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Our Admin Team-Ms. Dowling, Ms. Wiley, and Ms. Wayland
Dear Families,
We would like to let you know that WIDA testing will be coming up soon. While this assessment does not impact all of our students, it is one that more than half of our students will be taking.
In order to best prepare our students, Ms. Dowling will be assigning reading homework to ALL students. This homework is strongly encouraged, as it will help build the reading, comprehension, and writing skills ALL students need to be successful.
The homework will include:
- A packet of 5 reading passages
- Comprehension questions for each passage
- A writing prompt
Each day, I will send a short video to families through TalkingPoints. This video is for your child to watch.
- During the first few days, the video will provide guidance and support on what to do.
- For the remaining days, we will review the answers together.
We ask that your child complete the reading and questions with you, and before watching the video. The purpose of the video is for students to check their answers and understanding, not to complete the work for them.
Students who return their completed packet on Friday will receive Tiger Tickets from their classroom teacher.
This routine will take place for two weeks. We truly appreciate your support and partnership as we work together to help our students feel confident and prepared.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Thank you for your continued support!
With appreciation,
Bailey’s Upper Admin Team
💙Ms. Dowling
🧡Ms. Wayland
🐯Ms. Wiley
Our students always look forward to library checkout day 📚
✨ Thursday Folders ✨
📂 This week’s Thursday Folder includes:
- Opt. out form for the Student Experience Survey taking place on February 25th for all grade levels
- Bailey’s Upper Student Ambassador Application
- Laser Tag – Fundraiser
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!
Recess fun with some of our 4th grade boys!
Upcoming Student Experience Survey at Bailey’s Upper ES
Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 3-5, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 23. We will administer the survey during the school day between Monday, February 23, and Friday, March 6. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. In our January 15th Thursday Folder, you will receive a letter with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose. The electronic opt-out form can also be accessed at this link.
We believe it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals.
Smiles all around in Ms. West’s 5th grade class with Fluffy 🐾
Safety Drills During the School Year
At Bailey’s Upper ES, our number one responsibility is to always ensure the safety of our students and staff. Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The second lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the month of January/early February.
We plan to have our second and final lockdown drill of the school year during the week of January 20th at Bailey’s Upper ES.
During a lockdown drill:
- All students stay in place with a teacher or staff member.
- Students and teachers remain in locked classrooms, unobservable from outside (lights-off, window blinds closed, door windows obscured with paper) and outside potential lines of fire.)
- Students and staff members disregard fire alarms.
- No one enters or exits the school, except public safety personnel.
- Persons in trailers remain in locked trailers.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
⚠️ Know Our Security Terms
FCPS uses specific terminology to describe the actions school staff and students should take to ensure safety in a variety of situations. It is important for staff, families, and students to understand what the different terms mean and how they impact school operations.
Watch this video to learn about safety terms including lockdown; secure the building; and stay put, stay tuned.
If students, staff, or families have a safety concern at school (that is not an immediate emergency), they should submit a tip to the FCPS Safety Tipline. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.
Some of our 5th grade students working hard with Ms. Lackey during math!
WIDA Testing Coming in 2026!
Notification of WIDA letters went home in December
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.
WIDA Listening Domain testing dates:
- 3rd grade - Friday, January 23rd
- 4th grade - Tuesday, January 27th
- 5th grade - Monday, January 26th
WIDA Reading Domain testing dates:
- 3rd grade - Wednesday, February 4th
- 4th grade - Tuesday, February 3rd
- 5th grade - Monday, February 2nd
WIDA Writing Domain testing dates:
- 3rd grade - Wednesday, February 11th
- 4th grade - Tuesday, February 10th
- 5th grade - Monday, February 9th
WIDA Speaking Domain Testing dates:
- Ongoing for several weeks in small groups by the ESOL teachers beginning February 18th.:
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
A great moment at recess with Ms. Hammye and one of our 4th grade students!
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Monday, January 19th- No School (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday)
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Thursday, January 22nd- Music Showcase: Advance Band, 4th & 5th Grade Strings
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Monday, January 26th- Family Engagement Workshop: Understanding your Child’s iReady & MAP Results from Middle of the Year 9:30am In-Person & 7:00pm via Zoom
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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 1:25)
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Thursday, January 29th- No School (Staff Development Day)
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Friday, January 30th- No School (Teacher Work Day)
Celebration time! Ms. Wiley delivering popcorn to a 3rd grade class that earned 80 Tiger PAWs 🎉🍿
Immunization Events for FCPS Students
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be available throughout the school year.
Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. View immunization resources on the FCPS website.
Ms. Schlegel spending time with one of our 3rd grade students
When Should Your Child Stay Home?
Help your student succeed in school by encouraging them to miss as few days as possible. However, do make sure your student stays home if they are sick. Visit the FCPS website for helpful insights regarding absences and how to work with your child and our school to minimize impacts on learning.
If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to let us know so we can provide assistance, if needed.
Breakfast before class—fueling our brains for learning
Healthy Habits to Reduce the Spread of Flu and Other Germs
Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. Visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
Meal Accommodations Provide Safe, Nutritious Meals
FCPS’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) works to ensure every student has access to school meals that are safe, nutritious, and meet their individual dietary needs.
FNS works closely with families to provide reasonable meal accommodations for students whose medical needs affect what they can eat at school. To support students appropriately and safely, families are asked to submit medical documentation to FNS from a U.S. licensed health care provider so we can tailor meals to each child’s needs.
Learn more about the documentation required and the steps to develop a menu for your child.
Collaboration in action during science 🔬✨
Did Your Student Get a New Phone or Device?
For a distraction-free start to the New Year, please remind your student about FCPS' policy for cell phones and personal devices. This policy helps students focus, interact more with their peers and teachers, and build independent problem-solving skills.
Visit FCPS’ cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions, including:
- Exceptions for students with medical conditions or IEP/504 plans.
- Cell phone use on buses and field trips.
- Consequences for cell phone policy violations.
If you need to reach your student during the school day, please call our main office.
Enhancing Safety and Security for Staff and Students
School safety and security are being enhanced across FCPS with a new emergency management system. The system includes sensors installed in schools and a wearable emergency response button (ERB) for staff.
The button allows staff to quickly and discreetly request help and, once pressed, they provide location information within the school. The ERB will only work on school grounds and does not rely on cellular service. It is not meant to replace calling 911, but is an additional safety tool that can be used if calling 911 may not be safe or practical.
Learn more about the emergency management system. You may submit questions to the FCPS Chief of Safety and Security Office.
Strategies for Better Sleep
Sleep is essential to good health, and getting enough sleep has big benefits to your physical and mental health and well-being. Sleep is restorative, allowing your body time to recover and repair.
This is true for your child, too. In fact, adequate sleep in children supports healthy brain development, learning, and memory consolidation, as well as their mood. And it is important for a strong immune system and the prevention of infections. Read about how much sleep a person needs and get some sleep strategies you can use with your family.
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