The October 14, 2025 Newsletter

Welcome back! We hope everyone enjoyed the long fall break, finding time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the fall season.

We hope Parent-Teacher Conferences were helpful as your students continue to settle into a year of learning and growth. Thank you for taking the time to connect with teachers and strengthen the partnership that supports your child’s success.

As we returned from the Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday, we take a moment to honor the Nacotchtank (or Anacostans) and Piscataway people, the original stewards of the land on which Washington, DC now stands. You can learn more about land acknowledgement from the National Museum of the American Indian.

Great ShakeOut Drill (10/16)

As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, Janney conducts two monthly drills: a fire drill and a special safety drill. This week, we’ll participate in the Great ShakeOut on Thursday, October 16, 2025--a nationwide earthquake drill that teaches students and staff to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On.”

Do you remember the DC earthquake of 2011? Events like these remind us why practice and preparedness matter so much.

SSF Launch for SY 2025-2026

I also want to take a moment to acknowledge our School Support Fund (SSF) campaign, Janney’s largest fundraising effort of the year. For our 730 students, the SSF makes so much of what we do possible, from additional staff and enrichment opportunities to community events that bring us together. For families new to Janney, we encourage you to learn more and, if you’re able, consider making a financial contribution. Giving to the SSF is one way to partner with us—but there are many others, including volunteering, sharing your time and talents, and supporting your child’s learning each day.

Thank you for your continued partnership in helping our students and community thrive.

With Appreciation,

Principal Singh

Contribute to the Student Support Fund today! The SSF is one of the most important ways we raise money during the school year. When you give to the SSF, you are funding staff positions not covered by DCPS, classroom supplies, custodial equipment, class technology and more. This year the PTA is asking for a donation of $795 per child at Janney, all TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

Double or even triple your tax-deductible contribution to the Student Support Fund by asking your employer to match your donation. Many employers have funds set aside specifically for this type of charitable giving. Email your HR department to inquire and share your SSF donation receipt and the Janney PTA Federal Tax ID Number: 52-1661964. Submitted a matching grant request? Have questions? Email matchinggrants@janneyschool.org. Thank you for taking a few extra minutes to seek out these extra funds that make a difference in supporting our kids' education!

Did you know that most of our PTA budget is paid for by family donations? Those gifts make so much possible for our students and teachers, from essential classroom resources to meaningful community events. But throughout the year we also solicit corporate sponsorships from local businesses so that we’re not overburdening our families with donation requests. Two of our favorite community events depend on corporate sponsors: the Janney 5k (Nov 15) and auction (March 27, 2026). We’d love your help continuing to build these connections. Here’s how:

1. Have a Business in Mind? Check with Us First. If you know a local business that might be interested in supporting Janney, please reach out to us first so we can check whether they’ve already been contacted. If not, we’d love your help making the connection! Many of our sponsors started with a simple parent introduction, from restaurants and gyms to hair salons, realtors, dentists, and even employers. Email us at pta@janneyschool.org.

2. Support businesses that sponsor Janney. We know a lot of our local businesses are struggling right now. Businesses donate to Janney because they are hoping Janney families continue to support them. We’ll announce sponsors before and after each event. This year Bird Smiles, Finnell Lee Homes and Sarah Howard from Compass have already agreed to sponsor our 5k. Say thank you by choosing these businesses and the others that support Janney!

Thank you for your continued support of Janney and our community!

Anita and Jackie

We're looking for Family Sponsors! Family sponsorships are available for the Janney 5k until October 20th. To include your family's name on this year's 5K t-shirt Click Here to donate and shout out your student and family!

Field Trip Fees

Field trips are an integral part of your child's learning experiences that align with each grade’s curriculum. The field trip fee includes not only the high cost of transportation, out-of-school programs and logistics, but also some assemblies that occur at Janney. Whenever possible, Janney takes advantage of free events, applies for grants, and uses creative ways to reduce the costs of these opportunities.

• Pay the Field Trip Fee

Chaperones

As fall field trips are on the horizon, parents who plan to be chaperones have to be cleared through DCPS ahead of time. DCPS requires chaperones to complete a volunteer clearance application, after which you will receive an email with background check instructions. Fingerprinting is also required as part of the process but this can now be done remotely with instructions.

• View the DCPS Clearance Process.

The Janney Elementary School Safety Patrol program will begin on Thursday, October 23, 2025! 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students chosen for this program will be assigned posts throughout the school to ensure the safety of our students during morning arrival. This program offers students the opportunity to demonstrate responsibility, display leadership skills, and take an active part in keeping our school environment safe. Our Safety Patrol advisors will be Kimberly Davis and Jennifer Reid. With your support, we look forward to successfully launching the Safety Patrol program at Janney Elementary this year!

