From the School Administration
Dear Belvedere Families,
We hope you enjoyed time with your family and loved ones during the holiday break. The recent snowfall has given us the gift of an unexpected extended break and we hope you and your children enjoyed the weather and cozied up in the warmth of your home.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our incredible custodial staff for their tireless efforts in clearing the snow from our sidewalks, stairs, and parking lots. Your hard work ensures the safety and comfort of everyone, and we truly appreciate all that you do.
We’d also like to remind you that our next PTA meeting will be held next Wednesday at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be both in-person and virtual, and we hope you’ll join us to share ideas, stay connected, and support our wonderful community.
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to have our halls filled with energy, smiles, and a renewed sense of purpose. Here’s to a year of growth, connection, and success for all!
Warm regards,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Principal
Tara Boone, Assistant Principal
Kelly Cabezas, Assistant Principal
Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
Based on community feedback from the first quarter closure, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in the SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps.
Moving forward, the app will close in alignment with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view their assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the second quarter from Tuesday, January 28, 4 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 6 a.m.
Access Your Child’s Grades Through SIS ParentVue
Learn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.
📵 Phones Down, Engagement Up: FCPS Cell Phone Policy
Keeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office at (703) 916-6800.
📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
❄️ Be Among the First to Hear About School Delays/Closings
Watch this video to see how FCPS makes weather closing decisions.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about 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 among the first to hear about weather delays and closings! Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE. Emails and text messages are sent to parents and caregivers based on the addresses and cell phone numbers entered on this platform.
🗺️ Dual Language Immersion Lottery Registration
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program will open on Monday, January 13, 2025. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion program for the 2024-25 school year.
Dual Language Immersion is available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Visit the Dual Language Immersion Program Registration page for a list of meetings by language offered.
Get more information on the DLI Program webpage and DLI Program Registration webpage.
🖥️ Free Webinars and Events for Families
In January, the Family Resource Center (FRC) will host webinars for families on:
Sign up for the FRC newsletter or visit their webinar webpage.
Upcoming Family Academy Events
You are an important part of your child's education! The FCPS Family Academy compiles classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by FCPS to help you support your child's needs and learning at home. Browse Family Academy offerings.
Course Selection for Middle and High School Students
Beginning in January 2025, rising 6th – 12th grade students meet with their counselors to discuss course selection for the next school year. Families are encouraged to actively participate in this important process.
As students choose courses, it is important for them to consider:
- Current academic strengths and habits.
- Graduation requirements (high school students).
- Interests and career and postsecondary goals.
- Personal well-being.
- Extracurricular activities and other commitments that may impact students’ time and energy.
School-life balance is an important consideration for students as they strive for academic and personal success. Families are welcome to contact their student’s school counselor with questions.
Winter Special Education and 504 Newsletter
The latest issue of the FCPS Special Education and 504 Newsletter is available online. Topics in this issue include:
- Community Resources for Families of Students with Disabilities
- Save the Date: 2025 Family Summit
- SEL Screener Results
- New Accessibility Resources
- Adapted Physical Education and Recreation Program
- Why Some Students with Disabilities Stay in FCPS Until Age 22
- VR Programs Supports Out-of-State Post Secondary Schools
- Executive Functioning Webinars
- Early Literacy Resources
- ESY and Assessment Webinar
- COVID-19 Compensatory Education: FCPS Service Delivery Options
Subscribe to the Special Education and 504 Newsletter.
📍 Comprehensive Boundary Review Update
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its second meeting on December 16 at Gatehouse Administration Center. View key takeaways from that meeting and access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received. If you did not get a chance to attend an in-person Community Boundary Review Meeting, please consider participating in a virtual meeting:
- Friday, January 10, 2025, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30-11 a.m.
- Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Monday, February 10, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
Language interpretation will be available.
All virtual meetings will follow the same format as the in-person meetings that were recently held, and the same information will be shared. Please stay tuned for details on how to register. Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to learn more. Sign up for FCPS’ School Boundary Review newsletter as well.
🍲 Food Assistance and Resource Guide
Food insecurity impacts more than 96,000 Fairfax County residents. There are many resources available to support those who need food assistance. Learn how to help these families and the many resources available to support those who need food assistance on Fairfax County’s website or view the county’s Human Services Resource Guide.
