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Dear Parents & Carers
Tomorrow morning, we will come together as a community to celebrate our Ready, Steady, Cook Harvest Special assembly – a joyful and interactive occasion that will remind us how lucky we are to belong to such a thoughtful and connected school family. The assembly will encourage the girls to appreciate food as a gift from nature and to reflect on gratitude, sharing and stewardship.
I’m sure they will enjoy watching me host a friendly cooking challenge between Mrs Brant (Deputy Head) and Mr Davies (Deputy Head Academic), with plenty of humour and audience participation along the way. I know that none of the girls will have heard of the original Ready, Steady, Cook TV show (which definitely shows my age!), but I’m confident they’ll love the energy, laughter and teamwork at the heart of our own version.
Beneath the fun, the girls will be reminded of the importance of giving thanks for what we have, sharing with others, and recognising our responsibility to care for the world around us. As always, the assembly will bring many of our Channing Promise values to life.
Moments like these remind us how powerful it is when pupils, staff and families come together with a shared purpose. The Junior School has a long tradition of combining fun and laughter with learning and compassion – values that lie at the heart of the Channing experience.
In that same spirit, our Harvest Festival Collection for The Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation (AWTF) will run until Friday 10 October. AWTF, set up by a Channing family in memory of their daughter, supports families in North London who are experiencing food poverty, and our donations make a genuine difference to their daily lives. We would be most grateful if you could contribute by sending in non-perishable food or household items. Please ask your daughter to place her donations in one of the blue-labelled Food Bank bins in the courtyard at the front of school. Further details can be found below.
Our girls learn so much through these acts of kindness. They see how their generosity helps others and begin to understand what it means to be part of a wider community. This spirit of empathy and responsibility feels particularly significant in light of the tragic events in Manchester, reminding us all of the importance of supporting one another with care, respect and understanding. The Channing community continues to exemplify the compassion and strength that define us, qualities that shine most brightly when we come together.
In that same spirit of unity and kindness, I am proud to highlight two special fundraising efforts within our community this month. A group of forty Channing mums and girls, known as The Ziffs, are running in memory of Luna Z’s (2C) younger sister, Celine, to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital as part of the RBC Race for the Kids. This is a wonderful example of families coming together with love and purpose, even in the face of great sadness, to make a positive difference. You can read more and offer your support here: GOSH Charity – Celine The Queen.
Meanwhile, our very own Miss Crossdale (Teaching Assistant) is taking up her knitting needles for Knitober! She, too, is supporting the same cause as she knits every day throughout October. In her own words: “As someone who sprained my ankle on the first and only run I did, a physical challenge is not for me! But a crafty challenge – now that one I’ll accept!” You can offer your support here: Miss Crossdale’s Knitober.
Her enthusiasm and creativity reflect so much of what makes Channing special: everyone finding their own way to contribute, give back, and support others with kindness.
The Harvest season reminds us how much we have to be thankful for, not only the food on our tables, but also the warmth, generosity and spirit that make our Channing community so special. Thank you for everything you do to nurture that spirit in your daughters and in our school.
Finally, as we celebrate together, we also wish all our families marking Sukkot a very happy and joyful festival.
With warm wishes
Miss Dina Hamalis
Head of the Junior School