Belvedere News and Announcements

From the Administration

Dear Belvedere Families,

Thank you to all who attended the PTA meeting yesterday evening. Thank you also for the support you have shown our staff! They are working together to help all students feel welcome and learn.

Some of you have shared concerns regarding the amount of screen time students have each day. We hear you, and are working to make adjustments to make sure there are breaks in the day. We will communicate any changes we make.

As I shared at the PTA meeting last night, we have been working with transportation to schedule weekly library book deliveries to all students, and food for select students. Students will be able to request library books through our online system and on Fridays, beginning September 25, our bus routes with large buses will come to our regular bus stops to drop off books.  (Information about your child’s bus stop, and information about book delivery for students who are walkers, will be sent home next week.) For more information, see the "Library Books By Bus!" section below.

Again, thank you for your support. We feel so fortunate to partner with you to make a difference for all our students.

Sincerely,

Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal


First Day Forms

An electronic version of First Day Forms was distributed to families on Tuesday, September 8.  If you need paper copies of any of these forms, please contact the Belvedere office at 703-916-6800.


Free and Reduced Lunch

Fairfax County Public Schools will be offering healthy breakfasts and lunches throughout Fairfax County during the school year.  To find out more about this service and find locations click here.  Please note that this information has recently been updated.

Belvedere is a Title I school and our Title I status is determined based on the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced price meals.  If you think you might qualify for free and reduced meals, please click here to apply.  If you need help with the application, please contact the Belvedere office at 703-916-6800 and we will help you with the application.  If you would like a paper application, they can be picked up at all food distribution sites. 


Library Books by Bus!

Belvedere will be delivering library books by bus on Fridays, beginning on Friday, September 25! Click on this link to find out how your child can participate.  Please note that the deadline to place holds will be Tuesdays at noon for book deliveries that Friday.  The first such deadline will be at noon on Tuesday, September 22.


Digital Consent Form

Fairfax County Public Schools uses a variety of resources to support student learning. In cases where FCPS contracts with a vendor to host student information, FCPS requires that the vendor adhere to the security and privacy requirements specified in a confidentiality agreement included in their contracts. FCPS does not have contracts with every instructional tool vendor.  Many valuable instructional tools are governed by Terms of Service (TOS) and include both free and paid tools. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year require parental consent. 

Here is where you can find out what tools we are planning on using this year at Belvedere.

You will need to provide parent consent for each child in your household. Please click this link to do that!  Instructions on how to complete the consent form are available here.


AAP Services Presentations

Please mark your calendars for presentations by our Advanced Academic Resources Teacher, Ms. Lynch, on the Advanced Academic Program (AAP):

  • Thursday, October 1:  Presentation on the continuum of AAP services at Belvedere (in English beginning at 6:00 p.m.; in Spanish beginning at 7:00 p.m.)
  • Thursday, October 22:  Presentation on the AAP Level IV screening process (in English beginning at 6:00 p.m.; in Spanish beginning at 7:00 p.m.)
  • Friday, October 23:  Presentation on the AAP Level IV screening process (in English with Spanish interpretation, beginning at 2:00 p.m.)

Links for these sessions will be included in a future issue of News You Choose.


News from the PTA

The PTA has put together this awesome Fitness BINGO Card for the September PTA fitness challenge!  Students can complete various physical activities to make a "BINGO" on their card through September 25.  Winners will be featured in the next PTA newsletter!  More information is available through the link above.

In Case You Missed It:


FCPS Tech Help Desk

To support families who are working with their children during virtual learning, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has launched a new Parent Technology Help Desk, effective Monday, August 24. The help desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Parents or guardians who need help in a language other than English can inform the help desk staff when they call, and an interpreter will join them live on the call.

If help desk staff members are unable to solve the issue, they will request help from the appropriate FCPS team.

Other Tech Help Resources

For a list of Tech help resources, please visit our website here.


Public Library Equity Access Pass (LEAP)

On October 1, 2020 the Library Equity Access Pass (LEAP) program will launch, providing FCPS PreK-12 students with public library checkout privileges for books automatically, without the need to register for a physical library card.  Student names and ID numbers will be provided to FCPL through an automated data download.  Families who do not wish to participate shall select the opt-out for LEAP in the 2020-21 SR&R document.

Participating in the LEAP program provides: 

  • The ability to checkout up to three public library books at a time.  At any FCPL library branch, students or parents simply share their name and indicate they are an FCPS student.  A virtual account exists and identification is not required. 
  • Lost or overdue books will not be charged a fine or replacement fee.
  • Checkouts are limited to physical books.  eBooks and public library digital resources cannot be accessed through this account.  Students are welcome to establish a standard public library card for full access.

Upcoming Dates

  • Friday, 9/25: Library Books by Bus Begins (Book holds due by noon on Tuesday, 9/22)
  • Thursday, 10/1:  Presentation on AAP services at Belvedere (in English at 6:00 p.m.; in Spanish at 7:00 p.m.)
  • Monday, 10/12: No Classes (School Planning Day)
  • Thursday, 10/22:  Presentation on the AAP Level IV screening process (in English at 6:00 p.m.; in Spanish at 7:00 p.m.)
  • Friday, 10/23:  Presentation on the AAP Level IV screening process (in English with Spanish interpretation, beginning at 2:00 p.m.)

Keep in Touch

Visit the Belvedere website

Report student absences

Follow Belvedere on Twitter

Follow our PTA on Facebook

Change your email preferences