Welcome to the First Year Blog!
This time of year is always a bit strange as we are simultaneously celebrating the past year with the current First Years, but also looking forward to welcoming next year’s cohort. I am writing this blog in the New Forest in the company of Fourth Years on their Silver DofE expedition and it feels like only a moment ago that I got to know these pupils in First Year! With New Boys’ Morning coming up this Saturday, we are looking forward to welcoming another set of new First Years, and at the same time seeing the current year group move up to Second Year. I am sure that some of you reading this will be remember coming in to meet your new Forms, Tutors and Mentors this time last year.
National Quiz Finals, quizzes for charity, and lots of sport and music in clubs, and fixtures as always! Although there are only two weeks left there is plenty of excitement to come – next week’s Biology trip to Marwell Zoo will certainly be great fun!
PERFECT PINOCCHIO
This week’s Lower School Play Once Upon a Pine: The Adventures of Pinocchio, had more than 40 Lower School pupils involved in various on- and off-stage roles during three performances. I had the opportunity to watch the play on Tuesday night and had such an incredible time – such great acting, movement and jokes! Well done to everyone involved, and to Miss Tiller for writing and directing such an amazing show!
Once upon a Pine was a magical story acted on Tuesday and Wednesday by First to Third Years all about the puppet Pinocchio made of wood, as he learns to respect, be honest to and love his parents. He gets created out of wood and comes to life. He gets sent to school but is distracted by a circus. While he’s coming home, his dad is considered insane and sent away. Determined to find him, he performs many mishaps but then finds the Blue Fairy, who tells him to be kind and noble and his wish will come true. It was full of laughs providing a funny experience for all. All the actors did well, especially Pinocchio and the ticket master who ran the circus. In my opinion, the circus was the best with its tremendously horrific circus performers and fake tricks. By Shishir V (1J)
MEET YOUR TEACHERS
This week Gabriel K-S interviewed Mr Fuldner (me!) – one of 1B’s Form Tutors and Assistant Head of First Year!
What made you want to teach?
Before I started teacher training, I worked in the Science Museum and was an explainer there. I talked about science to lots of kids, and I always thought it would be nice to get to know these kids rather than talk to them a few hours whilst I was explaining stuff to them: that’s teaching, isn’t it!
Do you prefer England or the Netherlands?
Definitely England to teach: schools are so much fun here! However, Netherlands for football because of the Dutch national team and since I’m Dutch. As well, I love the deep fried food in the Netherlands.
What do you like best about Hampton?
The boys. It’s that simple. They’re funny, positive and really want to learn and ask questions about the topics we’re teaching them. The boys here at Hampton are amazing!
What is the most useful thing that you own?
Hm… Probably my phone. But only because without it I wouldn’t be able to talk with my family – it’s not like I use it too much! Except for that – my running shoes because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to go on a run.
What is the best part about Physics?
Astronomy. I love learning about it, and I love teaching it. Space is just so big! There’s so much there to see and explore. Galaxies, stars, black dwarves, the list goes on!
If you could go back and uninvent something, what invention would you erase from history?
That’s a really hard question because people would invent new things! Knives. No, all weapons as long as nothing came in to replace them.
What is your favourite hobby?
Going on hikes in the mountains, ideally climbing mountains (not with ropes though – that would scare me!)
What is the best place that you’ve ever visited?
London, it was so nice that I wanted to live here!
If everyone was mentally incapable of lying, how would that change the world?
Although honesty is always best, the world would probably be much harsher. People tell a lot of lies to be nice to other people. Always being brutally honest is very harsh and would not necessarily make the world a nicer place.
Do you think that blogs and other forms of written media will die out to video?
No because video I think – if it’s just someone talking – is itself quite boring. But if a blog is well written it can be fun and great and really amazing to read. It is a different way of consuming media which has its own benefits and drawbacks.
