WELCOME TO THE SECOND YEAR BLOG!
It’s been a busy, fun week for our Second Years. There was success at the Model United Nations conference at the weekend (report below). Then, on Monday, we had an assembly by Mr Haynes about the Pride Society and what it means to be an ally. There was much pencil chewing with the internal Maths Challenge and a highlight was the Form Charity Quiz with LEH on Wednesday lunchtime. Well done to all the competitors and I’m pleased to relay that the chocolate box prize went to 2B with 2W in second place and 2H in third. Remember to grab your tickets this week for ‘Bleak Expectations’!
MERIT MILESTONES
A quieter week on the merit front… Remember to get yours signed off before half term!
Joshua Laughton – 10
Esa Saifee – 10
Shishir Vaddadi – 70 (Fantastic!)
Siddhant Shetty – 70 (Super!)
Lion Merits
Joshua An – 10
TUTOR QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Each week the pupils decide on a question to ask all the Second Year form tutors. This week’s question comes to us from Oliver Y (2P):
If you were to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
- Sushi
- Pizza
- Burger with chips
- Other
Mr Harrisons says ‘other’: ‘This might be a cheat but, pasta. It’s definitely the most versatile so you wouldn’t get bored.’ Mrs Owen and Mrs Whitwam plumped for sushi; Mrs Kirby voted Other-cold meats, cheeses and chutneys/pickles
HELP deadline
This is a quick reminder that the deadline for Second Year pupils to submit their HELP project proposals to Dr Flanagan by Monday 5 Feb. All the necessary info/forms is on the HELP project SharePoint page. Pupils can either print a proposal form and leave it to F16, or you can fill one in digitally and email it to J.Flanagan@hamptonschool.org.uk
Form Charity Quiz
Great to see Second Years doing their bit for this year’s Form Charity partners. Joe B (2P) tells us all about this week’s hotly-contested quiz:
On Wednesday, Hampton hosted a Second Year Form Charity Quiz with LEH. All seven forms needed a team of maximum five players, and lots of teams from LEH came and joined different Hampton form teams. In 2B, we started out with Fred O, Dennis H and me (Joe B). Afterwards though, Freddie R and Pierce B both came to join us, along with ten LEH girls, from teams one, eight and fourteen. We called our team the 2B Powerhouses, and the first round was general knowledge. My team started strongly being confident on all the questions. One included, ‘What does DNA stand for.’ Do you know? It stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. We handed in our answer sheet and received another one. The second round was ‘Cheese or Service Station?’ In this round, the teams had to guess if the word on screen was a type of cheese, or a service station name. My team struggled more in this round, not knowing any and just guessing. The third round was where there was a food up on the screen and we had to guess what type of food it was e.g. pasta or sandwich. One of the words was a ‘Flat Iron,’ which is a steak. Another was ‘tonkatsu.’ For this, my team put curry, but really, it is a crispy pork fillet, generally served with Japanese curry, or ‘karē,’ just like chicken katsu. The last round was a short general knowledge round, much more difficult than the first. In the end, 2H and their team came third, and then 2W and their team came second, and my team, 2B and the LEH girls on the team won, and the prize was… Lindor! It was good fun and a great quiz: thank you to the pupils and teachers who put it together, and for a great cause.
Theatre Tech
If you don’t fancy being on stage for one of the many Hampton Drama productions, you can still get involved behind the scenes. Let’s hear from Joshua A (2J):
Being backstage of a drama show is quite the experience as I am part of the backstage crew of the Middle School show ‘Bleak Expectations’. I’ve had my first ‘rehearsal’ as I got to watch the show to get an idea of what props are needed and set moves. There are many support roles for a show like this such as stage management, props master, audio and lighting and stage crew. My role in the show was stage crew which meant that I would be backstage to give the actors their props and keep the show flowing smoothly and comfortably. Come get your tickets for Bleak Expectations, it’s a show you don’t want to miss.
Model United Nations
Lucas B (2P) got involved in the fantastic Model United Nation Club and spent last weekend debating at LEH:
Last weekend a group of about 15 other Hamptonians went to the LEH MUN conference, but first I need to tell you what MUN is. It is an acronym for Model United Nations where we debate in teams representing different countries and their interests. You write resolutions and debate them after someone has made a speech. Sometimes we debate with other schools. At this conference, Hampton was assigned the delegations of Israel, Brazil and the United Kingdom and we had five committees each discussing unique topics.
