The August 26th, 2025 Newsletter

Dear Janney Families,

We’re off to a joyful and grounded start! Yesterday marked the first full day for our K–5 students, and this Thursday, we’ll welcome our youngest Jaguars in Pre-K. We can’t wait to greet them with open arms and help them feel at home at Janney. Whether it’s your first time walking through our doors or you’re returning for another year, we’re so grateful to have you in our community.

At Janney, we follow the Responsive Classroom approach and are deeply committed to the First Six Weeks of School. During this time, our focus is on building a strong foundation for the year ahead by living out our core values:

• Kindness as we build a caring and inclusive classroom community

• Empathy as we get to know each other and understand our differences and similarities

• Integrity as we co-create expectations and practice making thoughtful, responsible choices

• Joy as we explore new learning routines and make school a place students love coming to

• Community as we take care of shared spaces and build strong, respectful relationships

By taking time now to build trust, teach expectations, and establish positive routines, we create the conditions for students to thrive—both academically and socially—throughout the year.

We’re also beginning to practice schoolwide safety routines. Each month, Janney holds a fire drill and one special safety drill (such as a lockdown, evacuation, or severe weather drill). Our first fire drill will take place this week. We approach all drills with care and intentionality—making sure they are age-appropriate and that students feel prepared and supported.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we begin this important work together.

With appreciation,

Principal Singh

We are so thankful for the many old and new families who joined us at Janney this past weekend for the New Family Playdate and Beautification Day. One of the things that makes Janney so special is its caring, connected community - families who show up, pitch in, and help make our school a place where everyone belongs. As your PTA Co-Presidents, we’re excited to build on that spirit—continuing to create opportunities for every family to get involved, supporting our teachers and staff, and strengthening the connections that make Janney so special.

If you’ve wondered how you can “join” the PTA – congratulations, you are already a member! Just by being a caregiver at Janney you are part of the PTA. There are no dues to join and we welcome volunteers from all walks of life who can plan events, raise funds, send emails, beautify the school, serve as room parents, and give your time in so many different ways.

If you are interested in getting involved, please send us your info. You can do everything from signing up to feed the chickens to running in the 5K to cleaning up after bingo night to reading to your child for the Read-A-Thon to donating to our Spring Auction to collecting cards for teacher appreciation to volunteering at one of the many, many events that the PTA puts on this year. It’s going to be a great year and we’re so excited to make it a special one together!

-- Anita Siegfriedt (mom of William grade 4) and Jackie Ross (mom of Jane grade 4 and Daschel kindergarten), Janney PTA Co-Presidents 2025-2026

✅ Submit Medical & Dental Forms | Email your children’s forms to Janney’s Nurse (raquia.lawrence@dc.gov). Call (202) 282-0063 with questions.

✅ Submit the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARM) Form | Every family must complete this form — even if you decline the service.

✅ Make Your Student Support Fund (SSF) Contribution | The SSF is the largest source of PTA funding and your tax-deductible donation covers school essentials, staff salaries, and vital student services beyond what DCPS funding provides. Give online or by check; ask about employer matching at MatchingGrants@janneyschool.org

✅ Complete DCPS Volunteer Clearance | Volunteer clearance is required to volunteer at school or chaperone field trips and 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.

✅ Verify or update your contact information and privacy details in the Digital Directory | 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

Aug. 28 | First day for PreK

Sept. 1 | School Closed (Labor Day)

Sept. 3, 8:45–9:30am | Pre-K & K Parent Coffee

Sept. 4, 8:45–9:30am | 1st & 2nd Grades Parent Coffee

Sept. 5, 8:45–9:30am | 3rd, 4th & 5th Grades Parent Coffee

Sept. 11, 6pm | Back to School Night

Sept. 12, 6–8pm | Fall Picnic & Halloween Costume Swap

Sept. 24, 4-9pm | Potomac Pizza Fall Fundraiser

Oct. 18-19 | Politics & Prose Book Sale Fundraiser

Oct. 22-23, 4-9pm | Ledo’s Pizza Fall Fundraiser

You can also sign up for important updates on Remind and sign up for our Janney parent listserv by emailing: janneyEScommunity+subscribe@groups.io. And last but not least, subscribe to the Janney calendar too!

