Welcome to the First Year Blog!
Another week has flown by and it has been great to see the First Years carry on with so much positivity and enthusiasm in their lessons this week! In PSHE they discussed their role models, and it has been great to hear how they are going to emulate their characteristics in their own lives. Away from the classroom last Friday’s and Saturday’s fixtures involved over 100 First Year pupils – well done to all those involved! Despite a very cold week there are still some fixtures to be played this afternoon as well, good luck everyone!
FOOTBALL SUCCESS
Hampton U12B Vs Kings College Wimbledon
Full time score: 3-2
Hampton defended well to hold on for a vital win against rivals KCS in a close game with an entertaining finish. The match didn’t start that well for Hampton, as even though there were chances at both ends, KCS were dominating with their relentless attacks. However, Hampton grabbed the breakthrough with Wyatt M laying the ball up perfectly for William P to strike it into the roof of the net. Another goal quickly followed to carry on Hampton’s momentum, with a cross by Finn T after a dazzling run, to let William slot it home for his second! Things evened up at this point with KCS getting back into the game, and with ten minutes left of the half they scored when their striker slotted it home after a good run. Hampton quickly retaliated, with Yule C smacking the ball into the six-yard box for Finn to tap it in to make it 3-1! After the next scrappy five minutes the half-time whistle blew, leaving Hampton with a two-goal lead going into the second half.
First half goals: William P 2, Finn T
First half assists: Wyatt M, Finn T, Yule C
The second half started evenly with KCS fired up to get back into the match. King’s began to put on more pressure, and after a good attack their right winger was tripped up in the box to give them a penalty. Their striker struck it in into the corner, sending the unlucky Hampton keeper the wrong way. For the rest of the match, King’s dominated with heroic defending by Hampton and keeper Charles B putting in some match winning saves to keep Hampton in front. KCS had about five corners in the dying moments of the match with Hampton putting their bodies on the line until the final whistle blew.
It was a great win by Hampton’s U12B to kick off the new term against heated rivals, KCS. Hopefully, the Bs will carry on this form for the rest of the season.
By Harry M (1H)
CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
At eight o’clock every morning I set of to play Chess at the LJCC (London Junior Chess Championship) during the Christmas break on the 28, 29 and 30 December. This was in Harrow, the University of Westminster. My experience playing at the tournament lasted three days in which I achieved 4/9 points. I may not have won the tournament, but I still appreciated the opportunity I was awarded after qualifying. The qualification round happened in October and consisted of around 120 people (In Richmond) out of which, only 15 qualified.
I have been playing chess for five years and I have never participated in a tournament so big like the London Junior Chess Championship. In fact, chess requires a large amount of skill as on the tenth move there are 69,352,859,712,417 possible positions! Chess is a very strategic game, and I would highly recommend you play it. Once in Russia, it was compulsory to learn in school. I really enjoy playing the game as it, in my opinion, improves my concentration and thinking ahead. Theories believe that some chess players analysed 50 moves ahead of their current position.
I also believe that Hampton is a great school to start practising chess. Hampton has given me many opportunities including the games I play with the team on Fridays. Any age is welcome as I have also been paired with Sixth Formers!
Until next time! Checkmate!
By Ethan S-W (1L)
SUPERB SHAKESPEARE
“To be, or not to be: that is the question.”
Just after School broke up for the festive period, I went to Shakespeare’s birthplace located in Stratford upon Avon. He was born during the 15th century during the fatal plague period and how some of his siblings died at an early age. It took me just an hour to reach there. I was ecstatic and raring to learn about Shakespeare’s history and his literature. When I reached there, I was escorted to three rooms drenched with facts. The first room contained of Shakespeare’s literature and how he had helped his father, who was a glover, make leather gloves. There were also description and realistic vessels used for drinking and eating in the 16th century. In the second room I constructed Macbeth’s tower using wooden bricks and also printed a coin that had a famous Shakespeare quote, “All the world’s a stage and men and women merrily players”.
