Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
Welcome back to the Second Year Blog. It’s been a busy week with auditions for Bugsy Malone, table tennis tournaments and this year’s first No Limits Lessons Day! It sounds like there were some really exciting and creative lessons that we’ll hear all about next week. Thursday was National Poetry Day and our Second Years performed poems in another language during a lunch time recital. The video is included below – it’s brilliant!
Please do continue to send me any news, including events out of School, or come to Blog Club on Wednesday lunchtime. Have a lovely weekend!
TUTOR QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Each week the pupils decide on a question to ask all the Second Year Form Tutors. This week…
Which circus skill would you most like to master?
- Juggling
- Tightrope – Miss Mattinson
- Trapeze – Miss Winstock, 2H, Miss Eamens, Mr Worrall
- Clowning – Miss Tiller
- Other (please specify!)
2L voted for spin jitsu… which they told me meant spinning ninja skills, but a quick Google search suggests it’s a move from Ninjago – a lego themed cartoon…
2H were keen to mention fire breathing and lion taming!
2B voted for being shot out of a cannon!
Have you ever had a burning question you’ve always wanted to ask your form tutors?! If so, then please send your suggestions for next week’s Tutor Question Time to b.tiller@hamptonschool.org.uk.
Meet Miss Eamens!
Our weekly interviews are a great opportunity for you to find found out a little bit more about your Tutors! So, thank you to Ruhaan V and Yuki S (2B) who interviewed Miss Eamens, Biology Teacher and 2B’s Form Tutor!
When you were younger, what job did you want to have?
I wanted to be a dancer or a vet, but I have always been drawn to teaching!
Why did you become a Biology teacher?
I was inspired by my own teachers at school and wanted to share my passion for the subject. I also love doing practical work!
What is your favourite aspect of teaching?
Getting to work with such enthusiastic, curious and talented pupils. I especially love watching faces light up when a concept finally clicks, like when the First Years see cells under the microscope for the first time – it never gets old!
What would you do with a million pounds?
I would donate half to charity and use the other half to travel the world!
What is your favourite quote?
“My philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice.” Newt Scamander
Bugsy Malone Auditions!
On Tuesday after School I auditioned for the Junior Musical, Bugsy Malone. There were a lot of people (over 70!) who came from First to Fourth Year meaning there was a lot of competition for the main parts. These auditions were very exciting for me because I am very keen on Drama, and I try and audition for every production I can. For the audition, I started by performing a monologue being the character Bugsy Malone, the main character of the show who is a generally nice guy. The other option was to perform as Fat Sam, a speakeasy owner who had a big gang. After everyone had performed, we then sung the song ‘’Tomorrow’’ by the character Fizzy who is the speakeasy’s cleaner who wants to become a dancer. The musical is very fast paced and exciting with lots of singing and dancing in it. This is why, last week, there was a dance workshop which was very fun, we danced to a song, called ‘’Larger than night’’ and it was great. At the end we performed in front of some of the teachers and we were told that apparently there could be even more opportunities like this. I really enjoy these activities, and I would highly recommend taking full advantage of them.
By Reuben N (2L)
Table Tennis success
On Wednesday 2 October, I played a Table Tennis Tournament. Myself and seven other excellent table tennis players left Hampton to compete against three other schools: RGS, Twickenham School and Turing School. We left in a 9-seater minivan to reach Turing School where the tournament was held. I felt nervous but confident that we would win. As everyone arrived, we immediately started practising as much as we could to warm ourselves up and play to the best of our abilities.
So, the rules were that there would be a maximum of three sets being played per match and each set being first to 11 points. In my first match I started strong by winning my first set easily. I was then nearly beaten in the second set, but I didn’t lose. After a remarkably close match, I was elated to win but I didn’t stay overconfident. In the second match I unfortunately lost the first set. But I didn’t lose hope, and I took my revenge by winning the last two sets making me win the whole match. As I progressed through the matches, I began to realise that my scores and my skills had improved. I was delighted to know that I had won all my matches.
