Welcome to the Third Year Blog
It is the time of year when the school terms trick you into thinking that it is winter, when actually it is still summer. Boys who play cricket and also football or rugby will find themselves going out onto the fields feeling like they should be heading out to bat, when they are actually going to try to sprint around for 80 minutes or so in heat that football and rugby are not really designed for.
Fittingly, this week’s blog features great Hamptonian success in the sport that the glorious weather of this week deserves, while the ‘winter’ sports reports are less purely celebratory.
Of course, their time will come.
In the coming months, as the rain and wind rolls in, the true Hamptonian spirit comes to the fore, enabling the average Third Year pupil to find the will to be playing football on the 3G at lunch in January withstanding impossibly brutal conditions while still having to be told to put their shoes back on by staff members who are wearing two coats. While it is hard to draw a direct line between this behaviour and the School’s remarkable success on the football pitch, it feels as if it must play a part, even if Mr Burke will tell you it is all about rigorously drilled defensive organisation.
Anyway, enough chit-chat. Let’s get on to the blog!
HEADS OF YEAR MESSAGE
Open Morning
We have every faith that Third Year pupils will do an excellent job showing visitors around the School site during Open Morning on Saturday. A reminder that boys should arrive looking smart in their school uniform and enter the school via the Lecture Theatre entrance having come through the LEH/Hampton gate (next to the 3G pitch) in time to register by 10:30am. Collection is at approximately 12.30pm. Any parents dropping their sons off by car on Open Morning will need to park in the LEH car park. It is important to note that all Third Year pupils are expected to attend Open Morning unless they are playing in a school sports fixture or parents have requested authorised absence in advance. As such, please notify the school in the normal way (absence@hamptonschool.org.uk) if your son is absent for medical reasons on Open Morning.
MidYIS testing
We have written to all Third Year parents earlier this week about the MidYIS testing that will take place in school on Monday. All Third Year pupils will sit a MidYIS test during Form Period, and up to 10 minutes into break time. The test allows us to monitor pupils’ academic progress throughout their time in the school. Boys should not worry about this test. They cannot and should not attempt to revise for it. There is no pass or fail and the test will not affect their grade cards or School report. All we will ask is that the boys attempt all questions to the best of their ability.
Pupils will be asked to use their school laptops to complete the MidYIS test, so they must ensure that they bring a fully charged laptop with them to School on Monday. As there is an audio element to the test, please can we also ask that (wherever possible) the boys bring wired headphones with them on Monday. There will be spare headphones for pupils that need them.
School shoes
We have asked Form Tutors to draw their tutees’ attention to the section of the School Code that outlines the dress code. In particular, we have asked that any pupils obviously wearing trainers replace them with black formal shoes. Please ask your son to speak to his Form Tutor, or us, if he is unsure about his choice of footwear. The relevant section of the School Code is copied below for information.
First to Fifth Years All pupils are required to wear clean and tidy clothing as listed below:
- i. A white shirt and the School tie. The shirt must be tucked in and the tie must cover the top button of the shirt, which should be done up.
- ii. A School blazer. This should not be taken off without a staff member’s permission (except when playing outside).
- iii. Dark grey formal trousers; denim is not permitted.
- iv. Black formal shoes, cleaned regularly, and black or dark grey socks. (Pupils are not allowed to wear trainers, including black trainers, or white/coloured socks.)
Counsellor visits
To encourage the boys to think proactively about their own pastoral needs, one of the school counsellors visits each Form Group during an afternoon registration in the early weeks of term. This is a simple introduction to the counselling team and the service they offer in School. It also gives boys the opportunity to ask any questions they may have. These visits have been taking place during afternoon registrations over the last two weeks.
Boys – Please remember to let us, your Form Tutors or the relevant subject teachers know if you are having any difficulties.
Have a lovely weekend.
Best wishes
Mr Rigby & Mr Moore
National Cricket Cup triumph
The Kew Pagoda was glinting above Old Deer Park as we arrived at our club. Everyone was buzzing with excitement. It was the day that I would play in the ECB U13s National Cricket Cup Final for my team Richmond CC. It would be played at Lord’s, the ‘Home of Cricket.’ There was a hint of nervousness among the players and coaches as we waited for the team bus to arrive. We played rugby and football to warm up. Soon we were off and to calm our nerves, we played music and stopped off to buy coffee and hot chocolate. After an hour-long bus journey, we finally reached the famous Grace (W.G. Grace) gate.
The stewards greeted us merrily and wished us all good luck. As we entered, the U13 girls and the U15 boys were already playing their finals. Soon, butterflies kicked in and tension grew. We were taken for a tour that started in the Lord’s Museum. We saw a substantial number of signed shirts and bats, a sparrow that had been hit by a cricket ball and the most valuable thing of all, the famous Ashes trophy. We also got to see the view from the Grandstand and the Media Centre, which is supposed to look like a boat. The tour ended and we were taken to lunch in the beautiful old Pavilion, in a room where the England players sit to eat. There was a tasty selection of hot food and dessert. As we waited to be called over to train, we explored the Pavilion and saw the Long Room, the Changing Rooms, and the Balcony. Suddenly our coaches informed us that it was time to head over to warm up and have our photos taken facing the Pavilion.
