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4130 Albemarle St. NW
Washington, DC 20016
202-282-0110
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| Calendar
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Tues. Jan 15:
PTA meeting, 7:15 pm
Fri. Jan 18:
Blue & White Day
End of 2nd advisory
Mon. Jan 21
NO SCHOOL
MLK holiday
Tues. Jan 22
SIT community meeting, 7:30 pm
Wed. Jan 23
Soup Kitchen
Fri. Jan 25
EARLY DISMISSAL, 12:15 pm
Teacher record keeping
Blue & White Day
Mon. Jan 28
Out of bounds registration begins
Editors
Jenny Kletzin DiBiase
Allie Hajian
Elizabeth Levenson
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A Note from Your PTA Co-Presidents
Dear
Janney Parents:
We know
tonight's PTA meeting has relevance for every parent, so please take the time
to come. The widely respected PEP program is sending a speaker, Wendy Lubic, to
talk about raising kids who are capable, competent, and courageous. The
workshop is titled, "Raising 'I can' Kids." Parenting is the most
difficult job any of us have, so come and see if you gain any insights about how
to be more effective at it! Normally, PEP programs require a schlep to
Kensington and a program fee! Take advantage of this free and convenient
opportunity! The PTA meeting will be extremely brief and start promptly at
7;15. Our speaker will begin at 7:30. As always, free child care
provided.
The
Auction is only three weeks away. Please plan to come! If you have
never been to the Janney Auction, here are three reasons to book a babysitter:
1) 100% of the proceeds go to this great school, 2) 100% of the parents,
teachers, and staff who attend are fun people, and 3) 100% of the alcohol is
free (to better to induce you to pay too much for that totally cute class
project your kid made.) Remember the beautiful Carnivale invitation you
received in your take home Tuesday envelope? Be sure to fill it out and
drop it in the mail or at the front office!
Have a great week,
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SIT Note
The SIT
met last week with Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of DC public schools, and with
Allen Lew, who is leading the DCPS effort to repair and renovate its schools.
Our goal was to get more information about the city's plans and raise awareness
of Janney's needs.
What we
heard was both sobering and encouraging. The master facilities plan is
being revised, in part to reflect the chancellor's plan to close some schools.
Mr. Lew said there will be an effort to get some of the work done more quickly,
but the financing for this is not yet in place.
Chancellor Rhee voiced support, at least in principle, for focusing
attention and resources on schools, such as Janney, where there's a waiting
list of prospective students: "We should build capacity where there is
demand."
We also
discussed the city's current pursuit of a public-private development of the
Tenley Library/Janney site. We discussed some of the school's priorities in
this: that the school not lose play space to private development and that the
public-private development leads to a more rapid renovation and expansion of
the school. Rhee and Lew agreed that the school's needs should determine
the shape of any public-private partnership on the site. They also said that,
as part of this, Janney's modernization should happen more quickly. As Lew put
it, "The greatest gain in this would be the timeline."
The city
has now announced that three developers have submitted proposals for the site.
The announcement is available here:
http://dcbiz.dc.gov/dmped/cwp/view,a,1368,q,606931,dmpedNav_GID,1790,.asp
Please
contact members of the SIT if you have questions about this.
Dan
Charles, SIT Chair
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Auction
Update
Auction
Planning is in full throttle now. We hope you are planning to attend the
social event of the Janney's school year Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Katzen Arts Center at American
University. Your
invitation was in last week's Take Home Tuesday envelope. Please return it to
Lisa Wackler as soon as possible and book that sitter for what should be a
wonderful evening.
Don't
forget, the online portion of the "Carnevale" Janney Auction 2008 kicks off on
Thursday, Jan. 24, on ebay. More information to come. Tell your friends,
neighbors, even your family living in other parts of the country. There are
many certificates on the block that can be used nationally. This is a
great way for far-flung family to help our school.
It's time
to bring in your items. If you filled out a donor form and donated something to
the auction, now is the time to give us the item so we can price and label
it. Please don't delay, we need all of the items by the end of this week
(Friday, Jan. 18). Drop them off in the small office next to Principal
Cartland's office at school. The office is checked frequently for donations.
We're excited about the wide array of items that will be on display at
this year's auction. Thank you for the wonderful donations, please bring them
in today.
Here's
just a highlight of what will be featured in the Live Auction during "Carnevale."
Start thinking summer vacations and weekend trips. We've got beach stays
in Pawley's Island, South
Carolina; Bethany Beach, Delaware; Key
West, Florida; North Carolina; and California; and
a fun-family weekend in Philadelphia.
You could grab a great getaway while helping our school. Your auction
catalog will be delivered to you later this month, look for further details
there.
See you at the auction.
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Get
Creative and Earn A+ BonusBucks
GIANT
is calling all "budding artists" in grades K through 5! Let the
artist choose-use pencils, crayons, markers, or paint to depict how your school
could use the A+ BonusBucks you earn. All entries will be reviewed, and five
finalists from grades K-2 and five finalists from grades 3-5 will be selected.
