From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
Although temperatures dipped a little today, it feels like spring. Trees are starting to bloom, and warmer weather is around the corner. The official first day of spring is March 21.
This week has been another great week of learning at Belvedere. Across grade levels, teachers continue to embed thinking routines to strengthen the culture of thinking at Belvedere. To fully understand thinking routines, teachers themselves engage in thinking routines as part of team instructional planning. For example, Ms. Rogers led the third-grade team in unpacking an upcoming unit of inquiry under the theme Where We Are in Place and Time by using routine Zoom In. Working in pairs, teachers considered the theme in small parts, each time revealing more of the theme and reflecting on what the theme encompasses. Below are some images of the theme being revealed in stages, and of teachers engaged with this thinking routine:
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Using this thinking routine led the team to a more robust understanding of the theme. The conversations that ensued as each part of the theme was revealed helped the team understand the depth of research and connections encompassed within the unit. Teachers were also able to make connections between the various parts of the theme and the study of ancient civilizations included in this unit.
March 8 PTA Meeting
Thank you to all who attended the PTA meeting yesterday. The Belvedere mental health team presented about internet safety. You can find a link to the presentation here. If you did not attend the meeting, we hope you take time to look this over. Now more than ever, internet safety for all students is paramount.
Some additional computer-related questions were raised during the PTA meeting:
- My daughter has been asked to watch the news as part of her government unit in third grade. I wanted her to watch the state of the union address on her school laptop, but she said she wasn’t allowed. What are the rules?
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Answer: If a teacher has asked students to do something for school, whether it is to watch or create something, students are able to use their school issued laptops to complete the assignment.
- My children have been playing ABCya at school as a provided FCPS resource. It has advertisements directed at children (like toys). Is there a way to turn off the ads or revoke my children’s permission to use the program? I’d rather they not be exposed to ads.
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Answer: There is not a way to turn the ads off. If you would like your student to no longer have ABCya as an option, please let his or her teacher know.
- Can you explain "Interland," a computer game that the kids play to teach internet use at Belvedere?
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Answer: Interland is a fun way to teach students about internet safety through games. Kids will help their fellow Internauts combat badly behaved hackers, phishers, over sharers, and bullies by practicing the skills they need to be good digital citizens. Interland is part of Google’s Be Internet Awesome Program, which teaches youth the fundamentals of digital citizenship and provides parents and educators with resources to help youth navigate the web and their online interactions.
Best regards,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Date Change: COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Belvedere Friday, March 18 and Thursday, April 14
Please note that the dates of the COVID-19 vaccination clinic for current Belvedere students age 5-11 have been changed to Friday, March 18 and Thursday, April 14. Please check your child’s backpack for more information, including the revised consent forms.
The first dose will be administered on Friday, March 18 and the second dose will be administered on Thursday, April 14. If your child has received their first dose and is need of a second dose, they can bring their consent form and their CDC Vaccination card on the day of the clinic.
Please contact Jen Buchanan at jkbuchanan@fcps.edu or call the Belvedere office at 703-916-6800 to sign up or if you have any questions.
From Our Counselors
Please click here for the latest Counselors' Corner newsletter from our wonderful school counselors, Ms. Simpson and Ms. Ballard!
Back-to-School Pediatric Immunization Clinic on March 12
The State of Virginia requires immunizations for entry into kindergarten, 7th grade, 12th grade, and when transferring into FCPS. The Fairfax County Health Department will be offering a special immunization clinic for Fairfax County students to complete their school vaccine requirements (the COVID-19 vaccine is not a required vaccine).
The clinic will be held on Saturday, March 12, 8 a.m. to noon, at the Annandale District Office, 7611 Little River Turnpike, #400-E, Annandale, VA 22003. Appointments are required.
To make an appointment, call 703-246-7100.
Register Now for the FCPS Virtual Special Education Conference on March 26
FCPS’s 17th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions supporting the conference's theme: Bringing our Inclusive Community Together: Affirming, Assessing, Advancing. Welcoming ceremonies, guest speakers, FCPS presentations, and an exhibit hall are included. Registration for this free conference is now open online.
- Parents and community members will be able to register online.
- Individuals needing foreign language interpretation (Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Korean), American Sign Language (ASL), or Cued Language Transliterator (CLT) interpreters for the live sessions may request this on the registration form.
For questions please contact specialedconf@fcps.edu.
Visit the Special Education Conference webpage for more information and to register.
Register for Kindergarten Now!
Registration for the 2022-2023 school year is underway. If you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 30, 2022, they will be eligible for Kindergarten this fall! Please contact the Belvedere office (703-916-6800) or visit our website here for additional information on registering your incoming Kindergarten student.
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Justice HS
Belvedere families are invited to Justice High School Theatre's spring musical production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Prepare to be entertained with an uplifting revue of songs and vignettes based on the classic comic strip by Charles M. Schultz. This family friendly show is sure to put a smile on your face and remind us all how we can find happiness in the simplest of things!
Show will be on Thursday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m.; Friday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m.; and Saturday, March 12 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at Etix.
Charlie Brown Character Party on Saturday, March 12
Join us after the Saturday matinee, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., for a special You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown character party! Meet and greet Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, take photos, participate in a scavenger hunt, and more! Tickets for the character party are $5 per child and are available for purchase here.
Belvedere PTA Online Auction March 14 to 20
The PTA's annual auction fundraiser will be held online between March 14 and March 20 this year! Auction items include:
- Room baskets and amazing teacher experiences including principal for the day
- Capitals hockey tickets
- Small group swim lesson at Kids Swim
- Passes to Bonds Escape Room
- A weeks Vacation in Pawley’s Island
- $250 in gift cards donated from Virginia Orthodontic Partners
- Nationals tickets and a baseball autographed by Nats pitcher Stephen Strasburg
- Botox and Facials from Alexandria Associates of Dermatology
- Born to Dance and Goldfish Swim classes
- Kids Dream Room Design and proposal
- Congressional summer camp gift card
- D1 training package
- Mathnasium assessment and tutoring
- And much more!
Click here for more information. Thank you for supporting the Belvedere PTA!
Volunteer Needs
Food Fridge: Deliver to Food for Others
Please help Belvedere nourish our community and keep good food out of the landfill by signing up to deliver unopened milk (and some food) from the cafeteria to Food for Others. Every volunteer makes a difference, so please let us know even if you can only go once!
- We would like to deliver twice a week.
- Food for Others is on Prosperity Road, between Route 50 and Lee Highway near Mosaic, Sweetwater Tavern and the Unique thrift store.
- Deliveries can be made between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Please contact Margeaux Frank (MEFrank@fcps.edu) and Andrea Auerbach (asauerbach1@fcps.edu) if you are interested in volunteering or have questions.
Thank you!
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.
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.
PTA News
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
- Monday, March 14 to Sunday, March 20: Belvedere PTA Online Auction
- Friday, March 18 and Thursday, April 24: COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Belvedere students
- Thursday, March 31: 2-hour early release
- Friday, April 1: Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
- Monday, April 4 to Friday, April 8: Spring 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
FCPS Calendar: 2022-2023
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