Janney PTA E-Newsletter August 28, 2007

Welcome back to all of you already familiar with the weekly PTA newsletter (in a new tree-saving format: email!) and a warm welcome to families new to Janney this fall.

It would be impossible to mention all the contributions that make Janney a wonderful place to send our kids, but we would like to thank some of the parents and staff who worked in July and August to help get things ready! A big thank you to Ms. Franklin and Ann Beumel for helping us with the summer mailing, and to Allie Hajian, Leslie Dembinski, and Allison Feeney for their time stuffing envelopes. We also owe thanks to Jenny DiBiase, Elizabeth Levenson, and Allie Hajian for this newsletter, which helps keep everyone up to date on all the action going on at Janney. We hope you like (or adjust to) getting this newsletter by email. One convenient feature of this new format is that you can email people and click on links to calendars and other documents right from this page. For people who don't have email or prefer a paper copy, you can pick up a copy of this newsletter at the front office every Tuesday afternoon.

Also important for keeping everyone on track is the Janney Calendar. Carol Volk and Mark Popovich, our PTA secretaries, were busy the last several weeks getting all the important dates in order and getting the calendar printed-thanks! Keep your copy handy so as not to miss any important events this year. The next big one you and your kids won't want to miss is the Fall Picnic on September 7!

Janney is looking good this week thanks to Tricia Pinkard, Jimmy Corrigan, and all the people who came out for Beautification Day to help spruce up the grounds. If you weren't around to volunteer with their crew and want to contribute, never fear! We are sure Leslie Dembinski would love some helping hands at the Fall Picnic; email her at lesliedembinski@mcenearney.com if you can help out. While still on the subject of volunteering, there are so many ways to contribute. Consider one of the MANY committees that were listed in your summer mailing or clickhere. or contact Kate Taylor, our Membership Chair, at taylorkl@georgetown.edu. Parents make such a huge difference in the day-to-day lives of our students and teachers by giving of their time and energy.

Please don't forget to send in your All-in-One PTA Fee form. The money from the Student Support Fee goes to fund things not covered by DCPS like teacher's aides and librarians. A large part of the PTA's income comes from this fee, so consider giving the suggested amount or whatever you can. The form can be downloaded online at http://www.janneyschool.org/school_forms/FeesForm2007_final.doc.

Hope to see you at the Fall Picnic. We are looking forward to another exciting school year.

Karen Kalat and Sczerina Perot

A Call for Janney Artwork

Every fall, the school needs Janney artwork for use in the school directory, the school yearbook, and so forth. Take a moment to draw something about school. It can be a jaguar, a picture of the school building, your classroom, kids playing on the playground, whatever you think represents janney.

Place your submission in the Janney PTA box by Friday, September 14, to the attention of Anita Seline or Dianne Torresen. Contact them at amseline@aol.com or torresen@comcast.net if you have any questions.

The Janney Fall Picnic is this Friday!

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the annual Janney Fall Picnic! It's fun for the whole family! Come see old friends and make new ones.

Date: Friday, September 7
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: on the school grounds

Hot dogs, chips, and cold drinks will be available for sale. Each family should bring a contribution based on the family last name:

A-K - Dessert
L-Z - Salad

Volunteers are needed to help set up, grill, be cashiers, etc. If you're interested, please contact Leslie Dembinski at (202) 365-0903 or leslied@mcenearney.com. See you then!

Teacher Appreciation Committee

If you are interested in being on the Teacher Appreciation Committee, we would love to have you. We would like to meet soon to organize the year. If you are interested, please contact Lee Coykendall at 966-0119 or lee.coyk@verizon.net. Thank you.

Get Ready for Sally Foster Gift Wrap!!

Janney PTA's annual Sally Foster gift wrap sale will soon be underway. Look for the exciting catalog featuring "Solutions to Simplify Your Life" in an upcoming Take Home Tuesday. It features lots of clever new gift wrap designs (including handy gift bags for those of us who are wrapping-impaired), candy, cookies, bath and body items, and other unique gifts. Remember that Janney earns 50 cents out of every dollar from every purchase.

Imagine if every family stocks up on gift wrap that they'll need throughout the year and shares the catalog with family, friends, and co-workers! We'll be able to reach our goal of raising funds necessary to meet critical educational needs that the Janney PTA funds for our children! As an added bonus, your out-of-town family and friends can purchase directly through the Sally Foster website and designate 50% of their purchase to support Janney!

We also need volunteers! If you can assist with publicity, tabulation, unloading, and/or distributing orders, please contact Linda Strickland (202-269-6370, ltstrick2@yahoo.com) or Linda Weidman (301-380-3865, linda.weidman@marriott.com).

After-School Drama Classes

One of the 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 this fall are offered directly after school on Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, September 13 through November 15.

Class offerings for this year include the following.

Drama: Jungle Adventures(Class #5000, Kindergarten and 1^st grade). Students use their bodies, voices, minds, and imaginations to explore the animals and the environment of the jungle, using stories such as Riki Tiki Tavi, The Just So Stories, and The Shaman's Apprentice as a springboard to dramatic adventures.

