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Dear Parents & Carers
It was such a pleasure to welcome so many of you to our Welcome Evening last week. I hope you enjoyed spending time with your daughter’s year group team and finding out more about the year ahead. It is always so special to begin the academic year by bringing our community together. The presentations from the evening have been uploaded on to the Firefly Parent Portal for you to view. Please see further information below.
The start of term has been full of energy, excitement and joy. It has been a real privilege to welcome our new Reception girls and the few new girls who have joined other year groups. The warmth with which the rest of the school has embraced them has been truly heartening. One of my favourite moments so far has been watching the “older” girls – including our very proud Year 1s – helping our newest pupils to find their way around, offering reassurance at drop-off, sharing smiles in the playground and holding their hands at lunch. It is those small acts of kindness that make me so proud of the Channing community.
As parents, you play such an important role in our community and in your daughters’ success. The home- school partnership is at the heart of everything we do and evenings like this remind us just how strong and supportive those relationships are. When we work closely together, sharing insights, listening and supporting one another, the girls truly thrive.
We also talked about some of the exciting things ahead this year, including a new idea that came from one of you as parents. He said, “I know how much the girls love getting to know you at your infamous tea parties, so can we have one too?” At first, I thought he was joking, but the more I reflected, the more I realised what a wonderful idea it was.
This year, I will be hosting a Reception Parents’ Tea Party with the Senior Team: a relaxed opportunity for us to spend time together and get to know one another better. Please save the date Friday 21 November, 8.15am – 9.00am. In the Spring Term, we will also host a tea party for parents of other year groups as part of our Open Classroom event on Tuesday 24 March 4.00pm – 5.00pm, so everyone will have the chance to come together. And of course, I will still be holding my much-loved tea parties this term for all our new Reception girls and the new girls who have joined us across other year groups. I cannot wait to share plenty of tea, cake and chatter with you all.
Another highlight of the evening was introducing families to The Learning Pit, a new initiative we are embracing this year to help the girls develop greater confidence and resilience in their learning. The Learning Pit helps the girls understand that real learning is rarely a straight path and that challenges, frustrations and mistakes are an essential part of the journey. By stepping outside their comfort zones and working through “the pit,” the girls learn to persevere, solve problems and develop a deeper understanding of new concepts. It aligns beautifully with our Channing Promise and the Channing Characters, encouraging the girls to take risks, ask questions and see mistakes as valuable stepping stones to success.
The Channing Promise underpins everything we do. It reflects our shared values as a community and guides how we care for ourselves, one another and the wider world. These values are brought to life through our eight Channing Characters: Resilience Robin, Perseverance Squirrel, Empathy Rabbit, Responsibility Badger, Bravery Mole, Independence Owl, Respectfulness Hedgehog and Curiosity Fox.
These are not simply posters on walls but qualities we see the girls demonstrating every day – in classrooms, on the playground and in the way they treat one another. We encourage you to use this language at home when you notice your daughters showing these characteristics, as it helps strengthen the partnership between home and school.
Our Channing Character Books are available to purchase. These beautifully illustrated stories bring our much-loved Channing Characters to life and help the girls understand and embody our core values. Many Reception families and those with new girls joining us across the school find these books especially helpful at the start of their Channing journey, as they introduce the language of the Characters in a fun and memorable way. If you would like to buy a set for home, you can do so here: Channing Character Book Order Form.
Finally, I was delighted to share the publication of our very first Social Impact Report. This celebrates how we are living our values beyond the classroom – widening access, strengthening our links with the local community and helping the girls understand their place in the wider world. I would encourage you to take a look and discuss it with your daughter.
As we begin this new academic year, I am reminded once again of the privilege it is to lead such a vibrant, caring and ambitious school community. Together, we are helping the girls grow in confidence and character, and supporting them to truly enjoy success in all its forms.
Thank you, as always, for your continued trust and partnership. I am so looking forward to the year ahead and everything we will achieve together.
With warm wishes
Miss Dina Hamalis
Head of the Junior School
