Bailey's Upper ES News You Choose

Students

A Message From Principal Lemmon

(The information in this letter was shared in our past few News You Choose Messages as it is very important information to review as we begin our hybrid learning model starting next week!)

 

Dear Bailey’s Upper Families,

Just a note to welcome you to hybrid learning at Bailey’s Upper #BUpper for the 2020-2021 school year starting on March 16th.  As the principal, I want to share again that it is my mission that at school we provide each child:

  • a safe and positive learning environment
  • quality instruction to meet the needs of each child
  • supports for nurturing social and emotional development

During this hybrid session, we will be focusing on meeting all CDC guidelines, supporting students in leaning new routines and procedures, and implementing for the first-time concurrent learning opportunities. Because we are hybrid and using concurrent instruction, I do ask for everyone’s patience as we navigate through this new environment for both in-person and virtual students. I also want to remind everyone that our implementation of CDC guidelines does mean that school in person will be much different than what we have know in the past. Recess and lunch in particular may no longer be as favored and as fun for our students as it once was as students do need to stay distanced by 6 feet and wear masks unless they are ten feet apart outdoors. We will do our best to support students during these times.

 

All of our classroom teachers will be returning to the building for in-person instruction.  Please know I am always open to listening and collaborating with you to solve problems. I take children’s safety and learning very seriously and keep it as a top priority for any decision making. I look forward to seeing all returning students and families, and I am thrilled to welcome all new children and families to our school. Please do not hesitate to email or call me anytime.

 

Below you will find important information and instructions for all families. I would greatly appreciate you reading this carefully or contacting our office if you need help as this information impacts the safety of all children on the first day of hybrid in person school and helps everyone avoid frustrations and have a great start to this new opportunity.

 

Sincerely,

 

Marie Lemmon

Principal

 

 

 

Health Screening Commitment Form

The Health Screening Commitment Form is required prior to students returning to school buildings. As students return for in-person instruction, parents/caregivers will be asked to acknowledge a Health Screening Commitment form before their student(s) return to school buildings. This document confirms that a parent/caregiver/guardian will complete a daily health screening and will keep their students home when they are ill.  The Health Commitment form can be submitted electronically through ParentVUE (PVUE) or via hard copy. Please contact our main office to have a hard copy sent to you.

 

 

Home and School Communication

We have a variety of methods for communication. First and foremost, a weekly News You Choose email will continue to be sent to you each Friday. Keep in Touch will be used for any emergency or timely messages. It will be very important for each family to enroll in the SIS Parent Account online tool.  At Bailey’s Upper, we will not send home communication folders on Thursdays this school year.  News and events will be posted on our school website.

 

 

First Day of Hybrid Learning

It is important for children to begin and learn the routine of coming to school. I ask all families to have the students arrive to school the same way you plan for them to go home. For example, if you want your student to ride the bus home, then please have her/him ride the bus to school. From years of experience, I will tell you children who are supposed to ride the bus home from school and come a different way in the morning are often confused about how to get home and are most likely to be in the office waiting for someone to pick them up at the end of the day. Please note no one is permitted to walk to school. Busses are provided to all students. All children either must ride the bus or you must utilize Kiss and Ride. No parent should park and walk their child in on the first day as this could create quite a bottleneck and safety hazard. In the future, this is only allowable if the parent has business in the school.

 

On the first day, all of our staff will be busy helping students. Teachers will be giving lessons to students on how to find class from kiss and ride and the bus. We will also have staff to support children looking for their class. Children should know the name of their teacher, their floor, and color of their pod.

 

 

Bus Riders

During the first week, your child should arrive at the bus stop a few minutes early until the bus driver establishes a regular routine. I highly encourage you to have your child ride the bus to school on the first day to get in the routine of which bus to ride home each day. We will use the list from transportation to check in with each bus rider and give them a card with the bus number home. You will need to view transportation in your ParentVue account that will provide you with your child’s bus stop pickup and drop off approximate times. If you would like to request a different bus stop or if your child attends school at the Upper but is in SACC at the Primary, please complete an exception to ride form which can be found at this link. http://www.fcps.edu/fts/tran/forms/index.shtml.

 

Requests will be processed on a case by case basis and only approved for transportation changes due to dual custody and childcare locations. Please email it to Route Supervisor Rattanasiri Wanamitar at rwanamitar@fcps.edu and cc: Principal Marie Lemmon at mmlemmon@fcps.edu. Only transportation can approve these requests. Please contact FCPS transportation at 703-446-2050 for all questions concerning transportation issues.

 

 

Kiss and Ride

For parents that are transporting their children to school, staff members will greet the students at the “Kiss and Ride” location starting at 8:45 a.m. and ending at 8:55 a.m. After 8:55 a.m., parents must park and walk student(s) to the front door and wait to be greeted by a staff member. Please have your child sitting on the right hand passenger side and ALWAYS exit on the right. Please practice this routine with your child. Our staff parks in the covered lot. This means parents will not be able to park and wait for kiss and ride to open in the covered area in the morning. Parents should not pull into the covered area until 8:45 a.m. We do not have many kiss and ride families. I encourage you to come as close to 8:45 a.m. as possible to avoid blocking the service road. As many returning families know, Kiss and Ride may take longer the first couple weeks of school as families and children learn new routines. By the end of March all kinks will be worked out and Kiss and Ride will be a very smooth process. Please be patient. Additionally, the first week of school, we do keep kiss and ride open later to support families as they adjust to a new school routine. For all returning families, the procedures are the same as last year.

