From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
Happy Wednesday! We hope you have been enjoying this fall weather as much as we have. Sunshine and cooler temperatures make recess so much fun. Our students are loving their time outdoors.
This week we began livestreaming for students who are absent due to Covid-related reasons. Please keep in mind that livestreaming is by invitation only and exclusively for students who are absent due to Covid-related reasons. It will begin for identified students no later than their third day of absence. Teachers send invitations to watch the livestreaming of mathematics and reading focus lessons only. These lessons usually last 10-15 minutes each. In addition to livestreaming, students will be able to access asynchronous work via Schoology. An assigned teacher will also be checking in with each identified child once every other day.
We continue to be very vigilant about students who present Covid-like symptoms, sending home children when necessary. We are also very mindful of proper mask wearing and social distancing as much as possible. We recognize this is a challenge for you and thank you for your understanding. Please continue to check each morning if your child presents any Covid-like symptoms. If they do, please do not send the child to school that day. Covid-like symptoms include:
- fever and/or chills
- cough (not related to another health condition)
- nasal congestion or runny nose
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (not related to another health condition)
- sore throat (not related to another health condition)
- muscle aches not related to another health condition, or that may have been caused by a specific activity
- fatigue
- headache
- new loss of taste or smell
- abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
- new onset of poor appetite or poor feeding
The full list of daily health screening questions is available here. We want everyone to remain healthy and for as many students as possible to be at school each day.
Best regards,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
FLE Parent Preview Night
FCPS students in grades K-5 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher. Students in Kindergarten through grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit. Students in grades 4 and 5 receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions here.
Please join us for an opportunity to preview the FLE media and lessons, and to talk with school staff about the program, on Thursday, October 7, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. We will meet virtually via Zoom; a meeting link will be posted in this space next week, and on the Belvedere website here.
Parents/guardians who do not wish to have their child participate in FLE instruction may choose to opt their child out of any or all of the lessons. If you would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please fill out the form provided to you in your child’s orientation packet at the beginning of the school year; you may also access the opt out forms online here. If you have already indicated your desire to opt your child out of FLE lessons by using the form provided earlier in the school year, you do not need to complete another form. Should you opt your child out and then later decide you want your child included in FLE instruction, you must notify your child’s school principal in writing before instruction begins.
Advanced Academic Programs Overview Night
Please join Mrs. Lynch, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, to learn about the different Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) in Fairfax County Public Schools. FCPS offers different levels of AAP service for students K-12 that build upon students' individual strengths and skills and maximizes academic potential for all learners.
The session will be held virtually on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 6:30 and Spanish interpretation will be provided. Please plan to attend so that you can learn about the AAP levels of service, including Young Scholars, that FCPS has to offer. To connect to the Zoom session, please click here. [Meeting ID: 947 4436 9601; Passcode: 723479]
For an overview of the continuum of AAP services, click here. (Arabic version available here; Spanish version available here.) Please note that parents or guardians may request a one-time retake of the CogAT and Naglieri ability tests during the fall testing windows. Please contact the school testing coordinator, Assistant Principal Kelly Cabezas, no later than October 15, 2021 for the NNAT.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lynch.
Fall Picture Day
Our Fall Picture Day was held on Monday, September 27. If your child had their picture taken, there is still time to order! You can return paper order forms to the office until the end of this week.
To order your child's photos online, go to strawbridge.net, click "Order Pictures and Yearbooks," and enter code FM371866.
If your child missed picture day, there is a make-up picture day scheduled for Wednesday, November 10.
Extra Items at Lunch
Lunch this year is at no cost for all FCPS students; what this means is that a student may choose a 4-component meal at no cost. Students may purchase an additional meal after receiving their 4-component meal; students may also purchase an additional serving of vegetable, fruit, milk or bottled water. The cost of these additional items is:
- 1 serving of fruit or vegetable: $1.00
- Milk: $.60
- 8 oz bottle of water: $1.00
- 2nd meal: $4.50
Students will need either cash or funds in their MySchoolBucks account to purchase additional items.
In the event that your student does not know their cafeteria PIN, the cafeteria has classroom lists with PIN numbers.
Stretch your Food Dollars with SNAP
Get more fruits and vegetables when you spend your SNAP dollars at Annandale Farmers Market! For more information, click here.
Backpack Friday Permission Slips
If your child received a letter regarding the backpack Friday program, we ask that you please turn in the form by September 30, 2021. After the deadline, we will contact parent/guardians individually. If you have any questions or comments, please email School Counselor: Paige Simpson at psimpson@fcps.edu or call 703-916-6829. Thank you!
Parent Center Resources
Our Family Liaison, Ashley Hidalgo, has created this padlet where you can view information from FCPS and outside organizations to help support our families, including information on personal finances, tutoring services for students in grades K-7, FCPS webinars, and more!
Ms. Hidalgo will continue to add resources to this padlet as she receives them. We will highlight noteworthy items in this space as well.
Also, if you are in need of school supplies for your child, please contact Ms. Hidalgo by email or phone (703-916-6824).
Volleyball Clinic at Justice HS
The Justice High School varsity volleyball team will be hosting a one-day volleyball clinic for boys and girls in grades 4 through 7 on Saturday, October 23. The clinic fee is $25. To register, click here.
PTA Class Directory
The PTA is putting together a class/grade level directory so that parents can connect with each other and students can stay in touch outside of school.
Please fill out this form by October 8, with the information you feel comfortable sharing!
Support the Belvedere PTA
Our PTA supports Belvedere in myriad ways: organizing school events, enrichment and outreach activities; providing funding for field trips, library books, and technology in the classroom; and building a school community outside the classroom.
There are several ways to support the PTA:
FCPS Multilingual Family Podcasts
Listen and subscribe to a FCPS Multilingual Family Podcast to hear timely, important information related to school news. The podcasts are produced in conjunction with the Office for ESOL Services and the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement. The goal of every podcast is to help families access key resources and understand how to best support their children’s education.
Listen and Subscribe here:
Upcoming Dates
- Thursday, 9/30: AAP Overview Night (6:30 p.m.)
- Thursday, 10/7: FLE Parent Preview Night (6:00 p.m.)
- Monday, 10/11: Student Holiday (Staff Professional Development Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day)
Keep in Touch
Daily Health Screening Questionnaire
Health and Safety Guidance Webpage
Visit the Belvedere website
Report student absences
Follow Belvedere on Twitter
Follow our PTA on Facebook
Change your email preferences
FCPS Calendar: 2021-2022
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