Welcome to the Third Year Blog!
We have reached the point that comes in every half term when the corridors become marginally more chaotic, the shirts find ways to untuck themselves and the games on the 3G take on a slightly more frantic energy. Hampton is an energising place, but you can only receive and sustain that energy for so long before needing a break. Of course, this time of the half term can also end up coinciding with a flood of assessments (and accompanying marking!) which doesn’t help the general sense of a community with an abundance of nervous energy that needs to find an outlet.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of ways to burn that energy off, whether physically or mentally. This week in the blog we have a focus on the U15A Rugby team, with an interview with the captain of the team after a strong win against Epsom College at the weekend. There is a report on the weekend’s Model United Nations conference which offers a more cerebral way to burn the energy off. If you are someone who needs to find a way to feed your creative spark, then we have information about creative competitions via The Writers’ Room and the Arts Award. Regardless of the way you need to let off steam, there is an outlet at Hampton, it seems!
The most important thing, of course, is to make sure that as we careen towards the half term break (Two weeks! Two weeks!) we take care of ourselves and each other. Enjoy the weekend and line yourself up for one more week of liveliness before you can retreat back to your lair to rejuvenate yourself for the second half of term.
Heads of Year Message
Form Charity Mufti Day
A reminder that Friday 20 October will be a mufti day at School with funds raised being donated to support our three Form Charity partners.
Interform Competition
We are looking forward to the latest instalment of the Interform Competition next week. Always fiercely contested, with pride on the line (or on the rope), the Interform Tug-of-War will be the talk of the 3G on Thursday lunchtime. Good luck to all Forms!
Mobile Phones Policy
To ensure consistency with other Lower School and Middle School Year Groups there will be a slight change in mobile phone policy for Third Years effective from Monday. Unauthorised device use (i.e. using a mobile phone or iPad without the express permission of a teacher) will now apply before school and throughout the school day. Third Year pupils will no longer be allowed to use their mobile phones if unsupervised in their Form Rooms before 8.45am.
October Grade Cards
Parents will be able to access their son’s grade card from the end of the school day on Friday 20 October via the Parent Portal. The link to this will also be sent to parents via SchoolPost that evening. Boys should not worry unduly about their grade cards. Form Tutors will pick up on any academic concerns after the half term holiday, with the aim of offering support if required.
Absences
For medical absences, please notify your son’s Form Tutors via email (cc’ing absence@hamptonschool.org.uk) on the morning of each day of absence by 8:45am, or complete the absence form via the parent portal. For planned absences and appointments, please contact Heads of Year requesting the absence with as much notice as possible.
Boys – Please let us, your Form Tutors or the relevant subject teachers know if you have any difficulties. Have a lovely weekend.
Best wishes
Mr T Rigby & Mrs M Bedford
Meet The Captain
With the rugby season well and truly underway, the Third Year Blog catches up with Kian W (3J) who is this year’s captain of the U14A team:
Third Year Blog: At the weekend, you secured the first win of the season. Congratulations! What were the highlights of what must have been a great performance?
Kian W: On Saturday, there were many highlights from our performance against Epsom scoring five brilliant tries all successfully converted by Xavier K. If I had to pick out one highlight, I would say the cross-field kick from Benedict B which was skilfully caught and scored by Vuk V was the play of the game.
TYB: Has it been challenging waiting and working for the first victory?
KW: Although it has been challenging, we kept our heads up and kept working hard which paid off on Saturday.
TYB: What has your coach been asking you all to work on most?
KW: Our coach has mainly asked us to work together in our fixtures with equal contribution from each player on the team because when we play as a team (as demonstrated against Epsom) we become a stronger side than the opposition.
TYB: How have the new joiners in the year fitted into the squad? What have they brought to the team?
KW: The new joiners have fitted perfectly into our squad playing in positions all over the field. They have each displayed sportsmanship, passion, knowledge and have brought their positive attitude to the team.
TYB: What are your hopes for the rest of the season?
KW: My main hope for the rest of the season is for the team to continue to display maximum effort, passion, and positivity as we progress through the season. This way, we will hopefully secure many more victories in our upcoming fixtures.
TYB: What would you say to any boys in the year considering getting involved in rugby who don’t play the sport for the School yet?
