottom Song works a treat!!! I also made 100 scrunchies (lemon & red) as well as a Rainbow Ring to use with the whole group. I have also sung your praises to colleagues and parents, I will pass on your web address to them.Thank you once again for all your hard work, I look forward to future workshops and books.
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FROM JEANETTE, PRE-PRIMARY TEACHER IN PERTH :
Please add me to your email listing as I would love to receive your updates. I attended one of your wonderful Kids 'n' Music Workshops at Curtin University last Term and thoroughly enjoyed it. I raved about you and your workshop to my family, friends and colleagues! I have used several of your songs and activities from your You Gotta Get Up, Book 1 with my Pre-primary class and the children have loved them. Favourites include You Gotta Get Up, Squeeze the Ball (I had lots of fun at different shops looking for squeeze balls), Let's Walk along the line, That's the Sound the Guiro Makes (the children had so much fun with this that they want to do it everyday!) and Walk Across the Road.
My child with special needs has Global Developmental Delay. She was born with microencephaly (small brain) and loves to participate in these activities – it’s great to see the look of delight on her face. I am looking forward to using more songs from Book 1 and now that I have Book 2, I'll have lots of songs to choose from. You are most welcome to use any parts of the email that I sent you on your stories section on your website. I want others to know about your wonderful work. Thank you for offering to write songs for my child with special needs. I will let you know. Many thanks for the inspiration and enthusiasm for music which you share with others. Keep up the great work!
FROM JUDY, INCLUSION SUPPORT AGENCY :
Hi Leonie. Just a quick note to say a big thank you for last week’s music workshop. The feedback has been fantastic, some saying it was the best in service PD they had been to. I visited a child care centre the next day and the girls were already singing some of the songs with the children. Congratulations on your very professional and fun delivery of Kids ‘n’ Music. Hopefully we will book you again soon. Thanks, Judy
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FROM SHARON, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER IN PERTH :
Hi Leonie, I just wanted to email you about my recent visit to your latest workshop. I loved the new CD and have implemented about 6 of the new songs in my 2 kindy classes already. The children have embraced the new songs with enthusiasm, giggles and ‘we want more’ chants. LOL. Almost daily I get asked, ‘can we have the rub it out song?’ or ‘please can we have the bubble song again?
I am thankful to you for putting together such a wonderful, comprehensive program incorporating such important skills for children to practise while having loads of fun. One of my favourite areas of teaching incorporates music also. Hence the reason for this email. A BIG thank you for your efforts in making teaching and learning more fun and easier for people like me.
Thank you. Sharon, Kindergarten Teacher
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FROM LYNN, EARLY CHILDHOOD ENRICHMENT TEACHER :
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! from all of us. The feedback from the staff was fantastic. They all had an absolute ball. And yes. They are all nuts! What a valuable PD that was – really appreciate your input. The feedback from Samuel and Charlie was “When can we do that again – it was cool!?” I think that’s all I’m going to be doing this week!
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FROM DEB, ABORIGINAL KINDERGARTEN TEACHER :
Dear Leonie. Congratulations on your award as detailed in School Matters. I recently attended one of your workshops with some colleagues. I have to say it was one of the most inspirational workshops I have ever been to. At the time, I bought You Gotta Get Up and another teacher bought other resources. I have used them with my own Kindy kids (3 & 4 yr olds as we still have our Aboriginal Kindy criteria) but also with children in years 2/3. I would like to learn more and would appreciate any suggestions you might have to assist me along the way. I am looking for some new directions this year and although totally musically stunted I feel I would like to learn more from your programmes. Luckily small children do not mind a teacher with a lousy voice and all your music is relevant for our school population. Kind Regards, Deb.
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