Year 7
Settling in to a new school is not easy but Channing girls feel at home very quickly. They are given a special Induction and an Induction Pack and are surrounded by people who will look after them and help them settle. Very soon they make new friends, try out new clubs at lunchtime, learn new subjects, chat to older girls and have lots of fun.
All the teachers welcomed me and my new friends so warmly that I quickly settled in.
New Year 7s have two opportunities to meet their form tutor and the other girls in their form. The first time is during the Summer term in Year 6 when they visit Channing with their parents; they meet their tutor and the other members of their form and are introduced to their Big Sisters.
The second is the Induction Day in school the day before term begins in September, when they have fun doing a quiz to find their way around the school and meet their form tutor and form again.
|
|
One of the highlights of the Spring term is the Year 7 and 8 disco, organised by the amazing Channing Association. As the photos below show, much merriment was had by all!
|
|
Big Sisters
Every girl in Year 7 has a Big Sister in Year 8 whose responsibility it is to help her settle into Channing. They meet during the Summer term visit, exchange telephone numbers or e-mail addresses and are in contact with each other during the summer holidays so that the Big Sister will be able to answer any questions which the new Year 7 pupil may have before term begins. They may live near each other and be able to travel to and from school together.
My Big Sister really helped me settle in; she sent me a card saying if there was anything I needed I could just ask.
All Years 7 and 8 eat lunch together to enable Big Sisters to meet Little Sisters informally and establish a friendship which hopefully will last throughout their time at Channing.
|
|
Induction
At the start of each year in September, all the new Year 7s are involved in an action-packed induction with their tutors, Head of Section, PE staff and Sixth Formers.
They experience a variety of challenging activities, including climbing and abseiling, team initiative games and they perform a talent show. They make lots of new friends across the whole year group and have great fun.
Jacob's ladder was my favourite. It was good for team building.
I enjoyed working together with my partner and overcoming my fear of heights
The 3D maze was really good as we learned how to communicate as a team.
I feel exuberant when I reached the top and everyone cheered for their team.
I enjoyed being with the Sixth Formers for the day. They were so fun to have around.
I found the day really exciting! I meet lots of new people and now I have many more friends in different classes.
Trips
Amazonia
Written by Year 7
Year 7 were lucky enough to go and see Amazonia at the Young Vic which was a great experience.
The stage performance wasn't just entertaining but taught us about the rain forest and what we are doing to it. It mentioned poverty in many ways but the main focus was of people chopping down the rain forest.
The musicians were incredible. they had the sound of a orchestra but in fact it was just three men playing many instruments at once! They also used the instruments that would be used in the jungle, which made it feel even more like you were there.
We all enjoyed watching a most gripping performance all about a small community of people situated in the rain forest, their old traditions dying out and the threat of the forest being turned to waste land, through all this were left with an impression of optimism.
The setting was a huge wooden tower, representing a tree. It was the heart of the village and it was bare, like a skeleton. The stage was in a circle so it was really exciting when the actors came right up close to you. There as water around some sides of the stage and they used it very effectively by jumping in and out, splashing the audience who were near! The dancing was energetic and they used shapes of the bull an snake so it looked like the dancing village people really would have.
I think the whole play was quite moving because of the emotion in the characters, the village's way of living and it tells you that not everyone has computers and televisions and all the latest technology. I really enjoyed the play.
