Theatre Tech, Rugby Festival & Tug of War!

Welcome to the Third Year Blog!

Here we are! Half term! Frankly, the Third Year Blog feels that we all need the break. You can only be lively and unpretentious as relentlessly as Hamptonians are for a fairly limited period of time and by the time six and a half weeks have passed, everyone gets to the stage where the chance to recharge batteries is necessary.

Of course, while some of us will retreat to our sofas and beds in order to fall into the warm embrace of the Xbox or the time chasm that is Netflix, others will be off on School trips, with groups of Third Years variously making their way to Tenerife for a Geography trip and to Portugal for a Tennis camp. Regardless of how you choose to enjoy your well-earned rest, the Third Year Blog wishes all of you well and looks forward to seeing everyone back in the School in a few weeks’ time, when everyone is back and re-energised, ready to dive back into the eternal battle between the inherent moral weakness of the untucked shirt and the vigilance of your noble teachers.

But, before you dance off into the utopian world of an unpoliced clothing experience, we have news on clubs, rugby victories, incredible charitable endeavours and the results of the Interform tug of war below…

Heads of year message

Well done to everyone for completing an action packed half term at School. Safe travels to all those Third Year pupils joining the Geography trip to Tenerife over the half term holiday. We expect high standards of behaviour from everyone going on the trip and we look forward to hearing all about it on your return.

Interform Competition

Most of the Year Group either took part in or supported their classmates at the Interform Tug-of-War on Thursday lunchtime. Spirits were high and the competition was fierce, but crucially the boys showed themselves to be good humoured and supportive of one another, which meant the event was a joyous way for everyone to conclude the half term.

Grade Cards

Grade Cards are available to view via the Parent Portal from 4.30pm today (Friday 18 October). Form Tutors will follow up with boys after half term to discuss academic progress and set targets where necessary.

Boys – you have done yourselves proud this half term in the way you have thrown yourselves wholeheartedly into the challenges and opportunities available. We certainly feel that the boys are living up to the aims we set them for the year:

• Aim for personal best
• Be kind to everyone
• Get involved
• Speak up if you need assistance

Absences

If your son will be absent from School for any reason, please complete the absence reporting form, which can be found on My School Portal on every morning of your son’s absence.  For absences other than illness e.g. if a pupil has a dental or medical appointment during School hours, notice of this should be given in advance. For planned absences, please contact Heads of Year requesting the absence with as much notice as possible.

We hope that everyone enjoys a well-deserved break over the half term holiday.

Best wishes

Mr T Rigby & Mr H Moore

Rugby Festival

On Sunday, the U14B team had a Rugby Festival at Emanuel School. There was a small tournament where everyone played to modified rugby rules – for instance, if you scored a try in the wide areas of the pitch you scored two additional points for a try (added on to the normal five). Also, there were no conversions. The matches that the team played were amazing. For instance, after the first match, we had no idea how to improve our defence because we were attacking the whole time (this was possible as the matches were quite short!). Our attack was strong as was the pressure we exerted during all matches, but we had some secret weapons: Brian K and Sewon P.

Whenever they got the ball, they bolted up the pitch and sometimes even ran the whole pitch and scored. Yes, Sewon and Brian were good but the real momentum was from the whole team working together and passing the ball with good hands (and yes when our secret weapons got the ball, they weaved in and out of people and charged through the opposition). In total, three games were played as there were four teams, including Hampton, and the remarkable part was that our opposition didn’t score once during any of the three matches. A very enjoyable and very successful day!

Report from George H (3J)

Theatre Tech Club

This Wednesday, I attended Theatre Tech Club and explored the advanced features of an incredibly versatile software called QLab. It’s amazing how much you can control with it – from sound and lighting to video effects – all in one platform. One of the most exciting parts of the session was learning how to use a feature called a fade to create the effect of a plane flying across the stage, making it feel like the action was happening in real time!

The club runs on different days throughout the week, making it easy to find a session that fits your schedule. Mr Thompson, who runs the club, is super encouraging and makes the learning process both fun and challenging. Whether you’re just starting out or already know your way around the software, there’s always something fresh to dive into.

