Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
It’s been another lively and memorable week for the Second Years, with a real sense that the end of term is fast approaching but plenty still to look forward to before we get there.
We started the week with the annual Form Charity Fun Run, and it was fantastic to see such enthusiasm, encouragement, and teamwork on display. With results recognising team spirit, it perfectly captured what made the occasion so special – not just the running itself, but the way everyone supported one another throughout. Here are the awaited results:
- 2H
- 2J
- 2W
- 2P
- 2L
- 2B
- 2G
- 2F
This week’s blog brings together a wide range of experiences, from more recent highlights like the LEH collaboration morning and athletics successes, to reflections on trips and activities from the past couple of weeks. It’s been great to see how much is still being spoken about and enjoyed, even after the events themselves.
With so much happening and even more to come in the final stretch of term, there’s a real buzz around the year group. I hope you enjoy reading about it all!
Merit Milestones
It’s nearly the end of term but some of you are still busy collecting merits. Keep it up and a big shout out to:
Arthur Bell – 40
Stefan Tzekov – 40
Luca Dhaliwal – 70 (fantastic!)
Moksha Katamaneni – 70 (super!)
LION merits
Jack Whyte – 10
LEH and Hampton morning
On Tuesday we had a joint lesson for periods 3,4 and 5 with the LEH pupils. In the lesson we were being talked to by two mentors from LEH and Hampton about making pressure groups against the Government for spreading awareness for climate change. Our class got split into four groups, with around five/six people (three Hampton boys and three LEH girls) in each group and we had to make a presentation about saving the environment, pressuring the government to stop neglecting climate change. In our groups we had to make a presentation and covey our point to the sixth formers and if your team won, they would get cookies. The name of the groups were: World Wildlife Fund, Friends of the Earth, The Nature Conservancy and finally our group Greenpeace. When we were presenting, we had to make a logo for our group. as well as make a group name and make sure everyone had an equal number of lines. In the end the team that won was Friends of the Earth with a total of 33/40 points scored, while my group (Greenpeace) were not far behind in second with 30/40 points.
By Yusuf P (2G)
Hampton Church Visit
This week our year visited Hampton Church. During the visit, we listened to an interesting talk about the church and its features. It was fascinating to hear how the church has changed over the years and why it is important to the local community. After the talk, we took part in a fun search hunt around the church. We had to find different objects, which helped us explore the building more closely.
By Jonathan G (2P)
Today, my form had the RS trip to All Saints Church Hampton, and it was great. First, we met outside the Muga and prepared to walk to the church. The heat was blazing, but spirits were up and we walked to the church. We entered a room outside the main church, where the vicar told us all about her duties as a vicar. She told us how she would help people around the community and visit people who were ill. She then allowed us to ask questions; some were about her opinion on the problem of evil and her views on ethics.
We then went into the main section of the church, where we were walked through the types of service they would complete and on what days. We were also told about what the equipment was and its role. We also were told about the wear of the 10 o’clock service, where they took volunteers to show how they would dress for the more formal service. We then did a scavenger hunt to look for the pictures and where they were in the church. We then went back to school in time for the coach. What a fun afternoon.
By Nicholas R (2P)
Awesome Athletics
On Monday I went to the Regional finals at Watford. My events started later in the morning so whilst waiting I watched the other events and was fun to see brilliant athletes and cheer on Hampton teammates. Afterwards I began to stretch and warm up for my 100m event and lined up at the start line for the A heat. After my nervous anticipation eventually, the gun went off and I got off to a decent start. I then pushed on and came fourth with a solid PR. I then headed over to the shot put and after a warm up throw, I was feeling good. I had a best throw of 9.68 which was another PR and I was proud of my results.
By Luke B (2J)
Trips Galore
Second Year recently visited the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth for a history trip. We went back in time to 1545 to find out more about King Henry VIII’s flagship, which sank and was rescued from the seabed many years later.
The museum building is built directly around the wooden ship. We walked along three different levels, looking through massive glass windows to view the ship exactly as it looked to the Tudor sailors. Opposite the ship, the galleries hold thousands of artifacts recovered by divers. We saw bronze cannons, longbows, leather shoes and wooden bowls. These objects showed what life on the Mary Rose was like for an ordinary person.
We also learnt about how the ship sank, and the many theories about it. Some say it was eaten by a giant shark, but this was highly improbable. The French say that they shot it down, but we learnt that they might just be saying this to take credit and look good in front of the King. The English say that it sank due to crew disobeying orders, but they might have been trying to make excuses to King Henry VIII. However, we also found out that there were people of many different cultures, meaning this might have a hint of truth in it. The most reliable and commonly accepted theory today comes from the Spanish. They say a freak gust of wind blew the ship over as it was making a tight turn, blowing it over and it sunk before anybody knew what was happening. It was a great day out and we learnt a lot about the Mary Rose.
