Wendy
Notley is the songwriter and producer of the Aunty Wendys Mob CD happy
to be me. Wendy is a non-Aboriginal early childhood trained teacher. Her work with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children began in 1990 at Murawina Child Care Centre in Eveleigh Street,
Redfern in 1990 and is the inspiration for Aunty Wendy's Mob.
The songs on the happy to be me CD by Aunty Wendy's Mob are for
all children to enjoy, and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures while educating all children in
a fun and playful way. The songs on the happy to be me CD express the joy and pride that lives
strong in Aboriginal children and reflect contemporary interests and life experiences that all children can
relate to.
22 Aboriginal language groups are included in the lyrics. Wendy received
permission to include the Aboriginal language names and words that are in the lyrics of her songs.
Great care was taken to follow correct protocols regarding Aboriginal cultures
in the development of these resources.
"Wendy,
or Aunty Wendy as she is known, is respected throughout NSW communities for her understanding of Aboriginal culture and the sensitive approach she uses in
all of her community consultations" - NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander early Childhood Sector Advisory Group.
Wendy
presents her songs at preschools and schools throughout Australia.
The happy to be me series includes:
happy to be me Audio CD- The songs express the joy and pride that lives strong in Aboriginal and Torres StraitIsland
children and reflect contemporary interests and life experiences that all
children can relate to. Twenty-two Aboriginal language groups are included in
the lyrics.
happy to be me Teacher Resource Book - contains illustrated actions for
the songs, photocopiable activity sheets, lyrics and extension ideas. This book
has been developed in consultation with Aboriginal educators and Aboriginal education groups from NSW to enable teachers to
implement an Aboriginal perspective into their classroom programs.
happy to be me Big Book - provides step-by-step dance actions for ten of
the songs on the happy to be me CD.
The simple illustrations help children perform the actions to accompany each of
the ten songs. The big book also contains a large colourful map of Aboriginal Australia to support
the activities in the Teacher Resource Book.
happy to
be me Picture Books
- The eight picture books in this series each feature a single
song from the happy to be me CD, illustrated by an Australian indigenous
artist. Picture book titles are: Tucker, SpecialLand,
Insects, Kami's Country, Dean's Footy Song, The Hairy One, Kangaroo Rock and
Kids on Our Block. The books provide a rich visual representation of
the much-loved lyrics and messages of acceptance, cultural identity and sense
of belonging of the happy to be me songs.The authentic artwork by Aboriginal artists features traditional and
contemporary styles that range from theCentralDesert, Cape York Peninsula and urbanNew South Wales.
Blake Education
655 Parramatta Road Leichhardt, NSW, 2040 Australia