KW: I would definitely encourage them to consider starting rugby for Hampton even if they don’t feel very confident or feel a bit reluctant. This is because with the amazing coaches we have, anyone starting rugby for the first time will soon be playing the sport at a high level. In my opinion, rugby at Hampton is definitely not something I would want to be missing out on.
TYB: Finally, who do you think is going to win the World Cup and how far do you think England will manage to get?
KW: As an England supporter, I hope that England win the World Cup. However, I do think Ireland, if they keep performing how they are currently, are most likely to win. I think England will win the quarter final match against Fiji and maybe make it to the final depending on who they play in the semis.
Model United Nations
Great to hear that so many of you are stepping out of your comfort zone and trying out a new club. Model United Nations (MUN) is a perfect example of a club where you learn a different skill and discover a new passion. Let’s find out more from Thomas D (3J) and Darshan S (3J):
On Saturday, I attended the REIMUN27 (Reigate MUN) conference with eleven other Hampton delegates, from Second Year to Upper Sixth, representing the delegation of Japan and the Vatican City. Three other Hampton Sixth Formers also attended as guest chairs, where they would guide the debate.
There were several interesting topics under debate, including the current coup in Niger, the Ukrainian crisis and the prohibition of weapons of mass destruction. I was on the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian committee as the Vatican City, debating interesting topics such as whether education should be provided to the age of 18 and abortion rights. Before the conference, I had to research my country’s position on these topics and write a speech, then write a resolution, which are clauses that aim to solve the question that the committee is debating. I had a great day debating these topics with pupils from an amazing 16 other schools in my committee and with all in the General Assembly.
I would like to thank Miss Bellingan, Miss Field and everyone else at Hampton who helped with arranging this fantastic day. Please do come along to MUN club on Tuesdays at 12:35pm in the Lecture Theatre to experience some great debate over current affairs.
By Thomas D (3J)
Over the weekend, I took part in a MUN Conference held at Reigate Grammar School. I was the Economic and Financial delegate representing Japan. During the day we debated a variety of matters including ‘The Question of Reliability in the Banking Sector’ and ‘The Question of Financial Aid to Developing Nations’. This was my first conference and although I found it daunting to speak in front of a wide audience, I also enjoyed the challenge it presented. Overall, I found the day fun and exciting and I am looking forward to the next conference.
If you have a keen interest in politics and debating, I highly recommend that you join MUN club. During the session, pupils are split into different delegations (countries) which debate different issues around the world. Each delegation proposes an operative clause (their solution to the problem). All delegations debate and vote on which clauses should be passed to create a final resolution to the issue. MUN Club is held every Tuesday lunchtime from 12.35pm in the Lecture Theatre.
By Darshan S (3J)
Score Draw!
On Thursday, the U14F footballers prepared themselves for a challenging fixture against Eton E team. After some quick warm-ups and stretches we kicked off. As one of the centre backs, it was a challenging fixture both defensively and offensively and whilst Eton had several chances to take the lead, they were prevented many times by our goalkeeper, Nihal B, who put in an incredible performance. Hampton also had a couple of opportunities to take the lead but were unable to produce the finish that would put us ahead.
After half time, Hampton went into the game with a fresh sense of vigour. However, Eton finally seized an opportunity and were able to put the ball in the back of the net. 1-0 Eton. But the game wasn’t over yet. Just a few minutes after kick off, a defensive error from Eton meant the ball fell to Thomas D who was able to place the ball calmly into the bottom right corner, 1-1.
The rest of the game passed in nervous tension with neither side wanting to concede. When the whistle finally blew, both teams shook hands and congratulated each other on a very competitive game. The final score was 1-1 and a huge congratulations to all the F team, with the Hampton player of the match being Nihal B, who put on a spectacular defensive performance in goal and prevented many a shot from finding its way in.
By Rory M (3A)
Arts Award
The Arts Award for Third Year was launched on Friday and you are invited to apply to Mrs Whitwam for a place on this exciting programme. Projects in the past have varied hugely and boys have developed their skills in animation, photography, creative writing, film making, graffiti art, sculpture, architectural modelling, fashion design and song writing. The Silver Award is an opportunity for pupils to work independently or in pairs on developing a creative passion; the programme culminates in the summer term with an Arts Event led by the pupils.