By Armaan R (2L)
Last week, I went on an amazing trip with my form to the South of England to see the Cuckmere River. Located in between Eastbourne and Worthing, this river stretches for an impressive 32 kilometres and descends over 100m in its first 7km.
We arrived at the national park at noon and spent the next few hours studying the different types of terrain on the river, learning about levees, river cliffs and river beaches. After we walked along the main part of the river that leads up to the mouth, we sat down to eat our lunch and continued along the river. We got to see a man-made diversion in the river, where over 150 years ago, the people living there straightened the river for easier passage and transportation.
Finally, we climbed up one of the neighbouring hills to get a grand view of the huge river and saw where it leads off into the English Channel. On this trip, I got to see many kinds of flora and fauna native to the area, which I had never seen before, including a deep red, massive grasshopper on my leg. All in all, it was a great opportunity to enjoy myself in a place I had never been before.
By Stefan T (2G)
On the first Tuesday back from the summer half term break, half of the Second Year went on a trip to the Cuckmere River in the South of England to help us learn about rivers to help us with our Geography. The coach trip to the Cuckmere River was almost two hours and when we arrived, we went to the river, but what was unusual about the river is that the current was flowing away from the mouth of the river where it meets the sea. This is unusual because normal rivers start at a source and flow towards the mouth of the river.
Next, we kept on walking alongside the river and stopping at points of interest such as meanders to learn more about rivers and how they work until we arrived at a bridge and we had lunch near the bridge. It was also clear that the closer we got to the mouth, the wider the river became. After we had lunch, we walked around the river a bit more then we got back onto the coaches and made our way back to school which we arrived at 5:30. The trip was fun and interesting, but a lot of the time was spent on a coach.
By Osmaan S (2H)
Club of the week
Junior Finance Club is on Thursday at 1:15-1:50pm where you learn about different concepts and themes in economics and finance. The reason I like the club is that it sets you up for later in your life when you have to calculate your taxes and mortgages. You also learn about key terms in finance and economics, which helps if you aspire to do Economics A Level. I believe that Junior Finance Club is a club which everyone should go to for the benefits it gives you long term and short term in everyday life.
By Sami D (2H)
In recent weeks, a group of friends and I have been going to Cryptic Crossword Club. The club is a great experience where you can have fun, relax, calm down and solve cryptic puzzles that get your brain thinking. You start off solving simple crosswords to introduce you to the different clue types. You then move on to the main crossword which can be challenging but also great fun. You can choose to work on your own or with a team of your friends. You can go slowly or choose to beat your record time of solving the Guardian Quick Cryptic Crossword (the one we regularly use at the crossword club). Cryptic crosswords are very fun and are a very satisfying experience, especially once you finish the weekly crossword! I think everyone should take the time to try this club at least once, just to see if they like it. It is welcoming and even people who have never been to the club before (or solved a crossword before) can attend. If you want to attend Cryptic Crossword Club then go to G49 on a Wednesday lunch, at the first period.
By Deniz G (2F)
Chess Success
We are delighted to celebrate Nico A-G’s (2F) fantastic achievement at the London UK Chess Challenge Megafinal. He earned an impressive third place finish in the U14–U18 category and has successfully qualified for the next stage of the competition – the Gigafinal.
Nico’s final match was both the last and longest game of the tournament, making his victory all the more exciting. He triumphed over a higher-rated opponent – around 100 ELO points above him – showcasing great determination and skill under pressure. This decisive win proved crucial, securing not only his podium place but also his progression to the next round.
An outstanding accomplishment – well done, Nico!
Quiz of the Week
Welcome to the Quiz of the Week! Every week, we’ll post five general knowledge questions. 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.
Why don’t you have a go at this week’s quiz which come to us from Armaan R (2L). Enter your answers here:
Here are the answers to last week’s quiz:
- Who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings? Ian McKellen
- What nationality was Albert Einstein? Germany
- Who is the author of ‘Going Solo’? Roald Dahl
- The capital city of what country lies near the 20 ° latitude mark on a standard world map? Mexico
- Which country has the most aircraft carriers in their Navy? USA
Well done to the following Second Year Hamptonians who answered everything correctly – Daniyal A, Ediz Y, Akshaj A, Jesse G, Ansh R and Rahim K.
If you’re keen to write some general knowledge questions for the Blog, please email b.tiller@hamptonschool.org.uk.
