The April 21, 2026 Newsletter
Dear Janney Families,
Welcome back! I hope you and your family had a restful and enjoyable spring break. It has been wonderful to see our students return, reconnected and ready for learning!
We also want to extend a sincere thank you to our families for participating in the DCPS Panorama Family Survey. We received over 200 responses and exceeded last year’s participation rate. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and provides important insights that help guide our work to strengthen our school community and ensure all students feel safe, loved, challenged, and prepared.
Thank you as well to the many families who have already re-enrolled for next school year. Your timely action helps us plan thoughtfully for staffing and programming. We have included additional details about enrollment in this week’s newsletter.
As we begin planning for next year, we also value your input. Families are invited to share optional feedback through a brief placement survey. Your input helps us thoughtfully create learning environments and strong partnerships that best support your student(s).
Finally, we are excited for International Night this Friday. This is always a special event that celebrates the rich cultural diversity of our Janney community. Opportunities like this are especially meaningful as we continue to build connection, understanding, and a strong sense of community, one of our core values. We hope to see many of you there for what promises to be an incredible evening.
Thank you for your continued partnership!
With Appreciation,
Principal Singh
🌍 🌏 🌎 International Night - Earn Service Hours!
International Night is THIS Friday, April 24th, 6-8pm! We could really use some volunteers to help out. We're looking for responsible Janney alum/older siblings to man the Welcome/Prize Table (and earn service hours!!!). We hope you’ll be part of making this year's celebration a success! Sign up to volunteer here!
Staff Appreciation Week will be celebrated May 4–8
We are excited to celebrate the entire Janney team, including teachers, aides, specialists, and staff who support our students each day. Our Janney teachers and staff are what make our community a truly exceptional place for students and families.
Our goal is to make this week meaningful and inclusive, with simple, thoughtful ways for families to participate. This is a celebration of appreciation, and all participation is completely optional. The PTA will also host a staff appreciation lunch during the week as a small token of our collective gratitude.
Please be on the lookout for more information from your room parents later this week, including optional daily themes and staff appreciation assignments for each class.
🪷Janney Spring Workday
Please join the Janney Garden Committee for our Spring Workday, Saturday, April 25th, 9:00am-12:00pm! Our main goals for the day are to clear weeds, tidy up garden materials and prepare for (and possibly begin) some Spring planting! Please come help for any amount of time you can - all ages and levels of garden experience are welcome!
Jaguars Beneath the Canopy: Janney Auction 2026
We did it! The 2026 Auction was a success because so many of you were there! We are biased, but we believe that the event was incredible - bringing together energy, enthusiasm, and a shared sense of purpose. It exceeded all of our expectations and we are so grateful. The event could not have been a success without all the Janney grownups who attended and demonstrated generosity (from the gym or from your couch). Thank you.
We would also like to send out a special thanks to all of the volunteers that dedicated their time and energy to making the event happen. The Auction could not have happened with the incredible core Auction Committee who led teams of volunteers to accomplish all the things: Niki McCarthy, Chris Bolger, Shelby Hammond, Libby Deal, Anita Siegfriedt, Alex Johnson, Jenn Lucey, Lynn Deavers, and Emily Ornstein.
Thank you to all the volunteers who (for months) designed all the things, reached out to businesses, made the AV happen, and secured food/wine/booze: Lisa Lennon, Lisa Skalet, Alison Share, Heidi Brown, Chris Worrell, David Cooling, Kelly Healy, Carissa Pastuch, Katherine Eyster, Laura Hunter, Mary Beth Malcarney, Nora Stein, Rebekah Yeager, Melissa Henkel, Anne Gialanella, Meagan Bellshaw, Joe Bondi, Jane Simons, Eric Johnson, Bill Chedester, and James Douglass.
Thank you to the PTA Presidents (Anita Siegfriedt and Jackie Ross) and PTA VPs (Beth Kuhnhein and Jennifer Records) for all of your support. Thank you to the PTA Communications team (Wendy Wang Pisa, Jackie Worrell, & Tamia Barnes Tomasek) for creating a great video and making any content we wrote more exciting and fun!
Thank you to all the room parents for classroom creations. Thank you to the dozens of families who are dedicating time and food/drink/homes to hosting parent parties.
Thank you to the folks who showed up Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday for set-up and clean up. From the vibrant (and enchanted) atmosphere to the excitement (and generosity) in the room, these volunteers contributed to an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. It was a true testament to the hard work and collaboration that made it all possible, leaving a lasting impression and setting a high standard for future volunteer involvement.
Before we head out, we created a survey to ensure that the 2027 Janney Auction (& beyond) continues to draw folks back and new folks year after year. Please take a minute to fill the survey out!
Signing off to take a nap under the canopy. You are going to miss us—or are you?
Stay Enchanted,
AJ Pearlman & Jami Westerhold
2026 Auction Co-Chairs
💬 Overheard A+ Janney
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 on the Janney Instagram anonymously. 👇
