Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
As we approach the end of the first half term, it’s safe to say our Second Year Hamptonians have been working their socks off! With a flurry of end-of-topic assessments flying around like paper planes in a windy classroom, our pupils have been working seriously hard.
However, fear not, it hasn’t been all flash cards and note-taking! As you’ll see in this week’s blog, our brilliant boys have still found plenty of time for fun, creativity, competition, and curiosity. From footprint physics and cross-country heroics to artistic adventures and board game battles, it’s been another week packed with energy and enthusiasm.
So, grab a snack (just don’t let our pet of the week, Harvey, steal it!) and enjoy this week’s round-up of Second Year life.
Merit Milestones
Another bumper week for merits. Big shout out to the following Second Year Hamptonians:
Ethan Chow – 10
Arthur Hanna – 10
Yuhao Liu – 10
Ralph Leverett – 10
Hayk Ford – 10
Edward Robinson – 10
Daniyal Ahmed – 10
Panshul Bhardwaj – 10
Aayushmaan Choudhry – 10
Max Drury – 10
Logan Kent – 10
Freeman Wong – 10
Armaan Rao – 10
Reyansh Krishnan – 10
Monty Smith – 10
Smyan Mehta – 10
Alexander Murphy – 10
Jesse Galustian – 10
Barney Mathieson – 10
Eli Morse – 10
Lucas O’Connor – 10
Armaan Karthik – 10
Alfred Chen – 10
Rayan Amiri – 20
Ansh Rao – 20
Ojas Prabhu – 20
Joshan Kalsi – 20
Yuvan Meda – 20
Lucas Farnsworth – 30
Sebastian Young – 40
LION merits
Ralph Leverett – 10
Rayan Amiri – 10
No Limits Lessons Day
Last Friday, we had No Limits Lessons Day. This meant our lessons were taught differently and made to be even more fun! For example, we might have still learned the same content, but it had a new fun twist, often a game.
In our Latin lesson we were learning about cases, we had to finish a series of questions to discover a code which opened a padlock for a merit! I think we should have No Limits Days more often, maybe once a term, as they are fun and you still learn things in the process!
By Osmaan S (2H)
Take a look at some of the highlights from No Limits Lessons Day:
Every footprint tells a story!
No Limits Lessons Day is back again. The day when teachers go totally wild with their lessons and make learning SUPER fun! So, let me tell you about the coolest thing that happened in our Physics class. Our teacher didn’t just talk about pressure like in boring textbooks – nope! She made us measure the pressure we put on the Earth using our own feet! How awesome is that? Here’s what we did:
Step One: Footprints Everywhere!
We got these big sheets with square grids on them. Then we took off our shoes (don’t worry, socks stayed on!) and made footprints on the grid. It was hilarious because everyone was comparing foot sizes – Akshaj’s foot looked like a giant dinosaur print!
Step Two: Calculate the Area
We counted all the squares inside our footprint to figure out the surface area. Mine was 326 cm² (I have big feet, okay?). Some people had tiny footprints.
Step Three: Weigh In!
Next, we hopped on the scale to measure our weight. Everyone was guessing each other’s weight – some were way off! I’m 38 kg.
Step Four: Pressure Time!
Then came the magic formula:
Pressure = Force ÷ Area
Our teacher explained that our weight is basically the force (in Newtons), and the footprint area is in cm². So, we converted everything and BOOM! We calculated how much pressure each of us puts on the Earth. Mine was 15000 N/m²! I felt like a superhero crushing the planet (just a little)! The whole class was laughing, shouting numbers, and racing to see who had the highest pressure. Spoiler: It was Kaarthikan, the “Pressure King”!
Honestly, this was the most fun Physics lesson EVER. We learned about pressure, forces, and area without even realising it because we were having so much fun. No Limits Lessons Day is the best – can we have it every week, please?!
By Ashutosh S (2B)
Serving Up Success
Last Wednesday afternoon, I took part in a table tennis tournament at Turing House School alongside Armaan K (2P) and two First Year pupils, who were playing in their very first fixture. As it was a singles tournament, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to set a positive example for the younger players, to show them that we always give our best effort and play with determination, regardless of the result.
