The December 16, 2025 Newsletter

As we head into our final week before Winter Break, I want to wish each of you a season filled with warmth, rest, and meaningful moments with those you love. Our Janney community is beautifully diverse, and we recognize and honor the many traditions celebrated at this time of year. Whether you are observing Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or simply enjoying winter celebrations and time together, we extend our heartfelt wishes for joy and peace.

This week is also our Winter Spirit Week, and the energy across the building has been joyful and contagious. Spirit Week is a fun way for students and staff to build community and celebrate the season together. We love seeing our students participate in ways that feel comfortable and joyful for them, and we appreciate the creativity and enthusiasm our community brings to these shared moments.

As we close out 2025, I am incredibly proud of our students and grateful for the dedication of our staff and the partnership of our families. Thank you for helping make Janney a place where learning, connection, and joy thrive!

On behalf of our entire staff, I wish you a safe, joyful, and restorative Winter Break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the 2026 new year!

Sincerely,

Principal Singh

Dec. 15-19 | Winter Spirit Week

Dec. 22–Jan. 2 | No School- Winter Break

Jan. 15 | Bingo Night

Jan. 21, 9:15am | Spelling Bee

Jan. 27, 6pm | Math Content Night for 3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Parents

Feb. 9 | Clubs/ Teams/ Groups Photo Day
Mar. 26 | Class Photo Day

Mar. 28, 6:30pm | Janney Auction- SAVE THE DATE
May 13 | 5th Grade Panoramic Photo Day

Did you know you may be able to double your donation to Janney's SSF—at no extra cost?

This year, Janney’s PTA is partnering with Double the Donation to make it easy for families to check whether their employer offers a matching gift program. Many companies match charitable contributions—sometimes dollar for dollar—doubling or even tripling the impact of your gift.

Employer matching gifts are an easy way to extend the support families are already giving to Janney and can be applied to many Janney contributions, including the Student Support Fund. Some companies also match gifts made by spouses, board members, or retirees. Visit our matching gift page to see if your employer offers a matching gift program and learn what that program includes.

Already donated to the Student Support Fund? Thank you! You'll receive an email soon to make it easy to check whether your gift can be matched.

Questions? Please email us

🫶 The PTA has established our Staff Appreciation Fund with the heartfelt goal of truly showering these remarkable individuals with the recognition and deep gratitude they profoundly deserve. This fund will be equally distributed this December among all Janney staff members who are not traditionally covered by homeroom gift collections. Show appreciation to our Administrators who are the steady anchors of our school, managing intricate logistics, communicating vital information, and often serving as the first reassuring smile for a hurried parent or a child needing comfort. Our Custodial Team works tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring our building is immaculate and welcoming each morning, guaranteeing a pristine and healthy space for learning. Our Cafeteria Team prepares nourishing meals with genuine care, ensuring every student has the vital fuel they need for a successful day of discovery. Finally, our Essential Support Staff (student support services, security, nurse) are our silent heroes—mending scraped knees, providing safety and critical emotional support, and handling unexpected crises.

Hold onto your hats, because we are about to go on a three-month Auction ride! Announcing Jaguars Beneath the Canopy: Janney Auction 2026! The event will take place on March 28th at 6:30 p.m. at Janney Elementary. This adults-only event is our biggest fundraiser of the year! Though ticket sales won’t be available until January, you can learn more on the event website, and now is a great time to start thinking about how you can get involved.

Here are a few ideas:

1. If you have a business (looking for a tax break?), check out sponsorship opportunities, (starting at $500) or email us.

2. Donate brown packing paper to help students create beautiful decorations for the event. A collection box will be placed at Janney’s front door. (Photo below).

3. Think about whether your family has a valuable item to donate to the auction (vacation rental, event tickets). If you have something to share, submit the item’s information here and we’ll get back to you!

4. Winter Break is a great time to brainstorm ideas for Janney Parties. Janney families volunteer to host a party! Past parties have included kid-drop off K-Pop sing-alongs to adults-only murder mystery events to a block party for the full family. Tickets to Janney Parties are sold during and before the auction. If you are interested in hosting or learning more (even if you don’t have a party idea), email us.

