Principal's Letter

I hope that everyone had a restful and reinvigorating long weekend, readying themselves for a stimulating week ahead. 

To celebrate National School Lunch Week, Chef Thomas Hauk of the DC restaurant Citronelle will visit students and staff in the lunchroom on Thursday, October 15th. As part of a partnership with the organization Share Our Strength (www.strength.org), Chef Hauk's goal is to learn more about the realities of the school food environment as we work to improve our school meals program. 

On Friday, October 16th, hair will be coifed and favorite outfits donned for School Picture Day. Although more information is included in the article below, don't forget to return the Lifetouch order form if you would like to purchase pictures of your student(s). I can't wait to see all the smiles captured in our yearbook at the end of the year. 

Another event likely to be memorialized in that publication is the Janney Fall Carnival on Saturday, October 17th. This community occasion will take place on the soccer field and the greentop, promising amusement (and pony rides!) for all who attend. I'll see you there!

As I shared in a previous letter, we have spent several classroom and lunchtime discussions answering the question "What does respect look like?" We explicitly broke down respectful actions and their purpose in various areas, including the playground. Unfortunately, we have recently had a few safety concerns in that space after school hours. In order to provide a safe space for our students to play, I ask that you continue to support the expectations of respect that we have established as a staff and student community, during school hours and beyond: use equipment appropriately; wait your turn; always ask an adult before going inside/always go with a buddy; play safely and be aware of body space; include everyone in games and play by the rules; remember what is on the ground, stays on the ground; and report any unsafe items to an adult. In addition, please note that non-Janney community members are permitted to use the campus after 6pm (following JED dismissal). Should you note any improper use of our facilities, please contact Officer Priscilla or me for assistance. We are working together with local police to ensure the wellbeing of our students and families as they enjoy all that the Janney campus has to offer.

These facilities are slated for improvement and modernization beginning in January. To provide a brief update, the School Improvement Team (SIT) has been working hard on behalf of the whole Janney community. Still in the design phase, we are developing plans for the addition; special thanks are in order for Sam Serebin, SIT design committee member, ANC representative, and future Janney parent for his efforts in arranging a meeting with the head of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization Allen Lew in order to make certain that our expectations for a greater Janney are clearly communicated. Our meeting on Tuesday, October 13th has been delayed to provide our architects with adequate time to meet these expectations before unveiling a new iteration of the designs. Although OPEFM will hold a community meeting in the near future, please check the Janney homepage for more current updates. 

To align with this week's discussion, please visit the Principal's Corner for a more extensive explanation of the influence of the aesthetic environment on student engagement and learning. We will further discuss this topic and more at the next Principal's Coffee next Tuesday, October 20th at 8am. 

Have a fantastic week!