The seats were full, and the atmosphere was electric. The game was nail-biting and came down to the wire. We fielded first and restricted the other team to ninety-five. We had to chase down ninety-six to be national champions. We had a rocky start, losing two wickets for just twelve runs. A few runs and three wickets later I came into bat. At 56-5 needing forty runs to win with quite a few overs left, I needed to steady my team. A few balls in and ‘BANG.’ I smash the ball to boundary. A booming roar came from the fans as the spirits were lifted. My confidence was high. A few balls later, two consecutive boundaries flew off my bat. The Richmond supporters were screaming. As just nine runs were required. Hope was beginning to rise. Shortly after, a mis-timed shot led to my dismissal. As I walked through to the dressing room, the fans showed their appreciation for my innings. I had to hide, as it was getting too tense to watch. As soon as I walked off, a vast cheer erupted. The fielding team gave away four overthrows and our team had scored five. With just four runs to win, one of our batters smashed the ball for four. We were National Champions! Our team ran onto the pitch and were filled with absolute joy. We could not believe it.
After letting the emotion sink in, we went over to the presentation. We were called out individually to receive our medals and then to collect the trophy. With a loud drumroll from the crowd, we threw it up into the air. It was the best feeling. To celebrate this colossal victory, we made our way into the Lord’s Tavern and partied long into the night.
By Seb W (3E)
Rugby update
On Saturday we welcomed Campion to Hampton, for our U14A match. We were mainly nervous about the game as, last year, we were beaten soundly 12-4. They are a very strong team, and we knew we were in for a tough game. We started the game by kicking off to them, and as we chased down the ball, we felt more confident in our attack. We managed to get the ball of them quickly and launched our attack. When Lucas W got the ball, he threaded a perfect kick for Jojo O’S to chase onto. It looked as if he wouldn’t get to it in time, but he managed to lunge forward and tap the ball down scoring a try. We all celebrated with this good start.
After Lucas W scored the conversion, we knew we had to full commit on defence, as they have very strong forwards. However they scored, and we were disappointed with this, but we then scored again with very similar circumstances, and were happy to take the lead once more. Campion fought back strongly though, and as we did not commit fully on defence, they took a large lead before the end of the half. When the next half started, we immediately pressured them, and the game seemed more even. After we both exchanged a few more tries the game ended, 57-31 (or 10-5 in terms of tries in favour of Campion).
While we were disappointed to lose, this was still an obvious improvement from last year. When considering our performance, we felt that our attack was strong, but that our defence needed a little more. We will try and rise from this defeat by fighting strongly against RGS High Wycombe this weekend and hopefully we can get the first win of the season.
By Jojo O’S (3F)
Football update
This was our first league match of the season and six teams from Hampton were scheduled for the away match at Bede’s near Brighton. We arrived at School for an early start at 7:40am to get on the school coach. It was around a 2-and-a-half-hour ride, and we ended up arriving half an hour late from schedule.
After a very short warm up, we kicked off. The opposition came on strong from the start, while we were quite fatigued from the bus ride and so our defence was working overtime. Despite this, we managed to hold on for the whole of the first half.
In the second half, our team was wide awake, having a lot more chances and being able to fight back. We dominated possession, and while we had many more shots as well, we could not convert. Neither of the two teams were able to put a shot into the back of the net, leaving the final score as 0-0. Afterwards we went for match tea and got on the bus back to school. It was a tough match, and we disappointed by the result.
By Macsen B (3F)
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Last week, Mr Green hid a terrible lie amongst a few offerings of truth. He wanted us to believe the following, ludicrous though it may seem.
- Mr Green has an irrational dislike of men wearing scarves indoors
- Mr Green makes his own butter
- Mr Green’s favourite colour is green
So, which was the lie?
Well, it turns out that Mr Green does make his own butter living in the 18th century as he does. He also struggles to deal with the scenario of a man feeling the cold on his neck whilst indoors, which would be an issue if he did actually live in the 18th century. Which all means that the lie is that his favourite colour is green – it is blue.
This week, we have Mr Highton trying to pull the wool over our eyes. Here are his offerings:
- Mr Highton once climbed Table Mountain barefoot
- Mr Highton owns a painting by Bruegel the Elder that has been valued as being worth £500,000
- Mr Highton once dislocated his shoulder by trying to stop a moving car
Which is the lie? Find out next week…
CONNECTION CORNER
A big shout out to all the Third Year Hamptonians who had a go at the very first Connection Corner of the year and well done those of you who answered all the questions correctly and guessed the connection as Disney characters! Merits go to Ishaan M, Kit B, Seb W, Dean B, Liam C, David B, James G, Willoughby E, Roman P, Neal H, Joe B, Daniel S, Liam C, Shishir Y, Alex G and Oskar P.
Another tricky one this week, have a go over the weekend and see if you can spot the connection:
In case you’re still perplexed, here are last week’s answers:
Which planet was demoted to a “dwarf planet in 2006”? Pluto
What flower often found in fields, is commonly chained together to form garlands? Daisy
Who was elected as the 45th President of the United States? Donald Trump
Which actor played the part of Whiplash in Iron Man 2? Mickey Rourke
Connection: Pluto, Donald, Mickey, Daisy (Disney Characters)
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
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