Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
I can’t believe that we only have one week left until half term! There have been lots of great things going on in lessons, and I know that you are all really appreciative of the engaging activities that your teachers have been coming up with! We’ve got lots of challenges and competitions for you to get involved in, and some inspiration for making the most of lockdown!
MERITS
A big well done to the following boys for reaching their merit milestones this week. Keep up the great work!
Richard Page – 10
Nathan Navarro – 20
Elliot Cundy – 50
Avi Bhatt – 70
Avi Bhatt – 80 (An amazing achievement!)
SENIOR MENTOR INTERVIEWS
In our weekly blog this half term we are featuring an interview with one of our senior mentors. This week, thank you to Charlie Sutton for answering the questions posed by our blog reps!
What are your top tips for learning at home effectively?
I’ve found that keeping a clean desk has been hugely helpful for my online lessons. It means I know exactly where all my books are and I feel more organised, so I can be ready for each lesson prior to it starting. I also keep notes of what work is due and when, like a virtual yellow diary.
What advice would you give when it comes to choosing subject options for Third Year and beyond?
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but pick what you enjoy now, or what you think you will enjoy if you haven’t yet started it. You can always change your choice a few weeks after starting if you’re not enjoying it as much as you’d hoped. I remember really enjoying languages in First and Second Year, so I continued with Spanish (which was compulsory), Latin and I picked up German. I ended up taking both Spanish and German for GCSE.
How are you keeping active during lockdown?
I have a sport-specific training programme which my rowing coach has sent to follow over lockdown to maintain fitness. I also try to take my dog for a walk every day, to make sure I’m getting out of the house. I find that sticking to a regime makes it far easier and a bit less tedious, when it finally comes down to exercising!
What sport are you doing?
I’m continuing with Rowing over lockdown, they’ve set up online Teams training sessions for us, so it’s nice to keep working for something and to see other people whilst training – even if it is virtually.
What other hobbies do you have?
I’m a keen golfer, I play a round every week with my Dad and some friends. Whilst obviously proving tricky at the minute, it’s great to get out of the house and have a chat and a laugh. I also enjoy spending time with my friends, unfortunately most of this is Zoom quizzes these days!
Now that you are in the Upper Sixth, what advice would you give for successfully navigating each year at school?
My advice would be to make sure you always hand your work in on time and stay on top of things. It puts you in good favour with teachers and doesn’t let things pile up, so they don’t become overwhelming. Furthermore, when the time comes to start your exam courses, put the work in at the start, even when it feels like it’s not necessary. It will save you a lot of work as you approach exams.
What is your most memorable school experience?
My most memorable experience would be the German exchange in Fourth Year. Initially, the prospect of spending a week with a family who spoke a completely different language was quite daunting. My German language skills were fairly limited, so it certainly threw me in at the deep end! However, it turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, as it taught me so much about a different culture and a different way of life, I even ended up going to a theme park! I’m very grateful for the experience, and it is likely one I wouldn’t have had without the opportunities provided at Hampton.
If you could go back in time, what would you like to say, to your Second Year self?
Just try to make the most of your time at Hampton. The last seven years have gone by very quickly and Second Year was one of the best of those years. Also, try not to stress too much about option choices, I know it’s easy to, however they are not necessarily going to dictate the passage of your life.
SCHOOL CAPTAINS
A reminder that the School Captains would like to hear from you during this period of home learning.
Every Friday, the School Captains’ team is happy to meet on Teams with any lower school boy. We would particularly like to hear from Hamptonians about:
- Any initiatives Hamptonians would like to set up, in case we might be able to help out
- Anything co-curricular people have been involved with and would like to share with the Hampton community (potentially through official school social media), from community service, charity and environmental actions to Music, Drama, Sport and much more besides!
- Any issues they have had with the e-Hampton period, and any suggestions they have for improvements
Please email captains@hamptonschool.org.uk to arrange a time to speak.
AMAZING CELLS IN CHEMISTRY
Zaid (2P) tells us about what’s been happening in Chemistry this week.
In Chemistry we have been learning about cells, what they are, and how they work. We were set a task to choose a topic and create a short video about it. The topics were a short history of batteries, how batteries work, the future of batteries, and our changing demand for batteries. I chose a short history of batteries.
It was really fun researching and creating a video of our chosen topic, and there was so much to learn. I think this is the best thing about learning and Chemistry in particular. You can learn so much and yet still have fun. This task was a great success, and I hope that our great teachers organise more of this further down the line!
Take a look at Zaid’s work here:
BRILLIANT BIOLOGY
More fun in Biology this week, thank you to Elliot (2H) for writing the following report.
During this week’s Biology lesson, 2H completed a home practical. When a fungus, in this case, yeast feeds on nutrients like sugar, it releases Carbon Dioxide due to turning the nutrients into energy. If completed in the correct conditions, then a balloon will be inflated using this effect.
To complete the experiment, we used:
- An empty water bottle
- A balloon
- A dessert spoon of sugar
- Some hot water
- A small packet of yeast
Firstly, we put the yeast into the bottle along with the sugar. Secondly, we poured in the hot water before finally securing the balloon over the top of the bottle. We then waited for 20 minutes before checking our results. If the temperature, volume and acidity of the water was right, as well as other factors such as the cleanliness of the bottle, then the balloon will have inflated. Some of us were successful whilst others found their balloons did not inflate with the main cause being the temperature of the water. It was really good fun to be doing a practical session.
