From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
The end of the warm fall weather is here, and tomorrow there is rain in the forecast. We hope you stay warm this weekend. If you need a winter coat for your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher. We have some donated coats for students who need one.
As a reminder, Friday, November 11, is a student holiday/school planning day for the Veterans Day holiday. Veterans Day provides a great reason to pause, reflect, and recognize the extraordinary sacrifices our Veterans and their families have made on our behalf, and we thank them for their service. Learn more about the history of Veterans Day at va.gov.
FCPS students continue to have unlimited access to live, 24/7, 1-to-1, online tutoring services through Tutor.com at no cost to families during the 22-23 SY. Student participation is optional and parents/guardians can opt their student(s) out of accessing the services. Detailed information and FAQs are available on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services website.
Students can access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology. Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following: Elementary - How It Works and Middle & High - How It Works. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to onlinetutoring@fcps.edu.
We hope you enjoy the weekend.
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal, & Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Outdoor Club - Neabasco Creek Boardwalk
We couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather for last Saturday’s Outdoor Club trip to the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk. More than 60 people participated, including 28 students and their families. We explored the boardwalk, spotted turtles, and enjoyed the sunshine and fall colors.
Dads @ Belvedere
Dads at Belvedere (formerly Watch D.O.G.S.) is a program to help our school be positively impacted by the committed involvement of fathers and father-figures in their student’s life. Our goal is to have you spend at least one day this year at the school to be a positive male role-model. Dads this is your chance to get involved in a fun atmosphere at school!
Dads will volunteer at the school for one full day. School will provide the schedule to include activities such as: recess, lunch, specials, classroom time, etc.
Our kids love seeing the grown-ups in their life at school! Additionally, Dads are demonstrating through their presence that education is important.
Sign up for a day on our calendar using the Signup Genius below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090449A4A722A64-dads
Partners in Print - November 15th 5:15-7:00 PM.
We are so looking forward to our annual Partners In Print (PIP) Night that is back in person this year! We will be welcoming families to BES on Tuesday, November 15th from 5:15-7:15 PM. From 5:15-6:00 there will be a Spaghetti dinner served by the PTA and an opportunity for students to pick out books to take home. After that, there will be two learning sessions, 6:00-6:30 and 6:35- 7:00, for families to attend.
FLE Instruction Preview - Tuesday, November 15
Students in grades K-5 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher. Students in Kindergarten through grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit. Students in grades 4 and 5 receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle.
In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.
- Online in Schoology - includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for. Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available at your child’s school library.
- Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account.
- Your child’s school. Please contact the school to schedule a time to review lessons and/or media.
- City of Fairfax Regional Library – lessons only. Media is not available.
You are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 15 from 4:30-5:00 in the library. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.
Parents/guardians who do not wish to have their child participate in FLE instruction may choose to opt their child out of any or all of the lessons. If you would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please fill out the form provided to you in your child’s orientation packet at the beginning of the school year or you may access the opt out forms online at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle. If you have already indicated your desire to opt your child out of FLE lessons by using the form provided earlier in the school year, you do not need to complete another form. Should you opt your child out and then later decide you want your child included in FLE instruction, you must notify your child’s school principal in writing before instruction begins.
An alternative non-FLE health instructional program is provided for students who do not take part in FLE instruction, and every effort is made to foster understanding and respect for family choices and to avoid peer pressure for or against participation in the program.
Instruction occurs at various during the school year. Please contact your child’s teacher for specific dates of FLE instruction. We look forward to working as your partner in providing information that will help your child make healthy choices related to the exciting changes and new challenges he/she will be facing in the next few years.
AAP Screening and Identification for Full-Time (Level IV) Services for Grades 2-7
The Full-Time (Level IV) center services of the Advanced Academic Program in Fairfax County are designed for students who are highly motivated and who demonstrate an exceptional ability to apply knowledge and exceptional creative/productive thinking. In Fairfax County, there is a central-selection screening committee which reviews information on each student in grades 2-7 being considered for participation in the Full-Time Advanced Academic Program. This is the time of year to start thinking about whether or not to refer your child in grades 2-7 for Full-Time Services screening. All students need to be referred in order to be screened for services. The window closes on Thursday, December 15, 2022 to submit a referral for Full-Time Services.
Counselor's Corner
Click here to read the November Counselor's Newsletter!
Tutor.com
Does your child need homework help or feedback on their writing? How about a practice quiz to get ready for a test? Tutor.com is open to FCPS students in all grades, on-demand, 24/7, at no cost to families. Learn more.
Staying Healthy this Cold/Flu Season
Although the community level of COVID-19 in Fairfax County is currently low, cases of RSV, the flu, and other viruses are on the rise. It continues to be important to wash your hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, monitor your health daily, and stay home if you are sick. For more tips, visit our Return to School website.
Superintendent Community Conversations
Please save the date for a very special event! Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS superintendent, will host a Community Conversation at Justice High School on November 21st, 6:30-7:30 p.m. This event will be a unique opportunity to help Dr. Reid get to know our school community and learn more about her vision for our district.
Language interpretation will be provided, as available, as well as child care and light refreshments. Please register to attend.
Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native Americans. It is also a time to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges they have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
American Education Week: November 14-18
For American Education Week we celebrate ALL who work in our Belvedere community: our bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors, support staff, teachers, leadership and more! Learn more from the National Education Association. Want to recognize someone from our school who goes above and beyond? Submit a nomination to FCPS Cares.
Why Does FCPS Need a New Strategic Plan?
By now, you may have heard that FCPS is developing a new Strategic Plan. Here are some reasons why the school division is engaging in this important work. Our last strategic plan was developed in 2015. Since then, we experienced a pandemic that changed the way we think, a shift in technology that has seen eight new versions of the iPhone, and plans developed for the first manned mission to Mars.
Our students are preparing for careers that don’t exist today. In order to keep pace with these needs, we need to rethink our plans for the future—and how we will best serve our students for this new era. Employees, parents/caregivers, students, and our FCPS community must share the same purpose in order to recognize how we can move forward together.
We are all much more motivated, and successful, when we share clear end goals. Learn more on our Strategic Plan webpage.
How FCPS Develops Its School Year Calendar
In an annual planning process, Fairfax County Public Schools uses input from the community to develop the calendar for the following year. Our framework for creating the calendar is available online to ensure transparency, as we work to build a calendar that is inclusive and equitable. Watch your email for a feedback form, which will be shared with parents, staff, and middle and high school students.
Buses and Delays
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.
PTA News
Join the PTA!
The QR Code in last week's PTA Membership / Direct Donation Flyer is no longer working. Please do not use the QR code. In order to purchase a membership or make a direct donation, please go to belvederepta.memberhub.com/store and choose your membership type (Staff $5 or Parent $10) and/or select Direct Donation to make a one-time or recurring donation. Thank you again for supporting the Belvedere PTA!
Questions or concerns? Email bespta.va@gmail.com.
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, November 15: FLE Preview 4:30-5:00 PM (Library)
- Tuesday, November 15: PIP Night 5:15-7:00 PM
- Wednesday-Friday, November 23-25: No School (Thanksgiving)
- December 19-January 2: Winter Break
- Monday, January 16: No School (MLK Jr.'s Birthday)
- Wednesday, January 25: Early Release (End of Semester)
- Thurs-Fri, Jan. 26-27: No School (Staff Dev. and 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
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