 A huge thank you to Mr. DeLeo, our Drama teacher, for bringing The Great Kapok Tree to life with our talented 3rd grade students! Through this wonderful performance, students showcased both their acting talents and their science knowledge, sharing an important message about conservation and the beauty of the rainforest. We are so proud of their hard work and creativity!
Dear Bailey's Upper Families,
As we enter the final few weeks of the school year, we wanted to share an important reminder about this time of transition for our students.
While many children are excited for summer break, they are also preparing to say goodbye to a school family they have built over the course of this year. Together, they have experienced challenges, growth, laughter, learning, routines, structure, and connection. Most importantly, they have experienced care and love from the adults and classmates who have been part of their daily lives.
For many students, even when they are excited, endings can feel hard. Saying goodbye to teachers, classmates, routines, and the predictability of the school day can bring out big emotions — and sometimes those feelings show up in unexpected ways.
Summer can also feel overwhelming for some children if there is not a clear sense of structure or routine ahead. Now is a wonderful time to begin talking as a family about what summer will look like. Sharing routines, plans, expectations, and opportunities for connection can help children feel more secure and prepared for the transition.
Over these next few weeks, we encourage you to continue checking in with your child about how they are feeling. Some students may express excitement, while others may quietly experience sadness, worry, or uncertainty.
Thank you for partnering with us in supporting our students not only academically, but emotionally as well. We are so proud of the growth they have made this year and grateful for the community we have built together.
With gratitude,
Bailey’s Upper Admin Team
💙Ms. Dowling
🧡Ms. Wayland
🐯Ms. Wiley
📂 This week’s Thursday Folder includes:
- Bailey's Upper June Calendar (English & Spanish)
- Bailey's Upper Summer Laptop Take Home Permission Form (English & Spanish)
- Bailey's Upper Museum Flyer (English & 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!
Get ready for a fun and heartwarming performance from our talented students! 💚 We are excited to invite our BUAE Families to this year’s production of Frog & Toad. Our students have been working so hard, and we cannot wait for you to see their amazing performances on stage!
📍 Bailey’s Upper Elementary
🕡 All performances begin at 6:30 PM
🌟 Performance Schedule
- 🧡 Orange Cast Performance — Wednesday, June 3rd
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💙 Blue Cast Performance — Friday, June 5th
🎟️ Ticket Information
- Tickets will be distributed soon.
- At this time, only BUAE Families will receive tickets.
- If you are interested in seeing the performance and you do not have a student performing – please reach out to Ms. Dowling for ticket information. We are not opening it fully to the public but may have extra seats available for a donation.
Thank you for supporting our students and arts programs. We look forward to celebrating their hard work and creativity with you! 🌟🎶👏
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 Our 4th grade students enjoyed lunch together while chatting and connecting with Ms. Herrera. Moments like these remind us what Bailey’s Upper is all about- creating a strong sense of community where every student feels valued and supported.
🎭 Attention 3rd Grade Families! 🎭
Mr. DeLeo, our Drama Teacher, has been working hard with our students to prepare an amazing performance of The Great Kapok Tree! 🌳✨ We are so proud of all the hard work, creativity, and dedication our students have shown, and we hope you can join us to celebrate their performances! 🎉👏
Please see the schedule below for your child’s performance date and time:
📅 Monday, June 1
• Morrissey — 9:50–10:10 AM
• Orellana — 10:25–10:45 AM
• Rotello — 11:00–11:20 AM
📅 Tuesday, June 2
• Coles — 9:50–10:10 AM
• Anderson — 10:25–10:45 AM
• Rabil/Pons — 11:00–11:20 AM
⏰ Parents should plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to the performance time to register at the front office before heading to the 🎭 Theatre Room on the 3rd Floor.
Thank you for supporting our students — we look forward to seeing you there!
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 Our 5th graders enjoyed a beautiful day at recess with summer definitely on their minds! They are making the most of these last special moments with their teachers, Ms. Longsworth and Ms. Smith, as the school year comes to a close.
🏛️ Our students have been working hard on exciting projects, and we can’t wait for families to visit our grade-level museums! Come explore creative displays, student learning, and amazing presentations created by our Bailey’s Upper students. 🌎🚀🌊⚡
📅 Museum Schedule
🎨 3rd Grade Museum- Simple Machines
🗓️ Monday, June 8th
⏰ 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
🚀 4th Grade Museum: Space Theme
🗓️ Tuesday, June 9th
⏰ 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. OR 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
🌍 5th Grade Museum: Earth Landform, Sound, Oceans, Magnetism & Electricity Theme
🗓️ Thursday, June 11th
⏰ 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
💙 We look forward to welcoming our families as we celebrate our students’ creativity, learning, and hard work!
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Join us for a special evening featuring our 4th and 5th Grade Strings, and 5th Grade Choir students as they showcase everything they have learned this year through music, teamwork, and performance! 🎵✨
📅 Date: Tuesday, June 9
🕠 Concert Begins: 5:30 PM
🚨 4TH GRADE STUDENTS CALL TIME: 5:00 PM 🚨
👕 Concert Attire:
- Bailey’s Upper shirt OR a plain blue, orange, or white shirt
- 👖 Jeans
- 👟 Comfortable shoes
We look forward to celebrating our students’ hard work and musical achievements! 🎵
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 A beautiful day, a baseball-themed checkers game, and great friendship—just another fun recess at Bailey’s Upper!
Standards of Learning SOLS
SOL testing is almost complete! Some students will be taking make-up tests as needed Until June 3rd. Science retakes for 5th grade are scheduled for Friday May 29th and Tuesday, June 2nd
iReady reading and MAP Math Assessments
All grade levels have begun or will complete the end of Year iReady reading and MAP math assessments.
