The November 4, 2025 Newsletter

Hello Janney Community!

We hope you enjoyed the long weekend! Janney staff began the week with a record-keeping day and the official start of Term 2. This is a natural time to pause and reflect on the first part of the school year. As you talk with your children, consider asking:

• What are you proud of so far?

• Where do you hope to continue growing or what do you want to get better at this year?

• How can our family support you?

November is also Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor and celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples. At Janney, we use this opportunity to uplift the many voices and traditions that make our community so vibrant. If your family would like to partner with us in recognizing Native American Heritage Month, please don’t hesitate to reach out, we welcome stories, resources, or ways your family celebrates and learns together.

This month, we’re focusing on gratitude, which connects beautifully to our core value of empathy, represented by the elephant. Elephants are known for their strong sense of family and care for one another, reminding us that empathy grows when we take time to appreciate the people and moments that shape our days.

Our annual Gratitude Tree project, led by our art teacher Robin Leed, invites every community member to reflect on what they’re thankful for and add their leaf to our growing display. As the tree fills with color throughout the month, it becomes a beautiful reminder of how gratitude connects us all.

We encourage families to continue reviewing our weekly newsletter for ways to partner with us, through celebration, service, and shared learning.

With Appreciation,

Principal Singh

Check Out This Week's Activities

Stay on top of Janney activities by reading our weekly newsletter and following "Janney Elementary" on Instagram and Facebook.

Many of you may be familiar with Dia de Los Muertos, especially if you’ve seen the movie Coco. This vibrant Mexican tradition, which translates to "Day of the Dead," honors deceased loved ones with colorful festivities and decorations. We invite all families to celebrate the holiday by participating in our first school-wide Ofrenda. The area will be decorated with traditional art projects created by the first grade classes during their art classes with Ms. Leed. Our Ofrenda will remain in place through November 7th.

Nov 4-Nov. 8 | Día de Los Muertos Ofrenda

Nov. 5 | Chipotle Fundraiser

Nov. 6, 8:40am | PTA Fall Community Meeting

Nov. 10, 10:00am | Winter Market Table Sales Begin

Nov. 11 | No School

Nov. 14 | Make-up Picture Day

Nov. 15 | Janney 5K and Fun Run

Nov. 18 | Nando’s PERi-PERi Fundraiser

Nov. 26-28 | No School- Thanksgiving Break

We’re excited to announce our fall PTA Community Meeting - open to all Janney families! Join us in the cafeteria for coffee and an informal discussion with parent leaders from the PTA, LSAT, and Janney+. We will: (1) describe the three organizations' missions and how we work together and apart to support Janney; (2) highlight opportunities to get involved; (3) provide an opportunity for parents and families to enjoy coffee and chat. Hope to see you there from 8:40-9:10am on Thursday, November 6!

Our Lost & 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.

T-shirts come in adult sizes S, M, L, and are $18 per shirt. Purchase here. When ordering, please note your student's name and homeroom teacher in the comments section.

Portrait retakes will take place on Friday, November 14th. This will be for students who would like a retake as well as students who missed the portrait date last month. Please sign-up for portrait retakes here.

Crafters, chefs and anyone with an idea of something to sell — set your calendar alerts: secure your table on Monday at 10 am! At that time, CLICK HERE to register. Don’t be late — table reservations always sell out!

The 2025 winter market will be held indoors at Janney Elementary School, Saturday, December 6th from 10 am to 12 pm. There are loads of ways your family can participate with a table: Sell kid- or adult-made crafts, jewelry, art, baked goods or other treats, or even use this opportunity to have your kids make some holiday cash by selling toys, stuffies, or clothes they’ve outgrown! In prior years, students and parents have sold a large assortment of items including soaps, crocheted stuffed animals, ornaments, pottery, jewelry, baked goods, hot chocolate, used toys, and Pokémon cards. You could even set up a hair braiding, face painting, or nail decal-ing station! We welcome your creativity and entrepreneurial spirit! Before reserving a table, please read the INFO HERE. Don't think you have enough items for a full table? We encourage you to partner up with friends or family, split the cost and share your table! Tables will be available for students, alumni and adults. For EVERYONE in the Janney community, mark your calendars for Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 am to 12 pm to come shop for treats, get gifts, grab a bite to eat, support the PTA and jam out with the Janney chorus and band! If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please talk to Anne Rancourt and Kelly Molyneux or EMAIL HERE.

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. 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!

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 | 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. DCPS Volunteer Clearance is valid for 2 years. List Michael Barnhart, michael.barnhart@k12.dc.gov, (202) 282-0110, as your contact and email him your clearance letter once received. View the DCPS Clearance Process.

The 15th Annual Janney 5k and Fun Run is set for November 15th! Deadline to sign up is midnight on Nov 14. We will not be able to take onsite registration. Make sure you register HERE. We're excited to have our whole community run through the Janney neighborhood!

Did you know that in the third quarter of the 2025 fiscal year there were 573 kids in foster care? (source: DC Child and Family Services Agency). Let's help these kids have a nice holiday season by donating new gifts for infants through age 20.

Drop your donations into the blue collection bins under this flyer in front of the gym doors November 10th - December 2nd. All donations will be delivered to DC Child and Family Services Agency.

Please email shoshana.zallman@k12.dc.gov if you have any questions and/or can deliver the gifts to CFSA any day 12/3-12/5.

We're partnering with Goods for Good to collect much-needed winter coats, jackets, hats and gloves for kids in need. G4G reports that the need in DC is greater than ever this year. Have your kids outgrown their outerwear from last year? Let's put it to good use! Bring your donations to the Fun Run packet pickup on November 13 and 14 from 3:30-6PM. Boxes marked for the drive will be sitting in front of the gym. Please ensure that coats are clean and in dignity condition and that you have checked the pockets for any beloved items.

We are also looking for volunteer drivers to drop off the donations at Goods for Good after pickup on the 17th or 18th, a quick 10 minute drive from Janney. Please reach out if you're available! Thanks for your generosity!

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!

🛻 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.”

• A half-rack is 4’ x 4’, $200 for 125 pieces
• A full-rack is 8’ x 4’, $300 for 250 pieces

The 24-25 yearbooks have been distributed to students via their homerooms and there's still some available to purchase here. Email questions to yearbook@janneyschool.org.

Download the app for quick directory access: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/membership-toolkit/id912169276 and verify or update your contact information and privacy details. If you’re having issues accessing the directory or updating your details, reach out to the Janney Directory Team at atozconnect@janneyschool.org

If you or someone you know needs food assistance during the federal government shutdown, CLICK HERE at LinkU to find food, health, and housing resources across the DMV.

Come See Clue, A Rollicking Whodunit, at Jackson-Reed Nov. 7, 8, 14, and 15th

It’s a dark and stormy night, and you’ve been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well, dead. So whodunit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock, and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap, family-friendly comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist.

Come see Clue in the Jackson-Reed Black Box Theater on Nov. 7, 8, and 14 at 7:30 pm, and Nov. 15 at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets available now! The price is $15 for adults and just $5 for students.

Ever feel like your little Janney Jaguars say really funny, silly, or extremely profound stuff? But only the Janney chickens get to hear them sometimes? Get ready for "Overheard A+ Janney"!

We're launching a fun social media series and want 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!

• Did you know that all previous newsletters for this school year are now available on Janney's website? Check out the newsletter archive.
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