Belvedere News and Announcements


From the Administration

Dear Belvedere Family:

With Covid cases rising, we want to remind everyone of the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. The CDC released updated health guidance that included new metrics for determining COVID-19 community levels. Based on this new guidance, Fairfax County’s COVID-19 community level is medium and the following prevention steps are recommended:

Currently, there are no plans to close classrooms or schools due to public health/communicable disease reasons. Masks are optional for all students, staff, and visitors. FCPS encourages families and staff to consider wearing a mask when reports of COVID cases are high or if they or a family member is at high risk. CDC advises individuals to wear a mask when there is a lot of COVID in your community. See a full list of masking recommendations on the CDC website.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Best regards,

Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal


Belvedere Carnival Night on May 25!

We are excited for our first annual Carnival Night focused on literacy, mathematics & play! Join us for delicious snacks, games hosted by our creative staff and free books to enjoy at home!

Carnival Night will be held on the field and blacktop at Belvedere on Wednesday, May 25 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. (rain date: Thursday, May 26).

Belvedere families will get to choose at least two fun math and literacy experiences from a number of offerings by our staff. Students will also choose a math book, a new independent reading book and enter into a raffle for a playful prize!  All Belvedere students and families are invited!

For further information click here.


Field Day on June 2

The end of the school year is sneaking up upon us. We will be having our end of year Field Day celebration on Thursday, June 2. This is our day to celebrate all the growth and success the students had in Physical Education this year.

Please be on the lookout for this flyer in your child’s Wednesday folder for more details. We will need some volunteers to make this day a huge success. If you are available please have your child bring the flyer back to Mrs. Novak or Mr. Bowles before May 20.

Thank you for all your help and support!

--The PE Team


Yearbooks are Here!

Pre-ordered Yearbooks will be distributed to students in preschool through Grade 4 on Friday, May 20. (Students in Grade 5 received their Yearbooks earlier this month.)

If you did not pre-order a yearbook but would like to purchase one, a limited number of copies will be available in the main office beginning Monday, May 23.  The cost is $18 ($10 for students on free/reduced lunch); please provide exact change or a check payable to "Belvedere PTA."


5th Grade Promotion Ceremony

The 5th Grade promotion ceremony will be held on Friday, June 10 starting at 10:00 a.m.  Please join us in celebrating as we send our 5th graders off to middle school!

Each 5th grader has been issued 2 tickets for the ceremony, which should be in their Wednesday folders today. To maintain social distancing during the event, families are limited to 2 guests per 5th grader. There will be no exceptions to this limit.

Please sign in at the main office with you arrive before proceeding to the Gym.  If your child will be leaving after the ceremony, please be sure to check them out in the office.


From the Library

Like all FCPS schools, Belvedere’s school library books MUST be returned by Friday, May 27. On this date students may no longer borrow books from the school’s library and are encouraged to use their teacher’s classroom library and public library for the final two weeks of school.

During May, all children with late books have been given weekly reminders. If your child needs another look at what they have checked out from the library, they can access their checkouts in the “My Stuff” tab after logging into the library catalog with their FCPS Google credentials. If they cannot find a book looking “everywhere”, they should speak with our librarian, Ms. Jopeck.

Thank you for supporting your child’s love of reading!


Order Get Back in the Book by Larry Issa

Last week, our students in Kindergarten and grades 1 & 2 enjoyed an author visit by Larry Issa. Mr. Issa discussed his new book, Get Back in the Book.

Parents who wish to order a signed copy of the book should click here for more information.


FCPA Summer Camps

Fairfax County Park Authority offers many summer camp opportunities for children ages 3-17, including sports, chess, science, nature, technology, performing arts, swimming, adventure, cooking, and more!

Full-day and half-day programs are available, and extended care is available at some locations.

For more information, see the flyer here or see the camp guide here. To register, go to the FCPA website 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.


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

  • Wednesday, May 25: Belvedere Carnival Night (6:00 to 7:30 p.m.)
  • Monday, May 30: No School (Memorial Day)
  • Thursday, June 2: Field Day
  • Wednesday, June 8: 5th Grade PYP Exhibition
  • Friday, June 10: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony (10 a.m.) and Last Day of School (2-hour Early Release)

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

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FCPS Calendar: 2021-2022

FCPS Calendar: 2022-2023