Sankt Nikolaus, Christmas Concerts & Rugby Champions!

WELCOME TO THE FIRST YEAR BLOG!

This week we had the Christmas Concert and First Years created the festive mood with their cheery singing. We were all so proud!  

We are also bursting with pride about our fabulous U12A Rugby team for storming the Middlesex Festival and walking away with the trophy! A full report below. 

Remember the deadline for the Shoebox Appeal is Wednesday so please pop an unwrapped gift in your school bag this weekend. 

We have the Carol Concert at St Mary’s on Tuesday and the Christmas lunch this coming Thursday. It’s paper hat and pigs-in-blankets season!  

Have a good weekend. I will be putting up my Christmas tree and wrestling with the tangled lights! 

Christmas Concerts

On Thursday, all of First Year rushed to the Sports Hall ready to get organised to express their voices on the massive stage of the Hammond Theatre. We all walked across the stage (quite nervously) and took our places staring up at the audience. The music started and we all sang ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and ‘All I want for Christmas is You’. After that the orchestra arrived and we went to the Lecture Theatre to watch Robbie the Reindeer and eat Penguin biscuits.

By Ryan A (1J)

SANKT NIKOLAUS

1P and 1G have been learning all about Sankt Nikolaus in their German lessons. This week he paid them a visit, leaving treats in the shoes they had decorated. Gut Gemacht!

Rugby Champions

On Friday morning a squad of 15 Hamptonians set off for Grasshoppers with high hopes knowing we were a strong and improved side. We won our first game against Mill Hill 2-0 and our morale was high. Next, we moved on to Richmond School winning a comfortable 4-0. We now knew that for our next two group matches we would probably have to win both to stay in so we focused more and had a close 2-0 win against London Oratory B’s.  

To finish off, we played a tough Haliford side but won 3-0 with our best performance yet progressing to the cup! The cup was going to be a format of three matches against the other teams with whoever comes out on top as the winners. Straight after lunch we were into our first match against the so far unbeaten Cardinal Vaughan School which we knew we had to up our game for. We went one nil down but, after some valiant carries, we won 2-1! 

After that success our next game against St Benedict’s was going to be tough. Straight after kick off Cylus I (1L) and I chased hard putting in a big hit leaving the ball free for Karthi K (1B) to pick up and score! A determined defence followed but a lucky interception by the opponents meant the final score was1-1. Since we were one goal ahead of St Benedict’s, we needed to win the next game by a considerable amount. And we did! 4-0 was the final score making us Middlesex County Champions for the first time in five years! Well done to all who came and shared the glory. 

By Luke B (1J) 

Another viewpoint … 

Last Friday, myself and my rugby teammates set out on the minibus to the Grasshopper’s grounds. They were truly amazing, with more pitches than I could count and a huge clubhouse to go alongside. After warming up, we went to play our first match of the group stage. We found out that we would be playing Mill Hill. Our second game was against Richmond School and we won convincingly with the our team having most of the possession that game.  

After that, we had a longer break to eat our snacks and we went into the third game with high hopes for victory. We were going to be playing London Oratory B. Luckily, we secured the victory and, knowing we had another game against Halliford straight away. Regaining our breath quickly, we knew we had a tough game coming up. However, it was fairly straightforward as we had most of the territory in the game. The second half of the day began with a game against Cardinal Vaughan. It was a close match but we ended up getting the edge on them scoring one try. We knew our next match was going to be tough, for it was against St Benedict’s, a team that beat us earlier this year. Although we lost to them earlier this year, we tried our hardest and ended up with each team scoring one try. Our last game was against London Oratory A and we won pretty nicely, scoring four tries. Overall, each person in the team tried their hardest and we ended up being rewarded with our first piece of silverware, the first of many to come. 

 By Oliver J (1H)

Geography WORLDWISE Quiz

A big well done to Yuvan M (1P) and Ethan C (1P) on their fantastic performance in this week’s Geography Association World Wise Quiz.

