The May 19, 2026 Newsletter

Hello Janney Families,

As we move closer to the final weeks of the school year, there is so much to celebrate across our Janney community. This past weekend, our students represented Janney beautifully through both the Girls on the Run 5K and the 5th Grade Debate Team Tournament. Whether crossing the finish line, encouraging teammates, or confidently sharing ideas and perspectives in debate, our students demonstrated perseverance, teamwork, courage, and joy. These experiences are a wonderful reflection of our core value of community—supporting one another, growing together, and showing up for something bigger than ourselves. Thank you to our staff members, coaches, sponsors, and families who helped make these opportunities possible for our students.

As we begin planning for next school year, we are also looking for parent volunteers interested in serving on the Janney LSAT (Local School Advisory Team). The LSAT plays an important role in supporting school priorities, budgeting, and community engagement. We would especially love to continue growing diverse voices and perspectives within this work. If you have ever considered becoming more involved in helping shape the future of Janney, I encourage you to consider serving.

Finally, we are excited to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month with our upcoming Mental Health Spirit Week (May 25–29). This week is an opportunity to celebrate wellness, joy, self-care, and connection as a school community. Please see the spirit week themes below and join us in participating throughout the week!

• Tuesday, May 26 – Self Love Day | Wear hearts, pink, red, or something that makes you happy.
• Wednesday, May 27 – Pajama Day
• Thursday, May 28 – Color & Tie-Dye Day | Represent all our different feelings and emotions.
• Friday, May 29 – Wear Green Day | Wear green in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and support as we finish the school year strong—together we thrive.

In Partnership,

Principal Singh

A huge thank you to our incredible Janney community! Because of your generosity, we have already reached 85% of our goal! As Janney’s largest annual fundraiser, the SSF bridges the gap left by DCPS by funding critical staff positions (like partner teachers and substitutes), classroom resources, our Arts & Letters literacy curriculum, and enrichment experiences.

With only a few weeks left in the school year, we need your help to close the remaining 15%. Participation is what matters most, and every tax-deductible contribution—whether it's $25, $50, or whatever feels right for your family—makes a direct impact.

🍕 Classroom Incentive: As an added bonus, any classroom that reaches 100% family participation (at any donation amount) will win a pizza party before the end of the year! Give to the SSF today.

Ways to give:

• If your employer offers matching, you may be able to double or even triple your impact. You can check if your employer participates here: https://janneyschool.org/ssfemployermatching/.
• You can contribute to the SSF here: https://janneyschool.org/support/

And if you’re not sure whether you’ve already donated, feel free to reach out to ptatreasurer@janneyschool.org.

Thank you to everyone who has already given, and to those still considering! We are so grateful for the generosity and support of this community!

With incredible gratitude,

Anita Siegfriedt & Jackie Ross

PTA Co-Presidents

P.S. Check out this year's Janney Auction video highlighting our Janney community 👇

May 18- June 3 | Janney Clothes + Stuffies Swap

May 25 | No School (Memorial Day)

May 27 | District Taco Fundraiser

June 3 | Janney Field Day

June 5 | Spring Picnic

June 8 | PTA Community Meeting
June 8-10 | 5th Grade Echo Hill Field Trip

June 12 | 5th Grade Promotion and Clap Out

June 16 | No School (Primary Election)

June 18 | Last Day of School

View the Janney Calendar on Google Calendar.

Our next goal is 90% of students enrolled by June 1! Complete Janney Enrollment for 2026-2027 by logging into your ASPEN account to access your parent portal. As a reminder, ALL FAMILIES must re-enroll!

💡Helpful Tips:

• Locked out of Aspen? If you’re having trouble logging in, send Ms. Reid an email. Password resets must be initiated by the school, and we'll get you back in Aspen.

• Double-Check Your Documents: The residency verification upload button can be a bit tricky to find. If you’ve submitted your enrollment but haven't received a confirmation email, please double-check that your DC residency documents were successfully attached.

