Co-Curricular
Oh! Shall I Tell You …
When I can, my youngest daughter will insist that I put her to bed. We typically follow the nightly routine perfected by mum, but with one variation; she loves me to sing to her just before I lay her down. I must be standing next to her cot, cradling her in my arms, as she snuggles in her sleeping bag – such are the explicit instructions of a three-year-old.
Usually, a song or two will suffice. She cuddles in with her eyes closed, joining in here and there if the mood takes her (especially if her firm opinions on what animals Old McDonald had on his farm must be expressed – apparently, he categorically did not, nor will he ever, have a Donkey).
On the odd occasion that the notion of sleep seems foreign, and despite any and all efforts at reasoning with her (thanks a lot, afternoon car-nap!), three or more songs are a must. They must be sung well, sung correctly, and sung in full. Songs may include the aforementioned farmer, You Are My Sunshine, Rock-a-bye-Baby, Wheels on the Bus; the list goes on.
One that can almost never be left out, however, is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Little does she know that even with the second verse to her memory and included in every rendition – thanks to the Wiggles – there are actually three more. The song is based on an early-19th-century five-stanza poem, The Star, written by Jane Taylor and published in an 1806 collection by Taylor and her sister, Rhymes for the Nursery.
The lyrics were first published in 1838 with the tune of "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", a popular French children’s song written in 1774. Its melody, which will of course sound familiar when singing Baa, Baa, Black Sheep or your ABCs, is based on an anonymous pastoral song dating from 1740.
Why, might you ask (and I am certain if you have read this far you are), am I writing about bedtime routines and nursery rhyme melody origins after three weeks of reflecting on the Olympic motto and the colours of our College crest?
The simple answer is knowledge.
As somewhat of a conclusion to recent weeks, the St Patrick’s College crest was intentionally designed, with Br Coghlan determined that it would not be just another school adopting the Christian Brothers’ emblem. All Brothers agreed that chevrons with accompanying bars should feature, representing courage and fortitude, within the form of a simple shield. The school motto, Luceat Lux Vestra – Let Your Light Shine – would be symbolised in the gold star that mounts the crest. The star “signifies that the College lights the way to knowledge and to the Heavenly Father” (Br Coghlan).
When I thought about the use of the star, I thought of many ways that stars are meaningful or relevant to us. I thought of the sun, the night sky, the wonders of the galaxy. Of constellations, navigation, flags, and marks of achievement. Of sport stars, movie stars, soap stars and pop stars. Of Star Wars, Star Trek, Star Gate, Star Fox and Starlink. I also thought of the Star of Bethlehem and its Divine guidance.
I mostly thought of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
It of course led me to find “Ah! vous dirai-je, maman” - Oh! Shall I tell you, Mama.
There are several versions of its lyrics. One of the most common – translated to English – is simply this:
Oh! Shall I tell you, Mama,
What's causing my annoyance?
Daddy wants me to reason
Like an adult,
But I say that sweets,
Are worth more than reason!
As the star of our crest intends to signify, my hope is that our boys are guided by their experiences at St Patrick’s – including in the Co-Curricular Program – to a deeper knowledge of many things that life has to offer.
There is no greater offer than knowing our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Adam Watson
Director of Co-Curricular
"Only experience is knowledge, everything else is information." Albert Einstein
Reminder
A reminder that Co-Curricular - Sport winter photos will take place in the College Gymnasium this Friday 12 September. Students will be photographed in playing uniform.