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Our 2nd graders enjoyed an interactive music lesson with Ms. Speiss Ki, practicing rhythm and making music together!
Hi Bailey’s Tigers! Happy Sunday! October is officially here, and the week ahead looks like it will bring some beautiful fall weather. We hope you and your family can get outside and enjoy it!
Last week, our 1st and 2nd grade students wrapped up their fall reading testing window—way to go, Tigers! These assessments provide valuable insights into our students' strengths and needs in literacy so we can best support their growth throughout the year. Next up, our Preschool and Kindergarten students will be taking their fall VALLSS (Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System) assessments. To help them do their best, please ensure your child gets a good night's rest and arrives at school on time every day.
We also want to share that this past Friday was the last day for our Interim Assistant Principal, Sherisse Kenerson. During her month with us at Bailey's, Ms. Kenerson made a huge impact—supporting our 2nd-grade teachers, building strong relationships across our staff and school community, and lifting everyone's energy with her wonderful excitement and spirit! Please join us in wishing her the absolute best of luck as she returns to her position at Holmes Middle School. We are so grateful for her time with our Tiger family!
October is filled with so many exciting activities, including upcoming field trips and our annual Trunk or Treat event on Thursday, October 29! Please check out all the details in this newsletter and mark your calendars for these special events.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and we can't wait to see our Tigers tomorrow morning!
🧡Satonya Dews, Principal
💙Tracey Brown Rice, Assistant Principal
🧡Keith Downing, Assistant Principal
📂 This week’s Thursday Folder includes:
- Bailey's Primary October Calendar (English & Spanish)
- Primary Lunch Schedule (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!
Staff Member: Rocio Balcazar, Family Liaison
Country of Origin: Mexico
Fact About Country: Did you know that chocolate has its roots in Mexico? Mesoamerican peoples, such as the Maya and Mexica, consumed cacao as a drink long before chocolate bars existed. The Mexica also used cacao beans as currency!
Favorite Dish: Mole y Pozole
Rocio is new to the Primary Family Liaison team and is already making a positive impact. In her free time, she enjoys nature walks and spending quality time with my family and friends. Rocio enjoys dancing, singing, and learning about other cultures. She is married and has two sons, one in 3rd grade and one in 5th grade.
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Thank you AAP resource teachers, Ms. McDonald from Bailey’s Primary and Ms. Lackey from Bailey's Upper for connecting with families and sharing about our AAP program and opportunities available to our students.
Get those smiles ready! Picture Day is Monday, October 5! Students will have their school pictures taken during the school day, so come ready to smile for the camera. 😊
📅 Picture Day Information
- 🗓️ Monday, October 5th
- 🏫 Bailey’s Primary
📝 Picture Orders
Picture Day order forms were sent home in your child’s Thursday Folder. Purchasing pictures is completely optional and is not required for your child to participate in Picture Day.
💻 Order Pictures Online
Families can also place their picture orders online:
🔗 Order Online: https://strawbridge.net/picture-day-lookup/
We can’t wait to see all of our Tigers’ Picture Day smiles! 🐯💙🧡
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Did you miss the Advanced Academic Program Information Meeting last week? Did you need to review the detail once more? Not to worry, below are links were you can access the presentations and recordings in English and Spanish.
English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_ur6SIBLTE&t=89s
Spanish: https://youtu.be/4X6G24pNJ0o?si=AkEfAC8FfWeQ0NK_
To get more details or AAP forms please visit:
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs
For further questions please connect with Ms. Reilly McDonald at rcmcdonald@fcps.edu.
A friendly reminder that there will be no school on Monday, October 12, in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
🎒 Students will return to school on Tuesday, October 13.
We hope our Bailey’s families enjoy the long weekend, and we look forward to welcoming our Tigers back on Tuesday! 🧡
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Please mark your calendars for our upcoming 3-Hour Early Release Days. All early release days will be on Wednesdays, with students dismissed at 12:45pm.
📅 Early Release Dates
- Wednesday, October 21
- Wednesday, December 2
- Wednesday, February 10
- Wednesday, May 5
🚌 Dismissal Information
Students will be dismissed according to the transportation plan families selected on their 3-Hour Early Release Form.
- 🏠 Students leaving at 12:45 PM will follow the dismissal method indicated on their form.
- 🏫 Students staying at school until 3:45 PM will go home using their regular mode of transportation.
- 📞 If your child’s dismissal plan needs to change, please communicate the change with our Administrative Team.
Thank you for helping us keep dismissal safe, organized, and smooth for all of our Tigers! 💙🧡🐯
Our students put their observation and memory skills to the test during science! After studying an image, students recreated what they remembered.
Our Tigers are getting ready to take their learning beyond the classroom with upcoming field trips! We’re looking forward to these special experiences and appreciate our families helping us make each trip safe, organized, and enjoyable for students. 💙🧡
📅 Field Trip Schedule
Please look for your child’s homeroom teacher’s name below to find their scheduled field trip.