Clubs of the Weeks 

Croquet Club

by Jerry D (1F) 

I wanted to share my experience of Croquet Club which I tried in No Limits Week. Before I thought it was simply another sport I didn’t like but I found out that it was an engaging, fun and co-operative sport. I now attend regularly and encourage other First Years to give it a go. It’s a really social club so go along with your friends. 

Lego Architecture Club

by Agastya J (1J) 

Lego Architecture Club takes place on a Tuesday. Currently, we are making famous buildings out of Lego. My partner and I are making the Colosseum. There are many boxes full of Lego and we are free to search through the boxes to find the pieces that will contribute to the final structure. There are not many places and so you have to come quickly though after the Christmas holidays there will be more spaces available.  

If you are interested after the Christmas holidays you should come to Lego Architecture on Tuesdays in F58. 

Meet the Mentors!

Jerry D and Tom C (1F) interviewed their two Upper Sixth mentors – who both happen to be called Tom! They asked several questions about their time at Hampton and hopes for the future

How do you feel about being a mentor?
1. It is fun and it’s fun to see First Year shenanigans.
2. I really enjoy being a mentor and I’m very happy to have 1F as my Form.

What was your favourite School trip?
1. Politics trip to Washington DC.
2. Probably the Junior Ski Trip back in Second Year. 

How do you feel about your A levels?
1. It was a step up, but I think I am managing this.
2. I’m doing my A Levels this year so that is a lot of pressure but hopefully they should be fine. 

Do you like Hampton’s environment?
Yes, as everyone is so friendly and helpful.

Is it easy to make friends?
1. I’ve made lots of friends throughout the years.
2. Yes, especially through different sports and clubs. 

Did you feel that the First Years now are having the same experience as when you were a new pupil?
1. Mostly yes. Going as a mentor to Avon Tyrrell a few months ago was very nostalgic and a lot of things seem to be the same, but more of the work First Years are doing now seems to be different.
2.I think that the way they do work is different but the experience is still similar. 

What is your favourite school lunch?
1.100% the Chicken Katsu Curry.
2. Sausage Casserole (Bring it back!!!)

How do you feel about your time at Hampton coming to an end?
1.Sad, because being at Hampton has been such a huge part of my life, but I’m very excited to go to university.
2. It is quite sad, as I’ve had so many amazing experiences here, so I’m enjoying the last few months. 

Did you know many people when you joined the School?
1.I knew one person from my primary school, but we were put into different forms, so I ended up making friends with completely new people.
2.No, but I found everyone to be very nice. 

What clubs did you attend? 
1.I always went to a club where we would clean out the school’s animals on a lunchtime in First and Second which I really enjoyed. I’d also go to Biology Club and Badminton Club quite a lot.
2. I do Voices of Lions, which is the acapella choir. I’ve also done two school musicals.

Did you prefer the lunch now to the lunch when you were First Years?
1.I think it has stayed similar over the past seven years, but sausage pasta is no longer on the menu which was most people’s favourite back in First Year.
2.I think it’s definitely got better over the years and the ingredients are great. 

Do you think the trips are exciting?
1. All the trips sound really exciting and the ones I have been lucky enough to go on have been really fun.
2.The trips are great and are some of the best experiences I’ve had at Hampton. 

What sport do you do?
1. I play Social League, and I am a proud member of the team AFC Wangus. We are playing in the semi-final today, and if win we’ll be one step close to winning the coveted Social League Cup.
2. I do Social League for AFC Wangus but unfortunately, we’ve never won the trophy. 

What university do you want to go?
1. I have applied to Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bristol and Nottingham to study veterinary medicine, and I would be happy to go to any of them.
2. I have applied to Cambridge, Durham, Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham. My first choice is Cambridge, and my interview is coming up soon. 

