Fort Belvoir Upper School Weeks at a Glance 12/2/2022

Weekend

December 19- January 2:  Winter Break 
(No School)

January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday 
(No School)

January 25: 2-Hour Early Release                        (End of 2nd Quarter)

January 26-27: Student Holiday (No School)



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FCPS will be asking ALL families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid. Returning this form is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

For each school-aged child in your household, please complete, sign, date, and return the survey to your child's school. If sections 1 and 2 of the survey do not apply to you, just check the box in Section 3.

All forms must be signed, dated, and returned by November 4. All results are confidential. 

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 Schools Adopting Text and Translation Platform

FCPS has recently adopted TalkingPoints, a two-way messaging app that allows parents and caregivers to communicate with teachers and schools. For more information, visit the FCPS TalkingPoints webpage.

The app translates messages, so teachers can input messages in English and parents can respond in their preferred language. TalkingPoints supports 125 languages, making it easier and faster for our FCPS families to connect with their schools.


Message from our Parent Liaison, Ms. Elliott

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Update Emergency Care Contacts in SIS

Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to ensuring that the climate in all FCPS facilities is safe and secure. In support of this goal, FCPS provides weCare@school (weCare), an emergency care information system, available to FCPS parents and guardians who have registered for their own Parent account. 

weCare helps manage emergency medical information by enabling parents to go online to enter and update their children’s medical data at their convenience. Contact information provided automatically enrolls parents to receive eNotify communications from the district and their child’s school. eNotify is the communications tool for FCPS emergency, transportation, attendance, weather closings and delays, and essential outreach messages. Messages are sent via email and text messages. Occasional phone messages are sent as well

Get more information about updating your emergency care information.


weather


Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made

FCPS’ inclement weather procedures will remain the same as last year. The first five inclement weather days will be traditional “snow days” with no school activities. After those five days, we will use the flexibility provided by the Virginia General Assembly to have unscheduled virtual learning days, whenever possible, to maintain the continuity of learning. Virtual learning on these days will be synchronous/live instruction, following the inclement weather virtual learning day schedule (includes a two-hour delay).

FCPS’ website is generally the first mode of communication during emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated

Be sure to plan ahead for the winter season. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in weCare@school, bookmark the FCPS website, plan for childcare, if appropriate, and know what items your child may need to take home before a weather event.


Multicultural and Language Resources for Families

During National Family Engagement Month, the Office of Family and School Partnerships would like to remind families of some of the resources available to them:

  • Bilingual community liaisons support student registrars by providing families with information about school and community services offered in Fairfax County. Liaisons are available to help families speaking Spanish, Korean, and Arabic. Once registered at a school, families can contact their family liaison for assistance. 
  • Early literacy programs are available to Fairfax County residents for parents of children up to 5 years old. These programs help prepare children for school and build confidence in parents as their child’s first teacher. They also help parents become active partners in their child’s education. Programs are available in African-Heritage, Arabic, Spanish, and Korean. 
  • Parent Information Phone Lines are available in eight languages for parents who speak languages other than English. 
  • A Multilingual Family Podcast is produced by the offices of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Family and School Partnerships, and Professional Learning and Equity. It covers important information for parents in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Korean.
  • ESOL services are available in Fairfax County for students as well as adults. Information on spring classes will be posted in March 2023.

Additional resources are available on the Family Engagement webpage


Low-Cost Internet for Free and Reduced-Price Eligible Students

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a new FCC program to lower internet costs for families with children who have been eligible for free or reduced-price meals within the last 12 months. A qualifying household will receive $30 per month toward internet services and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. Families can check their eligibility and register at AffordableConnectivity.gov or by calling 877-384-2575.

Visit our Free and Reduced-Price Meals website for more information on the criteria to be eligible and how to apply. 


 FCPS Cares!

The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees at Fort Belvoir Upper ES. We love our FBES staff members, let's tell them how we feel!


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Resource

2022-23 School Year Calendar