If you are able to help with setup, cleanup, or supplies, please sign up here.

Plus: The Return of the Halloween Costume Swap! Instead of purchasing a new Halloween costumer every year, find a gently used and new-to-you costume at the Fall Picnic. Bring clean Halloween costumes to donate during drop-off or pick-up in the marked container outside the gym from Sept. 2-10th. All sizes from PK through 5th grade are welcome. Costumes will be sorted and ready for your kiddo to search at the Janney Fall Picnic.

Throughout the year, Janney PTA hosts fundraisers with local restaurants. It's a great way to support our school and community in-person or for takeaway. Note: For your Potomac Pizza online order to count towards our Janney Fundraiser, you must go to the "FUNDRAISER" tab on the far left menu panel, select the fundraiser button, and add it to your cart prior to checkout.

We loved welcoming our JAC friends yesterday and are excited to kick off another great year together. A reminder that Enrichment (Fall and Annual classes) and Language classes begin September 8th. Please view the Janney+ webpage and/or view the one-pager below to ensure your family is ready for a smooth and successful start.

We are so thankful to the many volunteers who helped kick off another great year at Janney! Many people even gave their time over the summer to ensure we were ready for the first day. To everyone who pitched in - THANK YOU - this list highlights just some of the incredible people whose efforts made it all possible:

• Our amazing Janney staff – Kim Calnan-Crismali, Jenn Reid, Mike Barnhart, Principal Singh and AP Niki

• Ms. Simon, Alicia Lloro, and Lisa Mottet for all their tireless work in the Janney garden - weeding, organizing volunteers, and tackling the chicken coop cleanup - to keep our outdoor spaces beautiful and ensure our Janney chickens had a happy home. Thank you to all of the beautification volunteers who, along with Mr. Lindsay, Jeff Jacobs, Joseph Records, Christie Barnhart, David Malcarney, Chris De Bono, Jon Berman, Nate Baehr, and Mike McKnight, volunteered their time over the weekend!

• Graham Gilmer, Lisa Skalet, and Chris Clements for their continued work to ensure Janney shines in this 100th year! From getting all the centennial tiles installed to painting, weeding, and moving endless piles of dirt to ensure the school looked its best for the first day.

• Ms. Leed and Maureen Perrone for their work in the art room to set up our Janney artists for success.

• Robyn Mandelbaum, Sreeja Nair, and Bess Jankowski for their many years of dedication to the directory and for working closely with Elizabeth McAdam, who stepped in to take over with Bess, as this marks Robyn and Sreeja’s last year at Janney.

• Our brand-new PTA Communications Team—Tamia Barnes Tomasek, Wendy Wang Pisa, and Jacqueline Worrell—who jumped in this summer to ensure every family stayed connected through newsletters, website updates, and all things comms. Need to get in touch? Email them at newsletter@janneyschool.org

• Brooke Brown, in her last year at Janney, for organizing this year’s School Tool Box fundraiser—and to EVERYONE who ordered through it! Thanks to YOU, we exceeded last year’s fundraising total and have already raised $1,700+ for Janney.

• Rachel McElroy for continuing to lead the Buddy Family Committee and welcoming new families into our community. If you recently enrolled and haven’t received a buddy family yet, please email welcome@janneyschool.org

• Beth Kuhnein and Jennifer Records our amazing PTA VPs, who helped make the PTA's teacher lunch and new family playdate a success!

• Jane Simons and Lisa Lennon who alongside Jennifer Records helped our newest Janney families get set up with some great new merch at the PreK and K playdate!