KANGAROO MATHS CHALLENGE
I was invited to the Junior Kangaroo Challenge last Wednesday because I did well on the first round, which was the Junior Mathematical Challenge. I received Gold in the Junior Mathematical Challenge (first round) and scored 93 and everyone that scored above 88 could take part in the second round. I was very nervous as I was ready to complete the Junior Kangaroo Challenge, and this was my first experience. There were 25 questions in total and I had an hour to complete the test: this may seem long, however it felt very short, as the questions were very challenging and tricky! The mark scheme was Question 1-15 (5 marks) and Question 16-25 (6 marks). As I started the test, the first few questions were quite easy (example below) and then the questions got harder from Question 18 onwards (example below). I took a large amount of time thinking about these advanced word problem questions and tried to solve equations and find out the answer. But I had no luck; the questions just seemed to be impossible!
Here are some examples of the questions from Junior Kangaroo Challenge:
Easy:
A doctor told Mikael to take a pill every 75 minutes. He took his first pill at 11:05. At what time did he take his fourth pill?
Hard:
Tony had a large number of 1p, 5p, 10p and 20p coins in a bag. He removed some of the coins. The mean value of the coins he removed was 13p. He noticed that a 1p piece in his group of removed coins was damaged so he threw it away. The mean value of the rest of his removed coins was then 14p. How many 10p coins did he remove from the bag?
By Oliver Y (1P)
National Quiz Finals!
Miss Noble fills us in on what happened at the National Quiz finals this week:
The Hampton Junior Quiz Team fought valiantly at the national finals, narrowly losing the plate final to City of London A Team.
We first came up against Magdalen College and lost 630-620 in a nail biting (and at times, controversial!) match. This meant that we were left fighting for the plate, and we comfortably beat Tiffin in our next round to get through to the final. Despite a strong start in our final match, we lost to City of London A Team by around 60 points leaving us proud runners up in the plate competition.
It was a fun afternoon out and all pupils enjoyed themselves. We will be back stronger next year!!
OXFORD German Olympiad
Lucas B (1P) entered the Oxford German Olympiad, with his entry being Commended, which is a remarkable effort. Here, Lucas talks us through the experience of being involved.
During the spring term, I entered the Oxford German Olympiad competition. My entry was a video in German explaining the process of making an apple strudel. Having only learnt German for a term and a half I found it difficult to translate and had to search up most of the words. Making the apple strudel was definitely the easy part and also the more delicious part. Editing the video took a long time but it was worth it as my entry was commended by the judges.
Well done Lucas!
CHARITY QUIZ
The First Year Charity Quiz consisted of six people to give £2 to charity and fortunately I was chosen. There were five categories in the quiz and five questions for each. It was very fun discussing in our groups about what the answers were. One of my favourite types of categories was guessing the movie. In the end we scored 20 correct out of 25 and won the quiz. By Danyal P (1J)
Take a look at some of the action from the quiz:
WINCHESTER PHYSICS
Another report on last week’s Physics trip to Winchester from Devam K (1B):
On Monday, we went to the Winchester Science Museum and Planetarium. Once everyone had got onto their buses, the vehicles started to travel towards our destination, creating an atmosphere buzzing with excitement. The enthusiastic chatter continued throughout the journey, with anticipation building with every passing mile. As we approached our destination, the large structure of the museum came into view, eliciting gasps of awe. The bus came to a halt, and as we disembarked, we found ourselves rejuvenated by the beautiful weather after the journey.
After being split into groups, my group was led to a room where we were introduced to an exciting experiment involving a mysterious liquid. Our instructor explained that when this liquid was shaken and ignited, it produced a loud pop sound and propelled the container forward like a miniature rocket. We were thrilled to learn that we would be creating our own rockets using various components designed to enhance their performance.With careful guidance, we assembled our rockets, attaching fins and nose cones to ensure stability and aerodynamics. The room buzzed with a combination of concentration and excitement as we eagerly prepared for the ultimate test. One by one, we ignited our rockets, watching in amazement as they soared through the air, leaving behind trails of awe-inspiring beauty.
After this exhilarating activity, we reconvened with the other groups and enjoyed a packed lunch consisting of delicious sandwiches and crisps. The energy was contagious as we shared stories of our rocket-launching experiences, eagerly anticipating the next adventure that awaited us. Soon, it was time to make our way to the planetarium. As we entered the darkened theatre, our eyes were immediately drawn to the immense curved screen that stretched out before us. The stars twinkled above, creating an enchanting ambiance. A knowledgeable presenter took the stage, guiding us through the mesmerising world of constellations, highlighting the famous ones found in Winchester and sharing intriguing facts about each. The screen then transformed, giving us a breath-taking view of our own Earth from the vastness of space. The sensation of floating among the stars was enhanced by the dimmed lights and immersive effects. We learned about other planets, stars, galaxies, and moons, expanding our understanding of the boundless universe.
