Dear Parents,

This week our amazing school staff has engaged in continued professional learning and planning to prepare for virtual learning.  We also have a technology team working at school to pass out laptops and provide technology support as well as calling families to confirm their technology is set up.  Thank you for all of your support getting your child set up with their technology.  Here are 3 things to know this week:

1. Join us on Monday, August 31 for a Schoolwide Bailey’s Family Meeting - all families invited to join to learn more about the start of the school year, hear from our Mental Health team, and ask questions.  Sessions will be repeated.  Click here for link to attend (you can use your child’s school computer, smartphone, or personal device).

• 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. (English)
• 10:15 - 11:15 a.m. (Spanish)
• 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. (English)
• 7:45 - 8:45 p.m. (Spanish)

2..We invite you to visit our school website for important information and announcements:

• Our Return to School page has all of our school-wide family communication in one place and a welcome video.
• Our Virtual Learning page has information to support virtual learning (student wellness resources, supplies, technology).
• Our Technology page has the steps your child should compete each day from now until school starts to make sure they can log in and access their online learning/BBCU link.  The FCPS Family Technology Help Desk phone number is listed (1-833-921-3277)
• Parent Consent for Digital Resources is a form that FCPS has now made available to complete online.  Click the link to learn more and complete the parent consent form. 

3. The PTA is hosting a virtual meet and greet event for new families on Saturday, August 29th from 9 - 10 AM on BBCU.  We welcome all parents/guardians of Bailey’s students new to Bailey’s to attend for an opportunity to try to get to know the families in your child’s class a little bit before the new year starts.  To join the meet and greet, please go to: https://us.bbcollab.com/collab/ui/session/guest/a0e6e71c4aa345658ec91a1849a

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We look forward to see you at school supply kit pick up next week!  As always, please reach out with any questions, concerns, suggestions, or positive things we should keep doing.

Julie Easa

Principal    

Dear Parents,

We hope you are all well. This week our amazing Bailey’s staff has connected with families, attended Bailey’s technology trainings and FCPS Professional Development, retrieved teaching supplies from their classrooms, met with their teams, began to set up their virtual classroom, supported laptop distribution, and assembled supply kits.  Each day I am so appreciative of their dedication to the students and families of our Bailey’s community.  Our updates today are in three categories – technology, forms, and important dates.   

Technology

• Once you have an FCPS laptop at home do the following once per week until school starts:
  • Plug the device into an outlet.
  • Turn the device on and let it boot up.
  • Ensure it is connected to the internet at that location.
  • Let the device sit for 30 minutes. No additional log-in’s or activities are required.
  • Do this once per week to ensure the laptop has the latest updates.
• Need Technology Support? 
  • Visit our Bailey’s website for videos and tech tools.
• This year all teachers will use Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (BBCU) to provide their live online instruction with students.  Each class will also have a Google Classroom site which will be place for announcements, access to independent work, and a way to submit completed work. 
• Each child (PreK to grade 2) will need to access their FCPS Gmail email account next week and find the email that has their BBCU link (all BBCU links will be shared by the end of next week by the classroom teacher). 
  • Please review this video to learn how to access the FCPS Gmail account.

Required/Mandatory Forms

• Health Information Form (HIF) (SS/SE -71)
• Emergency Care Information Form
• Both forms are required/mandatory for all students for SY 20-21.
• You can bring forms to laptop or supply pick up, mail forms to the main office, or drop them off anytime between 9:00 – 1:00 each day.
• Electronic form submission by parents - FCPS 24/7 (Blackboard) accounts within the weCare@school (weCare) module.

Important Dates

• August 24 – August 28 – Laptop Pick up (classroom teacher will provide time for pick up) and Technology Support (Bailey’s staff member will confirm your technology is set up, working, and your child can access thier FCPS gmail account)
• August 31 – Schoolwide Parent Meeting (session repeated and link will be sent next week) – all families invited to join!
  • 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. (English)
  • 10:15 - 11:15 (Spanish)
  • 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. (English)
  • 7:45 - 8:45 p.m. (Spanish)
• August 31 – September 3 – Virtual Home Visits (classroom teacher will provide time)
• September 8 – First day of school
• September 15 – PreK and Kindergarten Back to School Night, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• September 16 – First and Second Grade Back to School Night, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Thank you for your support to get our year off to a great start!

Julie Easa

Principal

Dear Families,

We are continuing to become more and more prepared for the start of the school year! 

Below are our important things to know this week. 

• Teacher Assignment - Your child’s class teacher is: (assignment shared in emailed and mailed individual student letters).

  • Your child’s teacher will be in contact with you by August 19 to welcome you, share your child’s laptop pick up time and school supply pick up time.  They will also set up a time to meet virtually with you and your child during the week of August 31.  This time will allow your teacher to make sure your child is set up at home with the necessary technology, provide you an overview of the year, share distance learning expectations, and get to know you and your family. 

• Laptop Distribution - A Bailey's ES teacher will call you and inform you of your date and time to pick up your school-issued laptop. Your student's classroom teacher will then send your family a reminder text by using the app REMIND telling your of your appointment date and time. All laptop pickups will be done at Bailey's Elementary School.

• Supply Lists - We have come up with a general school supply list for students to use while at home. We will also provide all students with at home math and literacy learning supplies. Supply pick up will occur during the week of August 31.  We will provide the general school supplies for any family that needs it. 

  • View our general school supplies list for students to use at home
• Bell Schedule - Our daily bell schedule will be 9:00 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. On Tuesday to Friday we will follow our full day schedule starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending the day at 3:40 p.m. The Monday schedule will end at 11:30 a.m. and will look different from the Tuesday to Friday schedule.
  • Learn more and view our schedule
• Forms to Submit - These three required forms must be completed and submitted prior to the start of school (turn in completed forms at laptop pick up, supply pick up, mail to Bailey’s, or drop them off at school from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. daily). All forms must be signed and dated.    
  • Updated Physical and Immunization Form 
    • all incoming kindergarten students or if you have updated immunizations
  • Health Information Form
  • Emergency Care Card 
    • A pre-printed emergency care card will be enclosed in your child’s class placement letter.  Please make any changes and return once you receive it.
• New Student Registration - New student registration is now open for incoming kindergarten and new to the area first and second graders.  The PreK office is also accepting registrations for our PreK program (see information below). Please sign up to start the process of registering a new student or call the main office at 703-575-6800 if you need to register your child or if know a child that needs to be registered.