Welcome to the First Year Blog!
E-HAMPTON EXCITEMENT AND EXCITING LESSONS
With one week of term left our First Years are fully settled into the swing of Hampton life. There has been the usual buzz about the co-curricular activities this week with Table Tennis proving very popular. New co-curricular activities are still being announced so make sure you try something new!
MEET OUR MEDIA REPS
Budding journalists in the First Year have been busy writing from the front lines about Hampton life this week, say hello to… Faris S from 1W and Aaditya T from 1B!
SUPER SCIENCE
Faris (1W) reports:
In Hampton we have been studying three sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and in all of them we have done intriguing practicals such as heating up liquids in Chemistry using a Bunsen burner or looking at different materials in Biology.
My favourite practical was in Physics where we had to measure the electric current in different lengths and materials of wire that all had three volts of electricity inside. I remember that one time the wire was red because it was so hot (the electric current was around five) and when my pen touched the wire (by accident) it melted my pen a bit, my pen is still working though. The results showed that the electric current became greater when passing through a smaller wire.
It was quite an interesting experience and I am looking forward to more Physics experiments in the future and hope they will be as fun as this one.
MAGICAL MUSIC LESSONS
Aaditya T (1B) Reports:
I am doing tuba and piano lessons. My teachers are very friendly and helpful. I am learning how to play simple tunes such as “When the Saints go Marching in” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Also, I am doing the grade one piano exam this term. I do piano on Thursday lunchtime with Dr Ainscough and I do tuba on Tuesdays with Mr Horden.
Perhaps the most surprising thing was, that to play the tuba, instead of blowing air through the tuba, you have to blow a raspberry!
A FANTASTIC FIRST HALF OF TERM
Lucas TS (1P) reports:
After many hours of learning and working, the students in Hampton must be quite tired, right? Well look no further as in almost just a week… It’s the end of half term and a two-week holiday!!! Everyone is happy to have a nice long break (no denying that!). This half term has been a great introduction with a lot of activities being introduced, doing all of the lessons and making new friends and meeting the teachers! It has been great!
TUTOR PROFILES WITH AADI K
The best way to learn is through asking questions.
This week I interviewed Assistant Head of Year as well as a Classics Teacher Mrs Ziegler.
Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am)
Rene Descartes
What motivates you at to work at Hampton?
The boys. They are really lovely; they make learning really fun as they have tons of questions. I love it here.
What do you think is your greatest achievement so far and why?
I think my Master’s degree in Classics. I’d never done it before, and it was a very big challenge for myself.
Which university did you graduate from?
I graduated from Cambridge University. I got my Masters and Classics degree from there. Ancient History, Latin and Archaelogy were all the topics I learnt.
What are four words to describe you as a Latin teacher?
Four words to describe me would be: Enthusiastic, history-focused, rigorous and funny.
If you could be anything other than a teacher, what would you be?
I would be an academic at University or a cox on the GB rowing team.
What activity/sport do you enjoy the most?
Rowing all day. It’s definitely my favourite activity/sport.
What is that one song stuck in your head?
I listen to Spotify playlists and I heard this amazing song called “Time is Running Out” by MUSE. Personally, I think it accurately sums up the hectic life of a teacher.
Which of your personality traits has been the most useful?
It’s probably a tie. Either, enthusiastic or bossy.
What fact amazes you every time you think about it?
The fact that the Romans invented a recipe for concrete. It amazes me as the Romans knew about it all that time and then we got to know in the 20th century.
If you have thirty free minutes how would you pass your time?
I would spend it out on a field with my dog throwing balls for him to chase because he loves it. I love it when my dog is happy.
E-HAMPTON EXPERIENCE
Tanmay B (1W) reports on his week of e-learning:
This week, a small minority of the Hampton community has had to self-isolate and this includes myself. Luckily, I have found that remote learning at Hampton School is excellent. In this post, I will tell you all about my experience with online learning at Hampton.
It actually feels funny, even though I have been at Hampton for around only four weeks, I am sitting at home, rather than being at School and getting work immediately and knowing what to do. The chat can help everybody, whether at home or school, because others can see how you are doing. Using it, the teachers guide us as much as possible, while also acknowledging that most of the class is still in school. It is also good to know you’re not the only one who has to self-isolate.
