Welcome to the First Year Blog!

This week started with a thought-provoking Assembly by the Genocide 80Twenty group to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. The boys then further researched and discussed the issues arising from the stories they had heard with their Form Tutors, and lit an online candle in remembrance. Later in the week the First Years enjoyed getting out and about as they took part in the RSPB Big Bird Watch during their Biology lessons this week, We have had some brilliant entries, including an amazing spot of a kingfisher from Arun C (1F)!

Clubs

There are currently two lunchtime clubs on offer to First Year boys:

ART IN E-HAMPTON

In Art this week, the boys have been learning to draw eyes, and the Art department have been really impressed with what the boys have produced:

MENTOR PROFILES WITH AADI K

This week I interviewed one of 1P’s form mentors, Maxi.

Every great achiever is

Inspired by a great mentor.

What are your key strengths?

My three key strengths would be: hard working, quite kind and try to do the right thing.

What’s an activity you did a lot when you were a child that you wish you could do more of now?

I used to watch a lot of TV and I used to read a lot. I just don’t find enough time for those leisure activities now.

What TV or movie character is most like you, and why?

I would be Charlie from Perks of Being a Wallflower because I do think we share a similar idea of looking into something that attracts us.

What would be your dream job?

When I was really little, I had the idea that, in the day I’d play football for Brentford, in the evening I’d write stories, poems… and at night I’d find Atlantis. I would stick to that.

How would you describe your personal style of doing things?

I think I’m pretty diligent, I like to get things done quickly and I get on with things. Setting deadlines helps me to achieve and finish my tasks well.

What subjects are you doing for A Level?

I’m doing Mandarin, English Literature and Early Modern History for my A-Levels.

What has been the biggest challenge for you in home learning?

I miss the conversations and the jokes. It’s just a bit boring at home and at times feels lonely.

What are you most grateful for?

I’m very grateful that I have a very good relationship with my family. They’ve always been very supportive, and they’re very important in my life.

Competition Winner!

Congratulations to Anirudh S (1B) who has been named as the winner of the Environment Competition. Anirudh’s guess of 1500 was closest to the actual number of crisp packets (1373) recycled at School during the autumn term. Anirudh will be presented with a £25 Amazon voucher when we’re back on the School site. Well done Anirudh!

CREATIVE WRITING AWARDS 2021

Calling all budding authors! Do you fancy seeing your name in print? Have you always wanted to put pen to paper? Well now’s your chance as it’s time for the Hampton School Creative Writing Awards 2021!

To enter, write a short action adventure story of no more than 1,000 words and email your entry to CreativeWritingAwards2021@hamptonschool.org.uk by Friday 26 February.

All information can be found on the Firefly section for the Creative Writing Awards link below:

creative writing awards 2021 information

Young adult fiction author Sara Grant will give personalised feedback to all shortlisted finalists in each of the age group categories. Book vouchers are up for grabs too, and the winners will have their writing published in this summer’s edition of Lion Print, Hampton’s Creative Arts magazine.

Take a listen to Angus from our School Captains team and some of our creative writers from across the year groups to find out more:

FIRST YEAR OLYMPICS

Well done to all who submitted entries for our First Year Olympics plank challenge this week! 1J are once again triumphant this week – well done!

Individual award: Billy T (1J)

Form award: 1J

This week is a creative challenge – to submit a picture of yourself with the most outrageous hat! This can be one you already have, or you can get creative and make one out of whatever you’ve got handy. There will be prizes for the best individual entries, and a prize for the form with the most entries. Remember that these challenges add to your form’s total for this term’s Inter-Form Olympics, so get creating!

SNOW WITH LEONID K

Leonid K (1J) has been inspired by the weekend’s snow, and written an amazing piece on snow across the world.

Simply SNOW-tastic!!

Last Sunday morning I had a pleasant surprise to see that It was snowing. I couldn’t remember the last time it snowed as heavily and was extremely excited. This definitely made another painful day of Lockdown a lot more fun. At around 10:00 am my family and I were already making snow angels and dancing around in the beautiful, fluttering snow. We were so excited. We didn’t get any snow last year, so this year there seemed to be a stunning mound of it.

When I came home and did some research, I was greatly surprised.

For example did you know that on average Japan receives a whole 125 stunning feet, equivalent to 38.1 metres per year! Can you even imagine that much snow, personally I’m finding it hard! Unlike Japan, the deepest snow in the UK was only 1.65 metres deep, recorded over 70 years ago in 1947 in Wales.

