Welcome to the First Year Blog!
The start of the spring term has not been quite as we all expected or hoped, but e-Hampton has swung into action, and we have been so impressed with the enthusiasm and positivity which the boys have already brought to their lessons and a new way of working for many of them.
A MESSAGE FROM MRS HALFORD AND Mr HILL
Dear First Years
We hope you have had a good start to our spring term, albeit remotely! As a year group you have coped well with the ongoing changes since you joined us in September and we have no doubt that you will rise to the new challenge of online learning for the next five weeks.
We are looking forward to seeing how well you do with the weekly Olympic challenges and, of course, keep in touch with Mrs Ziegler with any activities you are taking part in outside of your lessons. You will be able to keep up with the scores and winners of the challenges in the blog.
Just a few key reminders for you heading into our first full week of online learning. Please make sure you complete the daily registration form each morning on Firefly, as otherwise we have to ring your parents to check your whereabouts, make sure to tick off your Firefly tasks at the end of each day so you can stay organised and above all, be kind and look after each other.
We are aware that some of you may be feeling slightly anxious about the coming weeks and we want to emphasise that we are still available via email to support you alongside the School counsellors that you can contact at counselling@hamptonschool.org.uk.
We hope that you all enjoy the weekend, who knows, we might even have some snow!
Warm wishes,
Mrs Halford and Mr Hill
FIRST YEAR CHALLENGES
Over the next few weeks, we will be running an inter-form competition, with weekly challenges to be completed at home. Watch this space for more information!
TIPS FOR ONLINE LEARNING
Here are some top tips for working online!
SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS!
Over the Christmas holidays, Stanley A ran 5k to raise money for Reach, a charity supporting children with missing limbs. Excellent job, Stanley!
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 Ziegler.
PE & SPORTS
Look out for upcoming information on how your PE lessons and Games afternoons will work during the first half of the spring term. We’re keen for everyone to stay healthy, keep active and supplement their day with a good dose of exercise! Don’t forget to abide by Government lockdown rules and restrictions, whatever you get up to.
Looking for a workout to do this weekend. Why not have a go at our first H@H workout of the spring term.
You can find our workouts in our eHub. Click on the image below for this weekend’s suggestion:
NATIONAL HOUSEPLANT WEEK
To get you started this term, we’ve got a Biology-themed challenge for you! To celebrate National Houseplant Week which begins on 11 January, we’d like to see some of your best poses in front of your treasured houseplants. That’s right, move over Christmas tree, the houseplant is back in the limelight!
Send over your photos to Mrs Ziegler and we’ll show as many as we can in next week’s blog.
And, don’t forget, you can’t plant flowers if you haven’t ‘botany’…
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’s the chemical symbol for silver?
- With what sport would you associate Sachin Tendulkar?
- What does the Latin Tempus mean in English?
- What are the five colours of the Olympic rings?
- Which planet is know as the ‘red planet’?
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!
We had an impressive 14 entries for the 5 questions last week, 1J are in the lead with four submissions! Well done to the following boys (make sure to add your merits in the back of your homework diaries and to collect your merit certificates when you reach 10!):
1B: William L, Adam M
1H: Alessandro C, Alex C
1J: Nathaniel C, Freddie T, Caspar S, Joshua R
1L: Gregory M, Agalyan S, Jamie G
1P: Eugene K
1W: Leander KB, Oliver A
And here are the answers to the last set of 5 questions from the autumn term:
- Which world leader celebrates his birthday on Christmas day? Justin Trudeau
- Which country annually sends a Christmas tree to be erected in London’s Trafalgar Square? Norway
- In which ocean can Christmas Island be found in? Indian Ocean
- How many ghosts appear in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”? Four
- When do the 12 Days of Christmas start? December 25/Christmas Day
