Displays, displays, displays oh my!!!

Some past displays (this was a REAAAAAALLY old post from about 6 years ago I found languishing in my drafts box which I thought I'd make use of)

One of the things about being a full-time music teacher is the fact that I have to do very few displays! I always enjoyed displays and so in some ways, I have missed this.  However, the temporary music room I am using, has a whole SEA of empty display boards in it.  I am ordering a new set of Musical Elements posters as unfortunately, the ones in my proper music room (as in the poky rabbit hutch I usually teach in) are gaffer-taped onto the walls as NOTHING else would keep them on the walls of that cold room- these are A1 posters we are talking about onto painted brickwork, so no possibility of staples.   However, now I am having to fill several display board and lots of wall space.  Currently trying to think of lessons in which I might end up with some written outcomes that can go up.  I don't really want to put listening questions up

Put up the year 1 toy rhythm pieces up so far! Also, putting up photos of music performances and trips but wish they were in a more public place, it's not like parents EVER come in the music room! The kids seem to like seeing them though, so that's the main thing! I did wonder about whether I could get the year 5's to write out their lyrics to their sea-shanties to go up on display. But when to do it? I only have them once a week and I want musical outcomes from them.

Since beginning this post...

Today, I thanked my year 5 colleague for being off sick yesterday.

Why?

Well, yesterday,  waking up with shoulder pain still (though much less), I also discovered my tonsils were swollen and I had a stinking headache.  I had been pre-warned by my deputy that I would be covering year 5 as so many people were off sick.
When I got in, I discovered that I would be having half of each year 5 class (32 children in total) as 30 children were going on a trip. When the kids arrived, I discovered I had 25 girls and 7 boys.   The lessons I had been set for the morning were ones they could get on with. And they did.  And they did their work well. And we had time to go through it. I did not have to raise my voice once all morning.  They listened and stopped and it was bliss. In the afternoon, I was invited to do something ICT-based.  Since half the classes were away, it had to be something 'off curriculum' so the kids don't get out of sync.  I got them to type up their sea-shanties in ancient-looking fonts onto scroll backgrounds they found on the internet- so now I have a lovely third display.  They enjoyed that and worked hard. Then last lesson, we explored the 2simple music programmes on the computers and they really enjoyed it.  Sweet, grateful children- I thanked them for making my day such a pleasure.  It was also bliss to be in one place all day - feeling rough, it was JUST what I needed.  So there was a positive in my colleague being off sick! I had a pleasant day without too much strain on my voice, head and I got that display work completed!

The displays will come on. Those posters should arrive soon!

Hugs to you all and thanks for your kind wishes.  The shoulder is much improved.  Just a dull ache now!
Let's pretend I have a voice to speak with and all will be hunky-dory!x

The wildflower conundrum

Sounds like it should be a bestselling novel (ooooh, I challenge you to write the book) but in fact is just a description of the current status of my wedding flowers. A while back, CBC and I agreed that we would love to have wildflowers as our decorations at our reception (and obviously at the church).  We then thought it would be good to grow our own in order to guarantee we could get them.  I read in Woman's Own magazine once that a lady sent packets of cornflowers to her guests to grow and bring to the wedding with them with the wedding invites and squirreled this idea away in my mind.  Anyway, so we went to a garden centre in Hexham to buy seeds- we were told my favourite ox-eye daisies wouldn't grow in time, we'd need half-annuals (this was mid-April) so we bought poppies, cornflowers and cosmos.  Under my Mum's guidance, I raked the ground and then watered it and then mixed up the seeds and sprinkled them.  I left them and went back inside to do stuff. When I came back out, there didn't seem to be any seeds there.  I wondered 2 things:  1) they'd sunk into the ground, 2) the birds had eaten them.

Anyway, I hoped for the best and have continuedly watered them each morning as I get up.  After a week or so, when I couldn't see anything (and was still thinking of those potential bird thieves), I decided to do the same again with a different bed (bought more seeds).  Same thing happened.  Still watering....

Then I decided to buy some of those long bedding pot things plant holders and follow the instructions precisely and keep them inside.  I didn't use new compost but used my own compost from my garden.  SOMETHING is starting to grow but I'm not sure if it is indeed the seeds or something that was in the compost.  I've started another of these long pots but put outside with homemade cloches (essentially strawberry punnets).

The thing is- in the FIRST batch of seeds in the actual ground, pictured above, things are growing.  BUT, since I am a complete novice at this (doing it on my own without mum actually coming to look at them), I have no idea if I am religiously watering weeds or bonafide wildflower plants.  OR, marigolds that are usually in that bed!???

Trying to formulate a plan if the wildflowers are no-go! Any ideas?  I was thinking of going to Columbia Road market the day before but apparently it only opens on  a Sunday!


*****

Re the outfit above-
Peter pan collar dress:  Appletree Boutique, Portobello road, Sailor cardie- Collectif, Umbrella- gift, shoes- random local shoe-shop whose name I forget, Chilli-pepper earrings- blogswap gift from Jille.

 Just discovered the HANDWASH setting on my washing machine so I might just wear this dress and cardie more often since I can shove them in the washing machine now instead of them festering at the bottom of my washing basket until I can be bothered to handwash them! Yippeeee!!! Shame about the rain!