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Dear Bailey’s Upper Families,
As we head into Winter Break, we want to wish you and your family a joyful, restful, and wonderful holiday season.
We encourage you to help your children stay engaged by continuing to read, write, and practice math facts over the break. Even a few minutes each day—reading a favorite book together, writing a short note or journal entry, or practicing our multiplication facts —can make a big difference and keep learning fun.
Most importantly, enjoy this special time together. These moments of connection, laughter, and shared experiences are so meaningful for our students.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready to learn in 2026!
Warmest wishes for a happy and healthy Winter Break,
With appreciation,
Bailey’s Upper Admin Team
💙Ms. Dowling
🧡Ms. Wayland
🐯Ms. Wiley
📂 This week’s Thursday Folder includes:
- Benchmark Advance -Unit 3-End of Unit Communication-Grade 5-English and Spanish
- Benchmark Advance Unit 3-End of Unit Communication-Grade 3-English and Spanish
- Benchmark Advance Unit 3-End of Unit Communication-Grade 4-English and Spanish
- WIDA Access-Notification of Testing-Grades 3,4,5-Students and Teachers Specific-English and Spanish
Please take a few minutes to review these items with your student so you stay up-to-date with all the exciting things happening in our school community!
We are still looking for a coach to run our after school Science Olympiad club from January-April. If you are interested and would like more information please reach out to Ms. Wayland at pawayland@fcps.edu
Join us for an informative workshop designed to help families understand their child’s Middle-of-the-Year iReady (Literacy) and MAP (Math) assessment results. Parents will learn how to read score reports, identify strengths and areas for growth, and understand their child’s progress from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year.
Date: Monday, January 26
In-Person Option 📍 Bailey’s Upper – CLT Room 🕘 9:30am–10:45am Middle-of-the-Year iReady and MAP results will be distributed to parents attending in person.
Online via Zoom 🕖 7:00pm–8:00pm Families attending virtually will have all assessment results sent home the same day.
🔗 English Zoom Link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/98226138523
🔗 Spanish Zoom Link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/95877144722
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FCPS Transportation updated the Here Comes the Bus app to improve service. Some families may experience login or access issues while the update completes. If you’re having trouble, please follow these steps:
1️. Delete and reinstall the app
2️. Sign in using your ParentVue email and password
3️. If you do not remember your password, please reset your ParentVue password and then use that password in the app.
If you need further assistance, please call Transportation at 703-446-2050 or IT at 571-423-2400.
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WIDA Testing Coming in 2026! - Notification of WIDA letters went home in yesterday’s Thursday folder to all students that are eligible to test.
All students identified as multilingual learners (MLs) are assessed annually to monitor their progress and proficiency in English as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In Virginia, all divisions use the WIDA ACCESS for this purpose. The WIDA ACCESS is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development standards and assesses English in the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
- Testing at Bailey’s Upper will begin the week of January 26th with the Listening Domain.
VALLSS - Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) - required for certain students based on other reading performance data
- Teachers will begin assessing individual students beginning January 8th.
If you have any questions regarding past, current, or upcoming assessments, please contact Nicole Cassidy or Hugo Duran, our School Testing Coordinators at 703-503-2700
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December 22nd-January 2nd- Winter Break (No School)
- Office will be open the following hours
- Monday, December 22 – 9:00 – 1:00
- Tuesday, December 23 – 9:00 – 1:00
- Monday, December 29 – 9:00 – 1:00
- Tuesday, December 30 – 9:00 – 1:00
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NYC will resume on January 9th
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Monday, January 5th- School Resumes
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Monday, January 19th- No School (Holiday)
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Wednesday, January 28th- Club Photo Day
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Wednesday, January 28th- End of Quarter 2 & 2 hour early release (dismissal starts at 1:25)
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Thursday, January 29th- No School (Student Holiday)
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Friday, January 30th- No School (Student Holiday)
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Our PTA is looking for volunteers to serve as judges for the NoVA North Odyssey of the Mind regional tournament, a creative problem-solving competition run entirely by volunteers that gives students the chance to showcase teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking. Judges play a key role in the event by evaluating team performances, recognizing students’ hard work, and helping celebrate their achievements. Training is provided beforehand so no prior Odyssey or judging experience is required.
Volunteers must be available to attend the Judges Training on Sat., February 7, 2026 from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM at Park View High School. And judges must be available to serve as an all-day judge at the Regional Tournament on Sat., February 21, 2026 starting at 8:00 AM, also at Park View High School. Teachers may request a letter of recommendation for 15 hours of CEU credits for the time invested in training and the tournament. We have an incredible 14 OM teams at Bailey's this year (!) and each team cannot register for the tournament until they have a volunteer judge. Thank you for considering supporting this effort in this way!
Reid Reflects: State Standards and the FCPS Budget Story
In her latest Weekly Reflections, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid thanked every member of our community for supporting FCPS as it remains fully accredited. Referencing a news release on accreditation, Dr. Reid noted how FCPS needs funding to support and maintain this excellence.
Visit the Budget Story webpage to learn more about the FCPS budget and the funding challenges that schools across Virginia, not just FCPS, face because of outdated state funding formulas.
Read more of Dr. Reid’s Weekly Reflections.
Make Your Voice Heard!
Look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education and encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process. Several key decision dates and engagement opportunities are listed below:
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Thursday, December 18, 2025 - The Virginia Governor introduced the Fiscal Years 2026-28 state budget.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2026, beginning at 10 a.m. - There will be virtual regional public hearings on the governor’s proposed 2026-28 biennial state budget.
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Thursday, January 22, 2026 - Dr. Reid will present the proposed FCPS budget to the School Board.
Visit the FCPS budget webpage for more information.
Winter Break Literacy Adventures
Engaging in literacy activities during winter break helps students maintain the reading, writing, and speaking skills they built during the first half of the school year. Even a little daily practice, such as these 10 fun family activities, helps ensure students return to school confident and ready to continue growing in literacy.
Winter Resources for Families
A list of resources has been compiled for students and families in case they or someone they know needs assistance while schools are closed for winter break. Please visit FCPS’ winter resources page for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.
Even If School Is Closed, Learning Can Continue!
We encourage students to take advantage of fun learning opportunities during the upcoming winter break and on snow days. Consider these winter activities to blend education and play at home.
Tutoring Resources for Families
Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is only meant to be a resource to families.
FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services, at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
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The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees, specifically at Bailey’s Upper ES. |
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