Avi (2H) provided this image of the experiment in action!
Bird watching
And some more great bird watching photos from Sammy (2P) and Ryan (2P)
ENVIRONMENT COMPETITIONS
A reminder of our ongoing environment competitions set by 2W and 2L!
Well done to Elliot (2H) for creating these fantastic bird feeders!
THINGS FOR THE WEEKEND!
If you are stuck for something different to do at the weekend, why not try one of the following!
Breakfast Competition
Breakfast is a really important meal as it sets you up for the day! Sadly, we don’t always have the time to cook ourselves a good breakfast during the week, so why don’t you challenge yourself to cook up a feast this weekend. Perhaps cook breakfast for your whole family!
Last week we did a cake competition. We received lots of good entries so well done to everyone that entered. This week we are doing a cooking competition. Specifically, a breakfast competition. For this competition you have to make the best breakfast that you can. The deadline is by next Thursday. You’re your photos to Miss Kugele at r.kugele@hamptonschool.org.uk – Raphael (2W)
Stargazing
Spend some time outside and have a look at the night sky. Trivikram (2P) tells us what you might be able to spot!
Famous stars, constellations, and a planet to look out for:
- Leo (very close to the east horizon, but just above it)
- Pegasus (same as Leo, but on the other side, west)
- Draco (looks like a snake, towards the north horizon)
- Pisces (looks similar to Draco, but very close to the west horizon)
- Polaris (it is part of the Ursa Minor constellation, and is often the brightest star in the night sky!)
- Mars! (Mars will be visible close to Pisces, but closer to the zenith, the bit of the sky right above you)
For the best experience, go somewhere out of the view of street lights, and possibly take a pair of binoculars with you. The weather will also need to be clear to see most of the stars. Enjoy stargazing!
Home Photography
Get creative at home, and see if you can make ordinary household items into a work of art!
Send in a photo of some items from around the house! As we can’t go out as much, try and find some interesting household objects and arrange them to look as creative as possible! Send photos to Miss Kugele at r.kugele@hamptonschool.org.uk by Thursday next week. Try and experiment with lighting and how you can arrange your different objects – Elliot (2H)
MARVELLOUS MUSIC
Thank you to Arjan, Oli, and Jian (2W) for sharing with us their fantastic rendition of Sam Smith’s Stay ‘With Me’.
Enjoy their strings and Piano Triad here:
LONDON BIKE RIDE
Thank you to Ben (2B) for telling us about his cycle ride around London!
We arrived in London and parked behind the Royal Albert Hall and hired Boris bikes to ride round Hyde Park and throughout London. After exiting Hyde Park by Kensington Palace, we cycled up Billionaire’s row which had so many massive houses including twelve embassies. We then went from Hyde Park Corner to Buckingham Palace and round the forecourt cycling down the mall and to the edge of St James’s Park. From there we cycled to Horse Guards Parade to Parliament Square and Big Ben. Parking the Boris bikes, we did a podcast walk around Westminster and up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. It was crazy how empty it was at the usually bustling Trafalgar Square. Picking up the Boris bikes, after a cup of hot chocolate from a flask, we cycled into the city around Covent Garden, Aldwych, Fleet Street. We then went to the stunning St Paul’s Cathedral and down to the Monument of the Great Fire of London. To get back to the car from there we cycled through Blackfriars and past the London Eye and along the embankment to Westminster. Retracing our steps till we arrived at our car. I would thoroughly recommend this day out as it is very enjoyable and informative for anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of cold. 🙂
SNOW!
Two humorous snow pictures this week to enjoy! Joseph (2J) had a new goal keeper who was frozen to the spot and Elliot (2H) enjoyed a hot drink with his very cold companion!
TRIVIA
Have a go at our weekly trivia questions and send in your answers for a merit!
This week’s questions have been set by Trivikram (2P) and are all based on the internet!
- How many ipv4 addresses are possible in the world?
- True or false: The internet is the same as the world wide web.
- Does skype run on the world wide web?
- What is the fastest download speed in the world, as of August 2020?
- What doe DNS stand for?
- How long is the SEA-ME-WE-2 (South-East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe 2) submarine cable?
Guess the close-up!
What is this a picture of?
Answers to last week’s trivia questions!
- Vatican City
- 4 (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia)
- William Pitt
- Cambridge
- USA
- Real Madrid
- Almonds
- Strawberry
- Shirley Bassey
- True
PE & SPORTS
Looking for a workout to do this weekend? Here is Mr Hooper with another Beat the Coach challenge for you to try:
Thursday Night In: Family Cook-Along with Chef Paulie
Join us for a special Thursday Night In at 7pm on Thursday 11 February to cook-along with Hampton School Head Chef Paulie. We will be making some delicious ‘Posh Nachos’. We will be preparing the toppings as the tortillas bake and become nachos! Following that we will top them with jalapeños and cheese. This dish will be served two ways: one plate with everything together, one with the dips served in bowls on the side so everything is crispy with baby gem “boats”.
So if you fancy cooking up some tasty treats with your family then Book Here