One of the most useful things is that they have installed webcams in all of the classrooms. Being able to see what your teacher is doing makes you feel much more connected to the class, albeit digitally.
As we go into the future, remote learning and using electronic means for doing and submitting work is only going to increase in popularity, so it is great that we have the facilities (and tech) to accommodate the rise of e-learning.
World Mental Health Day
This year’s World Mental Health Day is tomorrow, Saturday 10 October. It comes at a time of considerable challenges for many people and during a period when all of us have seen our daily lives change considerably as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To mark WMH Day 2020, Hampton School’s Lead Counsellor, Mr Uccelli, has recorded a short message to remind us all to think about how we can support both ourselves and those around us.
WORLD SPACE WEEK
Advait B reports:
Every year, from the 4 to 10 October, more than 95 nations around the world celebrate World Space Week. Every year, a theme for World Space Week is established by the World Space Week Association. This year’s theme is Satellites Improve Life, last year’s theme was The Moon: Gateway to the Stars, based on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Next year’s theme will be ‘Women in Space”. The dates of World Space Week are the dates of the first man made satellite’s launch, and the Outer Space Treaty being signed. The launch of the first satellite, the Soviet Union’s (which was mostly Russia and some other countries like Kazakhstan and Latvia) Sputnik 1, was on the 4 October 1957 and the Outer Space Treaty was signed on the 10 October 1967. The Outer Space Treaty was available to sign in the UK, USA and the Soviet Union on the 27 January 1967, but was forced on the 10 October that same year. It prohibits the use of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical and biological weapons) in space. The treaty is mostly about not using weapons in space and exploring only for peaceful purposes.
The World Space Week Association is led by a board of volunteers that include Bill Nye (popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy), Buzz Aldrin (the second man to walk on the moon) and Tom Hanks (a famous actor). World Space Week is celebrated with events in schools, planetariums and exhibitions worldwide. For more information about World Space Week, click here.
SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS!
We love to hear about what you have been getting up to outside of school. Please do send any information about any of your achievements through to Mrs Halford.
This week Juan-Leonardo (1H) has had some excellent news! He has been selected to play for the U12 Surrey County Tennis team. What an excellent achievement!
TUTEE OF THE WEEK
Each week Mrs Peattie and Mr Hill select a Tutee of the Week from the nominations sent in by the First Year Form Tutors. This person is selected for their all-round contribution to Hampton life and for displaying a great attitude. Congratulations to this week’s winner of the award: Boris D (1B) for his thoughtful, considerate attitude and for his enthusiasm for all aspects of Hampton life.
FIRST YEAR 5 QUESTIONS:
A few questions for you to have a go at yourself or challenge people at home if they know the answer. Merits are awarded for everyone who has a go! Just click on the link below and enter your answers and points for the Inter-Form Competition will be awarded to the form with the most entries every week.
- What does the word petrichor refer to?
- How many permanent teeth does a dog have?
- What is the full postcode of the Houses of Parliament?
- Gouda is a popular cheese originating from which country?
- Which city is further west – Bristol or Edinburgh?
Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers here.
Remember to write your name in the form so you can be credited with merits! Merits will be added to our remote merit log and if you have space add a merit in the back of your diaries!
We had an impressive 38 entries for the 5 questions last week, and it’s a three way tie with 1W, 1J and 1B each with seven entries! Well done to the following boys (make sure to add your merits in the back of your homework diaries):
1B: Advait B, Will L, Boris D, Jack Y, Seb W, Aditya K, Aaditya T
1F: Patrick M, Jasper E, Charlie H, Henry P
1H: Alessandro C, Prabodha A, Arun S
1J: Nathaniel C, Yuvraj S, Caspar S, Ameya M, Joshua G, Ben B, Joshua R
1L: Jaipsal, Greg M, Fynn A, Agalyan S, Aadi K
1P: Arie B, Alex P, Raif D, Elamaran R, Eugene
1W: Oliver D, Luca K, Leander KB, Faris, Oliver A, Tanmay B, Kanishk
And here are the answers to last week’s 5 questions:
- How many spice options are there at Nandos? 6
- If you completed the Three Peaks challenge, which three UK mountains would you have climbed? Ben Nevis, Snowdon, Scarfell Pike
- How many notes are there in a musical scale? 7
- What in the animal kingdom is a doe? Female deer
- What number is a baker’s dozen? 13