After period 6, Armaan and I made our way to the minivan opposite the Sports Hall, where we met the two First Years. We introduced ourselves and had a friendly chat about School life and how they were settling in at Hampton. It was great to get to know them and hear about their first impressions of the School as it brought back memories of my own early days at Hampton. A few minutes later, Mr Hooper arrived, and we set off for Turing House, which was only a short five-minute drive away. Upon arrival, we headed to the sports hall and met our competitors. The tournament featured teams from six other schools: Grey Court, St Paul’s, Twickenham School, Turing House, Christ’s School, and Richmond upon Thames School.
I was seeded second out of four and faced opponents of a similar skill level. Across six matches, I managed to win four and lost two, narrowly defeated by players from Grey Court and St Paul’s, who both had very strong teams. Impressively, Armaan and both first years also won four out of their six matches, which meant that as a team, Hampton finished in third place overall, behind St Paul’s in first and Grey Court in second. Although we were slightly disappointed not to progress to the next round, we were proud of our performances and pleased to have supported the First Years through their debut tournament. It was rewarding to lead by example and to see their enthusiasm and sportsmanship throughout the day. We returned to school around 5.30pm, thanked Mr Hooper for accompanying us, and said our goodbyes. Overall, it was a valuable experience; both competitively and as a team, and I’m looking forward to the matches still to come this season.
By Kiyan J (2P)
Fast Feet, Big Feats
On Thursday we had our first cross country race of the year at Harrow School. It wasn’t too cold and I was ready for the race. The course was 2.5 km in total for Second Year pupils. Last year, a couple of my friends did the exact same race, and from what they told me it had some hills, but it was quite flat most of the way. In cross country, hills are extremely painful and slow down your momentum a lot, so it was good to hear that there were only a few. Our team consisted of me, Noah L (2G), Vivaan K (2J), Ethan C (2G), Filippos M (2H), and Thomas F (1W). Our squad was extremely strong, and we were quite confident that we could make it to round two. In this race, the top four in your team scored points for whatever place they came (e.g. if you came first, you would earn one point) and the team who had the least points won. As my previous personal best 3 km time was 11 minutes 36 seconds, I was hoping I could run below 10 minutes.
We waited at the start line for a couple of minutes (which is always very nerve-racking and overwhelming with lots of runners) before the honk from the horn set us of. At the start unless you get out quickly you are always boxed in by all the runners and with the First, Second, and Third Year girls running with us, it made it extremely hard. My starts aren’t usually that great as I always conserve my energy for later, so I think I had around 40 people ahead of me in the first 200m. However, as I normally do, I started to pick off quite a lot of the people and by halfway I was around 20th. However, after halfway was an extremely annoying, steep, gravel hill which drained me and all the runners around me. Although this drained me a bit I still felt in great shape and rhythm during this race and kept pushing on. We reached another hill which went beside a bit of farmland before turning right into the home stretch (which didn’t have any hills and the path was very smooth) with around 750m to go. In this position I was in ninth and quickly moved into eighth but there was a huge gap between me and seventh of around 15 seconds. I was able to close this gap slightly but still finished around 10 seconds behind seventh with a time of 9 minutes 29 seconds. First place finished with a blistering time of 9 minutes 1 second but I was still extremely happy with my time.
Noah, our dominant runner unfortunately picked up a hamstring injury with a kilometre to go meaning he wasn’t able to be on the points with us. However, we still had strong positions with Aizhou coming 13th, Ethan coming second and Thomas doing great for his age group coming second in the First Year category but because we were mixed he came in between Aizhou and Ethan. With 53 boys racing in total (of around 150 boys and girls) we were all quite happy. Overall, it was a great performance and hopefully we qualified for round 2!
By Kaarthikan M (2B)
On Thursday, our cross-country junior team took part in the first round of the ESAA Cross Country Cup. Everybody participated incredibly well as Kaarthikan M (2B) finished in first place for our team, as Thomas F from the First Year ran fantastically and managed to come in our top four and score points for our team. Unfortunately, during the race, arguably our best runner, Noah L (2G), suffered a hamstring injury which meant he couldn’t score any points for us. In the end, one of Grey Court’s runners finished in first place, so congrats to him. Nevertheless, overall, it was a great performance from us, and fingers crossed we make it to the second round!
