Welcome to the Third Year Blog!
Here we are again then, the end of another week (where do they keep going??) and a monumental one for US politics. Donald Trump’s extravagant and often controversial four-year term has come to an end, and in his place has come the almost polar opposite Democrat Joe Biden. Reaction on Twitter was predictable, Trump’s once favourite social media outlet, with almost 4M people liking Joe Biden’s heart-warming tweet on the morning of his inauguration. Time will tell on whether President Biden’s tenure can heal the fractured relationships in what appears to be an increasingly divided USA at the moment. We wish him all the very best!
Meanwhile, back in the UK, the Covid-19 vaccination programme continues apace and we have been delighted to see the number of confirmed cases in our local borough of Richmond on Thames falling rapidly in the past few weeks. Neighbouring boroughs appear on similar trajectories and we remain hopeful of further progress in the coming weeks. Lockdown continues to be a challenge and we remain mightily impressed with the resolve and tenacity of our fantastic Third Year boys. Form Tutors, Heads and Assistant Heads of Year, School Counsellors and all members of staff remain on hand to provide advice and support if required, and we encourage all Third Year boys to reach out if there is anything that we can do to help.
In other news this week, Paul Pogba appears to finally be matching up to the £90M transfer fee that Manchester United paid for him five years ago, four ordinary men from the Midlands became a famous meme on social media for no apparent reason, and Bernie Sanders was cold… It’s a funny old world!
Heads of Year Message
We continue to be really pleased with the way that Third Years have adapted to guided home learning at e-Hampton this term. Please keep these efforts up and let us or your Form Tutors know if you are having difficulties.
This week, we would really like to emphasise the importance of keeping a good balance to your weekday routine.
Make sure you get up in plenty of time to have breakfast, wash and get dressed, ready to log on and “register” that you are ready to work on Firefly by 8:45 each morning.
You must also attend a morning registration on MS Teams with your Form Tutors at 8:45 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, or a Form Period at 10:15 on Mondays and Thursdays.
Your subject teachers are aiming to set the right amount of work to enable you to make good progress while working at a good intensity (and focussed) for the duration of the timetabled lesson. If work is taking you longer than this to complete, please notify your subject teacher politely by email and copy your Form Tutors on this email.
This should leave you plenty of time during break time, lunch time, PE lessons, Games lessons and after 4pm each day to get away from your desk, get some fresh air and get active or creative, or help someone else.
A quick word on diet: keep your energy levels up with a hearty breakfast and lunch during the day. If you want a snack too, favour foods with lots of vitamins and slow release energy (e.g. a banana) rather than snacks with lots of refined sugar.
Finally, get plenty of rest. You are having to spend a lot of time during the day looking at screens while working, so avoid on-screen activities in the evening and allow your eyes to rest.
Ensure you’re getting to bed in good time as well.
Well done for all your efforts so far this term – keep up the good work!
Best wishes
Miss Smith & Mr Rigby
PE & Sports
You should be looking to complete a minimum of four activities from the grid below. Why not try and perform the tasks with others from your household or friends virtually?
RowinG LOCKDOWN MATCH!
Calling all J14 rowers, parents and siblings! Your time to shine is this weekend!
Hampton School Boat Club is taking part in a 5k running fixture with The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club this weekend, and every entry counts!
All you have to do to compete is run a 5k in your local area, or on a treadmill, on Saturday or Sunday, and then submit your time using the link below:
Every entry counts towards the overall result, and it’s not just about the fastest times so don’t worry if you’re not the quickest runner! I’m looking at you, mums and dads!
The deadline for entries is 5pm on Sunday, so what are you waiting for? Get those running shoes on and represent Hampton this weekend!
U14 Football Lockdown Competition!
Third Year footballers – it’s competition time! (see below and on Firefly)
Junior Footballers (U12-U14) Lockdown Competition
You have a number of tasks to complete under the categories of Physical, Technical, Tactical and Mindfulness.
Points can be accumulated which are added to your squad total and the squad with the most points by half term will win!
Evidence of task completion must be uploaded onto a form (more details from your football coaches next week). In the mean-time, keep the evidence titled and in a folder ready to upload
Good luck!
2021 Lockdown Challenge 1
Our first lockdown challenge of 2021 was to cook a meal or dish for your family and we had a fantastic response! It was great to see so many Third Year boys getting stuck into their cooking and baking and some of their wonderful creations can be seen in the video below, along with a few contributions from the Heads and Assistant Heads of Year!
3C used their Form Time on Thursday to celebrate their sweet treats together – they look delicious, boys!
2021 Lockdown Challenge 2 – This week’s challenge!
This week, we are asking you to break out your watercolours, sharpen those drawing pencils and prepare your modelling clay in preparation for… an ART CHALLENGE!
That’s right, we’re asking you to come up with a piece of artwork, inspired by whatever takes your fancy, and share it with us here at the blog!
Art is a fantastic way to unwind and relax after a hard day of online learning, and it can have a really positive affect on your mental health! We can’t wait to see your creations so get cracking and send through some photos once you’ve finished to j.neville@hamptonschool.org.uk
If you need some inspiration, have a look at this wonderful oil pastel sketch of a lion done by Ishan P in 3H. Absolutely top drawer, Ishan – well done!
Crisp Packet Challenge – Can you guess?
Our Environment Committee are running a competition to highlight the easy measures that we can all take to protect the world we live in.
During the autumn term, members of our Environment Committee collected snack and crisp packets recycled by our School community and we’d like you to try and guess the number recycled. Take a look at the photo below, can you guess how many crisp and snack packets were recycled during the autumn term?
If you would like to enter, please click on the link below:
The closing date for entries is 6pm on Thursday 28 January. The closest guess to the total number of crisp and snack packets collected last term will win a £25 Amazon gift voucher. Go on, have a guess!
HELP Project Level 2
The Hampton Extended Learning Project (HELP) is still open for applications from Third Years! HELP is an initiative intended to provide an opportunity for you to extend your learning in a subject area of your choice. You will have the chance to produce an extended project which will improve your organisation, research and analytical skills.
You could develop your passion for Art, Music, Coding, Astronomy, Meteorology, Medicine, History, Technology, Wildlife, a Book, an Author, an Influential Person… or anything else that sparks your interest!
Academic scholars are expected to complete a HELP project. If you are interested, please contact Mr Wilkinson with your proposal (a.wilkinson@hamptonschool.org.uk).
More information, along with examples of past HELP projects can be found on Firefly here: https://hamptonschool.fireflycloud.net/help/level-2-3rd-year
The deadline for proposals is Friday 29 January.
