The September 30, 2025 Newsletter

We’re now in the sixth and final week of the First Six Weeks of School—a time that’s been all about building routines, relationships, and a sense of belonging in every classroom. At Janney, we follow the Responsive Classroom approach of going slow to go fast, and the care we’ve put into these early weeks sets the stage for joyful learning and growth all year long.

This is the week when the foundation we’ve built really begins to shine: students are showing greater independence, teachers are diving deeper into academics, and classrooms feel both welcoming and purposeful. We know this thoughtful start pays off as our community continues to grow stronger.

We also want to take time this week to recognize members of our team whose work is essential to helping our school thrive. This Thursday, October 2, is National Custodian Appreciation Day—a chance to celebrate the people who keep our building safe, clean, and ready for learning every day. We are so grateful for our custodial foreman, Mr. Adams, along with Mr. Lindsay, DJ, Ms. Cruz, and Ms. Rosa, for their care, hard work, and commitment to our community. We invite families to join us in showing gratitude this week—whether with a kind word, a small gift, or simply a smile of appreciation. Please reach out to Mr. Barnhart if you have any questions about how to join in this celebration.

As always, thank you for your partnership. Your encouragement at home, your presence at school events, and your commitment to our community all help bring our theme Together We Thrive to life each day.

Sincerely,

Principal Singh

Tax Deductible

Contribute to the Student Support Fund now! It's 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 Your Donation to Janney

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. Janney has previously received matching grants from corporations such as Adobe, AstraZeneca, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Capital One, Disney, Fannie Mae, Graham Holdings, Goldman Sachs, HP, News Corp, Pew Charitable Trusts, Salesforce, Sanofi, UBS, Verizon, Google, and WellsFargo.

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!

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.

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.

See DCPS Clearance Process.

This Thursday is Custodian Appreciation Day! Please consider ways you and your children could say "thank you" for their efforts in keeping our school safe and clean. That might be a handwritten card, drawing, or a big "thank you"! As a reminder, Mr. Adams is our foreman, Mr. Lindsay cares for the lower level and PK classrooms, DJ takes care of our front office and kindergarten classrooms, Ms. Cruz manages the 2nd floor, and Ms. Rosa cares for the 3rd floor.

Get to know our Custodians on our Teachers and Staff page!

The Annual Janney 5K & Fun Run is on November 15 this year

Don't forget to register for the 15th running of the Janney 5k & Fun Run - www.janney5k.org.

Early Bird pricing ends this Friday (October 3) at 11:59 pm:

• $40 for the 5K
• $20 for the Fun Run

We are still looking for volunteers to help prep for the race, the week of the race, and the day of the race. If you would like to volunteer, please email janney5k@janneyschool.org.

The Safety & Security Committee of the PTA supports the school’s efforts to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all students, staff, and families. The committee works in collaboration with school administration, teachers, and the PTA leadership to identify, promote, and implement best practices in school safety.

What We Do:

• Review and provide input on school safety policies, procedures, and emergency preparedness plans.
• Coordinate with school administration on drills, safety education, and awareness campaigns for students and parents.
• Promote safe drop-off and pick-up practices, traffic flow, and pedestrian safety around the school.
• Support health and wellness initiatives that relate to student safety.
• Develop and distribute surveys to gather parent feedback on safety and security issues.
• Serve as a channel for parent concerns and questions, and coordinate with school leadership to address them.
• Communicate safety resources and updates to families through PTA channels.

Committee Members:

• Lauren Camilli (Chair)
• Maggie Clark
• Chris De Bono
• Amy Hammond
• James MacArthur
• Marshall Macomber
• Kathryn Mason
• Brooks Singer

Partners:

• Mike Barnhart (Janney Administration)
• PTA Co-Presidents (Jackie Ross & Anita Siegfriedt)

We’re excited to kick off another year of singing and fun with the Glee Club! Rehearsals are Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:30–4:30 pm in the music room (no rehearsal the first Tuesday of each month). Open to all 3rd–5th graders—students should attend at least one rehearsal per week. Families, please join the Glee Club “Remind” text group for updates. Text @glee2526 to the number 81010. We’re also asking parents/guardians to donate nut-free snacks (chips, cookies, granola bars, fruit snacks, etc.) for after practice.

Are you a parent or guardian who loves to sing, perform, and support?
Join the Janney Glee Club as a volunteer co-sponsor! Come to Mr. Ifill in the music room, no permission slip needed! 😝 For questions, email Mr. Ifill at David.Ifill@k12.dc.gov

On Monday, October 13th, DCPS is closed for Indigenous Peoples Day. Join other Janney families for a volunteer shift with We Are Family DC, a local organization offering food delivery and support to more than 1,000 seniors in need. We'll gather to assemble bags of healthy, nourishing food to be delivered across DC. Kids of all ages are welcome! From 2-4:30PM(ish), meet in the Salvation Army parking lot (3335 Sherman Ave. NW) to volunteer. Please reach out to PTA Community Service Co-Chairs Liz Scheier & Arie Rubenstein at communityservice@janneyschool.org with any questions.

September 30

4-8pm

📍 4537 Wisconsin Avenue

Mention the Janney PTA Fundraiser when ordering or picking up in store!

Five Guys will donate 20% of your purchase.

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

📍Multiple locations

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

NORTHWEST DC

5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

UNION MARKET
1324 4th Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20002

THE WHARF
610 Water Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20024

October 22 and 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.”

Wednesday, October 8 is the 29th annual National Walk & Roll to School Day! This is a great day for Jaguars to celebrate walking, scootering, pedaling or bike riding to school! If you think you may be interested in a more coordinated bike to school, please fill out this survey with your interest.

The DCPS lunch menu unfortunately does not always match what is being served in the cafeteria. Ms. Dais, the Cafeteria Manager, provides an update on changes each Wednesday when the food delivery takes place. Please be patient as Mr. Barnhart works with the PTA COMMS Team to update the rest of the school. We will do our best to send out Remind messages to notify our families ahead of time.
See the DCPS Menus below, which can also be accessed via the Janney Website under "Breakfast & Lunch" on the top menu bar.

Students are busy checking out lots of books during Family Library time! Please sign in at the security desk and get a sticker before coming down. Also note that lost or damaged books must be replaced with a new copy in the same format (hardcover for hardcover), used books will not be accepted.

Contact Mrs. Epperson if you need help finding a replacement.

🏅Congratulations to our 2nd Grader Henry Lin for winning the District Dribble "Bounce Back" Photo Contest for Ward 3! Henry has definitely put his District Dribble basketball from last year to good use. To learn more, visit the District Dribble website here.

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. 2 | Custodian Appreciation Day

Oct. 3 | Janney 5K and Fun Run Early Bird Registration Ends

Oct. 8 | Walk & Roll to School Day

Oct. 9 | NO SCHOOL/ Parent-Teacher Conference

Oct. 10-13 | NO SCHOOL

Oct. 13, 2-4:30pm | Community Service Project with We Are Family DC on Indigenous People's Day

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

Nov. 5 | Chipotle Fundraiser

Nov. 14 | Make-up Picture Day

Nov. 15| Janney 5K and Fun Run

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