Sealsongs
“These SEALSONGS have the authentic ring of children’s ideas and feelings in every line. This, for me, makes it a valuable and empowering set of musical tools ….. One of the biggest challenges for the nationwide roll-out of the National Singing Programme, Sing Up, is giving classroom teachers and support staff the confidence and the basic skills to be able to lead singing sessions without having been specially trained as music teachers. This collection addresses that need with excellent supporting materials and explanations.”
HOWARD GOODALL National Ambassador for Singing, Feb 2008
“David Stoll’s SEALSONGS is a wonderful gift to any adult who wants to truly help their class or school embed SEAL as a way of ‘being’ with ourselves and others. We all know that song can lift you to a different spiritual dimension – David Stoll has given us the perfect package to help even the most music-shy amongst us to engage young people in the process of creating heart-warming songs as part of a creative team. Thank you, David….. This is an excellent resource.”
JENNY MOSLEY Founder of Quality Circle Time: The Heart of SEAL, May 2008
THE SEALSONGS PROJECT
SEALSONGS, the Tower Hamlets primary school songbook, is a highly successful project resource for the KS2 classroom based on the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme. It includes songs that are ideal both for assembly singing and also as a basis for discussion in PSHE lessons.
The KS2 project, approved by National Strategies and linked in with the National Singing Programme, was run for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Local Authority in the winter of 2007/8. The programme comprised lessons in writing song lyrics together with discussion on topics in the social, emotional and behavioural skills programme (SEAL). New songs were then written, based on the pupils’ words, and backing tracks professionally produced.
A PRODUCT INCLUDING ASSEMBLY SONGS AND DISCUSSION TOPICS
The music, lyrics, teachers’ notes and backing tracks of SEALSONGS are all available as a download. The songs are presented with detailed teachers’ notes for classroom work and helpful discussion topic ideas. Simple piano accompaniments are provided, but there are also complete and fully orchestrated backing tracks for use in the school curriculum or in performances. Schools have permission to print and copy the words and perform and record with the backing tracks.
To see some sample pages, please click here. To purchase a copy, please click here.
TEACHERS’ AND PUPILS LOVE SEALSONGS
“SEALSONGS has given the children a fantastic chance to work on something positive that is also hugely creative.”
Helen Jenner – Head of Early Years, Tower Hamlets, quoted in East End Life, August 2008
“SEALSONGS is the only song book I have ever used where I could include every single song and the children have easily learned and loved every one. This is because the songs speak in their language. And I love the idea of children writing new words to the tunes.”
John Harold – Deputy Headteacher, Jenny Hammond Primary School, Waltham Forest, April 2009
The SEAL themes are:
Song 1: New beginnings
Song 2: Getting on and falling out
Song 3: Say no to bullying
Song 4: Going for goals!
Song 5: Good to be me
Song 6: Relationships
Song 7: Changes