Miss Hamalis’ Bulletin – Monday 12 January 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.

The Spring Term Curriculum Newsletters for each year group have been shared on the year group Firefly pages and on the Firefly parent portal. Alternatively, you can click the document links below, which will redirect you to the corresponding document:

The next KS2 Recital Evening is on Wednesday 21 January at 4pm in the Music Room. This is a chance for our pupils to develop their performance skills in front of a supportive audience. If your daughter has a polished piece ready to show off, please apply here by Thursday 15 January. Please note, slots will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

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. 

• Friday 16 January 12.30pm ~ Parental Separation After Abuse: Helping Children Feel Safe and Supported
• Thursday 22 January 7.30pm ~ Digital Risks and Harms Affecting Teens: Tips for Parents
• Tuesday 3 February 12pm ~ Caring Across Generations: Supporting Ageing Loved Ones

Poolside Manor is offering an exclusive discounted rate for their February half term Swim Crash Course, running from Monday 16 – Friday 20 February. These intensive 5-day courses are ideal for beginners building water confidence, as well as more experienced swimmers looking to refine their skills.

Exclusive rate:
£59 per course (normally £65)

Please see the flyer for full details, including a unique discount code specifically for our school community.

Alongside swim courses, they also invite families to their February Multi-Activity Camp, which runs concurrently with the crash courses. The camp includes a mix of: swimming, sports, arts & crafts and dance.

As part of our ongoing commitment to enriching the Religious Education (RE) curriculum, we invite parents and carers to share their knowledge, experiences and insights with our pupils.

If you feel connected to a particular religious festival or celebration and would be interested in speaking to your daughter’s year group, please complete the (Google form link) in advance. This form will be shared at the start of each term, and we ask that it is completed for the Spring Term only. Once we receive your response, we will be in touch to discuss how your contribution can complement what pupils are learning in their RE lessons. Please note that talks cannot be arranged by emailing your daughter’s Form Teacher directly. 

Due to the busy nature of the school calendar and existing commitments, we may not be able to consider requests submitted outside the stated timeframe.

Any proposed talk would involve sharing the history and significance of a religious festival, how it is traditionally celebrated and, where appropriate, any personal or family traditions you observe. You may also wish to discuss the importance of the celebration within your community or culture. Bringing along items, photographs, or other materials to support your talk is welcome, provided they help bring the learning to life for pupils. We kindly ask that all talks and visits are not food-related, due to the wide range of allergies and dietary requirements within our school community.

In addition, please ensure that the Google Form clearly states the number of adults who will be involved in delivering the talk, as this information cannot be amended once submitted. This will help us make the necessary arrangements and ensure the visit runs smoothly.

We greatly appreciate your willingness to support the school in this way and are confident that your involvement will have a positive impact on pupils’ understanding and appreciation of different cultures and traditions. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

If you have any questions, please contact Miss Parmar (RE Lead): dparmar@channing.co.uk 

Our Spring Term Club Programme starts today, Monday 12 January and will run until Friday 20 March. 

As a reminder, to view your daughter’s club choices, please log onto SOCS (through the Parent Portal) where you will be able to see her full co-curricular timetable. 

So that you can keep up to date with her weekly clubs, you can synchronise your child’s SOCS calendar with your personal calendar (e.g., Google or Outlook) to receive live updates about clubs and fixtures (which will be introduced next term). 

To sync the calendar: 

1. Log into SOCS.
2. Click on the “Calendar Sync” button.
3. Click on the WebCal link generated by SOCS.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the syncing process. This will create a live feed of clubs and fixtures in your personal calendar.

Please note that once clubs have started, we are unable to add or change club places as we encourage pupils to commit to their club choices. For external clubs, fees will still apply if a place has been allocated even if your daughter does not attend, so we ask that you check her timetable carefully to avoid unnecessary charges.

Please note: if your daughter misses the same club for three consecutive weeks, her place may be offered to another pupil. For external clubs, the full block of sessions will still be charged.

If your daughter is unable to attend any of her allocated clubs, please contact Miss Radford at jsreceptionist@channing.co.uk straight away. 

If your daughter is taking part in any sports clubs, please note the following so that she is fully prepared for the club. Please be advised that your daughter is not permitted to come to school in PE kit if it is not specified below. 

