From the School Administration
Dear Belvedere Families,
What a wonderful week it has been, filled with five full days of learning and growth! We’d like to take a moment to highlight the beautiful new mural from Task Tarea that now brightens our hallways. It’s a vibrant addition, and we owe a big thanks to our talented art teacher, Ms. Guzman, for coordinating and spearheading this amazing project. Be sure to check out our Instagram, where we’ve shared some heartwarming videos of students’ reactions to the mural. If you're not following us yet, we invite you to join our community online!
A big shoutout goes to our amazing PTA for hosting our first Movie Night of the year! We had a fantastic turnout, and it was a joyous evening for families and students alike. Your continued participation in these events makes all the difference in building a strong school community.
This week also brought some challenges, as we received the sad news of the passing of our beloved Spanish teacher, Ms. Carames. We know this has been a difficult time for many, and we want to thank everyone for the incredible support, compassion, and care you've shown. The strength of our Belvedere community truly shines in times like these, as we come together to support one another.
Wishing everyone a peaceful and restful weekend.
Sincerely,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal
Tara Boone, Assistant Principal
Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
National Hispanic Heritage Month
From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Calendar Reminder: Early-Release Mondays
The first 3 hour early-release Monday is on September 16th. Students will be dismissed at 1:05 pm. If you completed the Childcare Needs Form, your child will be provided with supervision and be dismissed at our usual time at 4:05 pm.
Please note, early childhood programs (PAC, ECCB, PreK, ECIP) will not be participating in early release Mondays - and will have their normal schedule.
Save the Date! Back to School Night!
Belvedere will be hosting our annual Back to School Night on Thursday, September 19th from 6-8 pm.
Come and see your child's classroom, meet their teachers, and learn more about the IB PYP program.
Information shared at Back to School Night is for parents and caregivers. If your child needs to attend, they will be provided a quiet activity in the back of the classroom.
Belvedere is on Instagram
Welcome back, Belvedere families! 🎉 New school year, new Instagram account! 📸 We’re thrilled to share all the incredible moments ahead. Stay tuned and follow along!
https://www.instagram.com/belvedereelem/
Registration is OPEN for Belvedere PTA’s After School Clubs!
Students can join weekly athletic, academic, and fine arts clubs after school like violin, running club, soccer, basketball, tennis, yoga, STEAM, and chess. The Fall 2024 session is 12 weeks beginning Tuesday, September 24 and ends on December 20. Students will be dismissed directly from their classrooms. Students must be picked up at 5:15 p.m. from Door 2 (Far left door at the front of the school). SACC students can be picked up by parents from SACC as usual. No Classes on student holidays and early release days.
Important Dates:
September 15: Scholarship Deadline
September 19: Registration Closes
Fall Session: September 24 to December 20
No clubs when school is closed or early dismissals.
We need volunteers to make the program successful. Parents who give 10 hours of their time will receive one free class for an entire next session and will receive priority registration. To volunteer or ask questions: Contact belvedereclubs@gmail.com
Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available for students on free/reduced lunch. Please complete an online scholarship application by September 15 and one of our volunteers will contact you. Click here to apply: https://www.belvederepta.org/scholarshipregistration
Register here: www.belvederepta.org
Mural Party
Please join us on the evening of September 17th from 6-7 pm for our Mural Party. Meet the artists who created our mural while you enjoy a snack from the food truck.
From our School Counselors
Career day is coming up on November 15th. We are seeking parents, family members, or neighbors of students from any grade level who are interesting in sharing about their careers. Please read this flyer for more details about the event and how to sign up.
✔️ Parent/Caregiver Checklist: Have You Completed These Important Forms?
We understand that the multiple school forms caregivers receive during the first weeks of school can feel overwhelming, but each one helps set your child up for a successful school year! If you do not have a SIS ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
🩹 Immunization Requirements
Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up to date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
You may check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to your school’s front office.
Alternative immunization documents (below) may also be provided to your school’s front office, but they may not be uploaded in ParentVUE:
- A healthcare provider’s written statement specifying all administered immunizations.
- A healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption.
- A notarized Religious Exemption form objecting to the administration of immunizations due to conflicts with religious tenets or practices.
Find more information on immunizations.
📋 Permission Forms
Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Parents can opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.
Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R)
The SR&R document explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses. Parents using SIS ParentVUE will be prompted to sign the document when logging in to that platform. A printable version of the document with a signature sheet is available on the SR&R webpage. This form should be signed and returned by Friday, September 30.
From the Advanced Academics Resource Teacher
Belvedere will host an Advanced Academics Information Session on Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 6:00 PM. Please join us to learn about the continuum of services available through the Advanced Academics Program. Information is also found in the FCPS AAP Fall Newsletter attached.
In Loving Memory of Rosa Carames
Please join us this Sunday, September 15th from 2-3 pm as we say goodbye to a loving mother, wife, teacher, and friend.
Location:
Grace Community Church
4238 Wilson Blvd, 2nd Floor
Arlington, VA 22203
🍽️ Fueling Student Success: New Food Options Cooked up at FCPS
Students will have more than a dozen new options for lunch and breakfast in school cafeterias starting this week. New menu items were either favorites at last year’s food show — including Korean BBQ wings, sweet Thai chili wings, chicken tikka masala, and barbacoa street tacos — or were tested with student focus groups and tastings.
View school menus to see all the new options and when they will become available.
✨ The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, Empowered
The Office of Food and Nutrition Services' updates to lunch menus align with FCPS’ Strategic Plan Goal #2 - Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered. The new menu options reflect the many voices and cultures represented around every FCPS lunch table!
FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.
As part of the second goal, we want each and every student to feel like they belong and have the support they need to thrive. See how Goal 2 is being put into practice.
FCPS CARES Program
The FCPS CARES Program allows parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees who go above and beyond to help others and show they care about their students, colleagues, and the community. We invite you to submit a story below to acknowledge the great work of an FCPS employee or group of employees who should receive FCPS CARES recognition.
Please take note of the following before submitting an FCPS CARES:
- A notification email, with the submission text included, will be sent to the recipient(s) and copied to the recipient's supervisor(s).
- All submissions will be posted to our FCPS CARES webpage and shared via other FCPS news outlets.
- Submissions containing personal or sensitive information may be edited to protect individuals' privacy.
- Feel free to compose your submission using a text editor such as Microsoft Word, and then paste it into the text box provided.
For questions, please email employeeawards@fcps.edu.
Read more and Submit an FCPS CARES today!
🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation!
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will host a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions.
The next event is scheduled for Monday, September 23, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Newington Forest Elementary School. Click on the date to register. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.
Family Literacy Program
Join FCPS’S Family Literacy Program and help your child succeed. Learn English, connect with your community, and become a partner in your child's education. This is for adults who want to learn English.
The Family Literacy program is free to families. Classes meet twice a week for two hours.
- Fall classes start in September and end in mid-December, before FCPS’s winter break.
- There are no classes offered in January.
- Spring classes start the first week in February and end at the end of April.
This program is yearlong. Students are expected to attend both the fall and spring classes.
Register
- Email or call the contact at the school where you want to attend classes. Find your school here.
- If there is space, you will be invited to attend a class, either virtually or in-person. Someone from the Family Literacy program will contact you via email or by phone. If you decide to participate in a virtual program, a class link (Google Meet or Zoom) will be shared with you.
- Sign up as soon as possible!!!!
Updated Laptop Policy for Students in Grades 3-5: Taking Laptops Home
Based on feedback from last year, we are adjusting our device policy for students in Grades 3-5. Moving forward, families will have the option to opt-in for their child to bring home a school-issued laptop.
Key Points:
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Opt-In Process: If your child needs to bring their laptop home regularly, please complete this opt-in form or let your child's teacher know that you'd like for them to bring their school-issued device home on a daily basis.
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Default Option: If you do not opt-in, your child’s laptop will stay at school unless a specific assignment requires it to be taken home. The teacher will give families notification when laptops are being sent home with your child.
This change aims to protect our devices while ensuring that all students have equitable access to the technology they need. We will also provide MiFi devices for families who need internet access at home. Please reach out to Mr. Downing (kwdowning@fcps.edu) or your child's teacher if you have any questions.
🔍 Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
🤒 When a Student Should Stay Home From School
Whether students miss school because of illness or any other reason, missing school leads to learning loss.
Help your child succeed by encouraging them to attend as many days as possible, but do make sure your child stays home if they are sick. Visit our website for information on when to keep your child at home.
If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to notify their teacher so that assistance can be provided if needed. Keep an open line of communication with your school's public health staff.
Read about how families can help form good attendance habits. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM)
Learn more about the criteria and process to apply for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch.
Movie Night Success!
Thank you to all the families who attended our first Movie Night of the 2024-2025 school year! An extra shoutout to the volunteers who were extremely helpful. From making popcorn to selling concessions, making lemonade, setting up, and cleaning up, we couldn't have done it without them!
Office Volunteer Opportunities
The main office is looking for two wonderful parent volunteers to cover the office once a week for one hour during a weekly staff meeting. Interested parents, please email Belvedere’s Administrative Assistant, Tasha Floyd at tnfloyd@fcps.edu.
Love to bake? Donate your goodies and support PTA
Sign up for the Election Day Bake + Wrapping Paper Fundraiser on Tuesday, Nov. 5! We will set up tables just outside the front entrance at Belvedere, which is a polling spot for the area. We have tons of opportunities to help from 6 a.m.-8 p.m., and you can also donate (or “purchase” – we take suggested donations) baked goods or rolls of wrapping paper.
Join us Oct. 22 to learn about PTA volunteer roles (and wine!)
Save the date: Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 6:30-8pm is Volunteer Night at Total Wine at the Plaza at Landmark. This adults-only gathering includes light refreshments and wine tasting, as well as nonalcoholic options. Learn more about volunteer opportunities; some require a few hours a week during a specific time of year and require just 1-2 hours for a single event.
All are welcome to meet the Board and other BES parents and caregivers, and learn more about the needs for this school year! If you can’t wait and want to help today, email bespta.va@gmail.com and we will share details on upcoming needs.
You belong in PTA
The Belvedere PTA needs 31 more people to join the organization to reach this year’s goal of 110 members! Why join? The PTA supports all Belvedere families and staff in many ways, including organizing major school events, offering enrichment and outreach activities; giving teacher grants and providing funding for field trips, library books and technology in the classroom. PTA works to build a strong school community outside the classroom through fun events like teacher appreciation celebrations, international night, read-a-thon and much more. Our dues help support these activities, as well as the National PTA mission to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
To become a member or make a direct donation to support our work, please go to https://www.belvederepta.org/membership and choose your membership type (Staff $5 or Parent $10) and/or Direct Donation to make a one-time or recurring donation.
Visit belvederepta.org for more information about our PTA or to make a donation.
Questions or concerns? Email bespta.va@gmail.com.
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, September 17th - Mural Party
- Thursday, September 19 - Back to School Night (6-8 pm)
Keep in Touch
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