Expect more details on the AUCTION and how to get involved soon! In the meantime, if you have any questions or ideas for how you could support, email auction@janneyschool.org.

Sincerely,

Janney Auction co-chairs, AJ Pearlman & Jami Westerhold

They’re back! Our favorite Janney hoodies and beanies are restocked, just in time to keep you warm in Jaguar pride as colder temps settle in. Visit us online before our last pick-up of the year on Friday, Dec. 19th after morning drop-off. Janney swag makes great gifts – let the spirit move you!

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

Note: 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.”

We are thrilled to share that Janney+ Adventure Camp has officially reached capacity due to the incredible interest this year! We’re so excited by the overwhelming enthusiasm from our community. Because of the structure and format of the program, we expect very limited movement from the waitlist, but families who are still interested are welcome to add their names.

Good news for our younger campers: Discovery Camp (for rising PK–2nd graders) still has space available for all four weeks! To learn more about weekly themes, program details, and registration, please visit the Janney+ website. We can’t wait for an amazing summer ahead!

Accepting Donations NOW for Bingo Night on Thursday, Jan 15, 2026.

👉 Please consider donating any unopened toys/games to use as prizes.

Contact: Email carolyn.hoef@gmail.com or text 314-704-0922 to coordinate a pick up or you can leave them on the front porch at 4308 Ellicott St NW (near GDS playground)

A big thank you to all who donated gifts for DC's foster kids! The generosity of our community is heartwarming, especially in these chaotic times. A total of 208 gifts were delivered to Child and Family Services Agency, which means there will be smiles on the faces of many kids this season. Happy Holidays to you all!

Join Janney students and parents on Friday mornings for a fun bike bus to school! Kids on parents' bikes and kids that can bike independently are welcome to join. The group leaves 48th and Davenport at 8:20 am sharp and travels together to Janney. Join our Janney Bike Bus WhatsApp group for updates and info:

Every May our Janney 5th graders have the opportunity to participate in one of our most beloved traditions: the 5th Grade Musical! Putting on the event takes a team of amazing volunteers, many of whom are not 5th grade parents. If you want to get involved, we are looking for two key volunteer positions to help us get started:

1. Producer

Our longtime volunteer producer Michael Wietzner is no longer at Janney because his kids graduated, so we need someone who can serve as a general right-hand to the Director (5th grade teacher Ms. Jordan):

• Attend parent meetings
• Liaise between Director and Parents
• Liaise between Director and Vendors
• Co-coordinate smaller committees with Director
• Lead other parents on implementing/purchasing materials/building/and breaking down the musical sets
• Serve as a backstage manager during the show

*Note: The producer does NOT need to attend all the rehearsals but does check in regularly to ensure that rehearsals are on track.

2. Grant Writer

Renting equipment for the musical each year is costly and purchasing permanent lighting and sound reinforcement would be a big help to our annual performances (including the musical) and other enrichment programs. The PTA is looking for volunteers to help apply for grants through DC's Commission on the Arts & Humanities (CAH) to help us plan and expand Janney's capabilities!

🚌 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.

🎨 The Art Room | The Art Teacher is collecting hardcover book jackets all year round for the newly opened Collage Center in the art room, bring them in and put them to good use!

👕 Lost & Found | Our Lost & Found is bursting with jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes, and more-- most of them unlabeled! Please come fetch before they're carted away for donations.

As we wrap up the Fall and early Winter season, we want to say a huge thank you to the Janney community for staying engaged and connected. From updates and volunteer opportunities to school news and reminders, your readership makes these newsletters meaningful. Check out the graphic to see how many times our Fall/Winter newsletters were viewed. Your clicks, reads, and shares keep our community thriving. We're excited to keep the momentum going into the new year!

Check out our Weekly Mental Load Helper! Stay on top of Janney activities by reading our weekly newsletter and following janneyelementary on Instagram!

Do your little Janney Jaguars say the funniest, silliest, or most profound things? Don't let those gems be heard only by the Janney chickens (or just you)! Share these memorable moments with the whole community! Submit elementary school-appropriate quotes from your kids here. All contributions are posted anonymously. 👇

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