🍓Kindergarten — Shlagel Farms
- 📅 Date:Tuesday, October 13th- Weis, Sansing, Lopez & Grant
- 📅 Date: Wednesday, October 14th- Salleh, Freeland & Silis
- 📅 Date: Thursday, October 15th- Tracey, Flintoft & Cabrera
🦁 1st Grade — National Zoo
- 📅 Date: Thursday, October 22nd
🌿 2nd Grade — Huntley Meadows
- 📅 Date: Monday, October 19th- Desrosiers, Ciro, Kerns & Mukumbuta
- 📅 Date: Monday, October 26th- Bittenbender, Molina, Shin & Morgan
- 📅 Date: Wednesday, November 4th- Midkiff, Simons & Vasquez
🙋 Interested in Chaperoning?
⚠️All parents and family members who would like to chaperone MUST complete the FCPS volunteer application process and receive approval. We strongly encourage families to complete the process early so you’re ready when chaperone opportunities become available. Please remember that only parents who have been selected as chaperones may attend the field trip.
🔗 Complete the Volunteer Process: https://volunteer.fcps.edu/custom/501/organization_details/545
💙 Need Help?
Our Family Liaisons are happy to help! If you need support completing the online volunteer application, please visit our Family Center from 9:30am-3pm.
Thank you for partnering with us to help our students have a safe, smooth, and memorable field trip experience! 🚌💙🐯
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Join us for our annual Trunk or Treat at Bailey’s Primary! Families are invited to dress up, bring a treat bag, and enjoy a fun evening together with our Bailey’s community. 👻🧡
📅 Event Information
- 🗓️ Thursday, October 29
- ⏰ 5:00–6:30 PM
- 📍 Bailey’s Primary Parking Lot
- 👻 Costumes are welcome! Please no masks or toy weapons.
- 🍬 Don’t forget to bring a bag to collect your treats!
🍭 Candy Donations Needed!
We need your help stocking up on treats! Families are invited to donate bags of individually wrapped candy to help make the evening fun for all our Tigers.
🛒 Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2ZPM59DT244E7?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_65Cbn8HOYjFIq
Families may also purchase candy from any store. Donations can be sent to your child’s teacher—just let them know it’s for Trunk or Treat—or dropped off at the Main Office at either Bailey’s school.
Bring the family and join us for a fun evening of treats, costumes, and time together with our Bailey’s community! 🎃🍬
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🎻 Have you ever wanted to learn to play an instrument—or return to one you used to play? Join the Parent Orchestra! No previous musical experience is required, and financial assistance is available.
Rehearsals are held twice a month on Thursdays. The first rehearsal is October 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Annandale High School (4700 Medford Drive). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Please plan ahead for parking.
Space is limited, so reserve your spot soon: bit.ly/parentorch27
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One of our tigers using creative and critical thinking skills during art class!
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Monday, October 5th- Picture Day
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Monday, October 12th- No School in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day
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Tuesday, October 13th- Kindergarten Field Trip to Shlagel Farms for Weis, Sansing, Lopez & Grant
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Wednesday, October 14th- Kindergarten Field Trip to Shlagel Farms for Salleh, Freeland & Silis
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Thursday, October 15th- Kindergarten Field Trip to Shlagel Farms for Tracey, Flintoft & Cabrera
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Monday, October 19th- PTA Fundraising Event @ Raising Canes 4-8pm
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Monday, October 19th- 2nd Grade Field Trip to Huntley Meadows for Desrosiers, Ciro, Kerns & Mukumbuta
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Tuesday, October 20th- PTA General Meeting via Zoom @7pm
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Wednesday, October 21st- 3hr Early Release for Grades Kinder, 1st & 2nd Grade. Dismissal at 12:45pm
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Thursday, October 22nd- 1st Grade Field Trip to the National Zoo
Bailey's Primary October Calendar 2026
Our Tigers are enjoying another great afternoon of soccer with Head Coach Leo De La Cruz!
FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place.
Tuesday, March 9, will be a holiday for students and staff.
Wednesday, March 10, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place on this day.
A new school year calendar has been published, which includes this change. Please note that holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings.
As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.
The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss and ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns.
Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15.
Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.
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Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps children develop confidence, resilience, self-awareness, and other important skills that support their success in school and throughout life. Join a workshop for parents and caregivers to:
- Understand your child’s Fairfax County SEL Screener results.
- Use the results as a starting point for meaningful conversations at home.
- Support your child’s social and emotional development.
- Build confidence, resilience, and lifelong skills together.
Learn practical ways to talk with your child about their social and emotional well-being and support their continued growth at home. Events will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, at Skyview High School and Wednesday, October 21, at Kingstowne Regional Library. View additional dates on the FCPS Family Academy webpage.
Childcare will be available. Interpretation services are available upon request. For more information, contact the Family and School Partnerships office at 703-204-4300 or FamilyEngagement@fcps.edu.
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Our 1st graders practiced their math skills using teddy bear manipulatives, making learning hands-on and engaging!
- FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.
Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:
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Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
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Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
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Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.
Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.
Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
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