How to apply: On October 14th, during the school day, students will get an overview of the program and those who express an interest will be given an application at that time. This year, the Safety Patrol application process is highly selective as we will only be looking for 25 students to serve this role. To be considered for Safety patrol, your child must submit their application with your signature, two teacher recommendations, and the reason why they want to serve in this role. Applications must be completed and placed in the bin marked “Janney’s Safety Patrol Applications” in Janney Elementary School’s front office no later than 3:30pm on October 20, 2025.

Ready to bring the energy, spirit, and sparkle to Janney? Join Coaches Jessica Baker and Tee Smith to learn about our cheerleading team! Students in grades 1–5 who are interested in cheering, dancing, and showing off their school spirit are invited to come to an interest meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 8:15am (location TBD).

Come meet the coaches, learn what cheerleading is all about, and get ready to bring the J-A-G-U-A-R pride!

Do you have experience with basic graphic design? Do you have a few hours to spare in the next few weeks? We need help from a parent that can create the sponsor logo tiers for the back of the Janney 5k t-shirt. If you have experience in logo placement and graphic design please email janney5k@janneyschool.org.

Get trained to care for the chickens! What do the Janney chickens do on weekends and holidays? Find out by becoming a volunteer with the Chicken Flock - the group of caregivers who feed, water, and scoop the poop for the Janney Chickens! Sign up to come to the next training (October 15) or to hear about the next training!

Our lost and found is bursting with jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes, and more--most of them unlabeled! If your child is missing something, please stop by and take a look.

When ordering in the comments please note the student's name, and homeroom teacher. Order Here

Keep the Centennial momentum going with our upcoming Fall Project Day! On Saturday, October 25th, 9AM-1PM, families and friends are welcome to join us for volunteer efforts run by the Centennial Committee. A variety of projects range from kid-friendly to handy-ish. Mike Barnhart will lead painting inside and the Garden Committee will provide some excellent opportunities to enjoy the Fall weather while improving our school. Please bring gloves, gardening tools labeled with your name, and any other useful equipment would be much appreciated (e.g. - pressure washers, leaf blowers). Email centennial@janneyschool.org if you have equipment to contribute or want to lead a project.

October 15 | 9am-9pm | 📍 City Ridge, Wisconsin Avenue

Either mention Janney fundraiser when ordering or use online "Coupon" Code: GIVE20.

Eligible on gift cards too!

October 18 and 19 | 9am-9pm

Show the flyer at checkout and 20% of the proceeds will come back to Janney!

Locations: NORTHWEST DC | UNION MARKET | THE WHARF

October 22 & 23 All Day Fundraiser

Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream

5241 River Road, right next to Ledo’s Pizza

October 22 & 23 | 4-9pm

📍5245 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816

Show this on your phone, enter code "Fundraiser" when doing online order, or just mention the Janney fundraiser.

Shop our high-quality, seasoned firewood straight from West Virginia! Whether you run a fireplace nightly or just spend weekends outside around your pit, we have the fuel for you! Not sure how much to buy? Start small with a half-rack, 125 pieces of wood. Are you a power user? We’ve got you covered, all the way up to a full-rack: 250 pieces of firewood!

• A half-rack is 4’ x 4’, $200
• A full-rack is 8’ x 4’, $300

🛻 DELIVERY IS FREE!

Deliveries will reach a limited area and occur whenever an entire truckload has been ordered or every two weeks, whichever comes first.

When ordering, please indicate in the notes where on your property you would like your order delivered. E.g. “Place all firewood in the wood rack at the end of the driveway,” or “Pile it up under the big ‘firewood here’ sign hanging off of the back fence above our parking pad in the alley between 47th and 48th Street.”

Ever feel like your little Janney Jaguars say really funny, silly, or extremely profound stuff? But you have nowhere to share it or jot it down to remember it forever? #relatable #ifeelseen

Get ready for "Overheard A+ Janney"! We're launching a fun social media series and need your input. Share those memorable school-appropriate quotes from your kids, and if you overheard them, even better! All contributions will be posted anonymously. We'll pick new favorites each week, so send them in!

Oct. 15 | Taco Bamba Fundraiser

Oct. 18-19 | Politics & Prose Book Sale Fundraiser

Oct. 22-23, 4-9pm | Ledo Pizza- Dining In Fall Fundraiser

Oct. 25 | Fall Project Day

Oct 31| Janney Halloween Parade

Nov. 5 | Chipotle Fundraiser

Nov. 14 | Make-up Picture Day

Nov. 15| Janney 5K and Fun Run

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