Miss Hamalis’ Bulletin – Monday 15 June 2026

Please find the email contact details of the staff: JS Key Contact information. Please could we ask that your specific query is directed to the appropriate individual and anything of a more serious nature is directed to a member of the Senior Team. Please note that Miss Hamalis needs to approve all requests for absences so please send them via the Junior School Office: jsoffice@channing.co.uk. 

In order to prevent unnecessary awkwardness and/or embarrassment, please remember to address members of staff by their title and surname. 

Please be mindful that staff may not pick up emails immediately (teachers will, of course, not be checking emails when they are teaching, running clubs or supervising pupils at break and lunchtimes) and may choose to take time to investigate the matter before responding. However, they will endeavour to answer your queries within 24 hours. Please do not think that a lack of instant response means a lack of interest on the part of the member of staff. 

Please note that staff are not expected to reply to emails outside normal school hours, weekends or during school holidays. If you have an emergency which needs to be dealt with before school next opens, please email: jsoffice@channing.co.uk. Please do not send communications or information to communication@channing.co.uk or info@channing.co.uk.

You can find the Channing Promise on the school website. This is something the whole school community upholds and underlines our values of respect, tolerance and inclusivity. We know you will be nothing short of respectful in your communications with staff and you can expect the same in return.

Please see below for details of clubs that will be cancelled in advance this term due to events or residential trips. These dates are also reflected in the SOCS club calendar. We encourage you to check this section and your SOCS calendar regularly to stay up to date with any club changes or amendments.

This week is the final opportunity for Spears House to donate items to the Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation’s (AWTF) food bank. The AWTF aims to support families in need with emergency food parcels, and provides hot meals and fresh fruit and vegetables to over 200 hundred homeless people in the local area. 

If your daughter is in Spears House, please ask her to place donations in one of the blue, labelled Food Bank collection bins in the courtyard by Friday 19 June. Although the donations will mainly be from Spears, all members of the community are, of course, very welcome to donate. This will also be the final food bank donation until the next academic year. 

The AWTF are currently in need of the following items:

• pasta
• pasta sauce
• washing powder (pods or powder) 
• dog food
• cat food 

Please ensure all items are long-life produce, as regrettably, fresh items cannot be donated and that all donated items are within their sell by and use by date. When adding food items to the blue bins, we also kindly ask that you place the lid back securely to prevent rain getting inside. 

Many thanks in advance to Spears House for all your support for the final food bank collection of the academic year!

Due to ongoing access issues at Stanhope Road, we are unable to drive vehicles onto the field. This restriction impacts our ability to provide essential facilities, such as additional shaded areas and sufficient portable toilets, for a full-scale event.

To ensure that all pupils will still be able to take part in Sports Day safely, we have adapted the event as follows:

Friday 26 June: Reception (8.45am – 9.45am) & Key Stage 1 (1.00pm – 2.00pm) – School Grounds

Events for the younger girls will now be held on Founders’ Friday. These will be held at school to ensure appropriate access to facilities.

Dismissal for Founders’ Friday will follow the afternoon session. The girls will return to their classrooms and be dismissed to parents/ carers at the following times and locations: 2.10pm: Year 1 (main gate), 2.10pm: Year 2 (side gate)

Information for Visitors

Parents and carers are warmly invited to attend the school-site events. However, please be mindful that space is limited. We kindly ask that you remain within the designated viewing areas, as the rest of the school will be in lessons and the girls will be moving between classrooms.

Summary of Changes

• Reception Friday 26 June ~ Location: Junior School Site, Time: 8.45am – 9.45am

• Year 1 & 2 Friday 26 June ~ Location: Junior School Site, Time: 1.00pm – 2.00pm

On Tuesday 16 June, from 9.00 – 10.00am, the girls will take an exciting step toward the next academic year.

During this hour, they will visit their new form rooms to spend some time with their future Form Teacher/s and Teaching Assistant/s and enjoy some fun time together. Parents will be informed of all the details later that day.

We are delighted to invite all parents to our Open Classroom Event on Friday 26 June from 3.00 – 4.00pm.

This is a wonderful opportunity to visit your daughter’s classroom, as well as our specialist classrooms and explore the work she has produced in her books and share the learning she has enjoyed this year.

This is an informal, celebratory event where you will be able to browse books and projects, with your daughter guiding you through her learning and sharing what she has achieved across the year. It’s a fantastic chance to engage with her education and see firsthand how she has grown academically. In addition to classroom learning, specialist teachers will also be sharing highlights of learning in their rooms/spaces, and in the library, giving you a broader insight into the curriculum and co-curriculum.

Please note that all of the girls must be collected at their allocated dismissal time between 2.00 – 2.30pm, as no after-school clubs or Late Owls provision will be running on this day, to ensure the staff at school have adequate time to prepare the classrooms. We kindly ask that you collect your daughter at her dismissal time and then return to school for the event between 3.00 – 4.00pm. If you have time between dismissal and the start of the event, we recommend enjoying a visit to Waterlow Park or the surrounding local area.

