WELCOME TO THE FIRST YEAR BLOG!
We are getting close to the halfway point of the spring term and life at Hampton is continuing at the same exhilarating pace as always! Last week’s Rock Concert was certainly a musical highlight, and a massive well done to everyone who took to the Hammond Theatre stage! Impressive numbers of First Years have also been involved in sports fixtures, with another eight (!) football teams playing in games this afternoon: good luck everyone!
ROCK CONCERT
On 26 January, I went to play guitar in the rock concert to perform two tunes along with my fellow band mates. For the first song we did Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, and then we did Starlight by Muse. It was my first time performing in a rock band, and I felt very anxious that I was going to make a mistake, but I tried my best, and it ended up going extremely well, and the lighting effects, and the spotlights, and the coloured smoke was so realistic that I thought we were on a rock stage. I felt very inexperienced when the senior boys performed a very difficult song. It was the first time I ever went to perform in such a large stage with a lot of people in the crowd. By Alex B (1L)
A ROYAL TREAT
I am a chorister at Hampton Court Chapel Royal, and last Saturday we were given the opportunity to watch Cirque du Soleil. This was a treat for our hard work over Christmas. But, before we arrived, we had a pit stop at Pizza Express, and Waitrose for some sweets. Yum!
Because we are the King’s Singers, we had the privilege of sitting in the Royal Box in the Royal Albert Hall. The theme this year was Allegria. My favourite moments were the middle of the first act, when a man came on with firesticks and did some really fun tricks, like holding the flame in his hand! Wow! I also enjoyed the ending with acrobats swinging from the ceiling, jumping to another bar, then jumping back. Next all the Choristers need to write a thank you letter to the King. By Nicholas S (1P)
BOOK REVIEW
The Christmas Pig is truly a heartwarming book about a boy and his beloved toy named Dur Pig. The owner of DP (Dur Pig) in the novel was Jack, who ventured to great depths to follow what he believes in. He was acquiescent to face danger beyond imagination just to save the best friend he’s ever known. Jack cherished DP – his childhood toy. DP has always been there for him, through Jack’s good and bad times. Until one unfortunate Christmas Eve something horrendous happens – DP is lost! Although, Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life including toys. So, Jack goes to the Land of Lost to retrieve him with the help of his other toys. Though along the way, he will face many dangers along the way… Who knows, anything could happen!!
Overall, I would really endorse the Christmas Pig due to its friendship and courage that had been given by Jack. By Shaurya D (1L)
FIERCE FENCING
On Sunday 28 January, I went to a fencing competition in Surrey. I was nervous, as it was only the second competition I had ever done. Furthermore I am twelve but I was put in the under fourteen category, and I was one of the youngest in the group. This made it very hard for me as everyone else was also very skilled, but it was good practise and I felt that I had improved my fencing skills. I learned severally new skills and methods including the tactic to always stay on the attack so you have the right of way in the game. By Alex B (1L)
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.
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 George C (1L) for his great progress and generally having been a delight! Well done George!
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 Mr Fuldner (d.fuldner@hamptonschool.org.uk).
PROJECT EXPLORE
There’s still plenty of time to think about an idea for 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.
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.
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: Whose shoulders did Isaac Newton stand on to see further than others?
The answer is on one of the walls in the Physics department: he stood on the shoulders of giants!
Well done to the following First Years for getting the correct answer:
1H: James A, Ying Z, David T, Ollie S, Liangxu Z, Julian M
1L: Arjan C, Shaurya D, Matthew T, Sujay N, Ruaan A, Rishi K, George C
1P: Nicholas S, William M, Caesar C, Vairaj M
1B: Ocean Y, Magnus F, Tom J, Avyaya S, Ethan W, Alex d V, Charlie F, Jack T, Ruhaan V
1W: Reuben N, Sebastian M, Yule C, Henry S
1J: Finn M, Wilf W, Maximilian P, Oscar C
1F: Justin K, Francisco C I, Rayan A, 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:
an artEfact from which TV show can be found in the quad between Computing, History and Physics?
