Welcome to the First Year Blog!
Welcome back to Hampton! We hope everyone had a cracking Easter break filled with fresh air, bright days and just the right amount of chocolate. Judging by this week’s Blog, the holidays were anything but dull, with First Years travelling, tinkering, tuning instruments, tackling robots and catching films, all while soaking up some much‑needed sunshine.
If this Blog proves anything, it is that learning does not take a holiday. From Project EXPLORE adventures across Europe and closer to home, to musical moments that struck all the right notes and creative projects built on kitchen tables, the boys have returned with stories, skills and smiles to share. With the Project EXPLORE deadline now extended until Thursday 7 May, there is even more time to get involved. Whether inspiration strikes through music, film, art, design, coding or good old‑fashioned glue and cardboard, this is your chance to follow your curiosity and have fun being creative.
One final note before you dive in. There will be no First Year Blog next week due to the ESFA finals, so instead we encourage everyone to enjoy the sunshine, get stuck into Hampton’s co‑curricular life and cheer on our teams. We will be back in two weeks with more First Year stories to tell!
pROJECT EXPLORE!
There’s still time to submit your Project EXPLORE creation. Here’s a reminder from Mr Fuldner and Mr Hill:
As my family and I were visiting Paris and Amsterdam over the Easter holidays, I decided to take advantage of the trip and do my Project Explore while away. As you know, Project Explore is a First Year competition where you have to visit a classical, historical, or artistic site and then make a presentation based on your visit. I went to some incredible museums, and I had so much fun creating the project. Seeing as we’ve been given an extension until Thursday 7 May, I am going to add a fourth museum in another city…
It’s been such a fun project to do, and I’ve found out lots of new facts about some of the world’s most famous artists! I am excited to present it and see all of your projects!
By Aiden G (1J)
Over the Easter holidays I had a great time working on my project for Project Explore. I decided to base my project on Windsor Great Park, because this is one of my favourite places to go that’s near where I live. I’ve visited Windsor Great Park lots of times and each time I go I discover something new. I’ve always wondered about the history of this wonderful place and the statues and monuments it contains, so the project gave me the opportunity to do some research and find out the answers to all my questions I had, and more importantly the chance to visit one of my favourite places again! Once I’d done my research it was time to get creative and soon enough the kitchen table was full of pieces of coloured card, crepe paper, photos, and my favourite part – a glue gun and some electronics!
By Aryun R (1F)
INTERFORM HAFA HUSTLE
A huge well done to all the First Years who took part in the Interform HAFA before the Easter break. The 12‑minute run is never easy, but the boys showed impressive determination, stamina and teamwork as they pushed themselves lap after lap. Whether chasing personal bests or cheering on their form‑mates, it was great to see so much effort and encouragement on display. The interform results are below!
1st – 1W, avg: 2502m Total: 52550m
2nd – 1F, avg: 2369m Total: 54500m
3rd – 1B, avg: 2345m Total: 49250m
4th – 1L, avg: 2332m Total: 53650m
5th – 1P, avg: 2292m Total: 43550m
6th – 1J, avg: 2262m Total: 54300m
7th – 1G, avg: 2225m Total: 48950m
8th – 1H, avg 2219m Total: 46600m
ROBOT RHYTHM
What an eventful Easter holiday for me! We met lots of friends, watched horse racing as well as a new movie. However, one highlight had been receiving and programming a robot. Here’s what happened in more detail.
My dad ordered a small, humanoid robot that arrived during the holidays. It was called JD. The robot was about 30 centimetres tall. Although I couldn’t wait to try programming JD, I didn’t know how, so my dad taught me through videos on the robot’s developer’s website.
First, we had to download a software called ARC. This is where you do all the coding. After downloading the software, we connected the robot and programme it to do some moves. We then used the software to link the moves together and make a story. Here’s what happens.
Mario eats a mushroom and transforms into a giant robot, JD. He destroys all the enemies in his way and reaches the goal. It was quite frustrating when the robot fell over a few times or missed an obstacle. However, it did it in the end, and I felt quite proud with how it turned out. Maybe, with more practise, I could make a longer, more advanced version of this story.
By Mingyuan D (1P)
MESMERISING MUSIC
This Easter I have had fun-filled interesting holiday, however one main event stood out personally for me. As a music lover, I love to listen to all forms off music around the planet. Last Saturday, I attended a mesmerising magical concert played by none other than Indian classical sarod legend Ustad Amjad Ali khan. The moment his talented fingers struck the strings of the sarod, it created a music so enchanting that it put all of the audience at the 125-year-old historic Wigmore Hall under a trance. The sarod is crafted from a single piece of tak wood. The sarod has 15-27 strings. It has a tapered neck, and a stainless steel covered fretless fingerboard. This means that the musician has to be extremely skilled to undertake the daunting task of playing such an astonishing instrument. They have to use the plectrum and their fingernails to slide along the strings. This creates a euphonious rich melody. My own grandfather’s favourite hobby was to play this Incredible instrument.
Ustad Amjad Ali khan is the Indian classical maestro of the sarod. He is now 80 years old. Originally born in India he has toured the world enchanting all corners off the globe with his captivating music. He worships all forms off music; he even talked about deep meditation during his fascinating performance
He gave intriguing facts about techniques he has learned in his journey of mastering the instrument. His devotion of the music merely reflects his compassionate work he has committed to himself in his lifetime. Even though I have not learned true Indian classical raga music, but the divinity of music has spell-bounded my veins forever. I will cherish this memorable experience for years to come.
By Ronak B (1F)
MADRID MADNESS
Over the break, I was lucky enough to go to one of the world’s finest cities for a week: Madrid. It was an amazing experience in which I had great fun and got to practise my Spanish. I would like to thank Profe Blachford for providing me with amazing and very useful recommendations for the trip.
