From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
The first two weeks of school have gone by in a flash. Walking through the school hallways and visiting classrooms, it seems as if we have been in school for months. Everyone is settled into the new school year routine, and students are engaged in learning across the curriculum. Teaching teams are planning with a focus on joyful, meaningful, and explorative opportunities for learning for all students.
This week was the beginning of the school year for our preschool students in the Class-Based, FCPS PK, and ECIP programs. Our youngest students ages 2-5 joined their friends and teachers in learning through play and discovery. This year we are excited to have all PK students participating in art, music, and library.
The first PTA meeting of the year will take place next week on September 7 from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. This will be a virtual meeting via Zoom. We look forward to seeing you there.
With the long weekend ahead, we wish you time to enjoy with family and friends.
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal and Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Here are some helpful tips for families to use to support their students before and after school lockdown drills. Working together, we create a safe, secure environment for students to learn and grow in our schools.
Labor Day
Friday, Sept, 2, and Monday, Sept. 5, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.
Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications
The extension of the no-cost meals benefit to all students expired at the end of the 2021-22 school year, meaning families must submit an application and be approved to be eligible for free and reduced-price meals for the 2022-23 school year. Download this flier for more information!
The application for the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program is now available online.
We need Community Mentors!
Families, we are in need of community mentors for students at Belvedere. It is a great opportunity to connect with a Belvedere student weekly. We already have fabulous staff members participating and mentoring some of our students. Please contact one of our school counselors, Tracy Ballard, if you are interested! Her email is: Tmballard@fcps.edu
Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R)
The Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. Read the Letter from the Superintendent on the 2022-23 Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Guide for Families.
Please review the SR&R for school year 22-23 and submit your e-signature through ParentVue.
FLE Parent Preview
All parents and guardians now have access to all Family Life Education lessons and resources. You can preview the lessons and resources in our Belvedere All Parents/Guardians course in Schoology.
Parental Permission to Use Digital Resources
|
Some of the digital resources your child may use this year require parental consent for student use. Parents must visit the Digital Resources at Belvedere site for information and to provide consent for use. Your child will not have access to certain resources and tools until your consent is provided.
|
School Opening Parent Checklist
We have created a checklist for parents and guardians to keep track of important action items to complete at the beginning of the school year. Please reach out to our main office if you need any help accessing or filling out the forms.
Buses and Delays
Please be aware that all of us are getting used to new routines at the start of the school year. Thank you for your patience as those routines are established. If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Use code 28982 when registering for Here Comes the Bus.
Text Messages for Parents
Parents can Receive Text Messages from FCPS for Emergencies and Essential Information
Make sure your cell phone numbers are listed in the parent/guardian contact information section on the emergency care information form for each of your children. Parents and guardians can view and update emergency contact information online using weCare@school.
Text messages will be sent in the event of emergencies, delays or school closings, if buses are running more than 30 minutes late, if your student missed the morning attendance deadline, and for other important reminders.
Standard message and data charges may apply for text messages depending on your cell phone service plan. More about text messages is available online.
COVID Updates
FCPS sent an update on COVID-19 layered prevention strategies that will continue to be in place this school year. While we had hoped that the pandemic would be behind us, it seems that COVID will be something we must manage as a community for the foreseeable future. FCPS will continue to follow the guidance of national, state, and local health experts when determining the layered prevention strategies that are needed to keep our schools safe and open for learning. It is important that we all work together towards this goal.
Highlights from that guidance include:
- FCPS continues to require families to review the Daily Health Screening before sending students to school.
- The 5 Day Isolation Period will continue for COVID positive students and staff.
- The CDC recommends the COVID vaccine as a safe and effective way of significantly lowering your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death if you get infected. Vaccines are now available for our youngest students. However, COVID vaccines are not part of the required immunizations for school entry.
- At this time, masks are not required. The current CDC COVID-19 Community Level for Fairfax County is low. However, should the community level rise to “high,” FCPS would then require all students, staff, and visitors to wear a face covering when indoors on school property (to include the buildings, school buses and other school provided vehicles; except while actively eating/drinking). The Code of Virginia allows parents/legal guardians to elect for their child not to wear a face covering while on school property.
- Diagnostic testing will be available beginning Tuesday, August 16, for FCPS students and staff who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Information on diagnostic testing will continue to be updated on our website.
- FCPS will no longer send a daily or weekly COVID case update. Parents/Guardians will only receive an email from their child’s school when several cases of COVID-19 occur in a single classroom, sports team, or extracurricular activity within a 14-day period. Individual case reports will be available on the FCPS COVID-19 Dashboard on our website.
To stay up to date, please continue to review our Health and Safety Guidance on our website.
PTA News
Virtual PTA Meeting - Wednesday, September 7th
Belvedere PTA will be hosting a virtual PTA meeting on Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. Join us on zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82097906666 (Meeting ID: 820 9790 6666) ( One tap mobile +16469313860,,82097906666# US).
BES PTA Restaurant Night - Saté Truck
Download this flyer to place your order! Pick up will take place on September 8th between 4:30-7:30pm in the Belvedere parking lot.
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
- Friday, September 2 - Monday, September 5: No School (Labor Day)
- Thursday, September 22: Back to School Night (Virtual)
- Monday, September 26: No School (Teacher Work Day)
- Wednesday, October 5: No School (Yom Kippur)
- Monday, October 10: No School (Staff Dev.)
- Monday, October 24: No School (Diwali)
- Monday, October 31: No School (Teacher Workday)
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: 2022-2023
|
