 Our 3rd graders had the exciting opportunity to paint a new mural in our main office, guided by Capital Murals, who helped them spread Tiger pride throughout the space.
Dear Bailey's Upper Families,
We are gearing up for a very busy, exciting end of the school year! The next several weeks will be full of both important end-of-year (EOY) testing and many fun events and celebrations for our students. It’s a special time of year, and we are looking forward to finishing strong together while also creating joyful memories along the way.
As the weather continues to warm up outside, we want to share a quick reminder about comfort during the school day. While it may feel hot outdoors, our building can often be quite cool. We encourage students to bring layers (such as a light jacket or sweatshirt) so they can stay comfortable throughout the day.
We also recommend that students bring a water bottle each day to stay hydrated. If your child needs a water bottle, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we have reusable Bailey’s water bottles available and are happy to share one with your student.
Thank you, as always, for your support as we head into this busy and exciting season. We appreciate all you do to help your child be prepared and ready to learn each day.
With gratitude,
Bailey’s Upper Admin Team
💙Ms. Dowling
🧡Ms. Wayland
🐯Ms. Wiley
📂 This week’s Thursday Folder includes:
- FCPS 3rd Quarter School Report Cards
- SOL Testing Notification Letters/Retake Permission Forms
- Student Intent Letters for the Next School Year
- PTA Mother’s Day Jewelry Shop Donations & Volunteers
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!
Celebrate Earth Week with us! 🌎💚
From April 20th–24th, we’re encouraging our school community to “Get Green” by participating in a full week of fun, themed activities that help us care for our planet:
• Monday – Wildlife Day: Wear Animal Print Learn about and appreciate animals and their habitats.
• Tuesday – Zero Waste Day: Wear White Practice reducing, reusing, and recycling to cut down on waste. (No School Day)
• Wednesday – Earth Day: Wear Green Celebrate our planet and explore ways to protect it.
• Thursday – Climate Change Day: Wear Read Build awareness about climate change and how we can make a difference.
• Friday – Watershed Day: Wear Blue Discover the importance of clean water and protecting our local environment.
♻️🌱 #FCPSEarthWeek
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We’re excited to invite our families to the Spring Band Concert on Monday, April 20th 🌷✨ Come celebrate the hard work and talent of our amazing 4th and 5th grade musicians!
🎺 4th Grade Band
• Call Time: 5:30 PM at Bailey’s Upper
• Concert: 6:00 PM
🎷 5th Grade Band
• Call Time: 7:00 PM at Bailey’s Upper
• Concert: 7:30 PM
👔 Concert Attire: White top and black bottoms
🚫 Please note: There will be no bus transportation available for students or families for this event.
We look forward to an evening of wonderful music and celebrating our young performers together! 🌟🎵
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We are making an important adjustment to our Kiss & Ride procedures to improve efficiency and safety for everyone.
Families will no longer be permitted to line up on the street outside of the school. Instead, cars may begin lining up at 8:20 AM and 3:20 PM. Our gates will open at 8:25 AM and 3:25 PM, and we will be using a new entry pattern designed to bring more cars onto school property more quickly.
We kindly ask that you take a few minutes to watch the videos linked below so you are familiar with the new process. As we begin, we appreciate your patience and partnership while we work through the transition together.
English Video: https://youtube.com/shorts/Panc_GYQYZU
Spanish Video: https://youtube.com/shorts/LEfXv0FBjhA
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 Purple up, show up, and stand strong! Staff and students came together in purple today to honor and support military-connected families.
Loving Solutions: Free 4.5-Week Parenting Course (taught in Spanish!) 🌟
Looking to strengthen your family connection and build a more harmonious home? Join our Loving Solutions course—designed for parents of children ages 5–10! 💛
Through this engaging program, you will: ✨ Define your family values and set clear, consistent expectations 📚 Better understand your child’s school experience and how to stay involved 🗣️ Improve communication and build stronger, more trusting relationships at home
🍽️ Bonus: Dinner and childcare are provided—completely FREE!
📍 Bailey’s Primary School 6111 Knollwood Dr. Falls Church, VA 22041
🗓️ Schedule (Mondays & Thursdays):
- April 20 & April 23 | Dinner: 6:00 PM | Class: 6:30–8:30 PM
- April 27 & April 30 | Dinner: 6:00 PM | Class: 6:30–8:30 PM
- May 4 & May 7 | Dinner: 6:00 PM | Class: 6:30–8:30 PM
- May 11 & May 14 | Dinner: 6:00 PM | Class: 6:30–8:30 PM
- May 18 (Graduation 🎓) | Dinner: 6:00 PM | Celebration to Follow
📌 Taught in Spanish
👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/erVco5R5m2rKxeaB8
Don’t miss this opportunity to grow, connect, and thrive as a family! 💕
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There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, for the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled.