Moderated by Trinity College London, the Arts Award is the equivalent of another GCSE and is run in our School by a team of teachers who guide and encourage you through the process. It requires commitment and self-motivation as you will do most of the project in your own time. There are more details on SharePoint, including examples of previous projects and the application form.
The deadline for applying is Monday 6 November at 4pm. You can submit by email or hard copy to Mrs Whitwam in the English Office, v.whitwam@hamptonschool.org.uk. Successful candidates will be informed within a week.
One example of a recent Silver Arts Award project is the fantastic T-shirts and trainers that Monty designed when he was in Third Year. Take a look at the photo below to see his work.
Find out more about Arts Award 2023 in the news story linked here.
The Writers’ room
Every Thursday between 12.40-1.15pm in ‘The Writers’ Room’ (the beautifully appointed classroom in the farthest corner of the English department), there is a group of Hampton pupils spending their time trying their hands at creative writing, with guidance and prompting from Mrs Pickford-Scienti. They write; they discuss their writing; they get a lunch (which, I believe, includes a Freddo).
This term, the members of ‘The Writers’ Room’ have been working hard to prepare their submissions for ‘The Young Walter Scott Prize,’ the UK’s only creative writing prize for budding historical fiction authors. Prizes include a £500 travel grant and a chance for the work to be published nationally (as well as in The Lion later on in the year, of course).
Details of how to enter can be found here, in case any other budding authors wish to participate. Please see Mrs Pickford Scienti in the English office, (or email her) if you would like to know more about this competition, or just turn up to The Writers’ Room on a Thursday lunchtime at 12.40pm.
Two truths and a lie
Last week’s we asked Mr Wong to perjure himself in the court of the Third Year Blog. He offered us this:
- Before he was a teacher, Mr Wong was a game developer
- Mr Wong is a Freemason
- Mr Wong is an experienced handball coach
Well, it turns out that Mr Wong worked in a Hong Kong game company for a couple of years, producing two games – ‘Chicken Oz and ‘Anyway’. He was also a qualified handball coach and coached the team at his previous school for a decade. What he is not is a Freemason. He has no knowledge of the secret handshakes and has never stepped inside a Masonic Lodge. He is a member of Mensa, the oldest and largest high-IQ society in the world, which is not something the Third Year Blog would be in a position to claim.
This week, Mr Hurst steps out of the football dugout and into ‘two truths and a lie’. If the blog is honest, these all seem unlikely, but only one is a lie:
- Mr Hurst once hit a six at the Ageas Bowl, home of Hampshire and Southern Brave
- Mr Hurst once scored a goal against Hampton School
- Mr Hurst was once a mascot for Manchester United
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
It’s your last chance to get hold of tickets for this year’s Senior Musical, the deviously delicious sci-fi smash hit musical, Little Shop Of Horrors! The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he names “Audrey II”. This R&B-singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it, BLOOD. Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s out of this world origins and intent towards global domination! Click on the link here to buy your tickets for what promises to be a great evening!
Clubs Galore
Have you discovered a new passion this term? Have you become an expert at something new? There’s still one more week of half term to discover a new lunchtime club, so take a look at the full list in the booklet below:
CONNECTION CORNER
A big shout out to everyone who had a go at last week’s Connection Corner and well done those of you who answered all the questions correctly. Everyone guessed the correct connection was Sweets! Merits go to Krishang T, Jake O’R, Olly P, Kiran G, Charlie E, Alex C, Christopher K, Ishaan A, Daniel H, A J C, Siddharth S, Darshan S, Rory M and Josh G. Bragging rights once again go to 3H with the most entries.
The IT gremlins have visited the Third Year Blog over the weekend and as a result, Connection Corner is having a well-deserved rest. There’ll be another fiendish installment to have a go at over the half term break.
In case you’re still perplexed, here are last week’s answers:
What is the name of the pub game where wooden balls are bowled at wooden pins? Skittles
The card game ‘21’ is more commonly called what in casinos? Blackjack
Which dessert is a mix of chopped fruit served in syrup? Fruit Salad
What is the common name for a leg of cooked chicken? Drumstick
Connection: Sweets
