Music 

I'll tell anyone who will listen that if we want higher level thinkers and creative problem solvers, we need to support the Arts, especially MUSIC." Winnie Hagenah.

Merry Christmas to the Oatlands Community, as this is the last Music Newsletter for the year. Here's to a long, healthy and most enjoyable Christmas, New Year, Summer Holiday break!

The Preps, Grade Ones, Twos and Threes have worked very well this term in Music, learning about Remembrance Day, focusing on BEAT games and activities and learning some new and timeless chants to encourage an understanding of BEAT, eg, 10 Galloping Horses and the Grand Old Duke of York. The Preps and Grade Ones have learned Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies as part of their Music Programme and the Grade Twos and Threes have enjoyed singing from the SING Books occasionally. The Kookaburra Christmas Cake Song always puts a smile on our faces.

Our Remembrance Day Ceremony was held in the Morning of Thursday 7th November. Our School Captains, once again, acquitted themselves magnificently with their respectful and solemn conduct, flower laying and speech and poem readings.

Mr Lance McDermott, President of the Dandenong/ Cranbourne RSL had this to say about our school and our Remembrance Ceremony.

"I would like to thank you for the invitation to your Remembrance Day service on 7 November.   This was my second service at Oatlands and to say that I’m impressed would be an understatement.   Your student leaders and the choir were an absolute credit to the school, as were the students in the audience.  The attention and respect they showed was exemplary, I worked at a secondary college for 20 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more disciplined group of students.

Finally, I would like to thank the School Community for raising over $1200 for veterans’ welfare through this year’s Poppy Appeal, the best result for any school in our area, which extends as far as Tooradin ."

Kind Regards

LANCE MCDERMOTT

President, DCRSL

Some information about Waltzing Matilda and Banjo Paterson. Paterson's life was not entirely spent in Australia. He was a war correspondent in the Boer War in South Africa and also covered the Boxer Rebellion in China. During World War One, unable to get to the front in France, he joined the Remount Service in Australia, which supplied horses for the cavalry in the Middle East. Back in Sydney after the war, he returned to journalism and writing poetry and prose. Paterson is best remembered as the author of 'Waltzing Matilda' - Australia's unofficial national anthem.

What do some of the words actually mean in the song?

Coolibah Tree: a type of eucalypt that grows in places that are regularly flooded.

Matilda: a swag or a bedroll that is carried like a backpack. Matilda is also a slang word for something that has been stolen.

Swagman: a man who travels around the countryside with his swag and who survived by doing odd jobs for farmers or by begging.

Tucker: food.

Tuckerbag: a bag used for carrying food.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Fiona Jamieson