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Smiles all around! One of our brilliant Odyssey of the Mind teams shares the post-competition joy with their parents.
Dear Bailey's Upper Families,
What an interesting and eventful week we’ve had! Between a snow day and an early release, our schedule looked a little different than usual — but as always, our students and staff adjusted with flexibility and positivity. While unexpected changes can sometimes feel disruptive, they also give us the opportunity to slow down, reset, and come back together with renewed energy.
Even with the shortened week, our classrooms remained focused and productive. Teachers made thoughtful adjustments to ensure learning continued smoothly, and students showed resilience in transitioning back into routines. We are always proud of how our community handles these moments, it truly speaks to the strong culture we’ve built together.
As we head into the coming weeks, we are looking forward to more consistency in our schedule and continued momentum in our learning. Thank you for your partnership, your patience during schedule shifts, and for the many ways you support our school community each day.
With appreciation,
Bailey’s Upper Admin Team
💙Ms. Dowling
🧡Ms. Wayland
🐯Ms. Wiley
✨ Thursday Folders ✨
📂 This week’s Thursday Folder includes:
- Bailey’s PTA Basketball Tournament Tickets Pre-Sale Order Form (English and Spanish)
- Bailey’s Upper March 2026 Calendar (English and Spanish)
- Bailey’s PTA Read-A-Thon Informational Meeting Flyer (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!
Ms. Dews, Mrs. Wiley & Ms. Wayland cheered on our Bailey’s students at the Odyssey of the Mind Competition last Saturday.
The Read-A-Thon is fun, two-week celebration of reading! Students challenge themselves to read (or be read to) daily while enjoying a friendly competition to see who can read the most minutes.
No monetary donation is required to participate. There will be prizes for the class with the most minutes read and for the top reader in each grade level, so encourage your child to set a goal and cheer them on along the way!
Be sure to join our virtual story times featuring some of our wonderful staff from both Upper and Primary—these special read-alouds count toward logged minutes, too!
- Tuesday, March 3rd @ 7pm via Zoom
- Thursday, March 5th @ 7pm via Zoom
- Monday, March 9th @ 7pm via Zoom
- Wednesday, March 11th @ 7pm via Zoom
- Friday, March 13th @ 7pm via Zoom
And don’t miss the celebration! Join us on March 16th for our Readathon Extravaganza at Primary at 6:30 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM).
Let’s turn pages, log minutes, and make this Read-A-Thon one to remember!
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Meal Kits Information for Fasting Students
Please use the links below to complete the meal request forms. A separate form must be completed for each student. https://www.fcps.edu/meal-kits-fasting-students
Submit the fasting student meal kit request form by the dates listed below.
WIDA Testing
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 Speaking - will begin next week in small groups settings by our ESOL teachers and continuing over the next two weeks.
Standards of Learning SOLS
Fifth grade students will be taking the Integrated Reading and Writing (IRW) Standards of Learning (SOL) on Wednesday, March 18th. All other SOLs for all grades are scheduled for May.
- In preparation for the upcoming 5th grade IRW and the SOLs in May we will be sending home an SOL Notification of Testing letter to all families next Thursday, March 6th. The letter will share information on the SOL’s your child will take this year. It will explain how students will also have an opportunity to retake an SOL if needed. A parent retake permission form is included on the letter. If you would like your child to have the opportunity to retake an SOL, please plan to complete the bottom half of the letter and ask your child to return the form to their teacher.
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
Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology (TWIST), is a student organization at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). Each year, they promote STEM through their annual flagship outreach event, Techstravaganza, and they are inviting our school’s students to attend!
Techstravaganza is a free, public, hands-on STEM activity fair for elementary and middle school students in Northern Virginia. In previous years, they’ve hosted more than 4,500 students and 70 labs presenting STEM activities. Their exhibitors range from TJHSST clubs and their own TWIST volunteers to organizations like NASA SCaN, Art of Problem Solving, George Mason University, American Society of Naval Engineers, and the National Air and Space Museum. This year, they will be holding the 22nd annual Techstravaganza on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 10 AM to 4 PM at TJHSST.
Admission is free. More information about the event can be found on our website at https://techstrav.org or tjpartnershipfund.org/techstravaganza/.
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 One of our amazing Odyssey of the Mind teams, ready to take the stage and show their creativity!
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Monday, March 2nd- Iftar: Taste of Ramadan for families observing Ramadan at Primary
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Tuesday, March 3rd- PTA Read-A-Thon Virtual Story Time 7:00pm via Zoom
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Thursday, March 5th- PTA Read-A-Thon Virtual Story Time 7:00pm via Zoom
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Friday, March 6th- PTA Basketball Tournament at Justice High School
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Monday, March 9th- PTA Read-A-Thon Virtual Story Time 7:00pm via Zoom
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Wednesday, March 11th- PTA Read-A-Thon Virtual Story Time 7:00pm via Zoom
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Friday, March 13th- PTA Read-A-Thon Virtual Story Time 7:00pm via Zoom
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** NEW DATE** Monday, March 16th**- PTA Read-A-Thon: Story Extravaganza at Primary Doors Open 6:00pm & Program Begins 6:30pm
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Tuesday, March 24th- Bailey’s Upper Career Day
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Wednesday, March 25th- 3 Hour Early Release (Dismissal at 12:25pm)
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Thursday, March 26th- Justice Pyramid Art Show (3:00-7:00pm at Justice High School)
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Friday, March 27th- Club Photo Day
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Friday, March 27th- 2 Hour Early Release (Dismissal at 1:25pm)
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Monday, March 30th-Friday April 3rd- Spring Break - No School
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Monday, April 6th- No School - Teacher Work Day
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Friday, April 10th- No School - School Planning Day
 Bailey's Upper March 2026 Calendar
 Smiles all around with our amazing Odyssey of the Mind team and their coach!
Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid
As a listening leader, connecting with community members across our school division is critical to FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) on:
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Tuesday, March 3, at Waples Mill Elementary School.
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Tuesday, March 17, from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., at Glen Forest Elementary School.
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Monday, March 23, at Ravensworth Elementary School.
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Monday, April 13, at Belle View Elementary School.
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Monday, April 20, at Westgate Elementary School.
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Wednesday, April 22, at Crestwood Elementary School.
Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.
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Celebrating the Power of School Breakfast
Multiple studies show that school breakfast is important in supporting overall student health by improving students’ diets and combating food insecurity. Also, students who eat school breakfast consume more fruit and fiber than their peers.
This National School Breakfast Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services reminds families that they are dedicated to providing flavorful, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. New menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback.
Would you like to know what’s for breakfast? View Nutrition Services’ printable menus.
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