First, I want to take the opportunity to thank the many parents and families who attended our first PTA meeting of the year and for the many thoughtful questions and comments around our goals for teaching and learning at Janney. It was clear that we have a community dedicated to coming together to make these goals a reality.

After a rainy week, our September 11th Day of Service has been rescheduled for Monday, September 14th. As a reminder, each classroom has adopted an area of Janney's campus for which they are responsible, building a sense of mutual ownership and respect for our immediate community. We will extend this sense of service to our surrounding neighborhood, Washington D.C., and the global arena during three upcoming, nationally-recognized days of service.

The rain also brought an unexpected Jamboree decision. Initially, I had expressed that the Jamboree would be cancelled for inclement weather and that we would return to Janney's past procedure of a few early arrivers gathering in the gym until 8:40, then filtering directly to classes as the rest of the students and parents arrived. On our first day of rain, it became clear that most families had arrived by 8:40 - a fantastic showing! As a result, the Jamboree will continue through inclement weather in the multi-purpose room. Of course, we will continue to refine the process to meet the needs of our students, teachers and families, including the creation of an area near the main entrance of the multi-purpose room to foster the participation of those that arrive during the Jamboree. Thank you to the Jamboree committee for a remarkable job in their planning for the week, with our librarian sharing her favorite book, a kindergarten poem about friendship, and many celebrations of jobs well done.

Beyond the incredible learning opportunities and explorations that our teachers plan with such care, the upcoming week is full of important events. Nurse Polk will conduct height, vision and weight screenings from the 14th to the 16th. Our after-school programs continue to take shape, with JED, Notebusters, the Scrabble Club, the Geology Rocks theater class, and a Daisy Scouts information session planned for the week. On Thursday, September 17th, our school will host families for Back to School Night at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Professional Development Day for teachers and staff on the 18th (no school for students).

In my last letter, I discussed the importance of purposeful decision-making and some of the growth areas that our most recent DC-CAS test scores revealed. Although we did not meet Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP) as a result of lower-than-expected reading scores for our special education population, it is also important to recognize that our overall proficiency rates are close to 90%, an achievement that represents some of the highest results in the District of Columbia. We must ask ourselves what we are doing well, but equally important is an inquiry around what we can do better.

Identifying growth areas is an opportunity; in this case, we must recognize the critical nature of refined inclusion. Although "inclusion" is a programmatic term in which all students are served in a common setting, we will implement it in a broader way. The dictionary definition of "inclusion" is the act of comprising or embracing the parts of a whole. At Janney, we will take this more literal definition seriously, and will act on it. We will identify the needs of all of our students, whether extra support or additional challenges are needed. We will treat individual students as parts of a whole, both in the sense of meeting individual needs and with an understanding that the types of support vary across the many skills we expect our students to acquire. In other words, we will identify where all students are and how we can encourage growth regardless of the starting point, the subject, or the learning objective. As parents and families, I ask you to hold us accountable to this worthy aim, and that you continue to emphasize growth, not an end goal of "proficient" or "advanced" for your students. Just as we will not be satisfied with our leading proficiency rates, we will demand that all students progress through targeted supports and lessons that meet their individual needs. Only then have will we have a truly inclusive community.

I look forward to a wonderful week and to seeing you at Back to School Night!

Sincerely,

Norah Lycknell
Principal

A Note from the PTA Co-Presidents

We wanted to thank everyone who came to our first PTA meeting last Tuesday. It was a great turnout and once again reminded us of how dedicated and engaged the Janney community is. In the same vein, we also wanted to thank everyone who has volunteered for the many Janney activities and events this year. We are working through the volunteer forms now and committee chairs will be contacting volunteers as needed. We are also looking for someone to coordinate the Annual Fruit Sale, so if you are interested, please contact Scott or Jonathan (email addresses are below).

The new PTA Grant program was unveiled at last week's PTA Meeting and we're excited to see what ingenious and thoughtful ideas come out of it. Approved projects, events, activities etc. should request less than $750 and need to benefit the school and/or the Janney community and fit within the mission of the school. More details will be included in this week's Take Home Tuesday. The deadline for the first round of funding is October 30th.

Please see the calendar at the top left for upcoming dates to note, including Back to School night this Thursday; no school on Friday (JED is open); Fall Picnic on September 25; and Fall Carnival on October 17, with a rain date of October 18.

Thanks and have a great week!

Scott Cheney and Jonathan McHugh

Back to School Night Schedule

Back to School Night is this Thursday from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Principal Lycknell will give two identical presentations: one at 7:00 and one at 8:00. You may join either session in the auditorium. The other hour can be spent in your child's classroom and visiting the special rooms such as art, music and the library. If you have more than one child at Janney, you can opt to just visit classrooms. It's up to you.

Note: this evening is just for adults; no babysitting is provided on-site so please arrange for childcare at home.

Please Volunteer to Help at the Janney Fall Picnic

The September 25 Janney Fall picnic is fast approaching and we are in dire need of volunteers to pull off this event. It is a casual evening of playtime on the Janney Greentop for kids and conversation for adults. The format is potluck with the Janney PTA selling (at nominal cost) hotdogs, drinks, and chips. We ask that families contribute side dishes (last names A-K) and desserts (last names L-Z). To help make things run smoothly, we need volunteers to help with set-up, grilling, serving, cashiering and clean-up. Any time you can contribute is much appreciated. Please email Julie Slattery. Thank you.

