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Miss Hamalis’ Bulletin – Monday 24 June 2024

Posted: 24th June 2024

Miss Hamalis, Head Of Channing Junior School

Dear Parents 

Last week and this week, we are fully embracing our Unitarian ethos of kindness, tolerance, respect and inclusivity through our Around the World Fortnight initiative. This event, introduced several years ago, will culminate in a showcase of pupil work displayed in classrooms around the Junior School on Founders’ Day.

I wanted to take this opportunity to emphasise the importance of maintaining a culture of inclusivity within our school community. Inclusivity lies at the heart of a well-rounded education, essential for creating a supportive and welcoming environment where every pupil feels valued, respected and able to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. By fostering an inclusive culture, we demonstrate our dedication to nurturing a diverse and harmonious community, where all pupils have the opportunity to be the very best version of themselves.

Encouraging inclusivity equips our pupils with invaluable life skills such as empathy, acceptance, and understanding (embodied by one of our Channing Characters, Empathy Rabbit). It prepares them to interact positively with individuals from different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences, ultimately shaping them into compassionate and tolerant individuals ready to contribute positively to society.

Furthermore, this inclusive culture enhances the overall learning experience for our pupils. When pupils feel included and supported, they are more likely to engage actively in their education, participate in classroom discussions and collaborate with their peers. This, in turn, leads to a more enriching and fulfilling academic journey for each pupil.

As parents, your role in promoting inclusivity is vital. By reinforcing the values of respect, acceptance and inclusivity at home, you can help to solidify these principles in your daughter’s everyday interactions and choices. Encouraging open dialogue about diversity and inclusion can further support your daughter in developing a deep appreciation for the benefits of a diverse and inclusive community.

Together, we can create a school environment where every pupil feels valued, respected, and included. I encourage you to engage in conversations with your daughter about the importance of inclusivity and to actively support our efforts to foster a culture of inclusivity within the school community.

During Around the World Fortnight, the girls will participate in a variety of activities to support their cultural adventures. Each year group has embarked on a journey to learn about one of the chosen countries that have previously hosted the Olympic or Youth Olympic Games (or are scheduled to do so) which aligns with the celebrations for the Olympic Games taking place in Paris, France this year. Some aspects each year group has  explored include: culture, geography, language, currency, landmarks, traditional dances, art and music. The focus for each year group is as follows:

  • Reception: Greece
  • Year 1: Italy
  • Year 2: China
  • Year 3: Senegal (hosting Youth Olympic Games in 2026)
  • Year 4: Brazil
  • Year 5: Argentina (hosted the Youth Olympic Games in 2018)
  • Year 6: USA

I look forward to seeing you all at Founders’ Day this Saturday morning to mark the founding of the school. Doors will open at 9.30 am and close at 11.30 am. The girls need to arrive wearing their Summer school uniform. Please note that all pupils are expected to attend Founders’ Day, and permission must be sought in advance for any absences.

Upon arrival, your daughter will need to collect her personalised passport from her year group’s table in the courtyard. You will then progress down the ramp beside the Drama Studio and follow our one-way system for a unique around-the-world trip. Please remember to visit the work on display in all form rooms, as well as in the PE Pavilion, Music Room, Library and Drama Studio. The girls will be able to stamp their passports as they visit each of the countries/rooms. 

I look forward to seeing everyone and wish you all a wonderful time!

Eid Mubarak to our families celebrating Eid al-Ghadi this week! 

With warm wishes 

Miss Dina Hamalis
Head of the Junior School 

Calendar & Events

School Calendar

You can view all events for the year in the school calendar via our Parent Portal: SchoolBase login. Your calendar view should already be filtered to display the Junior School events and events which are specific to your daughter’s year group. 

The ‘School Calendar Parent View’ button shows the complete calendar, which can be viewed by each month, week or day. Events also appear on the right-hand side of the home page under ‘Forthcoming Events’ and the monthly view of the calendar also appears at the bottom of the home page. 

 

Summer Term Clubs ~ all finish this week

As a reminder, all clubs finish this week. The final after-school club will be on Thursday 27 June and the final before school club will be KS2 Cheerleading Squad, which will take place on Friday 28 June.

