From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
Thanksgiving break is just around the corner. If you have not yet met with your child’s teacher for a parent-teacher conference, please reach out to the teacher or school so that we can schedule a conference.
This week we began optional COVID-19 testing for students whose parents enrolled them in the testing program. A testing team came to school and students were brought to the team for testing. All went well! Parents should receive results within a day or two.
If you pick up your child by car at the end of the school day, please make sure you do so by going through the kiss and ride line. Currently, during dismissal there are some cars that pull into our parking lot to pick up students. This results in cars going both ways in the parking lot, making it unsafe for pedestrians crossing. Ensuring the safety of all is a priority, and we thank parents who use the kiss and ride line.
We hope you enjoy the fall weather!
Best regards,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Thanksgiving Holiday (November 24-26)
School will be closed Wednesday, November 24 through Friday, November 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Classes will resume on Monday, November 29. See the complete 2021-22 school year calendar here.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Fairfax Health District and Fairfax County Public Schools are hosting 19 COVID-19 vaccine clinics at 9 schools for students ages 5-11 years. Schools include Hutchinson, Annandale Terrace, Woodlawn, Centreville, Providence, and Franklin Sherman. Attendees are not required to be a student at that school. Vaccines will not be available for those 12 years and older. No appointment is necessary, vaccinations are free, and children must be accompanied by a parent or another responsible adult.
More details are available here.
Reminder: Window for AAP Level IV (full-time) Referrals to Close December 15, 2021
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time advanced academic programs (level IV AAP services) may submit the AAP Level IV Referral Form to our AART, Preshion Lynch, no later than December 15.
The window to submit an AAP Level IV Referral Form is the first day of school through December 15, annually. Forms for full-time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Level IV services can be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for AAP Level IV will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of professionals from various schools review materials to determine eligibility for level IV placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they are submitted to the central selection committee by emailing Ms. Lynch at pmlynch@fcps.edu. Referrals for AAP Levels II-III (part-time services) are screened at the local school.
For more information, there are parent presentations available on the FCPS AAP website (under “Presentations”) that contain information similar to our fall parent information meetings at Belvedere.
Parent Meeting on AAP Screening and Identification Process
The Level IV (full time) center services of the Advanced Academic Program in Fairfax County are designed for students who are highly motivated and who demonstrate an exceptional ability to apply knowledge and exceptional creative/productive thinking. In Fairfax County, there is a central-selection screening committee which reviews information on each student in grades 2-8 being considered for participation in the Level IV Advanced Academic Program. This is the time of year to start thinking about whether or not to refer your child in grades 2-8 for Level IV screening. All students need to be referred in order to be screened for services.
Please join our Advanced Academic Resources Teacher, Preshion Lynch, at this session to learn about the screening and identification process for level IV (full time) AAP services:
We hope to see you there!
Free Thanksgiving Meal Items
Grace Ministries is a community outreach program serving low-income families living in Northern Virginia. Every November, for the past 12 years the ministry donates Thanksgiving Day meal items to families in need to prepare for their loved ones.
Grace Ministries will be distributing food, diapers and food staples using a CONTACT-FREE distribution on Saturday, November 20th beginning at 7AM.
More information is available here. If you have questions, please call St. Stephens United Methodist Church directly at 703-978-8724.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals Application
Although this school year breakfast and lunch meals are free to all students, we encourage families who believe their children might qualify for free and reduced-priced meals to apply for this program. Qualifying for free and reduced-priced meals has many added benefits, beyond the free meals. For elementary students, these include:
- Reduced or waived musical instrument rental fee
- Information about holiday assistance
- Information about non-FCPS scholarships, classes and other non-FCPS educational related services
- Pupil placement fees
There are also many other benefits and fee waivers that apply to students in middle school and high school (see this earlier letter from Dr. Brabrand).
Belvedere is a Title I school. A school’s Title I status is calculated based on the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals. As a Title I school, Belvedere benefits from grant funds that support many school programs.
To apply for free and reduced-price meals, please go to this website.
We are here to support you. If you need help completing this application, please call the school. We can help you over the phone or schedule a time for you to come to school and complete the application.
Thank you for considering this important matter.
Bus Information
Parents can access bus delay information at the FCPS Bus Delay website (we encourage you to bookmark this site!), or via the Here Comes the Bus app.
From our Counselors
Please check out the November/December newsletter from our School Counselors, Paige Simpson and Tracy Ballard. They discuss their activities in classrooms and with student groups. Thank you!
Thanksgiving Breakfast for Teachers & Staff
The PTA is sponsoring a breakfast to thank our teachers and staff for all their hard work! Please visit this link to sign up to donate food. Please drop off donations by Monday morning November 22.
For any questions, please contact Paola Long at bespta.va@gmail.com.
THANK YOU!
Belvedere Spirit Wear!
The PTA is running a Belvedere Spirit Wear sale through November 30! Click here to see a list of items for sale. Click here to order!
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:
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).
Upcoming Dates
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Thursday, 11/18 at 6:30 p.m.: Parent Meeting on AAP Screening and Identification Process
- Wednesday, 11/24 to Friday, 11/26: School Closed for Thanksgiving Break
Keep in Touch
Daily Health Screening Questionnaire
Health and Safety Guidance Webpage
Visit the Belvedere website
Report student absences
Bus Delay Website
Follow Belvedere on Twitter
Follow our PTA on Facebook
Change your email preferences
FCPS Calendar: 2021-2022
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