• Re-Enrollment Documents: Good news for returning families! Since we already have proof-of-age documents on file for our current students, you only need to provide those for new students joining the Janney family for the first time.

• Health & Dental Forms: As you schedule your spring check-ups, remember that health and dental forms remain valid for one full year from the date of the appointment.

Here is a tutorial should you need further assistance; you can also reach out to Ms. Reid or Mr. Barnhart.

Mark your calendars for Janney's annual end-of-year Spring Picnic, coming up on Friday, June 6th! The evening will be fun and festive, as always, and will include:

• Performances by Glee Club, the Shrek musical cast, the Janney Band, and the Cheer Squad.
• Music by DJ Keren Erez (mom of Janney 1st grader Noah)
• Kids games on the Mulch Playground
• Food options: Surfside, Two Smooth Dudes, District Bites, Halal Grill, Angelico's Pizza, Captain Cookie, and Clayboys
• Concession stand serving ice cream (new!), snacks, candy and soft drinks
• Janney’s spring Clothing Swap (see details below)

👉 This event wouldn't be possible without our generous parent volunteers. If you can, please sign up to lend a hand with the set-up, clean up, and selling of food and drinks.

Donate your gently used children’s clothing and stuffies May 18 - June 3rd and come to the gym during the Spring Picnic on June 5th to pick out some new-to-you outfits and friends. Clothes and stuffies can be put in the blue bins that will be right outside the gym during arrival each morning. Interested in helping to sort and organize the clothing? Help will be needed on June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd right after school in the gym. Drivers are also needed to deliver leftovers to Martha’s Table. Please contact shoshana.zallman@k12.dc.gov if you are available.

It's not too late to buy Janney merch this school year -- and we have a limited number of yard signs available to celebrate our Janney fifth graders too! You can buy Janney gear -- including the new yard signs -- for pickup at the school.

Welcome to Janney's first-ever chicken week! Hopefully by now you have heard a couple of egg-cellent chicken jokes and seen the Chicken Art Display growing on the gym windows! Have your student color chicken art or make their own chicken for display (turn finished pieces in every morning near the gym doors!). The 1st grade chicks should also be hatching this week! Specials will have egg-stra chicken content and the Coop will be open for student visits during selected recesses and during some Janney+ time!

Congratulations to the 3rd-5th grade Girls on the Run participants who all successfully completed a 5K this past weekend! We are so proud of their accomplishment!

Janney’s 5th Grade Debate Team participated in the Washington Urban Debate League (WUDL) Elementary School Debate Tournament this past weekend. Students debated current issues related to advocacy, climate change, and the role of young people in creating positive change in their communities. Thank you to coach Manda Kelley for supporting and preparing our student debaters throughout the season!

As we continue building out volunteer opportunities for the 2026–2027 school year, we’re excited to share that there has been strong interest in PTA Executive Committee leadership roles, with active conversations underway to finalize the 2026–2027 officer team. A huge thank you to everyone who has raised their hand to help lead and support the PTA next year!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue highlighting additional ways to get involved -- from committee leadership to flexible behind-the-scenes support roles that help keep Janney events and programs running smoothly.

We’re looking for volunteers interested in helping build and support a more centralized concessions program across Janney events. This would be a “back-of-house” style role focused on areas like inventory, purchasing, pricing, and overall coordination of concessions throughout the year.

Concessions sales at individual events would still be coordinated by each event team, but this committee would help create consistency, streamline operations, and support volunteers across events. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys organization, logistics, operations, or simply helping behind the scenes in a meaningful way.

Interested in learning more or raising your hand? Reach out to our current Presidents or VPs to start the conversation.

Not sure about a leadership role? There are many ways to get involved! Committee roles offer flexible opportunities to contribute based on your interests and availability.