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3rd Grade:
iReady - May 22nd
MAP - May 28th
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4th Grade:
iReady - May 29th
MAP - June 2nd
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5th Grade:
iReady - May 22nd
MAP - May 28th
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
💪🎉 Volunteers Needed for the Upper Fitness Fun Festival! 🎉💪
Our PE teachers, Ms. Mendick and Mr. Boltersdorf, are looking for parent volunteers to help make our Fun Day of Fitness a joyful and successful event on Wednesday, June 10! 🏃♂️🏃♀️☀️
Volunteers will assist with:
✅ Running activity stations
✅ Refilling water buckets
✅ Resetting equipment between groups
Each grade level will participate during the following times:
• 3rd Grade: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
• 4th Grade: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
• 5th Grade: 1:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Families are welcome to volunteer for any shift, regardless of their child’s grade level. 🙌
📝 Sign Up Here:
https://signup.com/go/OsYJEDH
Thank you for helping us create a fun, active, and memorable day for our students! 💙
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We are so excited to celebrate our amazing 5th graders as they prepare to take their next big step! 💙🧡 Our Promotion Day will be filled with special moments, smiles, awards, and memories we’ll cherish for years to come.
📅 Friday, June 12th
📍 Bailey’s Upper Elementary
🌟 Schedule of Events
- 🏆 9:15–10:15 AM — Classroom Celebrations & Awards
- 🎓 10:30–11:15 AM — 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony
- 🍧📸 11:15–11:45 AM — Popsicles & Pictures
We are incredibly proud of all our students and can’t wait to celebrate their hard work, growth, and accomplishments with you! Thank you for your continued support throughout the school year. ❤️
Let’s make this a joyful and memorable day for our 5th Graders! 🎉
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 We are so thankful for the coffee cart our Davis Career Center students host for our school community! Our Davis Career Center students are truly part of the magic that makes Upper special. Their hard work, dedication, and positive spirit brighten our days and help create a welcoming environment for everyone.
🌺☀️ Aloha, Tigers! Join us Tuesday, June 16th for our Hawaiian-Themed Spirit Day!
✨ Students may wear:
- Hawaiian shirts 🌺
- Flowered shirts or dresses 🌸
- Tropical shorts 🍍
We can’t wait to see our school filled with bright colors, smiles, and tropical fun! 🌴
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Last Day of School – 2 Hour Early Dismissal Reminder!
The last day of school is almost here!☀️
🗓️ Date: Tuesday, June 17th
⏰ Early Dismissal: 1:25 PM
We are so proud of all our Tigers for a wonderful school year filled with learning, growth, and memories! 💛🐯
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🎉🌺 Bailey’s End-of-Year Celebration 🌺🎉
Our Bailey’s community is invited to come together as we celebrate a wonderful school year filled with learning, growth, friendship, and memories! We are excited to welcome all Bailey’s students and their families for an evening of fun, laughter, and community celebration. 💛🐯
🗓️ Thursday, June 18th
📍 Location: United Methodist Church
⏰ Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm
✨ Families can enjoy:
- 🎁 Fun giveaways from our amazing community partners
- 🏰 Bounce houses
- 🎨 Face painting
- 🍿 Games, activities, and more surprises!
We can’t wait to celebrate together and kick off summer with our Bailey’s families. We hope to see you there! ☀️🎉
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Monday, June 1st- Orange Cast Tech Run (3:30pm - 5:30pm)
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Tuesday, June 2nd- Orange Cast Final Dress Rehearsal (3:30pm - 5:30pm)
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Wednesday, June 3rd- Orange Cast Performance (Doors Open @6pm & Performance Starts @6:30pm)
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Thursday, June 4th- Blue Cast Final Dress Rehearsal (3:30pm - 6:30pm)
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Friday, June 5th- Blue Cast Performance (Doors Open @6pm & Performance Starts @6:30pm)
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Monday, June 8th- 3rd Grade Museum (10:45am - 11:45am)
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Tuesday, June 9th- 4th Grade Museum (9:15am - 10:15am or 2:15pm - 3:15pm)
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Tuesday, June 9th- 4th & 5th Grade Strings & 5th Grade Chorus Concert @5:30pm
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Wednesday, June 10th- Fun Day of Fitness
- 3rd Grade: 9:00am-11:30am
- 4th Grade: 11:30am-1:30pm
- 5th Grade: 1:30pm-3:15pm
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Thursday, June 11th- 5th Grade Museum 9:30am - 10:30am
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Friday, June 12th- 5th Grade Promotion 9:15am - 11:45am
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Tuesday, June 16th- Spirit Day: Hawaiian Theme
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Wednesday, June 17th- Last Day of School - 2 Hour Early Release Dismissal 1:25pm
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Thursday, June 18th- Bailey's Community Celebration from 4:00-6:00pm at Culmore United Methodist Church
 Bailey's Upper June 2026 Calendar
 Sloths, jaguars, boa constrictors, and macaws were just a few of the amazing characters who brought The Great Kapok Tree to life! Congratulations to all of our 3rd graders on their fabulous performances!
On May 21, the Fairfax County School Board unanimously adopted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Approved Budget, continuing FCPS’ commitment to sustaining excellence by prioritizing competitive compensation and strategic investments that support student success.
The adopted budget reflects the division’s ongoing efforts to navigate a challenging fiscal environment shaped in part by chronic state underfunding and economic uncertainty. Despite these challenges, the budget maintains key investments and restores several reductions made during the prior fiscal year. Read about the FY 2027 Budget.
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