Finally, the results had come out and Hampton had come first. Ecstatic to know we all celebrated, and we earned a gold medal. I was overjoyed because this was my first medal that I had earned while representing Hampton. As a team we had played 40 matches and won 38 having an impressive win rate of 95%. Overall, this was one of my best performances and now this win has made me to look forward to the other upcoming matches.
By Shaurya D (2L)
Wednesday 2.40pm, the bell rang, 20 more minutes until I left to go and play representing the Hampton in a table tennis tournament. 20 minutes later, the minibus was filled with boys, and it was very loud, eight boys to play in a tournament which we hoped we would win. Once we got to the venue Turing House School I was filled with excitement, and I was extremely nervous. In the team there was mainly Second Years but two First Years joined us. Me and my friend warmed up with rallies and some game scenarios until we were called over by the hosts, he talked about admin such as best of three sets and first to 11 points and how we should have fun. Then we began to play, my first game was on my odds and luckily, I managed to remain calm and win 2-0 in sets and 11-4 in both. I moved up and played against an extremely challenging competitor and unfortunately, I lost 2-1 at the very end, I was worrying about how if I didn’t win my remaining matches, we might not win the tournament. I kept my composure and won my next game 2-0 and the other 2-0 as well; however, my last game it came down to a very close end of 14-12 to me as we had a triple deuce. As I informed the referees about my wins, victory was ever so close as I walked back to the area where Hampton players were waiting for the last couple of games to be played … We won! I was shocked to hear that news; we won the Richmond Borough Tournament. In my heart I was lost for words and very glad. Then we went and claimed our well-earned medals from the host and took a huge victory.
By Liangxu Z (2H)
Cross Country Success
Fantastic to hear about the success of our Junior Cross Country team, who competed in their first race of the new academic year at the recent English Schools’ Athletic Association Cross County Cup. Big shout out to Rafi B (2W), Reuben N (2W), Neil M (2W) and Derin A (2L) pictured below with some of our First Year athletes.
Buddy Meeting
It was great to see Second Year Hamptonians introducing themselves to their First Year buddy this week. Pupils enjoyed a good natter over a cookie, as they got to know each other.
Make sure you say hello when you bump into each other in the Hampton corridors!
Club of the Week!
Every week we’ll try and feature a new co-curricular club, this week we have a short story that was created during The Writers’ Room lunchtime club by Magnus F (2B):
I sat on a beaten bench, staring past the simple white line that would decide my fate, a hundred wild emotions ricocheting around my head, all my previous concerns feeling like a distant whisper of a worry. This one reigned supreme. India or Pakistan? My home or my religion? My Muslim family, or my Hindu beliefs? I had to choose. But why? Why should I have to choose one? To what end could the ‘superior’ Empire deprive India of any resources, while they sat down on their comfortable armchairs and drank a ‘British’ cup of tea. Rage flowed through my poverty-stricken body, strengthening my weakened muscles, encouraging me to fight. And then I deflated. There was no point. Fighting the Empire was like a fly battling a dinosaur.
My people had been forced to walk miles upon miles a day in the scorching heat, with little food and water, and often young children and heavy loads just to find a safe place where they would be accepted. Except that safe place they hoped for, I suspected, would not be as comforting as they thought it would be. I was lucky enough to live close to the border, but most people had been forced to suffer due to the British Raj’s careless approach to this partition.
If you love putting pen to paper, come along to The Writers’ Room on Thursday lunchtime at 12.35pm.
MUFTI Day
On 6 April 1994, President Juvénal Habyarimana was assassinated creating a uproar throughout Rwandan territory. Today, this is what we call the Rwandan Genocide. Throughout Rwanda many people remain homeless, starving and hopeless. This week Hampton hosted a charity mufti day allowing all boys to come in wearing home clothes and donate old ones – it was a chance to give to someone in need.
