From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
Ramadan Mubarak! The most important holidays for our Muslim families and students are happening now. Ramadan is the month-long period of fasting and prayer that commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. Ramadan culminates in Eid al-Fitr, a three-day celebration. At school, we have arranged an alternative space for students who are fasting to spend their lunch time. Students from very different countries, including Yemen, Afghanistan, and Indonesia, come together and discover how cultural and religious traditions are the same. What a fabulous lesson for our students: as people, we are so alike and have so much in common, no matter what part of the world we come from.
We hope you had a wonderful Spring Break! We are happy to have students back in the building for our final quarter of the school year. Students have returned full of energy and ready to learn!
Best regards,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Seeking Parent Input on Belvedere's Family Engagement Compact, School Innovation and Improvement Plan
The school year has flown by and we have started planning for next year! As we plan for family engagement events, we would like to have your feedback on our current Family Engagement Compact and School Innovation and Improvement Plan. Please read our Family Engagement Policy Compact and School Innovation and Improvement Plan and provide feedback to our school for improvements.
Please provide feedback by Friday, April 15. We appreciate your partnership in this effort!
Parent Volunteers Needed
We are looking for Parent Volunteers to help as hallway monitors during our SOL testing at Belvedere. Volunteers are needed between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on April 26-29, May 9, and May 12.
If you are available to help, please sign up using this Sign-Up Genius link, or call the Belvedere Office (703-916-6800). Thank you for your support!
Upcoming Kindergarten and AAP Orientations
Kindergarten Orientation on Tuesday, April 19
Orientation for parents of rising Belvedere kindergarteners will be held on Tuesday, April 19 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Orientation will be held in-person or virtually; parents who have already registered their kindergarteners for 2022-23 will be contacted with further details.
If you have any questions, please contact the Belvedere office.
AAP Level IV Orientation on Tuesday, April 26
On Tuesday, April 26, there will be an orientation for Parents of Students found Eligible to receive level IV services at Belvedere in 2022-23. This orientation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Belvedere gymnasium. Spanish interpretation will be provided.
If you have any questions regarding the advanced academic programs in FCPS, you may email Preshion Lynch, advanced academic resource teacher, at pmlynch@fcps.edu.
Counselors' Corner
Click here for the April edition of the Counselors' Corner newsletter from our wonderful counselors, Paige Simpson and Tracy Ballard!
Purple Up! on Wednesday, April 20
April is the month of the military child. On Wednesday, April 20 wear purple to help Belvedere celebrate and honor all FCPS military families and their children.
Outdoor Club Outing on April 30
Mark your calendars for the next Belvedere Outdoor Club outing on Saturday, April 30! We will visit Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. Kenilworth is a unique spot with aquatic gardens, a tidal marsh, and forested areas near the Anacostia River.
Look for detailed information and the permission form in next week’s Wednesday folder.
Seeking Career Day Speakers
We are thrilled to announce our upcoming Career Day at Belvedere Elementary School and we need your help to make it a success!
We are currently seeking parents, family members and neighbors of students from any grade level who are interested in sharing with students about their careers. Those who are interested in participating will be asked to give a short presentation (15-20 minutes) with time for questions.
Our fourth and fifth grade students will be participating in this event on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 from 9:30-12:05. We will also be inviting speakers into our first, second and third grade classrooms during May lessons.
Please see this letter and response form for more information. If you are interested in participating, please return the response form by April 25.
Thank you for your support!
Optional Student COVID-19 Screening Testing to End on April 22
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been providing a COVID-19 screening and diagnostic testing program to students and staff as part of its layered prevention strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the community level for Fairfax County is currently classified as low; this classification has continued for the past month. In addition, Fairfax Health District COVID-19 Vaccination Status information indicates that more than 70% of all Fairfax Health Districts residents have been fully vaccinated (defined by receiving two of a two-dose vaccine or one of a single-dose vaccine). More than 80% of residents have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Vaccination rates by age group indicates that more than 50% of students ages 5-11 and more than 90% of students ages 12-17 have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 Vaccinations are free and available at various locations in our community.
Based on these metrics and CDC guidance, FCPS will discontinue the following prevention strategies on April 22, 2022:
- Optional weekly screening testing for all schools
- Diagnostic testing for symptomatic students and staff at FCPS drive-through sites
Our last day for screening testing here at Belvedere will be Tuesday, April 19.
Costume Jewelry Donations Needed
In honor of Mother’s Day, the Belvedere PTA will be hosting a "Jewelry Shop for Mom" in early May. Every Belvedere student will be able to earn a ticket to "shop" for one free piece of costume jewelry for their mother, stepmother, grandmother, or other special woman in their life.
We’re collecting donations of gently used:
- necklaces
- bracelets
- pins
- pierced or clip earrings
If you have any costume jewelry you no longer wear, we’d be grateful to have it. The jewelry doesn’t have to be fancy – just something in good condition that might make a student and one of their "moms" smile on Mother’s Day.
We need about 1,000 pieces of jewelry to give the students a wide selection to choose from. We’re also accepting monetary donations to help pay for supplies – tissue paper, gift bags and card tags. Checks can be made payable to "Belvedere PTA" with "jewelry shop" in the memo line.
There’s a donation box in the Belvedere front office or you can contact Ann Sisson at 703-945-0228 or 2esisson@gmail.com to arrange a pick up.
Please submit all donations by April 27. Thank you!
PTA Plant Sale on Earth Day!
Plant Sale
Buy Plants for your Garden to Support Belvedere's PTA, donate plants to Belvedere's gardens, or donate directly to the Belvedere PTA!
Pre-order plants at: https://app.memberhub.gives/belvederebulldogs
DEADLINE EXTENDED!! The deadline for plant pre-orders has been extended to April 16! Plants must be picked up at Belvedere Saturday, April 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. If you do not wish to pre-order plants, there will be additional plants for sale on April 23.
Tour Belvedere's Gardens
When you come to pick up your plants, you can also take a tour of Belvedere's gardens, meadow, and woods, and speak with a Belvedere Student Educator!
We are looking for student volunteers to serve as tour guides, educators, and sales team on the day of the event. Families are also invited to volunteer.
There is something for everyone!
Please contact Amanda Grier at argrier@hotmail.com or 202-374-3435 (text or call) to volunteer. Students must be accompanied by an adult volunteer.
Spring Class Photos
We will be taking class group photos on Monday, April 18! To order the group photos, go to https://www.strawbridge.net, click on "Order Pictures and Yearbooks," and enter code FM374811.
For additional details, please see the flyer here.
Free School Physicals for Uninsured Children
Inova is offering free school physicals for students age 4-18 between April and August 2022 at the Inova Cares Clinic for Families at 8051 Sudley Road, Manassas VA 20109.
For an appointment, call 703-698-2550. Parents should take a copy of their child's vaccination record with them to the clinic.
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.
Justice HS Summer Basketball Camp
Justice High School is hosting a basketball camp for rising 4th through 9th graders from June 13-17. For more information, see the flyer below.
To register for the basketball camp, click here.
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!
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
- Thursday, April 14: COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Belvedere students
- Monday, April 18: Class Group Picture Day
- Tuesday, April 19: Kindergarten Orientation (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.)
- Wednesday, April 20: Purple Up! Day
- Tuesday, April 26: AAP Level IV Orientation (6:00 to 7:30 p.m.)
- Saturday, April 30: Outdoor Club Outing to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
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
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