The October 21, 2025 Newsletter

We’re now entering our ninth week of school, and it’s been wonderful to see our students’ continued growth—in learning, relationships, and community. Thank you for all the ways you support your children and our school.

This week, we extend warm wishes to all who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Diwali reminds us of the power of light over darkness and the importance of hope, kindness, and community—values that continue to guide our work at Janney each day.

We’re also looking forward to our first school-wide Spirit Day this Friday, October 24! Students and staff are invited to wear Halloween colors—orange, black, purple, or green—as we celebrate together during recess with our partners from Trax Sports.

Next week, our excitement continues with Janney’s annual Halloween Parade on Friday, October 31, at 1:45 PM! Families are welcome to watch the parade in person from designated outdoor areas (the blacktop, Albemarle Street sidewalks, or lower-level patio) or join virtually through this Teams link. Parade logistics, viewing guidance, and rain plans can be found in today’s newsletter.

Finally, we wanted to share some news from our Janney chicken coop. Our beloved chicken, Marshmallow, recently passed away. Many of our students care deeply for the chickens and may experience a range of emotions about this loss. This moment gives us a chance to practice our core value of empathy—by honoring Marshmallow and caring for one another. Our student support team is available for any student who may need extra comfort or space to talk.

Thank you for helping us nurture a community rooted in care, connection, and kindness.

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Janney Cheer Squad Update!

We had an amazing turnout at this morning’s cheerleading interest meeting—our Jaguars are ready to show their spirit!

If your student attended, please join our Cheer Remind group for the latest updates and announcements:

1. Check out rmd.at/janneyc25 (follow the prompts to sign up and download the mobile app)

2. Text @janneyc25 to 81010

Let’s go, Jaguars!

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!

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.

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

Our Janney Jaguars had another incredible showing at last Friday’s DCIAA Cross Country Meet, with the girls’ team earning 2nd place and the boys’ team finishing 3rd! Every runner showed remarkable improvement, with some cutting their times by as much as six minutes. We also had a fantastic Janney meet on October 13, where our students competed in a fun and spirited race. We loved the energy as both teams cheered each other on, and our families came out in full force, creating such an energizing and uplifting atmosphere. Our fastest runners will now head to the DCIAA Championship Meet on Wednesday, October 22, we wish them the best of luck!

We’re so proud of our athletes and their hard work all season long. A huge thank you to all the families who have come out to the meets and practices to cheer, volunteer, and help make the season run so smoothly — especially our incredible parent volunteer coaches Caryn Marks, Megan Evans, and Ugo Gentilini. This wouldn’t be possible without you!

Go Jaguars! 💙🐾

On Friday, October 24, everyone is invited to wear Halloween colors (orange, black, purple, or green) for a dress-up day. We’ll celebrate as a community with fun recess activities in partnership with Trax Sports.

On Friday, October 31, stir up your cauldrons, whip out the broomsticks, and put on your costume because Janney's Annual Halloween Parade returns Friday, Oct 31 at 1:45pm.

We welcome families to watch the parade in person or join virtually through this Teams link. Families who are at Janney can view the parade from:

• The blacktop

• The sidewalks on Albemarle Street

• The brick patio on the lower level

If it rains, we'll have the parade through the school.

After classes return to their classrooms and get their belongings, parents should visit the table(s) in front of the main office to sign their students out. Please be aware that there is traditionally a big rush of parents wanting to sign their kids out.

This vibrant Mexican tradition, which translates to "Day of the Dead", honors deceased loved ones with colorful festivities. Building on the success of last year’s celebration within the first grade class, we will establish a school-wide Ofrenda to give everyone the opportunity to participate. Beginning Monday, October 27, students that would like to participate can bring in a framed photograph of a deceased loved one (family member, friend, pet) to place on the school Ofrenda. The Ofrenda will be in place October 27-November 8.

T-shirts come in adult sizes S, M, L, and are $18 per shirt.

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

Thanks to an amazing group of Janney kids and their families, who packed 672 bags of groceries for We Are Family to deliver to seniors in need across the DC area. Your enthusiasm and determination to get it done, even through the drizzle, were inspiring!

The Janney Garden Committee will be holding a Garden Pop-Up Shop on Friday, October 24th at pick-up time, offering the last of our garden goodies. Swing by to get some flowers, herbs, veggies, etc. Look for a table somewhere in the blacktop/field area! Hope to see you then!

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 PTA 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.

So you’ve got more than a month at Janney under your belt, but still have a few questions or want to meet other families?

On Saturday, Nov 1st, 10am-12pm, your PTA leadership invites you to an informal Meet & Greet for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and new families! Bring your kids to play on the mulch while you connect with other parents and caregivers. PTA leaders will be there to answer questions, highlight upcoming events, and share ways to get involved in our amazing Janney community.

The Chicken Flock is sad to announce the passing of one of its members, Marshmallow, whose fluffy white feathers were the inspiration for her name. Like many chickens, she passed away suddenly, having been perky and active until the end. Her breed was Delaware, though she was born on a farm in Maryland. Marshmallow is survived by her best friends, Chocolate Oreo and Hot Cocoa Chicken Vader, who are still mourning the loss of Chocolate Marshmallow from over the summer. No fowl play is suspected.

In lieu of flowers or donations, you can support Marshmallow's best friends by joining the Janney Chicken Flock where you'll learn to care for them. Marshmallow would've loved that.

The next Chicken Flock Meeting will be Wednesday, October 29, 8:40am. The meeting will be about 45 minutes, in the Science Room (entrance is near the greenhouse in the big open area below the big stairs, nearest to 42nd and Albemarle).

Sign up here to hear about Janney Chicken Flock trainings.

A huge shout out to our new and returning sponsors for this year's Janney 5k and Fun Run. Thank you to Finnel Lee Homes, Rodman's Grocery, Friends of Turtle Park, Bird Smiles Orthodontics, and Sarah Howard - Compass Realty.

October 22 & 23 | All Day

📍5241 River Road, right next to Ledo 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!

🛻 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 on Monday via their homerooms. The class of 2025 received them last week!

There's still some available to purchase at the link below. Send an email to yearbook@janneyschool.org if you purchase now. The books are at Janney and will be delivered to your student via their homeroom. If you purchased but your student didn't receive one, please email yearbook@janneyschool.org .

If you haven’t already, create an account or log in. 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

Download the app for quick access: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/membership-toolkit/id912169276

Baby Teeth Edition

Raise your hand if your Janney Jaguars have baby teeth! See our expert advice on keeping those pearly whites healthy and thriving. Remember-- the best predictor of health in the permanent teeth is health in the baby teeth! Download here.

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.

👻 Don't let your items become the Lost & Unfound in the Corner of Despair...

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!

All old newsletters this school year are now available on our website, if you missed some or didn't signed up for newsletters at the beginning of the school year, please check out the archive here.

Oct. 22-23, all day | Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream

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

Oct. 24, all day | Halloween Spirit Day with TRAX Sports

Oct. 24, pick-up time | Garden Committee Pop-Up Shop

Oct. 25, 9am-1pm | Fall Project Day

Oct. 27- Nov. 8 | Día de Los Muertos Ofrenda

Oct 31, 1:45pm | Janney Halloween Parade

Nov. 1 | Meet & Greet for PK, K, and New Families

Nov. 3 | No School

Nov. 5 | Chipotle Fundraiser

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

• Register on Remind for important updates
• Sign up for our Janney Parent Listserv by emailing: janneyEScommunity+subscribe@groups.io.
• Subscribe to the Janney calendar
• Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more updates!
• Our Newsletter drops every Tuesday, see the SY25-26 Archive