Beth Kuhnhein + Jennifer Records

ptavp@janneyschool.org

2025-2026 PTA Co-VPs

The Janney+ Programs Board of Directors has a couple of open Board of Director positions for Janney+ parents. We are specifically seeking new board members with backgrounds in Finance and Human Resources. If you are a member of the Janney community, interested in volunteering your time and expertise to guide the future of Janney+ Programs, and have experience in finance, human resources or a related field, we would love to hear from you!

Janney+ is a DCPS partner organization and nonprofit that serves over 85% of the Janney Elementary School community through high-quality before- and after-school programs, including Janney+ Aftercare (JAC), Enrichment, Language, Camp Days, and Summer Programs. Board members play a vital role in shaping the vision and strategic direction of Janney+. We welcome individuals who bring diverse experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. Prior board experience is not required.

If you're interested or would like to learn more, please contact Deb Friedman at deblharris@gmail.com. To apply, email a brief introduction and a statement of interest, including any relevant experience. Help us strengthen and grow Janney+—consider joining the Board today!

The Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is a collaborative group of elected and appointed school community members that exists at every DCPS school. At Janney, the LSAT includes parent and staff representatives, union representatives, and school leadership who work together to advise the principal on matters that support strong outcomes for students and the broader school community. Topics often include school priorities, budgeting, enrollment, facilities, and community feedback.

There will be four (4) open parent positions for the upcoming school year. Parent members serve two-year terms. We are hopeful to continue building a team that reflects the many perspectives, experiences, and grade levels within the Janney community.

If you are interested in serving on the LSAT, please submit a brief narrative (approximately 150–200 words) to Principal Singh at danielle.singh@k12.dc.gov sharing your connection to the Janney community, your interest in serving on the LSAT, and the perspectives or experiences you hope to bring to the team by May 29, 2026. Candidate narratives will be shared with the community ahead of the election period (June 1 through June 12).

Families interested in learning more about the LSAT are encouraged to attend an informational Zoom session hosted by current co-chairs Christopher Clements and Morgan Parent, along with WTU Representative Manda Kelley, on May 20, 2026 at 12:15pm. The session will provide an overview of the LSAT’s role and responsibilities, along with time for questions.

Donate your gently used children’s clothing and stuffies May 18 - June 3rd and come to the gym during the Spring Picnic on June 5th to pick out some new-to-you outfits and friends.

Clothes and stuffies can be put in the blue bins that will be right outside the gym during arrival each morning.

Interested in helping to sort and organize the clothing? Help will be needed on June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd right after school in the gym. Drivers are also needed to deliver leftovers to Martha’s Table. Please contact shoshana.zallman@k12.dc.gov if you are available.

Join us for the last Janney community service day of the year! On Saturday, June 13th, from 10am-12pm we'll pick up trash in Rock Creek Park, helping to preserve this important watershed. Just bring your water bottle and enthusiasm - we'll supply the gloves and bags. Meeting point will be at the Rock Creek Nature Center, where there is plenty of parking. We'll share a registration link closer to the date. Reach out to communityservice@janneyschool.org with any questions!

Alice Deal Middle School prospective families are encouraged to visit Deal for one of our in-person open houses. You will meet current students, connect with Principal Neal for a welcome and FAQ session, be able to purchase Deal Gear, and participate in a student guided tour. Families who wish to attend should sign up here to help us plan. The next session is Wednesday, May 20 from 5:00 - 6:30pm. Alice Deal Middle School is located at 3815 Fort Drive NW, Washington DC.

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• Sign up for our Janney Community Listserv by emailing: janneyEScommunity+subscribe@groups.io.
• Our Newsletter drops every Tuesday, see the SY25-26 Archive
• Check out our Website for important links 👇

• Join the Janney Bike Bus | Join Janney students and parents on Friday mornings for a fun bike bus to school! Join the Janney Bike Bus WhatsApp group for updates and info.
• Field Trip Fees | Pay here for 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.
• Communicable Diseases | Check out our Mini Guide to Communicable Diseases to stay healthy!
• Lice Guide | Please read and share: Download our Suggested Lice Guide.