 

Map

 

School Visitors

Prior to arriving all visitors will be required to fill out a COVID-19 Health Screener via this link: https://forms.gle/f2nevZmEt3RZKDAx8. Once entering the building, we have the same visitor registration system as Bailey’s Primary ES. Parents new to Bailey’s Upper will need to register at their first visit.  After that it will take under 15 seconds to sign in and get a visitor badge.  Office staff will be available to help parents use the system.  Having a driver’s license handy makes the registration process faster, but a driver’s license is not required. 

 

School Meals 

Students will have breakfast and lunch in their classrooms for the remainder of the school year at Bailey’s Upper Elementary School.  All meals, including breakfast and lunch, are free for all students for the remainder of the school year.

 

Free and Reduced Meals Applications

Applications including translated applications are available on the food service website via the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals . If you need any assistance in filling out the necessary forms, please call 703-503-2700 and ask for Ingrid Hernandez, Registrar or Hiba Abdulwahhab, Parent Liaison. They are very excited to help all families with this. Ms. Hernandez can provide assistance in Spanish and Ms. Abdulwahhab can provide assistance in Arabic. Both can support in English.

 

 

Birthday Celebrations At BUpper

Due to allergy concerns, we are reevaluating our policy for student birthdays this school year. You may consider non-food items such as pencils, erasers, stickers, etc. All items must be pre-arranged with the teacher and  pre-packaged and delivered seven days in advanced to meet CDC guidelines. Birthday items may only be shared with students on the class roster and not with friends from other classes.  Due to following safety procedures and guidelines, the “Birthday Booth” will be closed for the remainder of the school year.

 

 

Remember
  • New Bell Schedule is 9:00am – 3:30pm
  • Kiss and Ride drop off schedule for Arrival is 8:45-8:55am and Dismissal 3:30-3:40pm

 

 

 

 


Level 3 AAP Class Schedules

Thank you so much for your feedback and patience as Mr. Mendoza finalized AAP schedules. We value your input and appreciate you for playing an important role in our school community. Yesterday you should have received an e-Notify message with the updated AAP schedules as we begin our concurrent schedule on Monday, March 15th. After further reflection, we will continue our Monday AAP classes to best ensure quality instruction time and consistency for our students. Additionally, level 3 AAP students from each homeroom will meet with Mr. Mendoza concurrently once a week Tuesday through Friday. In-person students will meet with him in person, and online students will be logging in to BBCU. It will be a new experience for us all, and Mr. Mendoza will strive as always to make our classes productive, fun, and engaging to meet the needs of our talented students.

 

Please reach out to Mr. Mendoza if you have any questions or concerns about the updated AAP schedule. As always, you can reach him via email (gamendoza@fcps.edu), by phone (703-503-2700), Talking Points message (if you opted in), and also feel free to reach out to him if you would like a video conference appointment.

 

 

 


Student Rights and Responsbilities

Parents and guardians, please review the Student Rights and Responsibilities and related resources at www.fcps.edu/srrAfter reviewing the information, please fill out the SR&R Parent Acknowledgement Form using this link:  https://forms.gle/n4zNGk4FsgmM6vKH8     

The form must be filled out one time per student.

 

 

 


BUpper Weekly Family Nights for Parents and Students

Please Join Us Virtually On Monday, March 15th From 7:00pm-8:00pm For Wellness & PE Night!

Join the Bailey’s Upper PE teachers, Mr. Boltersdorf and Ms. Bennett, for a night of activities the whole family can enjoy.  We will share some activities that will help keep you moving at home and practice ways to improve your physical and mental health. Please plan to join with your child so the whole family can get moving together!  (*Translators for Arabic and Spanish will be available*)  We look forward to “seeing” you for our Family Night!!

 

BBCU Link to Join the Family Fun!

Click on the following link from your phone or child’s computer. http://bit.ly/BUpperTalks

 

Would you like more information or have any questions?  Please contact the Bailey’s Upper Counselors or School Based Instructional Technology Specialist:

Maya Lidell - mlidell@fcps.edu

Derek Ryan - dgryan@fcps.edu

Nicole Cassidy - nlcassidy@fcps.edu

 

Please click here to view our previous Family Night events

 

-

 

 

 

 

 


Reader's Corner

Students

 

Return Library Books

As students begin to return to school, please have them bring in any school library books that are in your homes. We would be happy to see them returned to the library. Thank you!

 

Read-A-Thon Forms

March 16th is the last day to add minutes to your online Read-A-Thon forms!

  • Annual Read-A-Thon March 2nd-15th. Students can find the forms and information in the Library Google classrooms
    • 3rd grade students click here 
    • 4th grade students click here
    • 5th grade students click here
  • Tiger Tales Story time – last night is tonight at 7 PM  Join online at this link. Sra. Obando and Mr. Stamp will be presenting tonight!
  • Students can record minutes listening to the online story nights and include those in their Read-A-Thon minutes each day.
  • All reading counts toward Read-A-Thon minutes!
  • Please contact Leigha Sochurek at baileysreadathon@gmail.com or 703-785-1099 with any questions about the Read-a-thon.

 

 

Questions? Email Bailey’s Upper Librarian, Linda Lindgren, at LCLindgren@fcps.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 


Parent Technology Help Desk

The Parent Technology Help Desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week. Please specify if you need an interpreter when you call.

 

 

 

 


Video Guides For Virtual Learning at Bailey's Upper Elementary School

 

 

 


Be Sure To Stay In Touch BUpper!

Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:

 

 


Friendly Reminders 

  • Bailey’s Upper New Bell Schedule: 9:00am-3:30pm

  • FCPS Meal Kits Distribution - Every Wednesday 10:00 AM -12:30PM
  • March 16: Concurrent Start Date (Grades 3-6)
  • March 17: PTA Membership Meeting, BBCU, 7:00 PM
  • March 29 - April 5: FCPS Spring Break
  • April 15: Rising 6th Grade "Welcome to Glasgow!" video