“To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity. Anticipate charity by preventing poverty. Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Days and weeks progressed throughout Rwanda and many tribes were destroyed. There are many tribes throughout the region, however, the Tutsi tribe faced extreme violence, after a hate media broadcast causing many to revolt. One million people from the Tutsi tribe were killed after 100 days of suffering. Many people today live in harsh conditions; missing family, friends and loved ones who were willing to protect their tribe. As a school, and as an individual we could and we do, do a lot to help these people in need – if you have already helped by donating some old clothes or if you have not, personally, I believe we can do much more to help people in these critical conditions.
Here is how you might be able to help:
- Support Organisations working on helping these people. Donate to organisations that work on the field, providing food, shelter and clothes. Volunteer either locally or even virtually, having things like the internet is a great way to create a community or as a whole take part in donations.
- Raise Awareness. Educate yourself and others, reading books, doing some research, or having a conversation is a great way to get involved. Share information, maybe you can use social media platforms or even run an initiative to help.
- Remembering and Honouring Victims. Support memorial organisations, which focus on preserving the memory of genocide victims and educating future generations. Visit memorials or museums dedicated to genocides, such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda or the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.
Remember, these things happen everywhere, not just Rwanda, there are many people in need and if you have something that is not of use, think about donating it.
By Ethan SW (2L)
HAVE YOU HEARD OF MARK ROBER?
Mark Rober used to work in NASA as an engineer. In his time at NASA, he worked on the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on November 2011. He later worked for Apple as he quit to pursue digital dudz, a range of Halloween costumes. He is a physicist who dreams to make science fun and accessible. Mark Rober has over 140 videos ranging from videos about his time at NASA and landing on Mars to videos about a battle against the squirrels. He also has a camp called crunch labs which is the building he uses for some experiments. Along with that he has a camp crunch labs build box which is designed to make children have fun with science. He even has a platinum ticket which makes the person who receives it able to come over to help him build or create something new. Unfortunately, you can’t buy a camp crunch lab build box here in the UK. If you want to find more information about science and how to drop an egg from a bridge without it cracking, Mark Rober’s your man! Find him at his Youtube channel Mark Rober.
By Alex DV (2B)
Special Shoutouts!
We love to hear about what you have been getting up to outside of school and to celebrate your successes in the Second Year Blog! Please do send any information about any of your achievements through to Miss Tiller. B.Tiller@hamptonschool.org.uk
Who’s that baby?!
Last week’s baby was… Mr Harrison, 2P’s form tutor!!!!
Who could it be this week? Come back next week to find out! I will be making all the photos black and white, so don’t let that fool you!
White board cartoon of the week!
2L have began creating a series of whiteboard cartoons! The characters are named after Miss Tiller’s dogs and this week the cartoon is inspired by the excitement of No Limits Lessons Day! Take a look below:
Talk!
Come along to the very first Talk! of the academic year and hear from Lord Chris Patten, whose extraordinary career has included serving as the last Governor of Hong Kong; Chairman of the Conservative Party; Chairman of the BBC Trust; and Chancellor of the University of Oxford. There’s no need to book a ticket, just come along to the Hammond Theatre next Thursday 10 October at 1pm.
Find out more here.
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.
Why don’t you have a go and enter your answers here.
Here are the answers to last week’s quiz:
- What is the all-time most-streamed song on Spotify to date? Blinding Lights by The Weeknd
- Which football team is known as ‘The Red Devils’? Manchester United
- Which country is known as the “Emerald Isle”? Ireland
- How many whiskers does a cat usually have on each side? 12-14
- Who created the fictional detective “Sherlock Holmes”? Arthur Conan Doyle
Well done to the following Second Year Hamptonians who answered everything correctly – Ridhaan G, Shaurya D, Justin K, Arjana C, Harry C, Sujay N, Vivaan S, Ethan W, George M, Joseph G, Zaki T, Yousuf H, Charlie F, Emile S, Ruhaan V, Caesar C, Reuben N, Ocean Y, Ioan and Ian L.
