Welcome to the First Year Blog!

With summer assessments approaching next week, the boys have been making the most of their revision time in lessons. We have been really impressed by the focus and work ethic of the boys; just a reminder that the assessments are nothing to be worried or stressed about, and getting enough sleep, exercise and good food is just as important. The first day of assessments will also see the first Inter-Form competition this term, with Inter-Form athletics in the afternoon; hopefully the boys will enjoy some time outside and the opportunity for some teamwork and healthy competition!

Lots of clubs are up and running now; watch this space for more clubs and sports training as they open!

 

Monday Library day – lunchtime

Clarinet Ensemble – P3 (Rm. 35)

School Choir – P3 (Music Hall)

Biology Club – 12:40 (B4)

Book Group – 1:15 (Library)

Cricket training – 12:40 (field)

 

Tuesday Chamber Choir – 8:15 (Music Hall)

Goalkeeping -12:40 (field)

Athletics (Sprints) – 12:40 (field)

Board games – 12:40 (field)

 

Wednesday Physics Club – 12:40 (P1)

Tennis training – 12:40 (Front Courts)

Athletics (throws/jumps) – 12:40 (field)

 

Thursday Philosophy Circle – 1:15 (Rm. 21)

Golf – 1:05 (golf nets)

Athletics (hurdles) – 1:05 (field)

 

Friday Tennis training – 1:05 (Front Courts)

Basketball Club – 1:05 (Sports Hall)

Chess – 4-5:30 (Rm. 25)

 

UPCOMING ASSESSMENTS

Last week, to celebrate World Mental Health Week, and following on from an excellent assembly on the benefits of getting out in nature to support mental health, the boys were given a packet of wildflower seeds to grow. Lucas S-T (1P) has some super tips to promote your mental health:

Last week, it was mental health awareness week! During this week we learnt about activities that bring us outside and get us close to Nature and help our mental health! This is very helpful, much more than some of you may think. It even helps with revision which is what we’re doing right now!

It is a great way for taking nice breaks from revision and you really need breaks from it because if you don’t take breaks revising would be harder. Here are some good activities: Bird watching, fishing, cycling, gardening and going on walks! We were even given flower seeds at the end of the week! So get out there, boys, and get close to nature!

Record-breaker

A big shout out to athlete Marcus S who broke a 32-year Hampton School record in the First Year 1500m competition at the annual Harrow Athletics fixture.

Summer Sports

Our First Years dodged the showers this week as they had a go at Cricket, Tennis and Climbing during their Games afternoon. Take a look at what they got up to:

SCIENCE WITH KANISHK M

This week, Kanishk M (1W) gives some interesting (and explosive!) insights into why chemical reactions occur:

Boom, bang, phhhh?

Chemicals react, no surprise to many. I mean, haven’t we all thrown some vinegar on baking soda and been shrieked at for the mess?

Some of us have seen sodium go boom when it hits the water, but when you throw your mother’s priceless mother o’ pearl ring into the local pond, the only thing that went boom was your parents, and they go boom a lot anyway.

But why? Why is it that sodium goes boom in water when priceless rings don’t, what makes something react?

Reactions

Here is the formula for why sodium reacts with water:

2Na + 2H2O = 2NaOH + H2

What is happening is that the sodium reacts with the water as it is an unstable alkali and is converted into sodium hydroxide and there is a by-product of this reaction, single hydrogen, which now goes out and joins with another hydrogen to make H2. But why does it go bang? Well, when sodium reacts with water, the reaction is highly exothermic which means it heats up significantly. This energy is enough to set the hydrogen on fire, and hence, you get a boom.

Now let’s see how your mother’s priceless mother o’ pearl ring does with water…

CaCO3 + Au3 + Al2O3:Cr + Pd = a priceless mother o’ pearl ring with a ruby in the middle.

Now, water is H2O, so now let’s put them together:

CaCO3 + Au3 + Al2O3:Cr + Pd + H2O =CaCO3 + Au3 + Al2O3:Cr + Pd + H2O + angry parents*

So as you can see, unless the chemicals used are put in certain circumstances that you would never get on a walk to the pond, absolutely nothing occurs. Some people, if you want to know more, actually check if something is a high-quality ruby or sapphire by putting it in water. And gold does not corrode so doing this is fine for the ring.

* I cannot help you find out what makes parents unworried as they are very unpredictable.

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 Ziegler (h.ziegler@hamptonschool.org.uk).

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 f1or the Inter-Form Competition will be awarded to the form with the most entries every week.

  1. Unscramble the letters to make the name of a well-known Pixar film: end of mining
  2. What is the name of the hard rubber disc players hit in ice hockey?
  3. Which new British military force was established in 1918?
  4. What are people who suffer from triskaidekaphobia afraid of?
  5. How many bones are in the human body?

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 40 entries for the 5 questions last week, 1J are in the lead this week with a record-breaking 22 submissions! Wow, well done boys, nearly the entire form! Can we beat this next week? 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: Chris C, Jathun J,  Jack Y, Alessio C, Aditya K

1H: Prabodha A, Alex C

1J: Joshua G, Matthew C, Ralph C, Nathaniel C, Maxwell G, Aaron L, Tom B, Max V, Freddie T,  Archer J, Akshat N, Fabio TP, Daniel T, Dylan M, Yuvraj S, Casper S, William M, Ameya M, Stanley A, Ben B, Joshua R, Aarush J

1L: Matthew J, Agalyan S, Jamie G

1P: Eugene K, Raif D

1W: Leander KB, Oliver A

1F: Arun C, Charles H, Felix B, Leonid K

And here are the answers to last week’s 5 questions:

  1. In 1990 who created the World Wide Web? Tim Berners-Lee
  2. What is the capital of New Zealand? Wellington
  3. What part of a plant conducts photosynthesis? Leaf
  4. In Greek mythology, what three animals make up a chimera? Lion, goat, snake
  5. In cricket, what kind of bowler bowls a googly? Spinner

Have a great weekend!

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