From the Lost and Found Committee

The Janney Lost & Found is located on two clothing racks, now in the gym. Please make it a regular habit to stop by to check for anything your child(ren) may be missing. We also request that you try to label your children's belongings, especially jackets, sweatshirts and lunch boxes. If we find something with a legible label, we return it to the child's classroom. If your child has a common name, you might have to include the last name or class (e.g. "Alex 2B" or "A. Cruise")

We will be emptying the Lost & Found once per month this year. We donate unclaimed items to local charities. (In past years that has included shelters with children, Wheatley School, and Goodwill. Other ideas are always welcome.) The first emptying date will be Friday, October 2nd. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

--The Lost and Found Committee
Sally Juram, Lisa Jacobson, Jennie Bonney, Melissa Modell, Marjie Thompson-Longshore and Ms. Leventhal (School Counselor)

We Want YOU for the Janney Jamboree!

Parents, relatives, friends and community members are needed to participate in the Jamboree once a week. If you have a special talent, a cool story, some interesting facts, or a passion for a certain topic, come share it at the Jamboree! You can present on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday mornings at 8:40 am. Be creative! Any topic or idea is welcome. Please email Kristen Gentile with your name, your topic, and how you will present. All are welcome, and if you are shy, feel free to present as part of a group! Hope to hear from you soon!

--The Janney Jamboree Committee

An Update on the Tenley-Friendship Library Construction and its Impact on Janney

The Tenley-Friendship Library ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled for 10:00 am on Wednesday, September 23, although the time of the event is subject to last minute changes based on the schedule of Mayor Fenty. Actual construction is anticipated to begin two weeks later and will initially include rebuilding the retaining wall between the library and school grounds. Part of the current soccer field will be used during this phase of the construction, causing Janney to temporarily lose 30 feet from the eastern edge of the field which will be fenced off. Janney will be working closely with DC Public Libraries and its general contractor Forrester Construction to minimize the impact of the construction and to ensure the soccer field is kept functional. Janney is also in talks with the library concerning plans for re-sodding the sections of the field that are used during construction which is scheduled to last 10-12 months. The sidewalk along Albemarle Street from 30 feet west of the library site down to Wisconsin Avenue will be closed but the curb lane will be transformed into a walkway to ensure pedestrian passage. Councilmember Cheh's office has been working with Janney on determining the appropriate number of crossing guards to ensure pedestrian safety. According to a representative, DDOT is sending safety experts to analyze the walking routes of students to our school and will identify if there are areas where more crossing guards and crosswalks are needed.

Calling All Local Businesses!
Advertise in the Janney Directory

Increase your visibility and customer base by advertising in the Janney Directory. As you all know, the directory is an excellent resource for our community, reaching 240+ families in our area and beyond...What a great and inexpensive way to market your business while supporting Janney!

Even if you don't have a product or service to sell, we could still use your help. Contact your favorite business/service provider and encourage them to advertise with us! For more information or to place your ad, contact Gerry Gretschel or Stacie Harrison.

Keep Collecting Those Box Tops for Education!

Last year we collected $416.50 worth of Box Tops in our collection bin. That amount was generously doubled by local real estate agent, Susan Jaquet. That is $833 in cash for the Janney PTA!

Let's try to top that this year. Many of the products we all buy have Box Tops on them - breakfast cereals, tissues, etc. For a complete list of products that participate in the Box Tops program please go to: www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/default.aspx. (You can also find coupons for popular Box Tops products on this page.) Just cut the Box Tops out and place them in the giant pink Box Tops collection bin in the Janney lobby. They are picked up on a regular basis, and twice a year, the Janney PTA receives checks. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Sherry Cohen.

Safety Patrol Tip of the Week

Always stop for school buses that are loading/unloading students.

--Paige Morse, Safety Patroller

In the Neighborhood

To all 'Turtle Park' patrons! Turtle Park and the Board of Friends of Friendship Park (FOFP) need you! New participants are needed to fill vacant Board positions. In addition, volunteers are needed to develop and coordinate Board sponsored events (i.e. Halloween Festival, Movie on the green, etc.)

If you frequent Turtle Park, please think about joining the FOFP community by signing up for the listserv at www.turtlepark.org or contact president@turtlepark.org. Join the Board! Help keep FOFP and Turtle Park flourishing.

The first FOFP Board meeting for 2009-2010 is Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. at the Friendship Park (aka Turtle Park) Recreation Center. All are welcome!

Janney Shopping

www.shoptoearn.net/Janney

When you shop at your favorite retailers such as Target, the Gap, Home Depot, or Bluefly, Janney will earn a percentage of your order total. You only need to add one extra click to your regular shopping on-line process: click on the "Janney Shopping" link on the Janney School home page to get started. What are you waiting for?

Contributing to the E-Newsletter

All submissions to the PTA newsletter should be emailed to Janneynewsletter@yahoo.com. The deadline for submissions is Friday 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 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).

If a notice should be run for more than one week, please indicate the dates the notice should be run, or resubmit the notice by the Friday deadline for each week.

Please note there is no longer a box in the Janney office where hard copy newsletter submissions can be turned in. If you have prepared fliers to be included in the Take Home Tuesday envelope, those should be turned into the school office by COB Monday.

We will run notices about community or other non-Janney events of interest to elementary school children as space permits. It is the PTA's policy not to carry for-profit advertisements or classifieds. Thank you for your cooperation.

The Editors