As the planetarium experience ended, we were left with a profound sense of wonder and a newfound appreciation for the wonders of the cosmos. Eager to further indulge our scientific curiosity, we were given the opportunity to explore the museum’s captivating exhibits, filled with mind-boggling experiments and intriguing facts at every turn. From interactive displays to thought-provoking installations, the museum left us amazed and inspired. Reluctantly, we bid farewell to the captivating world of science and embarked on our journey back to school. The buses hummed with chatter and excitement as we shared our favourite moments from the day. The Winchester Science Museum and Planetarium had provided us with an unforgettable experience, igniting our passion for Physics and leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and minds.
JUNIOR PARKRUN
Jiashan L (1B) tells us about his first junior parkrun experience – with this event being available in many places all over London and Surrey you might also want to consider giving this a go!
Two weeks ago, I completed my first junior parkrun at Bushy Park. As this was my first parkrun, I was quite nervous. We arrived 15 minutes before the race began to warm up and get ready. When the start became closer and closer, more people began to come. Five minutes before the race, everybody did a group warm up. After, we lined up at the start line, I looked around and there were much more people than I thought there would have been. When the volunteer said go, everybody began racing to be at the front. Some of the participants sprinted at the start, which makes the rest of the run quite hard. Eventually, I made it to the front and eventually I won the race. My dad and my sister raced too, and my sister came 73rd while I came 1st. I am quite happy with this result as it was 2km with 160 people. I had lots of fun and I am very happy that I came 1st in my first ever junior parkrun..
TUTEE OF THE WEEK
Every week, the First Year Tutor team nominate a boy who they have been particularly impressed with, and Mr Hill and Mrs Peattie provide him with a football to use on the fields for the week!
This week’s tutee of the week is Lucas T (1P) as Mrs Scorer, Mr Hood, Mr Hill and Mrs Peattie have been impressed with the his excellent attitudes towards all aspects of school life – well done, Lucas!
SHOUT OUTS
Tom B (1W) spent his Saturday last week competing in the London Megafinals of the UK Chess Challenge. He was drawn against some tough opponents, but eventually emerged as the winner of the Under 12 tournament. Well done on such an incredible achievement, Tom!
We love to hear about what you have been getting up to outside of school and to celebrate your successes in the First Year Blog! Please do send any information about any of your achievements through to Mr Fuldner (d.fuldner@hamptonschool.org.uk).
FIRST YEAR FIVE QUESTIONS
An impressive 23 First Year Hamptonians had a go at last week’s quiz, well done to everyone who had a go! Form 1J crowned weekly champions with six entries. Merits go to:
1P: Oliver Y, Lucas B, Sion K
1J: Joshua A, Neil T, Danyal P, Josh P, David W
1B: Joe B, Alex G, Sebastian W, Dennis H, Gabriel KS, Lewis H
1H: James G, Lucas T, Matthew K
1F: Aiden F, Daniel S
1W: Dean B, Brooklyn N, Esa S, Shiv V
Take a look at this week’s questions – have a go yourself or challenge people at home and see if they know the answer.
- Which two countries share the longest international border?
- On Saturday 18th June 1815, which famous battle took place?
- The Roman God of War inspired the name of which planet?
- When was the company Nike found?
- How many eyes does a bee have?
Merits are awarded for everyone who has a go! Just click on the link below and enter your answers; points for the Interform Competition will be awarded to the form with the most entries every week.
This week’s questions are set by Oliver Y (1P). Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers here.
Take a look at next week’s blog to find out the answers and here are the answers to last week’s questions:
- What is the capital of Uganda? Kampala
- What is the oldest book? The Epic of Gilgamesh
- What is the name of a doctor of the skin? Dermatologists
- Who created the first computer? Charles Babbage
- What is the fastest man-made object? The NASA Parker Solar Probe spacecraft
