Janney+ Language

Parent Handbook. A complete overview of our policies and procedures for the 2022-2023 school year is in our 2022-23 Janney+ Parent Handbook received upon registration in your Campsite Parent Dashboard.

Health & Safety. Please take a few minutes to review our updated health and safety plan which can be found here.. In summary, Janney+ is adhering to the following guidelines, protocols, and safety measures to mitigate risk and safely return to play:

• Protocols for reporting and isolation will be followed
• Janney+ will continue to engage with local and state authorities and adhere to all guidelines recommended, making changes to the protocol, as needed
• Most eating will be done outside
• Classes will spend as much time as feasible outside
• Janney+ will adhere to DCPS requirements surrounding vaccination for staff

Immersion. We believe that immersion is the most efficient approach to language-learning over time. If students know that their teacher will explain content in English and/or systematically translate content into English, they will not engage with the target language. Our teachers, therefore, aim to speak the target language at least 90-95% of the time during class. It is important that students are prepared for that and reassured that they are not expected to understand every word the teacher speaks! All of the activities in class involve visual support, props, body movement, routine and repetitive language to help students understand the message. Over time, they will feel confident using the target language in contexts they have become familiar with.

Student Placement. Placement of students in language classes is based on their age group and years of exposure to the target language. We ask that parents refer to the bullet points below when registering their children for language. Please note that we may recommend a particular class based on demand and/or on teacher’s advice and we always favor a child’s best learning interests over schedule constraints. While we try to accommodate as many requests as possible, we cannot guarantee that a student will have classes on a specific schedule or will have the same language schedule as their sibling. Our aim is to achieve the greatest level of coherence and homogeneity within each group so as to offer both teachers and students an optimal setting for fun and efficient language-learning and teaching.

Each language class will follow a curriculum adapted to student grade/age group. We have developed a total of six curricula where each curriculum builds on the vocabulary, comprehension, and language-use learned from the previous one. Note that the curriculum that a student will follow is a reflection of their seniority in JELP rather than their level of fluency. In other words, subsequent curricula are not necessarily more difficult than the ones prior. Taking into account that we have students joining our JELP in every grade, with some new to language-learning, we make sure that no student repeats a previously studied curriculum. Based on the group’s level of fluency, the teacher will adapt her expectations and her lesson plans within the framework of the curriculum in question.

FRENCH/SPANISH

• K-1st grade students
  • Level 1: First year of language learning (preferred choice for K)
  • Level 2: Returning JELP students or students with pre-existing knowledge of target language (preferred choice for 1st graders)
• 2nd-3rd grade and 4th-5th grade students
  • Level 2 (a mix of curriculums I and II): First/second year as JELP student (or equivalent) as a second grader or up
  • Level 3: Third year as JELP student (or equivalent) as a second grader or up
  • Level 4: Fourth year as JELP student (or equivalent) as a second grader or up

CHINESE

• K-1st grade and 2nd-3rd grade students
  • Level 1: First year of language learning
  • Level 2: Returning JELP students or pre-existing knowledge of the target language
  • Level 3: Third year as JELP student (or equivalent)

HERITAGE SPANISH

We also offer two multi-grade advanced Spanish classes for “heritage” speakers. These classes have more academic content (grammar, spelling, conjugation) and involve more in-depth listening and reading comprehension. They are exclusively for children who speak Spanish at home, have regular and extensive exposure to Spanish, and/or have recently lived in a country where Spanish is spoken. We reserve the right to switch a child registered for heritage classes to a non-heritage group if it is determined, in consultation with the teacher, that he/she does not have the required level of fluency.

• K-1st grade students
• 2nd-3rd grade students
• 4th-5th grade students

Cancellation. The language program is a year-long program and we ask parents and students to sign a contract outlining their commitment to the program at the start of the school year. This commitment is key in providing continuity and stability in classroom communities that will enable students to progress over time. It is also the only way we can keep our tuition fees lower than other language schools. While we do recognize that circumstances may change over time, requiring a child’s schedule to be reevaluated, our cancellation policy is as follows:

• Students registering for any language class will commit to attending the first four weeks of the class before they may withdraw.
• If after these four weeks the family decides they do not want their child to continue in JELP, the family has until October 7th, 2022 to provide notice via email that they are withdrawing their child. Please email language@janneyschool.org.
• The Language Program will refund the cost of the class minus the non-refundable deposit of 20% of the class tuition fee within one month of receipt of the written cancellation notice. A $25 cancellation fee is also assessed.
• After October 7th, 2021, it is no longer possible to receive a refund for canceled language registration.

A child who has withdrawn from JELP is not eligible to re-enroll for the rest of the school year.

Attendance. In order to ensure continuity of learning for your child and the rest of the class, we insist that students attend both classes every week. Homework is usually assigned to students on the later of the two days of language class, Wednesday or Thursday. It is very important that you let the JELP team know if your child will not attend a specific session so that we can keep track of all students. Please email schedule changes to language@janneyschool.org and plusattendance@janneyschool.org.

Behavioral Expectations. Students are expected to act in a manner appropriate for a school environment. We understand that there might be days where it is harder for children to focus and engage in the class; however, on days where a child does not want to participate and their demeanor is disruptive to the class, the student will be sent to morning JAC for supervision and then released to Jamboree. Persistent behavioral issues will be addressed with parents and the school and could result in dismissal from the JELP session. In such cases, refunds are not provided.

Pick-up and Sign-out. Morning students are expected to arrive in the cafeteria no later than 7:45 a.m. For younger students or students who cannot make it to the cafeteria on their own to check-in, please walk them to the cafeteria and wait for their instructor to arrive. Their language teacher meets them there and escorts them to the classroom. They are dismissed on the turf field just before morning Jamboree.

Afternoon students are released to the cafeteria by their homeroom teachers at the end of the school day (3:05-3:15 pm). Pre-K and Kindergarten students are walked by their homeroom teachers to the cafeteria. Students will be checked in by the JELP Director.

JELP pick-up is 4:30 PM on the field. 

Remember to inform us if your child will not attend JELP or if someone other than an authorized person will pick up your student. That person should bring identification in order for staff to approve student release. All pick up changes should be emailed to:

• The JELP Program Director (language@janneyschool.org)
• Janney+ Attendance (plusattendance@janneyschool.org)
• Janney+ Executive Director (PlusED@janneyschool.org)

Please make sure to update your student’s information in Campsite each year, including your contact information, their teacher, and release information.

Contact JELP. The JELP Director, Marybel Escada, can be reached by email year-round at language@janneyschool.org.

Janney+ is a parent-run non-profit. Tax ID: 82-101-5792.