Nature Corner

Over the weekend, I dissected two barn owl pellets (don’t ask why I had two in my freezer!). Owls and other birds of prey cough up these pellets to get rid of all the fur and bones from their prey that they can’t digest. So, when you dissect them, they are filled with exciting skeletons of different rodents such as voles, rats, mice, shrews and even small birds! Some of the pellets are only full of fur, so I was lucky because I found lots of bones in mine, as you can see from the picture below.

I managed to identify two skulls (probably from harvest mice), vertebrae, leg bones and even the bones that help articulate the tail for the mouse. It was really interesting to find out what the owl had been eating and to identify the different body parts of its prey. Conservationists use pellets to record data about the owls’ diet and also to collect data about the rodent population, as many rodents – such as harvest mice – are in fast decline due to habitat loss. If you wanted to find owl pellets you should look for owl boxes and perches in forests and fields where a barn owl or a tawny owl might rest.

By Edward R (1F)

SHOEBOX Appeal

The 2024 Shoebox Appeal is now live! This Christmas, Form Charity is organising a Shoebox Appeal in aid of Solace Women’s Aid. Solace is a leading specialist charity in the UK supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse. The lifesaving support that Solace provides to over 20,000 women, children and young people each year is so important.

Each form is being asked to donate three shoeboxes filled with items including stationery, toys, vital hygiene products, games and so much more. What are you waiting for, let’s get filling those shoeboxes!

Innovation Competition

What will Hampton School look like in 100 years?

Do you have an innovative idea that could contribute to a more sustainable future?

Think vertical food gardens on the walls, rain-catching toilets, or maybe even a School-wide composting system that turns cafeteria scraps into energy! The sky is the limit and we would like to see out-of box, creative solutions that might be able to tackle some of the environmental issues that we all face in the future.

• Mission Objective Propose a sustainable solution for a greener future!
• Solo or Team Up? go this mission alone or work with others (maximum 4).
• All year groups are welcome to take part

Please ensure that you submit your ideas by 13 January 2025 through the link here.

There is an awesome prize on offer – beyond the eternal glory of victory!

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 Rishi S (1G) on being named this week’s Tutee of the Week.  

Rishi has shown fantastic willingness to get involved in all aspects of school life and his lovely manner. Well done, Rishi!

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS!

Let’s hear from Arhaan K (1J) on his fantastic cricket season:

After the end of the cricket season this year, my club (Sunbury) participated in both Middlesex and Surrey leagues. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the most successful season finishing 4th in the Middlesex League and 7th in the Surrey League. However, although my club may not have had the most successful season, I had a decent one winning ‘Best All-rounder” for my club for both Leagues. My best performance while bowling was when I played Teddington at home taking three wickets in the Middlesex League. While batting, my best performance of the season was when I played Staines and Laleham scoring 32 off just 16 balls at a strike rate of 200.00 winning the game for my team- this was in the Surrey League. Next season, I hope we can do better in both the leagues, and I can also have a better season.  

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 Mrs Whitwam (v.whitwam@hamptonschool.org.uk).

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 your Form Tutor the following Monday. And you will get to know the School better in the process.

Last week’s challenge: Which farm animal can be found on the roof somewhere around the School?

It is – of course – a cow on the roof by the Cloisters!

A big shout out to the First Years who correctly found the answer to last week’s Hampton Hunt. A whopping 37 of you! Well done to Armaan R, Hayk F, Edward G, Thomas L, Felix R, Noam C, Rayan A, Poyraz D, Reyansh K, Alexander B, Theo R, Sebastian D, Rishi S, Harri C, Jonathan G, Yuhao L, Jack W, Ashutosh S, Kamran C, Rafferty O’C-Z, Emre K, Ralph L, Henry M, James C, Jia WX, Edward R, William J, Oliver J, Noah N-A, Kyle O, Eli M, Jesse G, Max O, Alexander C, Max K, Sebastian Y and Isaac L for getting the correct answer! Make sure you collect a merit from your Form Tutor next week!

This week’s challenge: