 Congratulations to our amazing Bailey’s staff members who received an FCPS Impact Award! We’re so proud of this well-deserved recognition and grateful for the difference they make in our school community every day!
Bailey’s Upper Families,
Thank you for another great week! I’d like to celebrate several of our amazing staff members who received FCPS Impact Awards this week.
The FCPS Impact Awards are a peer recognition program in which colleagues nominate one another in different categories. Please join me in congratulating:
- Liz Crowley, our instructional coach, for her impact on school culture and academic progress
- Rahah Mahmood, our after-school coordinator, for her impact on our after-school program and increasing the number of students from 0 to over 350.
- Bernie DeLeo, Janelle Freeman, and Becky Sorto for their leadership of BUAE, our fifth-grade musical.
- Gemma DeGioia for her work with GLAD and supporting the FCPS community!
All of our staff members do wonderful things for our school community. We’re grateful to FCPS for helping us recognize and celebrate these colleagues in particular.
We’re also super excited for our upcoming Literacy Night on Wednesday, October 14 from 6:00pm-8:00pm, and hope to see all of you there!
Have a wonderful weekend,
The Bailey’s Upper Team
💙Ms. Dowling
🧡Ms. Wayland
🐯Ms. Wiley
📂 This week’s Thursday Folder includes:
- iReady/MAP Scores (English & Spanish)
- Bailey's Upper Literacy Night Flyer (English & Spanish)
- Bailey's Upper After-School Form (3 & 4th Grade Only)
- PTA Global Community Night Form (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!
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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 Our tigers celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month Spirit Day by proudly sharing their cultures and traditions! We loved seeing the colorful outfits, cultural pride, and smiles throughout our school!
Staff Member: Evelyn Valladares, Multilanguage Teacher
Country of Origin: USA, El Salvador & Nicaragua
Favorite Dish: Pupusas, Tamales de Elote con Crema, Cajo Pinto & Horchata
Fun Facts:
El Salvador: Known for its beautiful beaches and volcanoes, El Salvador is a growing travel destination. Its people are celebrated for their resilience, warmth, and strong work ethic.
Nicaragua: Known as the “Land of Lakes and Volcanoes,” Nicaragua boasts breathtaking landscapes and Lake Nicaragua, famous for its rare bull sharks.
Evelyn has been part of the FCPS family for 13 years, including the past four years at Bailey’s Upper! Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family. She is married and a proud mom of two children, one boy and one girl, with another baby on the way!
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Students and families are invited to join us for a fun evening of stories, games, hands-on learning, and reading together! Hosted by Title 1, Literacy Night will give families a chance to explore literacy through engaging activities while learning new ways to support reading at home. 💙🧡
📅 Event Information
- 🗓️ Wednesday, October 14
- ⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
- 📍 Bailey’s Upper
🌟 What to Expect
- 📖 Read-alouds and literacy activities
- 🎲 Fun games for students and families
- 💡 STEAM activities
- 📚 Book tastings and opportunities to explore new books
- 🛍️ Our Book Fair will be open for shopping!
🚌 Transportation & Dinner
- 🚌 Bus transportation from Bailey’s Primary to Bailey’s Upper will be available throughout the evening beginning at 5:45pm.
- 🍽️ A light dinner will be provided while supplies last.
Bring the family and join us for an evening of reading, learning, and fun together! We can’t wait to see you! 📚💙🐯
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 Come join Ms. Burgos at our amazing Book Fair next week during Literacy Night! There is something fun for everyone!
We are thrilled to announce that Bailey’s Upper Elementary School has officially been designated as a Purple Star School!
This state distinction recognizes our ongoing commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families. From easing school transitions to providing dedicated social-emotional support, we are proud to foster an inclusive, welcoming environment where our military families can thrive. Thank you to our staff, students, and community for helping us earn this honor and for celebrating the strength and resilience of our military-connected kids!
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Get those smiles ready! Picture Day is Thursday, October 15! All students will have their school pictures taken during the school day. 😊🐯
📅 Picture Day Information
- 🗓️ Thursday, October 15
- 🏫 Bailey’s Upper
📝 Picture Orders
Picture Day order forms were sent home in your child’s Thursday Folder. Purchasing pictures is completely optional and is not required in order 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 our Tigers’ Picture Day smiles! 💙🧡📸
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Calling all 5th grade Tigers! 🐯 Bailey’s Upper Arts Ensemble (BUAE) is a FREE after-school performing arts program where students can explore acting, singing, dancing, and technical theatre while working together to bring Disney’s The Little Mermaid KIDS to the stage! No prior experience is needed. 💙🧡
🌟 Important Information
- 📅 Application Deadline: Monday, October 19
- 🎭 Open to: 5th Grade Students
- 🎟️ Limited to 60 students, selected through a lottery
- 🗓️ Program Dates: November 10–June 4
- ⏰ Rehearsals: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:45–5:30 PM
- 🎬 Auditions and regular attendance are required.
- 👨👩👧 Mandatory Parent Meeting: October 27th
📝 Apply Here
🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfedObuahAr3CEAtL9ULR3sv88ZmMe-2-OgRPE0UhBVyC5YfA/viewform
We can’t wait to see our tigers share their talents and become part of the magic of The Little Mermaid KIDS! 🧜♀️🎶💙
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 A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful hairstylists and barbers who generously volunteered their time and talents for our very first haircut event! We’re so grateful for their generosity and for helping make this special opportunity possible for our Bailey’s students.
@TheFixBarbershop, @Kathaleana, @TheColourBarStudio, & @Javier&CoBarbering
🎨🍽️ Explore Art & Flavors in Mason District! 🌎✨
Looking for some family fun? Mason District is celebrating art, culture, and community with two exciting events! Enjoy delicious food from around the world during Restaurant Week and explore creativity at the FREE Art Festival. 💙🧡
🍴 Mason District Restaurant Week
📅 October 10–17
Explore local restaurants offering special menu items and promotions while celebrating the diverse flavors of our community!
🎨 Mason District Art Festival
📅 Saturday, October 17
⏰ 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
📍 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale
🎟️ FREE Admission!
Enjoy local artists, live performances, hands-on art projects, children's activities, an art supply exchange, and food!
🔗 Art Festival Information: https://masondistrictarts.org/mason-district-art-festival
Bring the family and enjoy these wonderful opportunities to celebrate the creativity, culture, and diversity of our community! 🎨🌎💙
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Take a night off from cooking and enjoy a delicious meal while supporting Bailey’s! Join us at Raising Cane’s, where 15% of net sales from qualifying purchases will be donated back to our PTA! 💙🧡
📅 Event Information
- 🗓️ Monday, October 19
- ⏰ 4:00–8:00 PM
- 📍 Raising Cane’s
- 6363 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, VA 22044
🍟 How to Support Our PTA
- 🍗 Dining in? Simply mention the Bailey’s PTA fundraiser when ordering.
- 📱 Ordering online or through the app? Use promo code RCFUND96 at checkout.
Every qualifying order helps support our Bailey’s school community!
Bring the family, enjoy some good food, and help support our Tigers! We hope to see you there! 🐯💙🧡
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 Srta. Wagner's 3rd graders are using Benchmark to strengthen their reading skills as they learn how to annotate texts and take notes while reading!
A friendly reminder that our first 3 Hour Early Dismissal at Bailey's Upper is:
- 🗓️ Wednesday, October 21
- ⏰ Early Dismissal: 12:25 PM
- 🚌 Students leaving early will follow the dismissal plan selected on their 3-Hour Early Release Form.
- 🏫 Students staying until 3:25 PM will be dismissed using their regular mode of transportation.
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Get cozy and join us for a spooktacular evening of Halloween stories! Bailey’s staff will be sharing fun and festive stories in both English and Spanish for students and families to enjoy together from home. 💙🧡
📅 Event Information
- 🗓️ Monday, October 26
- ⏰ 7:00 PM
- 💻 Virtual via Zoom
- 📖 What to Expect
- 🎃 Halloween-themed stories read by Bailey’s staff
- 📚 Storytelling in both English and Spanish
💻 Join Us on Zoom
🔗 Zoom Link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/97253141957
⚠️ Important: Please note that FCPS student accounts cannot be used to join the Zoom meeting. Families should log in using a personal account.
Grab a cozy spot, gather the family, and enjoy an evening of stories with our Bailey’s community! We hope to see you there! 🎃🐯💙🧡
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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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 Mr. B and our 5th graders enjoying some time together during BNN! It’s always great to see our tigers involved in our school news!
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Monday, October 12th- No School in Observance of Indigenous People's Day
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Wednesday, October 14th- Bailey's Upper Literacy Night 6:00-8:00pm
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Thursday, October 15th- Individual Student Picture Day
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Friday, October 16th- Book Fair Closes
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Monday, October 19th- BUAE Sign-Up Deadline for 5th Graders
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Monday, October 19th- PTA Fundraiser @ Raising Cane's 4:00-8:00pm
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Tuesday, October 20th- PTA General Meeting via Zoom @ 7:00pm
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Wednesday, October 21st- 3 Hour Early Release @ 12:25pm
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Monday, October 26th- Spootacular Story Time via Zoom @7pm
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Thursday, October 29th- Trunk or Treat at Bailey's Primary @ 5:00-6:30pm
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Friday, October 30th- End of 1st Quarter: 2 Hour Early Release @ 1:25pm
Updated Bailey's Upper October 2026 Calendar
 Our young musicians enjoyed another day of Band class, exploring their instruments and developing their musical skills together!
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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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. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are one-hour long and open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
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