 

Founders’ Day: Non-Uniform Day & Early Finish in Preparation on Friday 30 June

This Pride Month, we will come together to celebrate love, friendship and the special and unique things that make us who we are. Pupils and staff (as well as the wider community) will be encouraged to dress in rainbow colours on Friday 30 June. 

As the girls are coming into school on Saturday, there will be an early finish this Friday 28 June to enable staff to prepare the school rooms and grounds. Please note, Late Owls will not run on this day. The collection times are: 

  • 11.45am: Reception (main gate) 
  • 11.55am: Year 1 (main gate)
  • 11.55am: Year 2 (side gate) 
  • 12.05pm: Year 3 (side gate)
  • 12.05pm: Year 4 (main gate) 
  • 12.15pm: Year 5 (side gate)
  • 12.15pm: Year 6 (main gate)

Monday 1 July is a holiday in lieu of attendance on the Saturday; we return to school on Tuesday 2 July for the remaining four days of term, which ends on Friday 5 July.

Sports Day: Thursday 4 July

On Sports Day, Thursday 4 July, all pupils need to come to school dressed in their PE kit and their House colour t-shirt (not their usual black top). The Cheerleading Squad will start the event at 1.10pm with a demonstration. Please note that they will not be wearing their cheer uniform – they need to wear their PE kit and House colour t-shirt. Before arriving at St Aloysius, all of the girls will have lunch and an ice-cream at school. They will also receive a snack at the playing fields. 

As the sun is shining, please ensure that your daughter has a Channing-branded sun hat from Uniform4Kids, or a sensible alternative at school (must be named), and has sun cream applied before coming to school in the morning. It is advisable to use sun creams with at least a SPF factor 30 for UVB protection and at least a 4* rating for UVA protection. If you think your daughter may need to reapply her sun cream throughout the day, please send it in with her as we do not store sun cream at school (due to potential skin sensitivities/ allergies). Please note that girls are unable to share sun creams due to allergies. 

Please note that there is no parking onsite, and surrounding areas may be limited. Please bear this in mind when planning your journey.

As a reminder, there will be no Late Owls that evening. Your daughter(s) must be collected at St Aloysius Playing Fields, Hurst Avenue, at the end of the event at 3.15pm. For safeguarding reasons, you will need to show the picture below to gain entry to the field. Without this, you will not be permitted entry.

 

End of Term Collection Times: Friday 5 July

The collection times for the last day of term, Friday 5 July:

  • 11.45am: Reception (main gate) 
  • 11.55am: Year 1 (main gate)
  • 11.55am: Year 2 (side gate) 
  • 12.05pm: Year 3 (side gate)
  • 12.05pm: Year 4 (main gate) 
  • 12.15pm: Year 5 (side gate)
  • 12.15pm: Year 6 (main gate)

TooledUp Courses for Parents

We have collaborated with TooledUp Education: an invaluable digital library of evidence-based resources on all aspects of parenting, education and family life. Founder, Dr Kathy Weston, has collated the best and most up-to-date research from around the world and distilled it into usable, easy to understand resources which can be instantly applied to daily life. Channing Pin: cha0706

For upcoming TooledUp courses and events please click here

  • Monday 24 June 10:30am ~ An In Depth Look at Snapchat
  • Friday 28 June 1:00pm ~ Live Q&A with Early Years Child and Family Psychiatrist

Summer Camps

Specialist Gymnastics Summer Camp with Juliette: Monday 5 - Friday 9 August

Hosted at Channing Junior School, our first Gymnastic Summer Camp is suitable for gymnasts of all abilities. The girls will learn and improve their gymnastics skills in a fun and motivational space. Engaging in gymnastics equipment and floor work, the girls will explore and perfect gymnastic techniques to help them engage and retain transferable skills. For more information and to book single days or the full week, see here.

Poolside Manor Swimming Classes & Swimming Crash Course

Wallace Chess Camp

Wallace Chess has been running chess camps for 18 years. There is something for everyone from ages 5 to12 – whether your daughter is a complete beginner or a tournament player. Your daughter will learn tactics and strategy, as well as enjoy having fun outside playing games and taking part in other activities. Pick from two locations: Swiss Cottage Community Centre – for all 6 weeks or Kensington (St. Mary Abbots Centre)

– for all 6 weeks. To book, please see here.