On Friday, everyone read out a policy statement informing the other delegates of their views on the topics to be debated in each committee. The next day we debated resolutions and on Sunday we started debating in the General Assembly (GA) on the problem of world hunger. The delegation I was in – Brazil – passed their resolution. Then, a crisis was announced! Yemen had increased airstrikes on ships in the Red Sea and we were debating what action to take to help end these strikes. A fascinating weekend during which we learned so much.
Hampton Maths Challenge
Danyal P (2J) explains all about this week’s Maths Challenge:
The Hampton Maths challenge consists of multiple difficult questions to challenge all the Second Years. Those who do get through the first round (which can only be 30 people) go into the second round and then 10 people make it to the third round. The questions were quite difficult throughout the test but I found it fun figuring out the answers. Fingers crossed I make it through!
Rock On!
It was great to see so many Hamptonians on the Hammond Theatre stage at last Friday’s Rock Concert. Devam K (2B) gives us a flavour of the evening:
Last Friday night marked a spectacular celebration of rock, with a diverse line-up of performances that left the audience on the edge of their seats. I found myself with the privilege of also being a part of the concert. From the experienced senior players to the up-and-coming talents, the concert showcased the rich tapestry of musical prowess within the rock genre. Before the concert, each performer had to do a sound check with the technical team, who controlled the lighting and how loud each instrument should be. When it was the junior rock band’s turn, we stepped onto our stage and took our places. We knew we were ready to perform!
CLUBs OF THE WEEK
Rugby Club
Every Wednesday, there is a Rugby Club available for everyone who wants to try out rugby or continue their journey! We do rugby games, exercises which are challenging but also very good fun. It is ideal for someone who thinks that football isn’t the game for them or if they would love to give rugby a go. I would suggest joining us for one of our sessions run by Mr Studt at the beginning of lunch on a Wednesday at the Pavilion with your games kit. Any of our current members will show you where to change and which field to go on!
By Gabriel K-S (2B)
Geography Club
Geography Club is one of the many clubs in Hampton and, to me, it stands out from the rest of the competition. We answer many questions about geography, for example: How many time zones does Russia have? 11! I think that it’s an entertaining and stimulating way to learn about the many different facts and information that geography has to offer. There are quite a few merits on offer as well! It’s worth doing if you have a Wednesday lunchtime free in the first half. I have had a lot of fun answering as many questions as I can and learning new and amazing facts along the way.
By Siddhant S (2J)
Discover Hampton Podcast
Hola! Bonjour! Guten Tag! Ni Hao! Privet! In the latest podcast episode, we join the Modern Languages Department and get a flavour of the five languages we offer at Hampton. Click on the link below to have a listen.
Victory at Cricket
Lots of you have been glued to the cricket in the last week, Fred O (2B) reminds us of what happened:
At the end of last week and beginning of this week, England played India in the first of five test matches. After a disastrous ODI World Cup 2023, and a disappointing multi format series against the West Indies, England are looking to improve their fortunes on the spinner friendly pitches of India in a five match test series. The first test began on Thursday, with England winning the toss and electing to bat first. The opening batsmen Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley posted a 55-run opening stand, before the first wicket fell to Indian off-spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin. After this England’s first innings was calamitous with their supposed attacking style of cricket called “bazball” really not showing through. In the end, the Indian spinners picked up eight of England’s ten wickets as they were bowled out for 246. The only real highlight of the first innings was an elegant 70 runs off 88 balls from England captain Ben Stokes.
The Indian batsman came to the middle and got off to a flyer, with Yashasvi Jaiswal hitting a six off Lancashire’s Tom Hartley’s first delivery in test cricket. We finally broke through at 80-1, before the Indian batsman continued to pile on the runs and they eventually were bowled out for a mammoth score of 437 all out; three Indian batsman managed scores of 80 plus runs. England came out to bat again, trailing by 190 runs and posted 45 before losing their first wicket. After this, the Indian bowlers dominated and left England at 165/5. However, Ollie Pope had other ideas and hit an innings for the ages where he managed 196 runs off 278 balls, helping England get to a total of 420 all out.