How to Enter: Make a drawing or painting on how your school could use the A+
BonusBucks they earn. Print your first name, school name/address/phone number,
and teacher/grade level on the back of your entry. Entry must be on an
8.5" x 11" sheet of paper, no photographs, and mailed to "A+
BonusBucks Art Contest" c/o Crane Communications, Inc., 111 Presidential
Blvd., Ste. 252,
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.
All entries must be postmarked by 12 midnight, February 15, 2008.
Finalists and winners will be posted on the web March 2nd. One (1) Grand Prize
winner from K-2 group and one (1) winner from 3-5 group will receive a $100
Savings Bond, a "Classroom Party" ($100 GIANT Gift Card to purchase
party food and supplies), PLUS 2500 A+ BonusBucks points for their school. Each
of the remaining eight (8) Finalists' school will receive 1,000 A+ BonusBucks
Points for their school.
For
official contest rules please visit the giant Website: http://www.giantfood.com/aplus.
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Advocacy
and Policy Committee Update
A number
of issues coming in front of the D.C. City Council may be of interest to the
Janney School Community.
On Monday,
January 14th, the Council will discuss "The Closure of District of Columbia
Public Schools." This hearing will take place at 10:00 a.m. in Room 500 at
the Wilson Building.
Also,
Councilmembers Thomas and Barry recently introduced Bill R17-0527, the "Public
Land Surplus Standards Amendment Act Of 2007." This legislation would create standards that must be met prior to classifying public property as
surplus. This bill, if passed, might affect efforts to redevelop the Tenleytown
Library and any potential public-private partnership with DCPS and Janney.
For more
information about any of these items, please visit the Council's website at http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/.
Related to
this issue of redeveloping and/or modernizing Janney, the ANC3E Commissioners
wrote a letter to the editor of the Northwest Current (January 9, 2008) stating
their unanimous support for the immediate evaluation of the timeline for
renovation and expansion of Janney, and to suspend the request for proposals to
sell any part of the school property for private development. For ANC3E's full
recommendations related to Janney, see http://anc3e.org.
Mark Popovich and Scott Cheney, Co-Chairs
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Notes from
the Health Suite
(The
following information is from WebMD Medical Reference)
Pinkeye
Pinkeye
(also called conjunctivitis) is redness and swelling of the conjunctiva, the
mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and eye surface.
Common
symptoms of pinkeye are:
- Eye
redness (hyperemia)
- Swollen,
red eyelids
- More
tearing than usual
- Feeling as
if something is in the eye (foreign-body sensation or keratoconjunctivitis)
- An itching
or burning feeling
- Mild
sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Drainage from the eye
Most cases
of pinkeye are caused by:
- Infections
caused by viruses or bacteria
- Dry eyes
from lack of tears or exposure to wind and sun
- Chemicals,
fumes, or smoke (chemical conjunctivitis)
- Allergies
Viral and
bacterial pinkeye are contagious and spread very easily. Since most pinkeye is
caused by viruses for which there is usually no medical treatment, prevention
is important. Poor hand-washing is the main cause of the spread of pinkeye.
Sharing an object, such as a washcloth or towel, with a person who has pinkeye
can spread the infection.
People
with infectious pinkeye should not attend school or go to work until symptoms
improve. Preventing Flu
in Children
Flu
prevention for children is much more complicated than it is for
adults. Kids share toys, put things in their mouths, and rub their faces
with their hands. During the fall and winter, schools, day care centers, and
other places where children gather act as incubators for colds and the flu.
Try these
tips on flu prevention to minimize you and your child's exposure
to the flu:
- Teach them
to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. Then
throw the tissue away.
- Wash their
hands often with soap and water. If you're out and about, keep an alcohol-based
hand sanitizer handy.
- Remind
kids not to touch their hands, eyes, or mouth, a common path for germs to
spread. They will forget, so keep reminding.
- Don't send
your child to school sick. This rule can be hard for busy parents to live by,
but ignoring it will just keep the virus spreading.
Ros Polk, RN
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After
School Drama Classes
One of
great after school options at Janney is the drama classes provided by
Imagination Stage. This is a nonprofit theatre arts education facility
dedicated to enhancing children's creative and social skills through arts and
theatre-based teaching. Classes will be held Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 pm,
January 24th-March 13th, 2008. Registration is on a first come, first serve
basis and class size is limited to 15. The cost of an 8 week session is $145.00
Registration
materials need to be submitted by January 16th and are included in this
week's THT folder. I'm happy to answer questions as Janney's parent
liaison for Imagination Stage and can be reached at jseehra@omb.eop.gov.
You can also contact Julie Schroeder or Veronika Farkas at jschroeder@imaginationstage.org and
vfarkas@imaginationstage.org,
respectively, or visit www.imaginationstage.org
for more information. Information on all three offerings follows below.
Creative
Drama: Pirates & Mermaids class #5301 (k-1st) Students use their bodies,
voices, minds and imaginations to explore fun and adventurous salty tales such
as Pirate Pete's Great Adventure and Mystery in a Bottle. Connections to
stories are made through dramatic play, music, movement, and visual art.
This class promotes confidence and self-esteem.
