From the Administration
Dear Belvedere Family:
This week we practiced what to do in the event of a tornado. All classes moved into safe areas in the hallways inside the building, away from windows, and students assumed a protective position, crouched to the ground with heads down. Everyone did an excellent job!
The 3rd Grade Seed Sale is this coming Tuesday, March 14, 1:15 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. and Wednesday, March 15, 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. (closed 11 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.) in the school lobby. Flower, herb, fruit, and vegetable seeds will cost $0.75 - $2.50, cash only. We welcome you to stop by and shop. Pre-order forms are coming home today in the Friday folders.
On March 9, 2023, the curriculum overviews and unit standards from the planning and pacing guides were posted on the FCPS public web. This information reflects the scope and sequence of core content areas across K-12. The objectives and outcomes for each unit are common across FCPS and based on the Virginia Standards of Learning. The pacing by quarter and by week provides an example of how the curriculum can be organized throughout the year. At Belvedere this organization happened through the grade level units of inquiry, four units in preschool and kindergarten and six units in grades one through five. You can access the website here: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-k-6
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal, & Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Your Views and Opinions Are Important to Us!
On Monday, March 13, Belvedere parents/guardians will be contacted through email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form Online. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and offers parents/guardians an opportunity to provide anonymous input about various topics related to our school. These topics include instructional leadership, school climate, management (human resources and organizational), communication and community relations, culturally responsive and equitable leadership, and professionalism.
The questionnaire will be collected online between March 13 and March 24. When you receive an email from FCPS Surveys, please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. Your opinions matter!
Daylight Saving Begins (Spring Forward)
Sunday, March 12, at 2 a.m., daylight saving time begins. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour! As a result of the time change, many students will be walking to school or to bus stops in the dark. Help your child stay safe by having them wear reflective clothing and bright or light colors, or add reflective items to their backpacks or clothes. Also, encourage your child to be especially alert for cars that are turning or backing up and not to run into the street or cross between parked cars.
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Seed Sale
Third grade will be holding a Seed Sale! Flower, herb, fruit, and vegetable seeds will cost $0.75 - $2.50, cash only. Quantities are limited, consider returning a pre-order form (available here) to request your seeds. The public is welcome to attend the sale.
When: Tuesday, March 14, 1:15 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. and Wednesday, March 15, 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. (closed 11 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.).
Where: Belvedere Elementary lobby
Belvedere Outdoor Club
Join Outdoor Club trip on Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Bull Run Regional Park. Outdoor Club meets on Saturday mornings several times per year to explore local parks with students and their families. Bus transportation is available from Belvedere and Barcroft View apartments. More information and permission slips were sent home in Friday folders (also available here). Space is limited and participation is first come, first served, as forms are received.
Outdoor Club trips are scheduled for 4/29 and 5/20. Please contact our Environmental Educator, Andrea Auerbach (asauerbach1@fcps.edu) with questions.
Author Visit and Family STEM Night - March 16
Join us on Thursday, March 16th in the Gym at 6:30 for an evening author visit and family STEM night with Erin Teagan! Preorder books by March 2nd
Check out all the details
Student Intention Forms for Next Year
All students have an intention form for next year in their Friday folders! This form lets us know who is returning or leaving Belvedere next school year. Please complete the top section of the form and return it to your child's teacher or the main office as soon us possible. Many thanks!
Parent Coffee with Ms. Vanderhye and Ms. Cabezas
Our next Parent Coffee will be on Friday March 24th from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Our conversation will center around the curriculum overviews and unit standards from the planning and pacing guides that were posted on the FCPS public web. We will explore how this is woven into the K-5 units of inquiry at Belvedere. We look forward to seeing you there.
Parent Internet Activity Reports
FCPS parents who are interested in knowing more about their child’s Internet browsing activity on an FCPS device can sign up to receive a weekly Parent Report from Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service. The report provides a list of the top sites the child visited that week.
Additionally, if parents wish to get more detailed information, the weekly Parent Report offers parents the ability to self-sign-up to the free Internet Use Parent Portal. Parents who sign up for the Internet Use Parent Portal can log-in any time to see a little more detail about their child’s internet browsing. The portal also offers the parent added ability to “pause” access to the internet during non-school hours on the FCPS device.
Interested parents can submit a request directly from the Technology Support for Families page for weekly Parent Reports. FCPS will validate the enrolling parent’s email in SIS, and once processed, the parent will receive a weekly report over each weekend from our internet content filtering service, Lightspeed. Feel free to include this information in any newsletters or informational outreach to FCPS parents.
Register Now! After School Enrichment Programs
Registration Information
Belvedere’s PTA is again offering after school enrichment programs! Students can join weekly athletic, academic, and fine arts classes like soccer, fencing, archery, basketball, tennis, running club, yoga, drama, cooking, chess, and STEAM.
The spring session starts Monday, March 13, 2023 and ends Friday, May 26, 2023. Registration is now open and available on a first come first served basis. Spots fill up quickly so don’t miss out! A limited number of scholarships are available for students who qualify for a free/reduced lunch.
The mobile version of our website has been corrected. If you had trouble yesterday registering from your mobile device, try again today!
Students will be dismissed directly from their classrooms to their club at the end of the school day. Students must be picked up at Door 2 (far left door at the front of the school) at 5:20pm. SACC students will be sent to SACC and parents may pick them up as usual. Clubs are canceled during student holidays and early release days.
Spots fill up quickly! Register here: www.belvederepta.org/programs
Email bespta.va@gmail.com with questions.
Donations for Scholarships
Please consider making a contribution to our scholarship program for the upcoming spring session so that more students can join our after school clubs. Your donations are tax deductible.