By Aizhou S (2B)
Outside of School, Noah L (2G) and his running club won a silver medal at the Middlesex Road Relay Championship, which was at Hillingdon Cycle track, with Noah having achieved the 5th best individual time. We hope your hamstring recovers soon, Noah – we look forward to seeing you back on the track!
Board Game Bonanza!
Board Games Club is one of the most fun and friendly clubs in the School. It runs once a week during lunchtime on Thursday 12.35 to 1.20pm and is open to everyone who enjoys games, teamwork, and a bit of friendly competition. There’s a great variety of board games to play, from quick and easy ones like UNO and snap, to more challenging strategy games like Monopoly or Chess. Whether you’re into card games or strategic games that make you think ahead, there’s always something new to try!
The club is a great place to meet new people and have a break from schoolwork. It’s not just about winning but about having fun, it can also help with other skills like teamwork problem-solving and patience. If you’re thinking about joining but aren’t sure, just come along and give it a go. You don’t need to be a board game expert to have fun!
By Ibrahim J (2W)
Smiling and Smashing Shuttles
So far in the first couple of weeks, I have really enjoyed going to Badminton Club with my friends. It’s a great way to exercise and have fun at the same time, you can even try a new sport you wouldn’t have been able to play or try. So come along on Thursday lunchtime at second period and don’t forget to bring your PE kit!
By Dylan T (2F)
Time Travellers’ Tales
My new favourite club in Second Year is History and Archives Club. On Wednesday we looked through the old Headmaster (1930s-1940s) Mr Mason’s scrap book in the 1934-35 academic year. I looked at loads of cool things such as an old concert programme, but the biggest deal for me was believe it or not a boxing match! Yes, back then boxing was a popular sport, and Hampton did it as one! The artefact was a match programme between Hampton Grammar School (which used to be Hampton’s name) against Sutton County School. Fortunately, Hampton was victorious, winning 8 points to 6!
By Aarav S (2L)
Creative Camaraderie
Art Club is such a fun place to be creative and have fun. You get to draw, paint or just try out new projects without stressing about your piece being perfect (although it would be nice if it was!). Everyone is really kind, and if you make any mistakes, it’s not a big deal. Sometimes the room is quiet and calm, and other times it is full of fun and laughter. Either way, it’s always a good break from schoolwork. You can even try out new supplies you have never used before, which makes it even more exciting. Plus, you always leave feeling a little more creative than when you came in!
Also, Art Club is a great place to make new friends. Everyone is super supportive, and people like to share tips or ideas. Even if your drawing turns out a little a little weird, someone will probably still say, ‘That’s awesome’! Group projects make it easy to laugh and talk while you’re working. It just feels good to be creative with people who like Art too. For example, Rahul P (2B) and I are doing a lino print for our favourite subjects, and we are having such good fun. Sometimes you get inspired by what other people are making, and it makes you want to try something new. You also pick up little tricks just by watching how others draw or paint. After a while, the club feels less like a School activity and more like a group of friends being creative together.
The best part about Art Club is how relaxing it feels. School can be stressful for some people, but Art Club is like a little escape where you just get to create things and enjoy yourself. You don’t have to be the best at drawing to have fun. Even if all you make is random doodles, you will still feel proud of it by the end. People always cheer you on, no matter what your art looks like. It’s more about enjoying yourself than being perfect.
That’s what makes Art Club so nice – it’s fun, enjoyable and full of good vibes. Sometimes you can even surprise yourself with what you can create. Honestly, it’s one of those clubs that you really look forward to every week and overall, I would highly recommend going to Art Club!
By Moksha K (2B)
Scrum-believable!
On Saturday the Hampton U12Bs played two games, one against St George’s and the other against Reigate Grammar School. The first game was not great, we were losing 2:3 in the first half, but we were doing all right. However, then the second half fell apart as we lost our shape allowing St George’s B team to get through and score a few tries leaving the final score 3:11 or 15:55.
We now had our second game against Reigate. We had our heads up and we were ready to play. We stared off with a great kick deep into their half they were scrambling for the ball, but it was too late as we were on them. A few phases later, we were on their five-meter line. We put our big forward up front and then charged on to the try line to score. Next, they kicked it to us, but we got the ball only to have the same thing happen to us as we did to them.