Drama:
Create a Character class #5302 (2nd-3rd) Students build characters drawn from
folktales and fairytales by exploring physical and vocal choices. They are
introduced to the concepts of character motivation and
environments. Students explore the concepts through theatre games and
exercises. This class promotes communication and teamwork.
Acting
#5303 (4th-6th) Students develop their understanding of characters and
relationships on stage. They work on neutral scenes. This class
teaches students how to build an ensemble through theatre games and
exercises.
Jasmeet
Seehra
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In the Neighborhood
Kennedy Center event honors Congresswoman Eleanor
Holmes Norton. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University
celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a free musical tribute
on Monday, January 21, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
The program, part of the free daily performance series on the Millennium Stage,
features acclaimed mezzo soprano and Washington, D.C. native Denyce Graves, hip
hop violin duo Nuttin' But Stringz, the Let Freedom Ring Choir, with Rev. Nolan
Williams, Jr., Music Director, and Master of Ceremonies Tony Perkins from
WTTG's "Fox 5 Morning News". Georgetown
University honors the memory and
mission of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the annual John Thompson Legacy of
a Dream award presented to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, now in her
ninth term as the Congresswoman for the District
of Columbia. This is a general admission event, doors
open at 5:00 pm. The DC
Youth Orchestra Program, one of the foremost music education programs in the
country, is currently registering students for music classes, all levels of
ability, ages 4½ to 19. Classes are available for violin, viola, cello, string
bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn,
trombone, euphonium/baritone horn, tuba, percussion, harp, recorder, and
beginning guitar.
Spring
Session 2008 begins the week of January 22nd!
- Classes, rehearsals, and sectionals take place at Coolidge High School (most
classes are on Saturdays)
- Register online at http://dcyop.org/register.php
- Register in person at 6315 5th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
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Register by mail to PO Box 56198, Washington, DC 20011
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More information about the program is available at www.dcyop.org
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Questions, please call 202-723-1612
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Registration deadlines: Last day to register as a beginner is February 8th
Northwest
Sport & Health on Brandywine
St. is running a kid's group exercise program
available to members AND nonmembers. The instructor is Janney parent Betsy
Wittleder.
SPORT&FUN: "Start
your child on the path to a healthy and fit lifestyle"
Dates: January 16th-February 27th
Day:
Wednesdays, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Age: 6-10
years old
Cost:
whole session-$70/members or $90/nonmember; drop-in rate-$12 per class/member
or $15 per class/nonmember
Please
contact Monica Hay at mhay@sportandhealth.com or 614-214-5255 for more information.
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 Safety Patrol Tip of the Week
Follow the rules of the road.
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 Principal's Letter
Dear Janney Community,
I hope
many of you plan to attend the PTA meeting tonight. The business portion will
be short (15 minutes), and at 7:30 we will have a great guest speaker, Wendy
Lubic from the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), who will be talking about
"Raising 'I can' Kids." I know I'll be taking notes to try out new practices on
my own little people.
Dan
Charles, our SIT chair, wrote a nice summary in this newsletter of the meeting
we had with Chancellor Rhee and Allen Lew last week. I hope you've already read
it or will look for it once you've read my letter. I won't repeat his summary
(he's a more eloquent writer than I in any case) other than to call your
attention to it. Also, the SIT will be having an open forum next Tuesday,
January 22nd, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium to share the latest news on the
facilities plan and the proposals for the PPP. You can expect all the
information to be in next week's newsletter and THT, but we also wanted to give
people a chance to ask questions if they'd like. DCPS is releasing a new Master
Facility Plan in May, and soon the city will have public meetings to share the
three PPP proposals they received. With all that activity, the SIT wanted to give
everyone a chance to hear the same information and ask questions.
Janney is
starting a new tutoring program next week. The program is going to be after
school and free to selected students in grades 3-6. We are using scores from
last year's DC CAS and teacher recommendations to develop the roster. Each
grade level will have one math session and one reading session per week taught
by one of the teachers from that grade level. The goal of these sessions is to
prepare kids for the DC CAS in April. The teachers will be covering content our
students struggled with on last year's test. This is not "homework help" but
rather is meant to remediate weaknesses in the selected students. Participation
is optional. The funds to cover the program are coming out of the budget that
DCPS gives to the school. There will be individual letters with specific
information coming home today for the selected students so please check the
Take Home Tuesday.If there are any
questions, please direct them to me at scott.cartland@dc.gov
or (202) 282-0533. Sincerely,
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Contributing to the E-Newsletter
Submissions to the PTA newsletter may be emailed to Janneynewsletter@yahoo.com.
The deadline for submissions is Thursday at 3:15 pm. Because the newsletter is reviewed by several individuals before distribution, we must adhere to this deadline in order to get the newsletter to you every week on time.
Please make every effort to submit your notices by email for the electronic newsletter. Include all text in the body of your email (rather than as an attachment). Small jpeg thumbnails may be attached and can be included in the newsletter. All links or email addresses will be made active (clickable).
Prepared fliers should be turned into the school office by COB Monday for inclusion in the regular Take Home Tuesday envelope.
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