Welcome to the First Year Blog!
With temperatures reaching above 30 degrees this week our First Years have enjoyed spending time outdoors. It has been great to hear what you have been up to this week, taking part in the challenges set by the school and the Richmond Borough sports challenge! As we draw closer to the end of what has been an unusual but interesting term the boys have been reflecting on their First Year at Hampton.
Find out what some of their favourite moments of their first year at Hampton have been:
FIRST YEAR COOK BOOK
Well done to everybody who contributed so fantastically to the First Year Cook Book this year! It’s been wonderful looking at your recipes and seeing the range of different cooking techniques and ingredients that you’ve all been able to use! Sadly, given the current nature of e-Hampton, we haven’t been able to produce a physical cookery book this year, so we won’t be asking anybody to donate money to purchase a copy. However, the great news is that we are making the digital version of the book available to everybody here and we hope that it brings some inspiration to you all for some cooking over the summer holidays!
Take a look at some of your fabulous recipes:
FORM CHALLENGES
This week’s challenge, set by our First Year Tutor Team was keeping to the food and drink theme, to make a smoothie or refreshing drink! Well done Oscar C, Max R, Hamish S, Arun B, Charlie C, Avi B and Evan R. Here are some pictures of their delicious concoctions:
1557 CHALLENGE
Exciting news! The Just Giving fundraising page is now up and running for the 1557 Challenge!!
This weekend, get thinking of, or complete, an activity around the number 1557, then tell your friends and family what you plan to do and ask for sponsorship, directing them to this page to donate:
There will also be time set aside on Founders’ Day next week, for Forms to do something together – there will be more information about this coming soon!
All funds raised will go to our four Form Charity partners: Mary’s meals, Make a wish foundation, Momentum and Off the record Twickenham.
We would also love to see pictures of you doing your charity activities, which could be featured either on our twitter feed or the School website. Send any photos or videos you take doing your charity activities to website@hamptonschool.org.uk
RICHMOND Schools Virtual CHAMPIONSHIPS
This Wednesday schools across Richmond Borough took part in the Virtual Richmond Schools’ Athletics Championships. Boys, parents and staff were challenged to walk, cycle or run as far as they could. Well done to Alfie B in 1L for his impressive 14 mile cycle on Wednesday morning! We would love to hear what you got up to as part of the Championship!
TRINITY 1500M
Following the sports themed news this week we have the results for the 1500m challenge run earlier in the term. 35 boys in the First Year took part with some very impressive times. Congratulations to the following boys for their stand out performances:
| Ollie S | 05:08 | 1st |
| Joshi R | 05:35 | 2nd |
| Daniel M | 05:38 | 3rd |
| Ruben B | 05:45 | 4th |
| Angus H | 05:52 | 5th |
| Jayden O | 05:52 | 5th |
FIRST YEAR TUTOR TEAM WORK STATION TIPS
Mrs Scorer has set up her own remote workstation.
Here are her top tips for a successful working from home routine:
- Be organised. I always make sure I have everything that I need for the day ready to go. I make sure my iPad is charged, resources are ready and I always have my reusable notebook next to my laptop to write things down.
- Stay hydrated. We know the importance of drinking plenty of water so I tend to keep a reusable bottle of water with me as I work.
- Move away from the screen. Working from home involves a lot of screen time. It is important when you have breaks to get-up, move around and just give your eyes a rest from staring at a screen, which is something that I do even if it’s only for 5 minutes.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
1W have sent in some questions to ask Mrs Scorer this week:
Have you always wanted to be a Computing teacher, or a different teacher or something completely different at our age. If so what?
When I was your age I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. For as long as I can remember I have always been interested in two things: computers and medical matters. I used to volunteer with London Ambulance Service and very nearly became a paramedic.
Do you have any pets?
I have a pond full of fish and three chickens; Willow, Daisy and Sky. I would really love to have a dog though too.
What have you been doing lately during lockdown (apart from teaching in e-Hampton)?
I like to get outside when the weather is nice and enjoy walks, bike rides and just sitting in my garden with my chickens. When the weather hasn’t been so good I’ve enjoyed playing games like Exploding Kittens, Uno and Carcassonne with my family.
Do you play computer games and if so what is your favourite game?
I used to play computer games quite a bit when I was younger; everything from Pac-Man and Space Invaders to Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog. I don’t play as many now but do occasionally enjoy a game of Mario Kart.
What’s your favourite flavour of ice cream?
There are so many to choose from. The most unusual flavour I have ever had was brown bread ice-cream when I was camping in Wales once. As for my favourite flavour, I recently discovered Ben and Jerry’s birthday cake ice-cream, which is really yummy, but my favourite would have to be mango ice-cream.
BRILLIANT BLUES TUNES
All the First Years been learnin’
‘Bout Jazz and the Blues.
So during this lock-down,
We gave ‘em something to do.
Working hard at home,
They all wrote a ditty,
Some wrote their own lyrics,
…and they were quite witty!
So here’s a selection,
That got rave reviews,
We hope you enjoy
Their “Isolation Blues.”