Full week booking only – 4 days

Half day: 9am-1pm
Full day: 9am-4pm

  • Week 1: July 8 – 11
  • Week 2: July 15 – 18
  • Week 3: July 22 – 25
  • Week 4: August 12 – 15
  • Week 5: August 19 – 22
  • Week 6: August 27 – 30 (Tues – Fri) – please note different days

Competitions & Challenges for the Girls

First Maths Challenge

Congratulations to the pupils in Years 2-4 who showed bravery, resilience and perseverance when taking part in the First Maths Challenge last week. We eagerly await their results and will pass on their certificates as soon as we have them.

Times Table Rock Stars Competition 'London Rocks’

As part of our commitment to raise the profile of successes in Mathematics across the school, we are once again taking part in an external Times Tables Rock Stars Competition ‘London Rocks’. The competition, open for pupils in Years 1-6, runs from 7.30am tomorrow, Tuesday 25 June, to 7.30pm on Thursday 27 June.

The girls can play in any game mode with every correct answer to a multiplication or division question, earning themselves, their form and the school a point. The TTRS platform will calculate the average score for each form. Winning forms in the school (and in the competition as a whole) will be the ones with the highest average score.

Every correct answer that a pupil gives, in any game type, between the hours of 7.30am BST to 7.30pm BST each day will contribute to their form and school score. To support player well-being, there is a daily time limit of 60 minutes per player. Once the player goes beyond 60 minutes of play on that day, they will still earn coins, however, they will no longer earn points towards the competition. Each form has a minimum player count of 10. If fewer than 10 in the form play in the competition, their total will be divided by 10 regardless.

GSA 150th Anniversary Parents’ Survey

Parents' Survey

We are working with the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) to understand the ways in which attending a same-sex school equips girls for success in both their personal and professional lives beyond their academic years. As part of this, the GSA has asked member schools to invite parents to complete a survey. This survey will take around 10 minutes and will ask you questions about your/your child’s experience of same-sex schools and their benefits. There is also an opportunity for you to share your views on how same-sex schools could better support pupils in making better-informed choices about their future. Staff and KS2 pupils will also be completing their own questionnaires. 

We would really appreciate it if you were able to complete this survey. All responses will remain anonymous and will be used to better understand how to support pupils and families in GSA schools. Please click below to access the survey: https://impacted.typeform.com/GSAparents 

The window for this survey is open until the end of July. Thank you.

Social Media

What are the girls getting up to?

We often publish photos and films or events such as Year Group Assemblies, performances and trips on Firefly, our password secure website. Additionally, we publish photos and films (depending on parental permissions) on our social media accounts. Follow us on: Channing Instagram Account, Miss_Dina_Hamalis Instagram Account, Channing X Account and Channing Facebook Account to see what the girls are getting up to at school.

Channing Association News

Y2, Y4, Y5 & Y6 Form Reps Needed For School Year 2024/25!

There are still rep slots to fill for Year 2, 4, 5 and 6 forms for the next school year (2024/25). If you would like to step into the role for your form, or have any questions, please email jschanningassociation@gmail.com 

The CA Reps are parent volunteers, and it is a wonderful opportunity to get more involved with non-academic school activity.  The role of the Rep is to help run CA-organised events and activities for our girls and their families, to organise class socials, and to manage subs / arrange seasonal gifts for Form Teachers. You are supported by the Co-Chairs throughout the year.

Channing Association Choir: Info and Rehearsals

The Channing Association Parent and Teacher Choir meets fortnightly in term time on Thursday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm at St Michael’s Church in Highgate. The choir is open to all genres of music, and there is a small cost per person per session to cover venue hire and sheet music.

Upcoming, final rehearsal date is: Thursday 4 July. 

For any questions and to sign up please email jschanningassociation@gmail.com

Diary Dates for the Summer term

  • Sunday 1 September – Start of term family picnic in Highgate Woods
  • Wednesday 9 October – Quiz Night
  • Friday 29 November – Winter Fair