Welcome to the First Year Blog!
With the weather taking a turn our First Years are settling into their “new normal” routines. This week our live Teams lessons are in full swing and boys have enjoyed a variety of activities, from drawing in two point perspective to finishing their topic of probability. We have heard wonderful things about the lessons the boys have been taking part in.
FORM CHALLENGES
This week’s challenge, set by our First Year Tutor Team, was to try and pull the best Haribo Tangfastics face – inspired by the television advert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef87yc4aGhg
The winners are announced below:
1B – Monty H
1J – Max C
1L – Arun B
1P – Joshi R
1W – Leo L
Well done to everyone who sent in their photos! Take a look at our First Year Tangfastic below:
2.6 CHALLENGE SUCCESS!
A special mention to Joseph B (1J) for his 2.6 challenge achievement from last weekend. With many fundraising events being cancelled, the 2.6 challenge aims to support charities that are currently struggling. The idea is that people choose a challenge related to the numbers 2.6, 26 (the number of miles in a marathon) or even 260! Joseph swam in relay for 2.6 miles which was a whopping 416 lengths to raise money for JDRF, a type 1 diabetes charity that funds medical research to cure, prevent and treat the disorder, and he managed to raise a staggering £379! Well done Joseph, what an amazing achievement!
For any of you who have been inspired by Joseph’s success you can find out more information about the 2.6 challenge here.
Let us know if you too have succeeded at this challenge and we can feature your story in next week’s blog!
HAMPTONIANS HELPING THE FRONT LINE
A special mention goes to Alex A (1L) this week. He has been thinking of ways that he can help in the current crisis, the main one, of course, being staying at home but he and his family have also been making protective visors.
Let’s here more about this:
So far, 70 households in Richmond have made over 7,000 visors all for the NHS. For every COVID-19 patient they treat, the NHS workers need a new visor, so there are not enough because there are so many people coming into hospitals every day. The group does not plan to stop, and will continue to make visors as long as they are needed. It is a good community experience, and it feels great knowing that you have helped the NHS, just by making the visors.
CREATIVE WRITING AWARDS
A huge well done to everyone who submitted a piece for our annual Creative Writing Awards. The competition was judged by Young Adult fiction author, Sara Grant, who was very impressed with the high standard of writing! The work by the following boys will be published in the Lion Print 2020:
Raphael T (1W)
Sam T (1H)
Avi B (1H)
Jason DW (1B)
Alasdair M (1H)
Trivikram P (1P)
And a special mention to Ben R (1H) who was selected as the Junior runner-up!
Congratulations to all who took part and we look forward to reading your entries in the Summer!
FIRST YEAR OUTSTANDING WORK
All First Years have been asked to do a small Geography project on their home town. Here are a couple of examples from 1J of some outstanding pieces of work. Click on the images below to take a closer look. Well done to Alex B and Alex S!
A special mention to Ben R (1H) for his outstanding piece of work on User Centred Design for DT! Click on the image below to take a closer look:
FIRST YEAR TUTOR TEAM WORK STATION TIPS
Mrs Peattie has set up her own remote workstation (with a little help!) Here are her top three tips for a successful working from home routine:
- Try to have a clear, organised desk/table. If you have all of your books and papers on there it makes it feel chaotic and a bit overwhelming!
- Try to sit somewhere with good natural light and an open window nearby. Fresh air makes you feel so much more invigorated and working in a dimly lit room is just a bit depressing.
- Do make sure you get dressed and showered before you begin your working day. I think it is difficult to feel in the productive working zone whilst sitting in your pyjamas!
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
The First Years have sent in some questions to ask Mrs Peattie this week:
- What is your favourite music?
My music tastes are not very refined. Indie/Rock/Cheesy pop. I love Johnny Cash and The Killers. When I was a teenager, I was a big Green Day fan. However, I spend most of my time now singing ‘Wheels on the Bus’, ‘Row Row the Boat’ and ‘Baby Shark!’
- What is your favourite game?
My favourite game is ‘Whose in the Bag.’ We play it with my family every Christmas, girls versus boys. You have to describe who is on a card to the rest of your team without saying the person’s name and the idea is to describe as many people as you can in a minute.
- Did you always want to be a History teacher?
I originally wanted to curate exhibitions for art galleries. However whilst at University, I volunteered in The Barber Institute at Birmingham, which is an art gallery and loved working with children and this made me realise I wanted to go into teaching. My degree was History and History of Art, and I wanted to teach History not History of Art.
- Did you ever think you would be Head of Year?
Very early on in my career I realised I had a particular interest in the pastoral side of school life, so I knew that was a position I wanted to work towards.
- What is your favourite historical event?
I’m not sure I have a favourite historical event, but I have a favourite historical period which is the Renaissance, which was the rebirth of classical ideas in Europe in the late 1400s. This is because I love the explosion of fantastic art that emerges at this point. It is also arguable that at this point, History becomes recognised as an academic discipline. We used to run a Sixth Form trip to Florence and Venice where we looked at Renaissance Art and Architecture and this was always a highlight of the academic year for me!
DID YOU KNOW…?
Animals around the world are taking advantage of empty streets and have started overrunning towns! Look at these goats in Wales having an evening snack on someone’s hedgerows!
FIRST YEAR FIVE QUESTIONS
A few questions for you to have a go at yourself or challenge people at home and see if they know the answer. Merits are awarded for everyone who has a go! Just click on the link below and enter your answers.
- Name a metal that is a liquid at room temperature.
- What is the correct term for a female cat?
- Who wrote The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy?
- What is the Italian word, used in music, to describe when you should play a piece loudly?
- Which African country has the following flag?
Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers here.
Well done to Jian G, Oliver P, Toby W, Pablo B, Oliver D and Mikael N for their answers last week, almost all correct! Merits will be added to our remote merit log and if you have space add a merit in your old diaries!
ANSWERS FROM LAST WEEK:
- Which Pokémon is based on a fox? Vulpix, Evie, Ninetails, Nicket and Fennekin
- Who was the first President of the United States of America? George Washington
- Who painted the Mona Lisa? Leonardo Da Vinci
- In Physics, what is the “Goldilocks Zone”? The area where another Earth like planet could exist
- Which song has the lyrics “I’ve got that sunshine in my pocket, got that good soul in my feet?” Can’t stop the feeling
Virtual Drama
The Drama department are offering a very exciting virtual performance opportunity! They are planning to present a video performance of the poem If by Rudyard Kipling.
If you would be keen to be involved in the project please email Mrs Plowman (n.plowman@hamptonschool.org.uk) and you will be sent more information about how to take part via firefly.