Day 1 – We arrived in the afternoon, and went for a paella dinner in Plaza Mayor, one of the main shopping and eating squares in Madrid. My whole family and I shared a MASSIVE seafood paella and still could not finish it!
Day 2 – The next day, Profe Blachford’s top recommendation was the Reina Sofía Museum housing Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica. After studying this breath taking painting in Art Week, I was very excited to see it in real life. I was expecting something the size of a window, or maybe a television. I was very wrong. It is the size of a cinema screen! It is the most impressive painting I have ever seen. It is so abstract and so realistic at the same time. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is going to Madrid. Later that evening we went to San Gines – Spain’s best churros restaurant. Our churros were served with a thick hot chocolate-like sauce for dipping. They were not too greasy like the ones you get in London, were served hot and were the most delicious thing I think I have ever tasted. For all those who have not tried churros, put it on your urgent to-do list immediately.
Day 3 – Easter Day! We went to El Rastro, a busy flea market and another of Profe Blachford’s masterful recommendations. There, I purchased, for an extremely low price, a Lionel Messi football strip, a combination of all the teams the GOAT has ever played for (Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and Argentina). At the market, I was even able to haggle for a handmade tree made of steel wire (which is supposed to give you good luck) with my Spanish vocab from school!
Day 4 – We went to Europe’s third-largest stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of legendary club, Real Madrid. As it was the day before their Champions League quarter-final clash against German rivals Bayern Munich, the stadium’s seat art and tifos gave it that extra wow factor. As we walked around the amazing stadium, I learnt a few things about the club that I did not know before the tour. First, as well as being debatably the best football team in history, they have a basketball team that is apparently just as good. Secondly, Real Madrid founded the Champions League and have won it fifteen times, the most of any team. Finally, in 1989, club legend Alfredo Di Stefano won a Super Ballon D’or – the only one to be awarded in history!
Day 5 – We went to Toledo, a stunning medieval city just South of Madrid. We set off early in the morning and went on a tour of the city using a tour bus in the shape of a train! We then went to Alcázar fortress which overlooks the city and enjoyed the magnificent views. We also saw from the stunning viewpoint the remains of an ancient aqueduct, which was started but never completed, as the city had more important problems to tend to. To top things off, we finished by seeing the infamous cathedral. Although we were not allowed to go far into the cathedral due to the time of year, the exterior and the limited part of the interior that we saw were awe-inspiring!
Day 6 – We went to the Royal Palace of Madrid – the largest palace in Europe. The place is full of history, from commanding portraits of Spanish rulers, a 144-seat dining table, two royal thrones that look amazing but not very comfortable and €30,000,000’s worth of Stradivarius instruments. Our timing for this visit was perfect, as we were right on time for the monthly changing of the guards ceremony. Later, before dinner, we went to the RIU rooftop bar. This is a platform on the top of the RIU hotel where you can take in amazing views, watch the sunset and even dare to cross a bridge made entirely of glass (the scariest thing I have ever done and do not judge me until you have done it yourself)! The views were incredible – you could see Toledo from the top! After dinner, we had one final stop at San Gines before departing the next morning.
Throughout our trip, we got to experience the incredible Semana Santa. This is an amazing parade that goes on every night throughout the streets of Madrid. All the people taking part wear tall, pointed hats and each parade represents a day in the story of Easter. For those who do not mind slightly busy crowds, then this time of year is a good one to go to Madrid.
If you are considering going to Madrid in the future, do not hesitate – it was fantastic! I hope these tips are helpful!
By Alex B (1L)
HOPPING HIGHLIGHTS
I had a wonderful time relaxing with my family and enjoying some fun activities during the Easter break. One of the highlights of my holiday was going to the Odeon to watch an animated sci-fi movie, Hoppers. It was hilarious and exciting but also full of meaningful messages. I really enjoyed watching the colourful animation, quirky characters and side-splitting moments in the movie. At the same time, the movie made me think about empathy. It reminded me that if we listen to others and imagine their feelings, we can understand others better and become better friends as a result.
The story of Hoppers follows characters, including several animals (like a beaver), who learn to understand each other by seeing life from someone else’s point of view. Stepping into others’ shoes (or paws in the case of a beaver) was a constant theme throughout the movie. It teaches us that we should try to understand how other people feel before judging them. Sometimes people behave differently because they are facing problems we cannot see.
Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes entertaining comedies with a serious edge to them.
By Hiu Yeung K (1P)
Talk!
From the deepening crisis in the Middle East and its shockwaves through global markets to President Trump’s unpredictable approach to international diplomacy, long-standing geopolitical norms are being shaken. To help make sense of this rapidly changing landscape, we are delighted to welcome Fraser Nelson for our final Talk! of the academic year at lunchtime on Tuesday 28 April. There’s no need for Hamptonains to book, find out more here.
Special Shout outs!
We love to hear about what you have been getting up to outside of school and to celebrate your successes in the First Year Blog! Please do send any information about any of your achievements through to Mr Jimenez (v.jimenez@hamptonschool.org.uk).
TUTEE OF THE WEEK
Every week, the First Year Tutor team nominate a Hamptonian who they have been particularly impressed with and Mr Hill and Mr Fuldner present him with a certificate and a tasty treat to eat!
Congratulations to Thomas N (1J) on being named this week’s Tutee of the Week for his outstanding work in the Readathon.
Well done Thomas!
THE HAMPTON HUNT
Each week I will set you a challenge where you need to find out a random fact, number or indeed anything else around the School – you won’t be able to do this from home! You have until the end of Wednesday to complete the challenge; you will find out in next week’s blog if you’re correct, and you will be given a merit by
The Hampton Hunt is back! You’ll have two weeks for this one.
What animal is on the opposite wall from this eagle and wolf?
