Emma’s story

All pictures are for illustrative purposes only as these stories have been anonymised.

“Emma has been attending Little Notes for over 2 years with her Grandma.  This term is her last pre-school term before starting school in September.  Both will be missed!

From the ages of 2 Emma has consistently listened intently to all the songs and rhymes, and joined in audibly, remembering words, pitching tunes and matching actions.  Grandma often jokes that her own singing voice isn’t good, and because of this she has been hesitant to sing herself. However, Emma has a confidence beyond her years, and with Grandma’s encouragement, sings along and helps other children to engage in the songs and activities. Emma is becoming quite the little performer, and Grandma really celebrates this.  One week after the session Grandma commented to us, “I just felt it was such a privilege sitting there today getting to watch Emma and the other girls participating and listening to them singing.”

Grandma stays behind most weeks to chat with the music leaders after Little Notes sessions, sharing ways Emma has continued her musical development outside the sessions, showing us videos of Emma dancing and singing at home. They have stayed on in the library nearly every week to borrow and read books together and chat with other parents and grandparents.  As other grandparents have joined the group, and other parents too, Grandma has been a wonderful social enabler, making plans to meet for picnics and play dates in the park, gathering families together to stay and play in the children’s library after the Little Notes session ends.

Emma’s family circumstances, although she is from a stable and loving home, have nevertheless been quite tough, with illness, work stress and a tricky sibling relationship to navigate.  At Little Notes, Emma seems to flourish, it seems it is “her space” to sing, dance and play with her friends.  She is taking after her Grandma, making sure children feel included, sometimes taking newcomers by the hand and leading them into the circle to join in.  At the social time after the music session, Emma always plays with the other children, either hide and seek or sliding down the sofas! As the children leave the library there were occasions when there were tears as the girls said goodbye to each other.  However, the consistent structure of the weekly music sessions and the sense of community that Emma and Grandma have both experienced, and helped to foster, at Little Notes, have helped to set Emma up to flourish in the next phase of her life as she starts school.   Now the goodbyes are not tear-filled, but happy as they have become friends beyond meeting at the Library, and they know that they will see each other again soon.  Grandma is joking about borrowing another child so that she can continue coming along (!) but, on a serious note, she has enriched the group and made friends for life through Little Notes.”