Report by David B (3D)

Charity Cyclethon

George S (3D) is taking part in a fundraiser this half term to raise money for the charity CARA which was one of Hampton’s form charities last year.

Last year George, along with Louis, Josh and Matthew took part in a 24-hour cyclethon to raise money for CARA. A 24-hour cyclethon is back-to-back cycling of one stationary bike, done in shifts, for a continuous 24 hours (the parents took the night shift!). This year the event is back but is a DUAL cyclethon, so two bikes side by side, so double the effort and double the fun!

If anyone would like to know more, or would like to support (teachers are welcome too!) please ask George S about it.

Below are some photos from last summer, when George and his family visited the charity CARA in Thailand to see their work in action. George helped at a community outreach educational event and met some students who were able to attend school thanks to the fundraising of Hamptonians.

Well done, George, and good luck with the cyclethon!

Interform Tug of War 

Thursday saw the Interform Tug of War competition – one of the highlights of the year.

Below is a video that captures the spirit of the event:

And here are the results – the race for the Interform Cup is hotting up!

1^st – 3D
2^nd – 3B
3^rd – 3A
4^th – 3E
5^th – 3F
Joint 6^th – 3G, 3H, 3J
DNF – 3C 

Chemistry Week

As soon as we’re back from the half term break, Chemistry Week is upon us, with lots of talks and activities about you guessed it…Chemistry! Take a look at the poster below to find out what’s happening.

Talk!

Great to see so many of you at this week’s Talk! with Nick Bryant – a really insightful discussion on US Politics. Coming up after half term, and to tie in with Chemistry Week, we’re joined by Jeremy Wrathall, the founder of Cornish Lithium, a company dedicated to finding a reliable long-term source of Lithium for the UK. Cornish Lithium aims to maximise the potential of the industrial scale of Lithium that lies beneath the ground at existing brownfield sites in Cornwall.

There’s no need to book a ticket, just come along to the Hammond Theatre next Tuesday 5 November at 1pm.

Find out more here.

Two Truths and a Lie

Last week we had Mrs Reilly soiling her pristine reputation with a dirty, dirty lie. These were her claims:

• Mrs Reilly has swum the English channel
• Mrs Reilly loves a good cream tea
• Mrs Reilly was once caught in an earthquake in Japan

Well, Mrs Reilly was once caught in an earthquake in Japan, though the Third Year Blog imagines that her instinctive understanding of forces drawn from years of the study of Physics ensured that she remained safe, regardless of where she was. Mrs Reilly does love ‘a good cream tea’ (of course, to an extent, this claim begs the question of how ‘good’ the cream tea needs to be for here to ‘love’ it. Would she also love an average cream tea? How poorly constructed would the cream tea need to be for her not to love it? Questions, unfortunately, for another time). What this means is that Mrs Reilly has not swum the English Channel, though it is surely only a matter of time.

This weeks’ unscrupulous liar is Ms Doncel-Cervantes. Here is what she would like you to believe:

• Ms Doncel Cervantes taught English as a foreign language in a remote village at the foothills of the Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador
• Ms Doncel Cervantes was once in a sandstorm in the middle of the night while camping in Death Valley and had to be evacuated by the Park Rangers
• Ms Doncel Cervantes got stung multiple times by a smack of jellyfish far out in the coast of Sardinia on my honeymoon

Which is the lie?

CONNECTION CORNER

A big shout out to everyone who had a go at the last Connection Corner and well done those of you who answered all the questions correctly. The correct connection was Cakes! Merits go to Ishaan B, David B, Liam C, Willoughby E, Shishir V, Matthew L, Dean B, Neal H, Huw C, Alex G, Inwoo Y, James G, Alp O, Luke F, Gordan L, Joe B, David W, Ekam R, Vayun K, Seb W, Samrith P, Josh B and Leonard H.

Another tricky one this week, have a go over half term and see if you can spot the connection:

Have a great half term holiday!