If you need further assistance please contact either Jeffrey Hewitt, Social Worker, or Belvedere's Family Liaison, Iva Plazas.
📚 Bundle Up With Books Over Break
Fairfax County Public Library’s (FCPL) winter reading adventure has begun and will continue through Friday, January 31, 2025. Visit your local FCPL library branch or visit their website to register and get a sneak peek at the prizes being offered.
Check out their Winter Reading Events webpage to learn about laser tag, movie nights, crafting sessions, Noon-Year Eve celebrations, and book discussions.
Free Birthday Cakes for Youth
Cake4Kids is a nonprofit that delivers free, custom homemade or any other celebratory sweets to at-risk and underserved youth in the Northern Virginia area.
Contact Mrs. Plazas for more information.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- National Merit Commended Scholars
- Celebrating the Best of 2024 in FCPS
- Cell Phones Off, Learning On
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
NEW DATE: Join us to Discuss 2025 Plans & Activities
This month’s community meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 6:30 pm. We will discuss plans as we head into 2025, including VIP + Me on Jan. 22 and 23 and Family Culture Night in February. PTA meetings last about an hour and are offered in a hybrid format – both online and in person in the BES cafeteria. Spanish translation is available as part of the virtual format, so please join us via Zoom if you require Spanish support.
The virtual link will be shared via News You Choose and via MemberHub (PTA’s communication link for members) in advance of the meeting. Children are welcome to join in person at Belvedere, and there will be space for them in the cafeteria to snack, play games, use electronics, read and/or color. All staff and BES families are welcome to join these meetings, share ideas, ask questions and volunteer. You must be a PTA member to vote on any financial decisions made during meetings.
Spirit Night: Taco Zocalo on Jan. 23
The first Spirit Night of 2025 will be at Taco Zocalo’s new location in Barcroft Plaza (6343-D Columbia Pike, Falls Church) on Jan. 23. Dinner orders – including to-go, delivery and dine-in – from 5-9 p.m. will count toward our event total. Take a look at their menu and share the news with your neighborhood!
Volunteer Opportunities: A Few Hours Can Help
We are looking for volunteers to help with leading these upcoming activities. Don’t want to go it alone? Any of these volunteer needs can be shared.
Restaurant Night Coordinator: Connect with local restaurants and food trucks to create Restaurant Nights for the BES community every other month. Time commitment: 2-3 hours every other month until June 2025.
VIP & Me: Volunteer to set up continental breakfast and help plan two morning family-student events on Jan. 22 + 23. Time commitment: Less than 4 hours total, including event time (before school).
Movie Night Coordinator: Work with PTA leaders to coordinate our next Movie Night in late February. Time commitment: Less than 6 hours total, including day-of Movie Night needs.
School Directory Coordinator: Explore this opportunity to create a much-requested school resource. Time commitment: A few hours a month during the school year. Interested in any of these opportunities or other PTA volunteer needs? Send a note to bespta.va@gmail.com.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM)
Learn more about the criteria and process to apply for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch.
If you need assistance with the Free and Reduced-Meal application, please visit Belvedere's Family Liaison, Mrs. Plazas in the Parent Center or you may call her office at (703) 916-6824
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!
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/
January is National Mentoring Month!
Imagine a world where young people feel empowered, encouraged, and understood. Mentors can make that world a reality by helping young people find and follow their passions, excel in school, and thrive wherever they are.Learn more about Mentoring Month.
Research has shown that young people with at least one trusted mentor are less likely to skip school, less likely to use illegal drugs or drink alcohol, and more prepared to enter college or the workforce. Yet one in three children lack a mentor.
All it takes is one person to serve as a trusted adult to help change a young person’s path in life. Mentors provide attention, support, and enrichment, and help connect their mentees to resources that may help them on their journey in life.
The FCPS MentorWorks program matches mentors with students in schools near where they live or work. They meet for at least 30 minutes a week. Learn more about how to become a mentor for an FCPS student. Contact Martha Macdonald, mentoring specialist, for additional information at mmacdonald@fcps.edu.
Upcoming Dates
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January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. See the complete school year calendar.
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January 29 - Quarter End, Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year falls at quarter end on Wednesday, January 29. The day will be a teacher work day and there will be no school for students. See the complete school year calendar.
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