After that in the third room there were Shakespeare’s family tree and the comedies, histories and tragedies that William wrote such as Othello, King Lear, Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet. I also saw his and his siblings’ beds and learnt about his cozy and spacious abode. Next, I walked towards William’s school, it was around 10 minutes walk from his birthplace. I was mesmerised with the fact that around 450 years back, he would have walked the similar path to his school named King Edward VI School. Upon visiting his schoolrooms, I learn that they are still teaching children from the age of 7-18. You know their school day started at 7 am, then they would have a break for lunch at 12pm, only to return after 45 minutes and study till 5 pm! Grateful for my school days starting at better hours than that. There I saw an extremely old painting on timber that had now faded but was slightly protected due to the whitewash done by William’s father John as he was ordered by King Henry VIII to obliterate Roman imagery and monasteries.
It was so fun writing some Latin sentences and my name in ink with a quill while wearing special robes that William would’ve worn. I used wooden study desks around 450 years old, whereby some pupils had etched their names I also discovered that the school pupils, instead of water, were given to drink 5 SMALL PINTS OF BEER A DAY!!! Overall, this was a spectacular experience and I learnt loads of engrossing and fascinating facts that will help in the future. I would 100% recommend a visit to his birthplace to everyone interested in English literature and history.
By Shaurya D (1L)
PROJECT EXPLORE
Project Explore is an exciting opportunity for all First Year pupils to get involved in! You should visit a local site that you are interested in, tell your Form Tutors about your visit, and with some inspiration from your visit produce your own project. There are no guidelines on what you can make: you could choose to write a poem, cook a meal, make a piece of art, record and edit a film, or any other creative piece you can come up with! The deadline for Project Explore is Monday 22 April – just after the start of the summer term. I know all Form Tutors are looking forward to hearing about your visits and projects, so make sure you tell them all about it!
Mr Hill and Mrs Peattie have recorded this video to explain everything in more detail. All First Year parents have also been sent an email with a more information.
Hampton Innovations
There’s one more week left to enter the Hampton Innovations competition. Take a look at the video below from Leo and Rafe, who’ll tell you all about it:
You can enter as an individual or as a team, so have a chat with your friends and see what you can come up with. All you have to do is fill out this form linked here.
Final entries for shortlisting will be on Friday 26 January 2024, so plenty of time to get your thinking caps on. If you have any questions please email Miss Towler.
TUTEE OF THE WEEK
Every week, the First Year Tutor team nominate a pupil 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 Jack M (1F) for his enthusiasm and getting stuck into Hampton life – well done Jack!
SPECIAL SHOUT-OUTS!
Just before he broke up for the Christmas holidays, James A (1H) received the good news that his story has been selected for second round of the BBC 500 words competition. Only 5000 entries make it through to the second round out of over 100,000 entries. He is waiting to hear if he’ll be invited to the final which is being held at Buckingham Palace in February.
What amazing news, James! Congratulations and please keep us updated!
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).
THE HAMPTON HUNT
Each week I will set you a challenge where you need to find out a random fact, number or indeed anything else around the School – you won’t be able to do this from home! Points for the interform competition will be awarded to the Form with the most correct entries over the course of the term! You have until the end of Wednesday to complete the challenge; you will find out in next week’s blog if you’re correct, and you will be given a merit by your Form Tutor the following Monday. And who knows – you might get to know the School better in the process!
Last week’s challenge: Which concert is taking place in the Hammond on 26 January?
The answer was the Rock Concert, which we’re all looking forward to! If you fancy hearing some of our rock musicians from across the year groups, book your ticket here.
You could find posters around the school, including in the Hammond! The answer was the Rock Concert, which we’re all looking forward to on Friday 26 January.
Well done to the following First Years for getting the correct answer:
1H: James A, Liangxu Z, Ollie S, Julian M, Luoke W
1L: Harry C, Uzair V, Neil M, Arjan C, Shaurya D, Matthew T, Sujay N, Naivedya A, Ruaan A, Rishi K
1P: Nicholas S, Milan S, Toby B, Sasha B
1B: Avyaya S, Ethan W, Alex d V, Ruhaan V
1W: Emile S, Reuben N, George W
1J: Finn M, Wilf W, Freddie F
1F: Alex P, Atharv J, Wiliam H, Justin K, Francisco C I, Charles B, Joseph G
Make sure you collect a merit from your Form Tutor next week!
If you did know the answer but didn’t enter it into the blog last week, make sure you do so this week as it won’t count otherwise!
This week’s challenge:
which building have the stones next to the main staircase come from?