Why does this happen in Japan? Japan is fully surrounded by the Sea of Japan and the climate is pretty temperate there. It is almost like in the UK. When the moisture from the sea is combined with fairly cold weather, it will start to condense. This means the moisture, which is the same as water vapour, will start to turn into liquid water. Then the tiny drop will be carried up by the winds from the sea higher and higher until it will eventually freeze. In Japan the winds are very extreme as they are coming from Siberia, known for its cold, harsh winters.  However, in the Uk they come from the Atlantic Ocean which is a lot milder. That is why although the UK has a similar climate, it has less snow.

Well now Japan is certainly on my list-to-visit-for-winter-holiday. However, for the foreseeable future probably until next winter, if I’m lucky, I’ll have to stick with the snow we get here and hope to see Japan’s magical snowscapes and famous fluffy, powder-like snow next year.

THE HISTORY OF ANCIENT EMPIRES

Kankishk M (1W) continues his exploration of the history of ancient empires by looking at the Babylonian empire.

Long ago, in the lands of Mesopotamia, the Sumerians made cities, each battling for new territory. The most prominent being Babylon, this city was the heart of knowledge and writing until its neglected fall. The city contained libraries and gardens that may have reached the sky. At its height, it stretched across most of the territory of the Assryians.

Born as a city state in Sumer, Babylon already inherited the language and culture. It was a small city, situated at the crux between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The soil was fertile and rich in minerals and the crops grew in abundance, the city flourished under the reign of Hammurabai, who expanded the city into an empire, expanding as high as Assur. However, after his death, the empire soon fell back to a state and remained that way until it fell to the Assyrians. After the destruction of the city’s walls, sympathy rose and soon it became independent and conquered territory around the city. After contributing to the fall of the Assryian empire, they soon took the place of the most powerful empire absorbing many Assryian cities. However, the empire was soon under the rule of the Persians, who at first, helped the city flourish, but after several decades, the taxes rose and Babylon’s revolts were brutally suppressed. However, a new hope for Babylon came in 331BCE when Alexander the Great, an excellent general, took Babylon and placed it as his capital, he wished for it to flourish again, and it did, for eight years. Then, in 323BCE, Alexander the great died of a fever in Babylon. 

Despite the fact he was a great leader, he was not a good administrator, and his empire was split amongst his generals. Babylon was soon ignored and the city was evacuated in 141BCE, never to rise from the ground again.

Parachute Challenge

Well done to Jamie G (1L) who successfully completed Mr Fuldner’s parachute challenge and managed to parachute his egg to the ground without spilling a drop!

PE & SPORTS

Looking for a workout to do this weekend? Here is Mr Hooper with another Beat the Coach challenge for you to try:

SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS!

We love to hear about what you have been getting up to outside of school. Please do send any information about any of your achievements through to Mrs Ziegler (h.ziegler@hamptonschool.org.uk).

FIRST YEAR 5 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 and points for the Inter-Form Competition will be awarded to the form with the most entries every week.

  1. What is the smallest planet in our solar system?
  2. Who won 2020’s Sports Personality of the Year?
  3. Which southern Italian city is usually credited as the birthplace of the pizza?
  4. In which year was the Nintendo 64 released in Europe?
  5. Which two houses were involved in the War of the Roses?

Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers here. 

Remember to write your name in the form so you can be credited with merits!

We had an impressive 46 entries for the 5 questions last week, 1B are in the lead this week  with ten submissions! Well done to the following boys (make sure to add your merits in the back of your homework diaries and to collect your merit certificates when you reach 10!):

1B: James B, Anirudh S, Aaditya T, Aditya K, Chris C, Boris D, Adam M, Joshua C, Jack Y, Advait B

1H: Alessandro C, Isa H-S, Prabodha A, Alex C, Arun S, Juan-Leonardo S

1J:  Billy T, Tom B, Nathaniel C, Daniel T, Yuvraj S, Caspar S, Ameya M, Ben B, Joshua R

1L: Gregory M, Agalyan S, Jamie G, Matthew J, Jaipaal G, Aadi K

1P: Aditya K, Gabriel W, Benjamin W, Joshie H, Raif D

1W: Oliver A, Luca K, Alexander P, Theo S

1F: Fraser K, Leonid K, Charles H, Arun C, Jasper E, Henry P

And here are the answers to the last set of 5 questions:

  1. Botany is the study of what life form?
  2. Who scored the fastest goal in Premier League history after just 7.69 seconds?
  3. What is the highest-grossing Marvel movie without the word ‘Avengers’ in the title?
  4. Hanoi is the capital of which country?
  5. Which US state was Joe Biden born in?

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

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