Dismissal Times:

2:00pm: Reception (side gate)
2:10pm: Year 1 (main gate)
2:10pm: Year 2 (side gate)
2.20pm: Year 3 (main gate)
2.20pm: Year 4 (side gate)
2.30pm: Year 5 (main gate)
2.30pm: Year 6 (side gate) 

Alongside the Open Classroom, Miss Hamalis will be hosting a Parents’ Tea Party with Mrs Brant (Deputy Head), Mr Davies (Deputy Head Academic), Miss Jackson (SENCo), Miss Kilanko (Learning Support Teacher), Ms Francis (Alumnae Engagement & Archive Manager) and Mrs Mitchell (Development Manager) in Fairseat Hall. This will be a relaxed opportunity to spend time together, meet other parents and enjoy tea, cake and conversation.

We very much look forward to welcoming you.

Please save the date for our annual Welcome Evening which will take place on Tuesday 15 September from 6.00 – 8.00pm. As part of the evening, Miss Hamalis will lead a talk and introduce the Form and Specialist Teachers, Teaching Assistants and some of the Support Staff. You will also visit your daughter’s new Form Room to meet the year group Form Teachers and Teaching Assistants to learn more about the expectations for the year ahead.

We have collaborated with Tooled Up 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 more information about this resource, see the dedicated section below. 

For upcoming Tooled Up courses and events please click here. 

• Tuesday 23 June 12.30pm ~ AI and the Future of Careers: What Young People (and their Parents) Need To Know
• Wednesday 1 July 12.30pm ~ Student Finance for Parents: Understanding the Costs and What Really Matters
• Thursday 2 July 6.30pm ~ Parenting Neurodivergent Children Through The Summer Months

The team at Wallace Chess is delighted to announce that their Summer Chess Camp begins in just one month’s time. Open to children aged 5–12, the camp welcomes everyone from complete beginners to experienced tournament players. Throughout the week, children will develop their chess skills through tactics and strategy sessions, while also enjoying the camp’s “Jokes Time”, outdoor games and a range of engaging activities.

Families may choose either half-day (9.00am -1.00pm) or full-day (9.00am – 4.00pm) sessions. Please note that bookings are for full weeks only (four days).

Summer Chess Camp Dates

• • Week 1: 13–16 July
  • Week 2: 20–23 July
  • Week 3: 27–30 July
  • Week 4: 17–20 August
  • Week 5: 24–27 August
  • Week 6: 1–4 September (Tuesday–Friday)

Locations:

Swiss Cottage – Weeks 1 – 6: Swiss Cottage Community Centre

Kensington – Week 1: More House School, Weeks 2 – 6: St Mary Abbots Centre

An Elite Camp for advanced and tournament players will run at both venues.

To book a place, please visit:
https://wallace-chess.class4kids.co.uk/

Is your daughter eager to learn a musical instrument but not quite sure which one to choose? We are delighted to announce that trials for 1:1 instrumental lessons are now open! Trying out different instruments is a fantastic, low-pressure way for her to find her perfect musical fit.

Here is a quick overview of how it works:

• The Trial: A one-off trial lesson is available for £51.60 (inclusive of VAT). If she decides the instrument isn’t for her, there is no further commitment.
• Termly Lessons: If she loves the trial and wishes to continue, the termly fee is £516 (inclusive of VAT) for a block of 10 weekly, 30-minute lessons (which includes the trial lesson). This is conveniently added directly to your school invoice.
• Scheduling: Lessons rotate weekly and take place during the school day. Once a place is confirmed, the teacher will send over a Welcome Letter with all the details on what she will need to bring.

Spaces on our timetables are limited, so if you are interested in booking a trial or have any questions, please contact Mrs Munro (Head of Music) directly at mmunro@channing.co.uk  to secure a spot.

After learning about entrepreneurs and how to start a business, our Year 6 pupils have been busy making products to sell to the Channing community. Last week, it was the turn of the Sales Teams to take charge and sell their products in the playground. Thanks to the Marketing Teams, who made posters and adverts, demand for Sock Pupz and Clicky Cubes was extremely high. The girls sold out of their products by Tuesday and tried to make more throughout the week, and repeatedly sold out each day!

We’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the families who made a purchase. Over £200 was raised for charitable causes. We are sorry for any disappointment caused too. Many younger girls queued patiently but were left disappointed once stock ran out. 

If you are interested, here is a link to a Firefly page where you can see how to make you own Sock Pup or Clicky Cube at home: https://juniorchanning.fireflycloud.net/dt-and-art/jep

The CA is recruiting and confirming Form Reps for the next school year 2026/27. If you would like to continue or step into the role for your daughter’s form, or if you have any questions, please email jschanningassociation@gmail.com 

The CA Reps are parent volunteers that help run CA-organised events and activities for our girls and their families, to organise form/year group socials, and to manage subs/arrange seasonal gifts for Form Teachers. You are supported by the Co-Chairs throughout the year.

• Monday 22 June, 1.30pm – 4pm: Y6 to Y7 Transition Afternoon, Senior School. Parents invited.
• Tuesday 30 June, 1.30pm, Y6 Tea Party and Rounders Match (at school). Parents invited.
• Wednesday 1 July, 8.30am; Y6 Leavers’ Assembly, Fairseat Hall. Parents invited.

• Sunday 6 September – pre term picnic, Highgate Woods