The Indian batsmen came out to the crease for the final innings needing 231 runs to win. Tom Hartley struck four times for England, leaving India in a bit of trouble at 106/4. And to make this even worse, Joe Root removed KL Rahul soon after, leaving India 107/5 and still needing 124 runs for victory. Then, an absolutely ridiculous direct hit run out from Ben Stokes removed Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin and KS Bharat posted a 50-run partnership, but a beauty from Tom Hartley broke the partnership to give him a five-wicket haul on his debut. This got even better just a few balls later when he got Ravi Ashwin out stumped to leave India 177/9. Tom Hartley struck again as the quick hands of Ben Foakes stumped Mohammed Siraj, with the Lancashire spinner finishing with figures of 7/62. England were victorious by 28 runs in this nail biter of a game. This victory will go down in history as one of the greatest comebacks, considering England were down and out by the end of day two. The second test begins on 2nd February at 4am and will be crucial to see if India can square the series or if England can pull away from the hosts with a 2-0 series lead (and I also have an excuse to spend more time on the sofa!)
International Golf
There’s been plenty of other sport happening around the world, Joe B (2B) reports on last week’s golf tournament:
Last week, I followed the Dubai Desert Classic Golf competition which was four intense days. Cameron Young started the last day off with a lead of 2, with Rory McIlroy and Adrian Meronk behind that lead. However, on the last day, Cameron Young lost the lead. The American did not start well while playing with Rory McIlroy and McIlroy went up into the lead at 12 under par with Young and Meronk at 11 under. Meronk was playing with Li Haotong one hole ahead of McIlroy and Young, and when Meronk finished at 13 under par, tensions grew for Rory’s supporters. Young was at 12 under par in 3rd place, but McIlroy was in the lead at 14 under par. All he needed to do was par the par 5 hole and the title was his for a record fourth time. He started the hole well, hitting one of his usual massive drives to make for a simple second shot. He hit his second over the water but slightly left of the green, leading to an interesting third shot. However, with an outstanding chip out of the rough, he managed to get the ball quite close to the hole, with two shots to spare. Rory decided to play it closer to the hole and on the fifth shot, putted it in for a par to win the tournament. He finished 14 under, Meronk finished 13 under and Young finished 12 under.
Weather
After the chilly spell in January, we’re looking forward to warmer weather in the weeks ahead. Let’s hear from Hampton weather forecaster Danyal P (2J):
The weather will be 12 degrees next week, on average, and it will be quite cloudy. You will need a rain jacket throughout the week as there will be some precipitation. There will be a little breeze but nothing that will ruin your hairstyle. No storms are forecast next week so you can get out at break!
CALLING ALL BUDDING ACTORS!
This year’s Lower School Summer Show is The Playhouse Apprentice, a fun and comical production with pupils from Hampton High. Performances will be on 18, 19 and 20 June in the Hammond Theatre. Auditions are open to all First, Second and Third Year pupils, and will take place on Tuesday 6 February 4.00pm to 5.30pm, with recalls on Thursday 8 February 4.00 to 5.30pm. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Richardson in the Drama Department.
SPECIAL SHOUT-OUTS!
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 Mrs Whitwam (v.whitwam@hamptonschool.org.uk).
QUIZ OF THE WEEK
Well done to everyone who had a go at last week’s quiz. Big shout out to Form 2B with the most entries. Merits go to:
2J: Siddhant S, Josh B, Danyal P, Joshua A, Ishaaq A
2L: Armaan V
2W: Shiv V, Laurie L-T, Isaac d Q, Siyul P, Benjamin J
2B: Joe B, Ekam R, Devam K, Alex G, Jiashan L, Sebastian W
2H: James G, James N
2F: Daniel S, Adharsh A, Aiden F
2P: Oliver Y, Sion K, Samrith S P, Vihaan K
Take a look at this week’s questions – have a go yourself or challenge people at home and see if they know the answer. Points for the Interform Competition will be awarded to the form with the most entries over the term.
This week’s brain-busting quiz questions come to us from Shishir V (2J) and have a cricketing theme following England’s victory in India earlier this week. Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers here.
Here are the answers to last week’s questions:
- What is the national animal of Scotland? Unicorn
- How many Islands does Scotland have? 790
- What date was Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Poet, born? 25 January
- What is the largest city in Scotland? Glasgow
- Which city (or town) was golf invented in? St Andrew’s
