Miss Hamalis’ Bulletin – Tuesday 2 July 2024

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. 

The gates for Sports Day will open at 1:00pm. You will be welcomed by the Samba Band, followed by a display from the Key Stage 2 Cheerleading Squad at 1:10pm. Our carousel of events will be from 1:30pm – 2:15pm, followed by some competitive races and the much anticipated parents’ race (remember to wear your trainers). We aim to finish the event by 3:15pm and the field will be closed at 3:30pm.

Please note, there will be no parking available on site and spaces around the site are limited. Gussy, the ice cream man, and a small coffee vendor will be on site to provide refreshments. 

Please show the badge below to a member of staff standing at the gate. This is to help us identify you as a member of the Channing Community. This was also emailed to you earlier today.

Please note: All girls will need to be collected from their year group area at the St Aloysius Playing Fields. There will be no Late Collection/ Mini Owls or Late Owls.

All unclaimed and unnamed lost property (both uniform and non-uniform) will be out in the courtyard from 7:30am – 8:30am on Thursday 4 July and Friday 5 July. Any unclaimed items still remaining will be donated to charity (non-uniform) or the pre-loved uniform sale (uniform).

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. 

• Wednesday 9 October 9pm ~ What Exactly is a ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’? And How Might Parents Implement One?

The long summer holidays are perfect for the girls to dive into a great read, kick back and listen to an audiobook, or browse online news articles. You and your daughters can find some fantastic summer reading resources on Firefly for EYFS and KS1 here, including reading lists for each year group and information about the summer reading challenge run by your local library. You and your daughters can also check out all the fun reading opportunities for KS2 here, including audio and eBooks to borrow from our ePlatform, plus a special holiday access code for the First News app. Do remind your daughters to check out the KS2 reading lists with all kinds of books suggested by our librarian, Ms Jupp, plus lots of popular recommendations from previous pupils in your daughter’s new year group. 

In assembly today, the girls have been encouraged to participate in the BooksforTopics Summer Reading Bingo challenge: Reception & KS1 and KS2. Each pupil has been given a printed copy of their age-appropriate reading challenge to take home over the holidays to inspire a continued appreciation of books and reading throughout the Summer. Please support your daughter to attempt the challenge and return the resource back to school at the start of the new academic year to receive House Points for effort and participation, as well as a certificate for a full house!

The summer holidays are great fun with plenty of opportunities to explore and pursue hobbies and interests. Many of us have fond memories of independence and holidays. However, school time offers a routine that many children can find comforting and helpful. Therefore, for some the summer can be a time of uncertainty, heightened by social media suggesting that everyone else might be living their best lives. Some children also find it difficult to be separated from their friends who they normally see every day. If any of the above is a concern, Childline has produced some very helpful resources: Summer holidays. Whilst this is designed for children, it is also interesting for parents to read.

We understand the importance of balancing digital proficiency with the need to manage screen time effectively: using technology in a manageable and meaningful way. We are committed to providing a well-rounded education that prepares the girls for the digital world, while also addressing the potential drawbacks of excessive screen time. 

We are continuously evaluating our digital literacy curriculum to ensure it equips the girls with essential skills without over-reliance on screens. We aim to implement strategies to ensure a healthy balance of paper-based learning and technology use. As such, next academic year, we will focus on paper-based learning supported by occasional use of meaningful technology, across the curriculum, to combine the strengths of both traditional and modern educational methods, fostering a comprehensive and adaptable learning environment for our pupils. 

Mindful of the screen time involved in both classroom activities and homework, we have revised our homework offer to include assignments which will not require the use of digital devices. Following concerns raised by the parental body as well as staff feedback, and year-long research; next year, we will provide Key Stage 2 homework, prioritising English and Mathematics, specifically using school-trusted online platforms (such as SpellingShed, TTRS and Mathematics), as well as paper-based resources (to mean tech-free home nights), plus a termly research project based on one of the following foundation subjects across each half term: History, Geography, Computing, Science, PSHE and RE and Philosophy. This means that, across Key Stage 2, pupils will have two dedicated homework tasks each week, utilising our trusted online software and two dedicated homework tasks solely using paper-based materials. 

For Key Stage 1 pupils, homework has always centred around the core subjects of Mathematics and English. Next year, we will have a fortnightly rota to provide weekly homework for pupils in Key Stage 1, using both school-trusted online platforms (such as SpellingShed, TTRS and Mathematics), as well as paper-based resources. 

Reception children will continue to complete homework, focusing on developing early number, reading and writing skills, predominantly using paper-based resources.

The girls’ wellbeing will always come first. Though we expect our pupils to leave with a high level of digital proficiency to prepare them for life beyond Junior School, our aim is for these changes to support a reduction in screen time use for all pupils when completing school work. We are aware of the growing concerns about the negative impact of excessive screen time use on children’s mental health and wellbeing. We are committed to champion positive mental health and wellbeing for all; by supporting this important initiative, we aim to ensure that our pupils have a balanced and healthy educational experience.

Pupils in Year 1 – Year 6 will be taking part in Hockey next year. For the girls safety, they require: shin pads, long black socks and a gumshield (please ensure these are moulded before their first lesson). Please click on the hyperlinks for examples. If your daughter forgets her gumshield, the cost to purchase a new one from the PE Team will be added to your school bill. Your daughter is very welcome to purchase and bring her own hockey stick into school on her PE days, although this is not a requirement. Here is a handy guide to help you understand which size to purchase. Please ensure all personal items are labelled clearly.

Thank you to those parents who have already reached out to us about next academic year’s Extracurricular Club Programme. The full timetable will be released in September, at the very start of term, with clubs commencing very soon after. External clubs remain on the same days and times for consistency. More information will be provided in the first Bulletin of the new academic year. 

The Sustainability Team has been talking about plastic waste and Plastic Free July. Anyone can sign up and help make the world a cleaner, greener place. Here’s some advice from the team: 

• “Only take the plastic you really need.” – Thalia
• “If there’s a shop or cafe you love, ask them not to use plastic straws.” – Ottie
• “Better to use paper straws than plastic ones!” – Minty
• “When you do buy plastic, try to buy long lasting items.” – Jessica & Ayra

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.

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

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