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Dear Parents
One of the things that makes Channing Junior School so special is the strength of the partnership between home and school. As parents, you are a hugely important part of our community and of your daughters’ experience here.
At the heart of that partnership is something very simple: we all want the best for the girls. We want them to be happy, to flourish and be the very best versions of themselves. We know that this happens most successfully when home and school work closely together. You know your daughters better than anyone; we know them as learners, friends and members of our school community. When we bring those perspectives together, sharing what we know, listening to one another and supporting each other, we can give every girl the best possible experience.
Good communication is fundamental to making that partnership work, and it needs to work both ways. We want you to feel informed about what is happening at school, to understand the thinking behind the decisions we make, to feel comfortable asking questions and, importantly, to know that we will listen. Equally, we value the opportunity to share our perspective, explain our thinking and have open and constructive conversations with you.
With this in mind, as I said at our Welcome Evening at the beginning of this term we are introducing a new series of Parent Forums. These will provide another opportunity for us to come together, hear from one another and strengthen the communication and understanding between home and school.
The forums will be held by Key Stage in Fairseat Hall and hosted by me, alongside members of our Junior School Senior Team (JSST): Mrs Brant (Deputy Head), Miss Bones (Deputy Head Academic), Miss Micallef (Head of Early Years & Key Stage 1), Mrs Kitsis (Head of Key Stage 2) and Miss Wright (Assistant Head Co-Curricular). Ms Fox (Director of Communications, Marketing and Development) may attend some sessions as an observer and to hear what you have to share.
We want these forums to be purposeful and genuinely useful conversations. When registering, you will therefore be invited to submit questions in advance. This gives us time to gather any information we need, speak to the relevant colleagues and provide thoughtful and informed responses. Where several questions relate to the same or a similar theme, we may group these together so that we can make the best use of our time together.
For these conversations to work well, they need to be built on trust, openness and mutual respect. Our Channing Promise was created by our pupils in both the Junior and Senior School as “a promise for everyone”, and it provides a wonderful foundation for how we engage with one another as a whole school community. It asks us to treat everyone with respect and kindness, to think of others and be aware of their feelings, and to create a supportive environment with freedom for thought and voice.
Those principles matter just as much in conversations between adults as they do between the girls. We will not always agree on everything, nor should we expect to, but we can listen carefully, ask questions, share different perspectives and, where necessary, challenge one another constructively.
Following each forum, we will share a summary of the key questions and responses with all parents, so that the conversation can benefit everyone, including those who are unable to attend.
If you would like to join us, please register using the relevant Google Form below, where you can also submit any questions you would like us to consider.
- Reception: Tuesday 17 November, 8.30 – 9.15am Register here
- Years 1 & 2: Friday 20 November, 8.30 – 9.15am Register here
- Years 3 & 4: Monday 30 November, 8.30 – 9.15am Register here
- Years 5 & 6: Thursday 3 December, 8.30 – 9.15am Register here
The partnership we have with you matters enormously to us. Strong communication builds understanding and trust and, in turn, helps us to work together for your daughters’ benefit. I hope these forums will give us a valuable opportunity to listen, talk and learn from one another, and to make an already strong partnership even stronger. I am looking forward to welcoming you and to the conversations ahead.
Finally, some lovely news to share with our community. Many congratulations to Miss Evans, who has welcomed her second baby girl, Cecily, into the world, and to Miss Baker, who has welcomed her third baby boy! We are delighted for both families and send them all our love and very warmest wishes as they enjoy these precious early days together. We look forward to hearing what Miss Baker decides to name her new arrival!
With warmest wishes
Miss Dina Hamalis
Head of the Junior School