After a few more tries for both sides, it was half time. We had a gameplan and were ready to attack and win from the score, 3:5. We were constantly trying to gain control and there was not a moment where a single person was not trying their best. After a few tries, there was a minute left in the game: we needed one try to draw. Before we knew it, Yuchen had the ball and was tearing down at the other end of the pitch. With a step back, he passed one of Reigate’s players and made it almost to the tryline. Luckily, another player was there, allowing Yuchen to offload the ball and allowing the support player to score. Then the whistle went: we had drawn the game!
By David M (2W)
Goals Galore!
Despite last year which saw a large variety of losses and wins, the U13A’s talent is not to be underestimated. In First Year, under the management of the super Mr Towl, we had great opportunities and fun alongside a lot of development, preparing us for the forthcoming U13 and U14 seasons – the years where trophies are starting to be within our reach! One of these trophies is ESFA (English Schools’ Football Association), which is a tournament with a FA Cup format containing around 700 of England’s top footballing schools. Unlike last year, we had time to settle back into the football season, after our summer term and holiday. This was very important for all teams to get ready for the big season ahead. Prior to our initial ESFA Cup fixture, we had a friendly game against Grey Court School as a warm-up for our game on the following Monday against Howard of Effingham.
The conditions at Howard of Effingham were challenging: a strong wind blowing down a hill like the wind gusting over the north face of Mount Everest, that made it very difficult for the team going uphill and with uneven grass that produces ‘the bobble of doom’; a nightmare, for goalkeepers like me. Despite these hurdles we kept the scoreline 1-1 at half time, and we finished it off downhill with a 4-1 victory thanks to the amazing Silas I (2L) playing his socks off. Ethan C (2G)’s cross into the box was jaw dropping and there were plenty of strong performances from the entire team.
We had progressed to the ESFA Cup round two (unlike last year where we were able to bypass round one). This lifted the overall morale in the team through the roof! However, we still knew that we still had to perform well in our next game. Carrington is a very strong side, with many individually great players. We had many great efforts in the first half, even netting a goal! In the end, we finished the game thanks to Kyle O (2W)’s seven goal contributions in a 7-0 win, thanks to Mr Hawkins and Mr Hurst for their words of wisdom at half time. Now, we are through to the third round and we very excited for the next challenge lying ahead. Up the Hampton!
By Lucas F (2P)
Pet of the Week!
Every week we meet one of Second Year’s furry (or scaly!) friends. This week’s pet of the week is Harvey. Here’s why Raff O’C-Z (2W) thinks he deserves to be Pet of the Week:
My super dog Harvey should be Pet of the Week because he is such an old boy. Harvey is a 15 1/2-year-old Cocker Spaniel; that is over 100 in human years! We think he is amazing as he still runs around, sniffs everything (it’s a spaniel thing) and loves chicken. He’ll do anything for chicken! However, he’s unfortunately only got two teeth left after having around 40 taken out, partly because dogs’ teeth are extremely difficult to brush well.
When he was younger, he loved chasing the ball really fast and won a few rosettes in dog agility. In fact, one of my earliest memories is learning how to use the ball thrower to send it far away for him to retrieve. Harvey loves food generally and we have lost many unattended sandwiches, pastries and freshly baked bread to him! He is like the community dog because a few people in our area love walking him. He’s so calm and gentle and just loves to be in human company. We love him and want him to live forever!
Biology Week
The final week of the half term is going to be a good one…it’s Biology Week, and there’s a whole host of activities for you to get involved in. Take a look at the poster below to find out more:
Food Bank Collection
Please support our Feltham Food Bank Collection on Friday 17 October. They are particularly in need of tinned meat, tinned tuna, coffee, washing pods and dried pulses. Please bring your donations to the front of School from 8.15am. Thank you!
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.
Take a look at this week’s fiendish questions. Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers below:
Here are the answers to last week’s quiz:
- What do you call a group of flamingos? Flamboyant
- Which ancient Greek god was the god of the sun and light? Apollo
- Which company was initially named “Blue Ribbon Sports” before changing its name? Nike
- How many minutes are in a full week? 10,080
- How many dots appear on a pair of dice? 42
Well done to the following Second Year Hamptonians who answered everything correctly – Ojas P, Lucas O’C, Dulan H, Panshul B, Peter R-R, Raff O’C-Z, Rayan A and Arthur H.
If you’re keen to write some general knowledge questions for the Blog, please email e.holt@hamptonschool.org.uk.
