From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
A central part of our school is the school library, led by our wonderful librarian Ms. Jopeck. All students benefit from extending their learning and from exploring new topics and ideas through the various print and digital resources of our library. Additionally, Ms. Jopeck organizes author visits that connect students to writers of various backgrounds and focuses on different genres. Participating in an author visit is energizing for our students and helps them see the many possibilities they have as writers.
Last week fifth graders met with two practicing journalists. One of our guests, Ligaya Mishan, who writes for The New York Times, reflected with our teachers that our students showed “tremendous bravery in asking their questions.” She also shared that she was awed by the depth of their questions and that it was “impressive that students of this age were looking at issues of power” (the central idea). Finally, she remarked that our students were “reflecting on, asking questions about, and probing issues and concepts that many adults are afraid to address these days.”
We are grateful that our students have the opportunity to participate in these author visits to expand their learning opportunities.
Sincerely,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Spring Photos on February 15
Strawbridge will be taking individual student portraits for the Spring on Tuesday, February 15. Paper order forms will be sent home in this week's Wednesday folders. To order photos online, go to http://www.strawbridge.net, click "Order Pictures," and enter code FM374810.
Virtual Spelling Bee on February 24
Students in grades 3-5 are invited to participate in our Virtual Spelling Bee on Thursday, February 24 at 6:00 p.m. Registration forms and the word study list were sent home in this week's Wednesday folders; you can also register online.
The winner of our school Bee will receive a $50 Amazon gift card, and will participate in the Fairfax County Bee in March! Second- and Third-Place finishers will each receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
The PTA will be conducting virtual practice sessions for the Bee on these dates:
- Thursday, February 3 from 7:45 to 8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, February 10 from 7:45 to 8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, February 17 from 7:45 to 8:30 p.m.
For more information, please see this flyer. "Bee" there or "bee" square!
From Our Counselors
Please click here for our February Counselor's Corner Newsletter!
Additional Volunteer Needed for Panera
Belvedere has been approved to received unsold bakery products from Panera that can be picked up once a week. However, we need an additional volunteer to help handle the pick up and packaging of the products.
Pick up would be at 9:00 p.m. (closing time) one night per week the Panera at 5578 Vincent Gate Terrace, Alexandria, Virginia. Please email Mrs. Ballard at tmballard@fcps.edu if you would like to volunteer for this ongoing program, or if you have any questions.
Continue to Shop the Book Fair Online
The library's Bookworm Book Fair ended on December 10, but you can still shop online using the Online Book Fair link here. The shopping link will be open for the rest of the school year!
Summer STEAM Camps through CTE
FCPS's Career and Technical Education office will be offering a Tech Adventure Camp for students in grades 2-6. Students will explore STEAM, culinary, health, trades, and computer science topics by rotating through daily classes. For additional details, click on this link to see the flyer, or click on this link for more details and registration links.
U.S. Citizenship Classes through Fairfax County Libraries
The Fairfax County Public Libraries are offering classes to help prepare for the U.S. Citizenship Exam. For more details, click 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.
Free or Low-Cost Internet through Cox's Connect2Compete Program
FCPS is working to ensure that all FCPS students have Internet access at home. Through the FCPS Cox Connect-to-Compete program, FCPS will pay for Internet service for qualifying families through June 2022. Cox’s Connect2Compete program provides low-cost internet to families that meet these qualifications:
- have at least one child that attends an FCPS school;
- participate in, or qualify for, one of these government subsidy programs: The National School Lunch Program, SNAP, TANF or Public Housing; and
- have not had Cox standard Internet services in the home within the last 90 days.
If your family is in need of Internet service at home so that your student can participate in virtual learning, please contact the Belvedere office to begin the application process.
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.
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:
Upcoming Dates
- Tuesday, February 15: Spring Picture Day
- Monday, February 21: Schools Closed (Presidents' Day)
- Thursday, February 24: Virtual Spelling Bee
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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