FCPS will offer lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on April 21 at participating schools.
Bailey's Upper and Glasgow Middle School will be providing meals.
The meals must be eaten on site. For more information, visit the FCPS Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
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We invite all families to attend our SOL Informational Night on Friday, April 24th at 8:30 PM via Zoom. This session will provide helpful information and guidance to support your child’s success on the upcoming SOL assessments.
✨ What We’ll Cover:
- What the Standards of Learning (SOL) exams are
- The format of the exams and logistics
- How our school has been preparing students throughout the year
- Tips to support your child at home
- Time for questions and answers
💻 Join via Zoom:
English: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/93365266931?pwd=9wJW65bLvn2ibqGag4fHD4sDkbOq2K.1&from=addon
Spanish: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/99180319654
This is a great opportunity to feel informed, prepared, and confident in supporting your child. We hope you can join us!
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 Third grade musicians in action! Students practiced identifying notes, playing together, and even challenged themselves to keep their eyes closed—building focus, coordination, and confidence as they learn to read music and play an instrument at the same time.
We are gearing up to create an exciting Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week, and we can’t wait to celebrate our incredible staff! Our PTA has graciously offered to provide breakfast and lunch for two of the days, and we are planning to spoil our team the other three days.
We would love a little help from our community to make this extra special. We are collecting donations of snacks, seltzers, sodas, bags of candy (for a fun candy bar!), as well as napkins and plates. We also have a few gluten-free staff members, so if you have favorite gluten-free snacks, we would greatly appreciate those too.
If it’s easier, we would also gladly accept small gifts to raffle off or gift cards—these are always a big hit with our staff!
The more we have, the more we can share and enjoy together! You can send items in with your child or drop them off at the school.
Please reach out if you need ideas or have any questions. Thank you for helping us celebrate the amazing people who care for our students every day!
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💐 Mother’s Day Jewelry Shop – Help Us Make It Special!
Bailey's PTA is collecting costume jewelry donations to help make this special event possible! Every student will have the chance to choose a free gift for someone special in their life in honor of Mother’s Day. 💖
1. Donate Jewelry by Monday April 27th
We’re collecting gently used/new costume jewelry (earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, pins/brooches — no watches).
📍 Drop off donations at either school’s front office
2. Amazon Wish List
Support the shop by donating supplies online:
🔗 https://share.google/ie4SlKIbjflgIhsqn
3. Volunteer
📅 Help clean and sort jewelry on on Monday, April 27th and/or set up, assist students as they shop, and clean up on Thursday, May 7th at Upper & Friday, May 8th at Primary.
🔗 Volunteer Sign-Up: https://signup.com/go/whoyMhT
Thank you for helping make this a special experience for every student! 💕
📩 If you have questions please email outreach@baileyspta.org
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Standards of Learning Tests (SOLs)
In preparation for the SOLs in May, we sent home a SOL Notification of Testing letter to all families in our Thursday, March 6th folders. We resent this letter this week on Thursday, April 16th. The letter shared information on the SOL’s your child will take this year. It explains that 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. Retakes will be administered for those that qualify 2-4 days after the initial test date listed below.
Plan ahead! SOL Testing Dates by Grade are below:
3rd Grade
📖 Reading SOL: Monday, May 4
➗ Math SOL: Wednesday, May 13
4th Grade
📖 Reading SOL: Tuesday, May 5
➗ Math SOL: Tuesday, May 12
5th Grade
📖 Reading SOL: Friday, May 1
➗ Math SOL: Friday, May 8 (includes Advanced Math – 6th Grade SOL)
🔬 Science SOL: Friday, May 15
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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 One of the best parts of Upper is the friendships our tigers build throughout the year. Their smiles at lunch say it all!
Mr. DeLeo, our drama teacher, is excited to offer Improv-a-Palooza, a fun performance opportunity for interested 4th grade students! 🎭 Students will showcase improvisation (acting without scripts) through games and short scenes.
Date: Saturday, May 9
Location: Bailey’s Primary (gym stage)
Time: Between 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (assigned in 1-hour slots)
If your child would like to participate, please complete the Google Form by Monday, April 20:
https://forms.gle/3SZbmvuDFUaqLTT76
Participation is optional. Once we know interest, families will receive assigned performance times the following week. It should be a fun and memorable event!
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HEALTH RISKS RISE WITH HEAT
As the heat and humidity rises, so does the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Dangerous temperatures and heat indices are becoming more and more prevalent in the summer months. Prolonged exposure to such extreme temperatures can be a real health threat, especially for older people and young children.
How can you avoid heat-related illnesses?
- Wear light-weight, light colored clothing made of breathable material, like cotton.
- Cover up when you can with long-sleeved shirts and pants.
- Hats are fine, but remember baseball caps won’t protect your ears and neck from the sun.