Sports clubs before school: 

• Your daughter is to wear her PE kit to school and for the club. 
• If your daughter has PE that day or a sports club after school, she can remain in her PE kit. 
• If your daughter doesn’t have PE or an after-school sports club, she will need to change back into her school uniform once her club has finished. Please ensure she brings this to change into. 

Sports clubs after school: 

• On PE days, your daughter will remain in her PE kit for her sports club.
• If your daughter is in Years 1-4 and does not have PE on that day, she is to bring trainers only to change into for her club only. 
• Years 5 & 6 are welcome to bring their PE kit to change into before the club begins.

Hockey:

• It is essential that pupils have their shin pads and gum shield for the session. The same changing rules apply as above. Shin pads can be put on over tights/ socks. 

Gymnastics before school:

• Your daughter is to wear her PE kit (or leotard and leggings) to school and for the club.
• If your daughter has PE that day or a sports club after school, she can remain in her PE kit, but she will be required to change out of her leotard.
• If your daughter does not have PE or an after-school sports club, she will need to change back into her school uniform once her club has finished. Please ensure she brings this to change into. 

Gymnastics after school (all year groups):

• Optional leotard and leggings can be brought into school to change into. 
• If it is not a PE or Forest School day, your daughter must bring her PE kit (or leotard and leggings) to change into after school. She is not permitted to wear her PE kit all day.

KS1 & KS2 Karate:

• Pupils should wear PE kit to school on the day of this club, if they do not have PE or Forest School that day. 
• Optional karate suit can be brought into school to change into. 

Ballet:

• Leotards, tights and ballet shoes are optional. 
• Pupils will change at the beginning of the club, supported by staff, if you wish to send your daughter in with a leotard, tights and ballet shoes. 
• Pupils are encouraged to wear their PE kit if Ballet falls on those days for your daughter.
• Your daughter is also able to wear her school uniform for the session.
• Your daughter is not permitted to wear her PE kit all day for this club, if it is not on a PE day. 

Please see below for details of clubs that will be cancelled in advance this half-term. 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.

• Monday 19 January: KS1 Dough Disco cancelled  
• Monday 26 January: Y4-6 Minecraft cancelled  
• Thursday 5 February: Y5&6 Swim Squad cancelled
• Thursday 12 February: Y5&6 Advanced Gymnastics held at the Junior School.

Please see the diagrams below as a helpful reminder of what the girls should and should not be wearing, along with a small number of key points. A separate diagram outlining the PE kit is also included.

• Sensible black or brown ankle boots may be worn, depending on the weather. Ugg boots are not permitted due to a lack of support and practicality (effective immediately).
• One keyring only is permitted on rucksacks or bookbags, due to storage constraints in classrooms and cloakrooms (effective immediately).
• Black, brown or Channing-branded backpacks are considered good practice now and will be required from September.
• Coats should be Channing brown, black, brown or navy. This is good practice now and will be required from September.
• Hats, hoods and earmuffs should not be worn indoors, for example during assemblies.
  

• During PE lessons and Games afternoons, earrings may be taped if necessary.
• For all fixtures, all jewellery must be removed, including earrings. Earrings may not be taped for fixtures.
• If a pupil is unable to remove her earrings for a fixture, she will sadly be unable to take part on that occasion.
  
  These expectations follow national sporting guidance. For example:

• The FA: All jewellery is forbidden and must be removed; taping is not permitted.
• England Netball: All jewellery must be removed before play (except a wedding band, which may be taped).
• England Hockey: Players must not wear anything that could be dangerous to others.

Thank you for your support in helping us keep your daughters safe and ensuring they can participate fully and confidently in school life. Thank you, as always, for reinforcing these expectations at home and for supporting the girls in taking pride in their appearance.

The CA is running a pre-loved uniform sale on Wednesday 14 January between 8.00- 8.45am in the courtyard. Contactless payment preferred. 

• Wednesday 14 Jan – 8am Pre loved uniform sale, Courtyard
• Saturday 28 February – Charity Swimathon in Poolside Manor
• Thursday 14 May: North London Laughs Charity Comedy night, Ally Pally, Channing parents offered first access to tickets.
• Sunday 7 June – Summer fair ‘Chanfest’ held in the grounds of the Junior School