Belvedere News and Announcements

Wednesday Folder Information

Please find electronic copies of your child's Wednesday folder items on the PTA website. Thanks for going green and accessing these items online each week! If you would like to change your preferences for paper or electronic copies, please contact the office.


From our Principal

Dear Belvedere Families:

The International Baccalaureate (IB) evaluation is around the corner. So what is this and what does this mean? Every five years, IB evaluates the  implementation of IB programs in IB schools. At Belvedere, we adhere to the IB-Primary Years Program (PYP), which is the elementary years IB program.  Believe it or not, this is our fifth year as an authorized IB-PYP school, and it is time for IB to carry out the evaluation visit. This will take place on February 21 and 22.

The aim of this PYP Program Evaluation is to:

  • evaluate the extent to which the school is meeting the IB program standards and practices
  • improve implementation by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for future focus
  • serve as a vehicle to reinforce the support and commitment for the program

To prepare for the visit, Belvedere staff participated in a yearlong self-study process, which is a detailed reflection about all aspects of the program implementation. The self-study provided the opportunity for Belvedere staff to identify where the school excels, where it has shown growth and what needs additional attention. This work, led by Ms. Louder, the school’s PYP Coordinator, resulted in well prepared documentation to share with IB evaluators when they visit.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support of our school.  We feel honored to support your children’s learning each day.

Sincerly,

Cecilia Vanderhye


Calendar Reminder

All FCPS schools will be closed Monday, February 18 in honor of the Presidents' Day holiday. School will resume on Tuesday, February 19.


Author Visit Book Orders

Two authors will be visiting our school in March, and students have the opportunity to order some of their books ahead of the visits! Please see the dates below as well as flyers in today's Wednesday Folder for details.

Leah Henderson—author visit for 4th and 5th grades on March 13

  • Book Order Deadline is February 25
  • Note: these orders will go through One More Page (checks made payable to them).

Sue Fliess—author visit for K-1-2 on March 27

  • Book order deadline is March 20
  • Note: these orders will go through BES (checks made payable to Belvedere ES)

Please note that third graders will have an author visit in April, and details about ordering books will be sent home closer to the visit.


Upcoming Events

  • Monday, 2/11-Friday, 2/15: Spring Book Fair
  • Wednesday, 2/13: PTA Spelling Bee (6 p.m.) & Evening Book Fair Shopping
  • Monday, 2/18: Presidents' Day Holiday (no school)
  • Saturday, 3/2: March Outdoor Club Outing
  • Thursday, 3/7-Friday, 3/8: Spring Picture Days
  • Thursday, 3/7: March PTA Meeting (7 p.m.)
  • Monday, 3/11: 3-hour Early Release for Students
  • Friday, 3/15: PTA Silent Auction

Find a complete list of events on the Belvedere website.