- Always use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a minimum of 30 SPF, even when it is cloudy. Reapply at least every two hours.
- Avoid uninterrupted sun exposure between 10am and 4pm whenever possible.
- Stay hydrated. Drink water throughout the day.
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activity on hot days.
- If you must be outside, take frequent breaks in a cool place.
- Air-conditioning is the best way to protect against heat-related illness. If you do not have air-conditioning at home during extreme heat. Try to spend time in air-conditioned locations such as a shopping mall, public library, or public health sponsored heat-relief shelter in your area.
Excessive heat can cause several health problems including heat exhaustion. Symptoms include:
- Profuse sweating
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Rapid heartbeat
- Skin that feels cool and moist
- Muscle cramps.
Move this person to a cooler location, apply cool wet cloths to their body, and give them cool water to drink. If the person vomits or refuses to drink, call 911. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke.
Patient First physicians are available to speak about heat-related health issues. Please contact Victoria Soriano at (571) 340-1594 or email Victoria.Soriano@patientfirst.com for in-person or virtual Zoom interviews.
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Monday, April 20th-Friday, April 24th- Celebrate Earth Week
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Monday, April 20th- Band Concert: 4th Graders have 5:30pm Call Time and 6:00pm Concert & 5th Graders have 7:00pm Call Time and 7:30pm Concert
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Monday, April 20th- Loving Solutions Parenting Course Begins at 6:00pm at Bailey's Primary
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Tuesday, April 21st- No School - Virginia Statewide Elections
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Wednesday, April 22nd- Student Ambassadors Committee Meeting at 8:45am-9:15am
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Thursday, April 23rd- Advance Academic Program Orientation for Rising 3rd, 4th, & 5th Graders accepted into Full-Time Services for Next School Year at 6:00pm at Bailey's Upper
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Friday, April 24th- SOL Informational Night at 8:30pm via Zoom
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Wednesday, April 29th- Student Ambassadors Committee Meeting at 8:45am-9:15am
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Friday, May 1st- 5th Grade Reading SOL
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Monday, May 4th- 3rd Grade Reading SOL
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Tuesday, May 5th- 4th Grade Reading SOL
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Friday, May 8th- 5th Grade Math SOL
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Tuesday, May 12th- 4th Grade Math SOL
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Wednesday, May 13th- 3rd Grade Math SOL
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Wednesday, May 13th- PTA General Meeting 6:30pm
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Friday, May 15th- 5th Grade Science SOL
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Friday, May 15th- PTA Soccer Classico
 Updated Bailey's Upper April 2026 Calendar
 Our amazing admin team is keeping spirits high and teachers hydrated on this 90-degree day! A big thank you to LMNT for their generous donation!
Students will now have a traditional full day of instruction and be released at the regular dismissal time on April 22 and April 29, which were previously early release Wednesdays for elementary schools.
This adjustment allows our staff to still have dedicated time for planning, collaboration, and professional learning without reducing instructional time on other school days.
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The School Board voted to direct the superintendent to designate Veterans Day as a standard instructional day for the 2026-27 school year. Because this day was added, the 2026-27 school year will now end for students on Wednesday, June 16, 2027. Find additional information on BoardDocs. View the updated complete school year calendar on FCPS’ website.
The last day of school for the current school year — Wednesday, June 17, 2026 — has not changed.
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Students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.
FCPS encourages all families to support their students in taking these tests. Virginia requires schools to test at least 95% of students on SOLs, so when families choose not to participate in testing, it can impact a school’s accreditation, accountability ratings, and ability to measure student progress accurately.
Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season.
It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify your student’s school as soon as possible.
Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.
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About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. There are several upcoming opportunities to provide feedback to the county on its budget before final adoption in May. This includes public budget hearings (April 14-16) and an online survey. Learn how the FCPS budget helps us sustain our excellence.
 A big thank you to the families who came out to cheer on our 3rd grade violinists! It was such a joy to share their progress and celebrate the wonderful strings program Ms. Herrera is nurturing here at Upper.
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. on:
Click on a date to register to attend that event. Registration is not required, but helps with planning, especially for child care and interpretation services. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.
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Are you concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child’s development? Resources are available if your child exhibits difficulties in one or more of the following areas: communication, fine and/or gross motor skills, self-help skills, problem-solving, and attention skills. Learn more about typical developmental milestones.
The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITC) provides evaluations and services for children (0-36 months) who have developmental delays or medical conditions that may affect development. Parents are encouraged to contact ITC at 703-246-7121 to share their concerns.
Early Childhood Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs between the ages of 20 months and 5 years (children must be two by September 30).
FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) offers a free referral process to identify potential developmental delays or disabilities. Special education services are provided for all children who are found eligible through the referral process. Parents are encouraged to call 571-423-4121 with questions.
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