Take a listen below to some fantastic music produced by Viren A, Eddie H, Daniel F, Falak S, Elliot C and Nathaniel C:
SPINE TINGLING STORIES IN ENGLISH
Dante has written an excellent murder mystery story, can you guess “whodunnit” before the end? Check it out below:
Cold air swirled around the dark figure walking unsteadily through the snowy winter woods. The only thing that could be heard were the crunch of snow underfoot and leaves whisked up by the wailing wind. Suddenly, the figure stopped and fell to the ground with no noise at all except the snap of twigs and a muffled thud…
Three hours before
Martha Davies, Peter Rafferty’s girlfriend, swiftly opened the door to see Edward before her. Her smile dropped when she also saw Cheryl, her boyfriend’s ex-wife. She welcomed them in kindly and everyone greeted them politely. A few minutes later all the adults began to celebrate and drink apart from the servants. The butler and maid circulated with wine gifted by Edward, and Mr Rafferty made a toast. “Thank you everyone, for throwing me, sorry, Edward and I, this great party”. He raised his glass: “To the business and all of it’s success!” he exclaimed passionately.
Everyone participated cheerfully, “Hear! Hear!”. As the noise of more cosy chatter rose again across the room, Mr Rafferty reached over to Cheryl and pulled her away to a quieter, smaller room. “Okay, now can we finally do these divorce papers quickly?” he asked her hopefully.
“Couldn’t we just do this a bit later?” she looked at him with large, persuasive eyes. He ignored her look.
“No, you’ve put this off for too long, I don’t even know how you did, but, we’re doing this now; you brought them didn’t you?”
“Yes. I’ve already signed my parts.”
“Okay, done.” As Peter finished signing he folded up the document, licked the seal of the envelope and closed it, pressing each corner neatly. He placed it on the desk and they both walked out just as Martha swung past shouting, “Will, Ellie, up to bed!”.
“But Mum, can’t we just stay a little bit longer?” moaned Ellie.
“No, you heard your mother, up to bed, now,” chipped in Mr Rafferty as they went upstairs. Peter was keen to get to the party, the significance of the signing was filtering through his mind; he poured another drink. Everyone else had consumed quite a lot of alcohol, the room was load with noise and banter; it was as if alcohol was in the air, everyone clambering to mingle and reach out for more drinks. Edward poured a few scotch whiskies and handed them to the butler, who took his time to deliver them around the room, inviting all parties to sample a glass. Most present sipped at the whiskey and seemed to like it apart from Mr Rafferty. He immediately came over with a feeling of dizziness and stumbled towards the back door,
“Where are you going, honey?” inquired Martha sweetly.
“Just for some air; I’m feeling I little bit woozy,” he replied, leaning against the doorframe and drinking in the cold night air as if his life depended on it.
Peter Rafferty’s absence from his own party was noticed about an hour later. When he walked into the garden he did not turn back, but stepped out, trudging slowly towards the local woods that surrounded his property.
He was not seen alive again.
When they realised that he was missing, Martha checked the children’s rooms and looked all around. The butler pulled on a long trench coat and went out in search, looking far and wide, but returned without his master. Finally, the bewildered party guests discussed calling the police who were cautious and tried not to alarm everyone with some predictable but important questions like, “when was this gentleman last seen, and by whom in this household?”.
When the police arrived in person they maintained a slightly alarming presence for the party goers who had had too much to drink. The party atmosphere transformed dramatically into an alarmed and tense vibe, and the officers made an announcement: ”We do have another team searching for your husband as we speak, but for now stay calm. There will be another detective coming over early in the morning however for now everyone has to stay here.” And with that they immediately left and Martha told everyone to stay calm. She helped everyone to find somewhere to rest but she was terrified inside. The house was filled with an air of trepidation and dread. Not everyone slept.
With the sound of the early morning birds the world outside had been dusted with a fresh sprinkling of snow. The impact of the party was visible in bedrooms and bathrooms alike. Slowly the party guests made their way downstairs. At 8:45 the doorbell rang and a plain clothed detective introduced himself. The children were wide-eyed and silent as Martha had explained the situation to them. Their father had been on business trips before but this time felt different.
All eyes were on the detective who stood with his feet astride and his hand clasped behind his back. His mood seemed sombre and anxious but also reserved as if he had been in this situation before. He cleared his throat and said,”I’m very sorry to announce but Mr Rafferty has been found dead in the forest and we’re currently investigating why.” A sonorous sobbing sound broke from Martha’s throat but she could not find any words to share her distress. She ran out the room and into the toilet. Others had tears running down their faces and moved to clasp the children in their arms.
Detective Boyle took a seat. Martha returned back in and others wiped their faces. Martha felt compelled to stay even though she wanted desperately to leave the room; tears ran down her face again when she stood by her children.This time the detective was business like.“ I will begin to ask you all questions and then you will be divided into different rooms and my colleagues and I will ask you questions independently and be asking independent questions after I will update you all on whatever news I can, again I am very sorry for your loss and I will find out how this happened. First of all, why was there a gathering yesterday night?”