Please click here to make a donation: belvederepta.memberhub.com/store/items/817084
Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers to make the program successful. Email bespta.va@gmail.com to learn about volunteering.
Early Childhood and PreK Registration
Fairfax County Public Schools offers programs for the youngest learners through several programs.
Community liaisons are available to assist families with the registration process and answer any questions. For more information, visit the Early Childhood Registration webpage.
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration: It’s as Easy as 1-2-3…There’s an easy five-step process outlined for parents looking to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment.
After the appointment at the school (the student and one caregiver must be present), the student will be ready for orientation, Bridge to Kindergarten, or any other introductory events each school may host. Read more about the registration process.
Strategic Planning
Review Draft Goals for FCPS’ New Strategic Plan
Please take a moment to share your perspectives on the draft work-to-date related to the development of FCPS’ new Strategic Plan. Your input is important to this work and will help ensure a thriving future for each and every FCPS student.
FCPS emailed the survey link to all parents and caregivers on Monday, March 6. Please check your email, if you haven't had a chance to take the survey yet. If you are a community member who does not have a student enrolled in FCPS, please use this link to participate.
The survey is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Chinese, Urdu, and Vietnamese. All responses are anonymous and confidential. Information from the survey will be shared with and analyzed by Performance Fact, Inc. (PFI), the company FCPS hired to help create our Strategic Plan. Visit our Strategic Planning webpage for more details.
Opioid Awareness Meeting: The Dangers of Fentanyl in Our Community
Substance abuse and related behavioral health problems can have a major impact on students, families, and communities. These impacts have become even more serious because of the increasing prevalence of fentanyl in drugs and other substances. Fentanyl is an incredibly powerful and dangerous opioid. Small amounts of fentanyl can easily lead to life-threatening overdoses. In 2021, fentanyl was identified in 77.14% of U.S. adolescent overdose deaths. There is nothing more important to us than the safety and wellbeing of our students, families, and communities. Fairfax Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to join her for a community meeting on opioid awareness, Monday, March 13, 6:30-8 p.m., at Fairfax High School.
Dr. Reid will be joined by Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department, in welcoming the community to engage in this important conversation. Major Thea Pirnat of the Fairfax County Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureau will share information about drug trends in Fairfax County.
The Overdose Prevention Initiative: Outreach on Invisible Dangers, led by the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Virginia in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration, will present testimonials from individuals affected by the opioid epidemic, medical experts, and law enforcement representatives.
Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions about how Fairfax County agencies are working together to address these opioid issues in our community.Watch the video and learn more on our website. Register for the March 13 event.
Medicaid Policy Changes
A change in federal Medicaid policy could impact the health care coverage of millions of students. In order to avoid gaps in coverage, families need to know:
- Families, especially those who have moved residences during the pandemic, should contact their state Medicaid offices to ensure their contact information is up to date.
- Families should watch their mail for letters about Medicaid and the state Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, status.
- Recipients must submit any renewal forms they receive to maintain coverage, which states could mail at any point between March 2023 and February 2024.
- Families who no longer qualify for Medicaid after the review may qualify for coverage through their state’s health insurance exchange.
Learn more in this EducationWeek article.
Summer Learning Opportunities
Tech Adventure Camps Summer 2023
This weekly summer program gives students the opportunity to explore exciting paths in Career and Technical Education, including STEAM, culinary, health, trades, and computer science.
Open to students in grades K-6 during the 2022-23 school year. Students currently in grades 7-11 may participate in CTE Summer Academy. Space is limited and registration is on a first-come basis until seats are filled.
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Host School: Lake Braddock Secondary
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Tuition: $275 per week
- Students eligible for free and reduced lunch: No tuition.*
*To be eligible, students must apply on Free and Reduced Meals website. You must allow your benefits to be shared or submit the Consent to Share Information Form.
Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA): Camps and Institutes
A summer exploration of the arts for elementary school students currently in grades 2-5.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for elementary-aged students who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four classes every day related to dance, music, theatre, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create classes that are fun and engaging.
Registrations open February 1st
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Program Cost: $265 a week (week one is a reduced week $159).
- Students eligible for free and reduced lunch: No tuition.*
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Program Dates: July 5-28, 2023
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Program Times: 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
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Host School: Lake Braddock Secondary
*To be eligible, students must apply on Free and Reduced Meals website. You must allow your benefits to be shared or submit the Consent to Share Information Form.
For more information contact: EIFTA@fcps.edu
From the Belvedere School Counseling Team
Rising 6th Grade Course Selections
Course selections are DUE in the google form in Schoology by March 15, 2023. Counselors are able to make changes until the deadline. Please reach out to Paige Simpson or Tracy Ballard with questions or concerns about academic advising!
PTA Volunteer Opportunities
Want to help? We have many ways
Silent Auction this April!
Please join us in making this year's silent auction the best yet! We are looking for people to help us get donations, set up the website, and even help organize an in person portion. If you can help with anything, even have some suggestions for some auction items- LET US KNOW! Join us in bringing in some funds to help our incredible school and hopefully have some fun too. I am hoping to have a "party" during the last hours of the auction for all volunteers so we can enjoy our hard work together. If interested in joining Maddie and Theresa please email at theresacanopa@gmail.com or snowbird_105@yahoo.com
Family Center Needs
The Family Center is running low on boys and girls pants, especially big sizes (8, 10 , 12) . We would appreciate any new or gently used donations.
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
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!
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
- Monday-Friday, April 3-7: Spring Break
- Thursday, April 13- Early Release
- Friday, April 14 - Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
- Friday, April 21 - No School (Eid al Fitr)
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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