Drama: Mystery Theatre (Class #5001, 2^nd and 3^rd grade). An exciting opportunity to explore acting and the mystery genre! Students learn about the actor's tools, dramatic structures, character creation, and teamwork while devising mysterious characters and scenes through story-building exercises and guided improvisations.

Acting (Class #5002, 4th through 6^th grade). This skill-based class is designed to move students from creative dramatics into the realm of process-based acting. Students will work on character development and relationships on stage through short scenes, guided improvisations, and theatre games.

The cost of a 10-week session is $175. Registration is on a first come, first served basis, and class size is limited to 15. Payment will be returned to those who cannot be accommodated. Please register online at www.imaginationstage.org or print the downloadable PDF registration form and fax it to (301) 718-8803 or mail it to 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. All registrations must be submitted by Monday, September 3.

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, Education Associate, at jschroeder@imaginationstage.org or visit www.imaginationstage.org for more information.

School Transit Subsidy Program

Students who take Metrorail and/or Metrobus to school can qualify for reduced fares. To take advantage of this, students or their parents should obtain a Student Travel Card Application from their school and have it signed, dated, and stamped by their school principal. (Student Travel Card Applications are no longer available at the School Transit Subsidy Office.)

Bring completed applications to the District Department of Transportation's School Transit Subsidy Office, located at 2217 14th Street NW (near the intersection of 14th Street and Florida Avenue NW) on the second floor. Offices are open Monday-Friday, 8:15 am-4:45 pm, and Wednesday 8:15 am-7 pm during the months of August, September, and October.

To receive the discount, students must be under 19 years of age, with the exception of students with disabilities who are eligible until 22 years of age); residents of the District; and enrolled in an elementary or secondary public, charter, private, or parochial school located in DC.

If you have questions, please contact the School Transit Subsidy Office at (202) 673-1740.

In the Neighborhood

Little League Teams Organizing Now
The Northwest Washington Little League offers baseball for boys and girls ages 6 to 16, and softball for girls ages 9 to 14. Janney students play on Northwest Washington Little League Teams at all levels. The League has a positive, kid-focused philosophy, and our players enjoy themselves, learn a lot, and return year after year. All kids get equal time playing.

Teams are forming now for the fall season for the T-Ball, AA, AAA, Majors, and Prep/Senior levels and for Girls Softball. New players are welcome. Get your application in immediately to be sure there is a place for your child. Go to www.nwlldc.org for information on applying and for more League information.

Principal's Letter

Dear Janney Parents,

Welcome back! We had a great first day yesterday and it was great to have the school come back to life. As you all know, our beloved school got quite a facelift this summer. The work included new lights in all classrooms, fresh paint in the gym, new lights in the gym, one patch on the roof, one repaired gutter, new floors in three rooms, two new classrooms in demountables, and an electrical upgrade. It was truly a heroic effort to complete all the work for the start of school. Crews were working nearly around the clock seven days a week and there was a great deal of oversight and "encouragement" from Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Allen Lew, Deputy Mayor Victor Reinoso, and Councilmember Mary Cheh. Finally, I want to publicly thank and praise our two custodians, Ron Hillyer and Hulon Adams. Both of these gentlemen worked overtime and weekends to keep the building open for the contractors to work. In addition, the building was almost completely cleaned for the summer back in July, BEFORE the contractors came in to tear the place apart. The last of the work was literally happening on Sunday, and now the staff can focus on putting up bulletin boards and adding the finishing touches.

If you are reading this as a hard copy, it was found in the "Take Home Tuesday" (THT). Please make sure that you check your child's backpack for this packet every Tuesday as it is one of the primary means of communicating from school to home. Class bulletins, flyers, announcements, letters, and other notices will be sent home in the envelope which you should sign and return to school with your child. As much as possible, we try to not send notices home on other days lest they be lost forever at the bottom of the backpack.

If you are reading this electronically you can skip this paragraph. The PTA newsletter is going electronic. You can sign up by emailing Allie Hajian at bozondc@yahoo.com. This is the last week that my letter will be sent home in the THT. However, we will make paper copies of the newsletter and the principal's letter in the main office for those who don't want to go digital.

I am still looking for two important positions for the school: a Spanish teacher and Notebusters Director. If you have good leads on either front, please have them contact me.

Please take time to read the Family Handbook in the THT. There is a great deal of information in it and is a good refresher for even our veteran families.

I wanted to call your attention to the flyer in the THT for "Health eLunch Kids" program. This is a program that we're going to pilot at the start of school. You can go online (www.healthelunchkids.com) and order a lunch for your child that will be delivered to the school. Several of our parents have used this service at day camp and felt that it provided a healthy and convenient alternative.

Here's to a great start and a wonderful year.

Sincerely,

Scott Cartland
Principal

Sincerely,
Scott Cartland

Safety Patrol Tip of the Week

School's Open
Drive Carefully!

Contributing to the Newsletter

Submisions 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, but do not add attachments to your email. Instead include all text in the body of your message. Small jpeg thumbnails may be attached and can be included. All links and email addresses will be made active (clickable).

Prepared fliers should be turned in to the school office by Monday afternoon for inclusion in the Take-Home-Tuesday.