Martha was the first to answer: “We were celebrating the success of Peter’s and Edward’s business and Cheryl was here to finally sign the divorce papers.”
“Thank you, does anyone know how Mr Rafferty got into the forest?”
Edward spoke this time; he had been ashen faced and silent until now,”He was feeling a little bit drowsy so thought he would take a quick stroll to get some air but… he… never came back.”
“And I will be taking the divorce papers, Miss Cheryl Anderson?” Ordered the detective without looking up.
“Yes of course, Peter put it on the desk after we signed it.”
“Thank you, that’ll be all.” Detective Boyle then sent them all into different rooms and told them to stay there as someone will be there to question them. A team of officers arrived and it seemed as if the household was suspended in time, being probed for its secrets. Once all the officers had finished everyone was invited to re-group in the hall area. Boyle told them,”We need to conduct our investigation of this property. You will be required to remain in the conservatory area for between three and six hours and you will be notified when you can come back.”
Once the troubled guests had dispersed, Boyle and his partners waited for the forensics crew by looking around the house themselves to see what they could find. When Boyle looked on the desk for the divorce papers, they were not where Miss Anderson said they would be.
The forensics team arrived dressed in white suits with cases of kit. They set up faster than expected and set to work. With the search underway, Detective Boyle received a phone call:“I have the preliminary autopsy report on Mr Rafferty,” he told his team.
“I am able to confirm that Mr Rafferty was poisoned twice throughout the night and that he died a few minutes after his second dose of poison.”
The forensics team received this news professionally and their thoughts turned to the party guests, now suspects, in the other room of the house.
Boyle took a deep breath.“We are looking for two items with poison on them and the divorce papers that are missing.” Boyle instructed everyone to look carefully around Mr Rafferty’s office in case they had missed anything. He personally opened all the draws, rummaging through everything. He found work contracts including one saying that Mr Rafferty was cutting Mr Edward Jackson out of their business interactions. Boyle pondered to himself,” What did Edward do that could have angered Mr Rafferty?” Just then he heard his name being called, he hurried over to one of the forensics team, asking,” What have you found?”
“Well we’ve got poison in one of the cups, we think that was Mr Rafferty’s but we can’t find another one, or the divorce papers you were looking for.”
“So if he had the drink and felt ill straight after, that was his second dose, but where was his first?” Boyle pondered again.
“Found something!” A forensic shouted from in the corner. “It looks like the divorce papers.” The detective rushed over immediately, pulling his plastic gloves over his hands.”I knew it. And what’s this faint liquid sort of thing on the seal?” This was quickly examined and identified to be the same as the poison on the glass. “So this was the first dose,” Boyle figured it out,” Cheryl and Edward!”
With his theory firmly in place the detective systematically collected the evidence and asked his colleague to call everyone back into the hall. Everyone sat down as Detective Boyle looked across the room, and with some drama stated.” The murderers are in this very room.” Boyle waited a moment as everyone looked at each other. Whilst they tried to take in this information Boyle set out his understanding of this case.“It was very smart of them to plan the divorce signing and the surprise party on the same day. First, you Miss Anderson, I read the divorce papers you brought and changed so if he died you got the money, and found the poison you planted on it, and then there was the second dose. At first, I was sure it was the butler too until I read a contract, Mr Rafferty was trying to cut you, Mr Jackson out the business and then when you poured the whiskies you added poison to his, and then when everyone was wondering where he was you sneaked in, took the papers and hid them at the bottom of the trash. I believe it was your intention to put your ex-husband out of business, so that you would illegally obtain his money. Arrest them.”
DID YOU KNOW…?
A team of archaeologists have made a new discovery very close to the famous monumnet, Stonehenge. A group of at least 20 prehistoric shafts (huge holes) have been found. Each hole being around 10 meters long and 5 meters deep and they are aranged in a circle that is believed to be 1.2miles wide! It is thought these holes were created more than 4,500 years ago in the Neolithic Period.
FIRST YEAR FIVE QUESTIONS
A few questions for you to have a go at yourself or challenge people at home if they know the answer. Merits are awarded for everyone who has a go! Just click on the link below and enter your answers.
- In which Gaelic sport would you use the following piece of equipment?
- Who was the first woman to travel into space?
- Which famous musician composed the concerti titled “Summer”?
- Which actor played the lead role in “Singing in the Rain”?
- Which animal has the Binomial name Bombus bombias?
Well done to Jian G, Pedro M, Falak S, Oliver D, Avi B and Trivikram P for their answers last week, almost all correct! Remember to write your name in the form so you can be credited with merits! Merits will be added to our remote merit log and if you have space add a merit in your old diaries!
Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers here.
ANSWERS FROM LAST WEEK:
- How long is the gestation period of an elephant? 22 months
- Which of China’s dynasty’s was the longest lasting dynasty? Zhou Dynasty
- What element is diamond made from? Carbon
- Which PIXAR movie depicts emotions as people? Inside Out
- Which ancient wonder of the world is shown in this picture? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
