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Dates to Remember:
NO SCHOOL-9/9/25
PTA/PTO Meeting-9/10/25
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Fort Belvoir Upper News
Principal's Message
Welcome to a new school year, Fort Belvoir Upper School families! We hope you all had a great time at our Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 3rd. It was wonderful to see so many of you and we appreciate your support.
Every Day Counts: Setting Your Child Up for Success September is Attendance Awareness Month. There are many ways parents and caregivers can help their children create healthy routines and make a habit of getting to school on time every day. Some examples include:
● Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. (Need help? Download this checklist in English or Spanish.)
● Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
● If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
● Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
● When possible, avoid medical appointments or extended trips when school is in session.
Visit the FCPS website for more attendance tips and resources. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
Jennifer Laxton
Principal
Fort Belvoir Upper Elementary School
571-982-1300
Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS At Fort Belvoir Upper, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students.
Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe.
These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care.
We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit [Volunteer FCPS], click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.
As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
No-Cost Meals Available for Students on September 9 We’re excited to share that our school will be offering lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on Tuesday, September 9.
As a reminder, all FCPS schools will be closed for students and school staff on September 9 due to a special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. Many FCPS schools serve as election sites. Since our school is not an election site, we will be able to provide student meals.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Lunch and a snack will be served together from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Meals must be eaten on site at participating schools.
- Enrichment activities will be available for children. Participation is encouraged but not required.
- Only children 18 and under may receive meals.
- Each child may receive one lunch and one snack.
We are proud to support our students’ health and well-being, even on days when school is not in session. We hope to see many of our families take advantage of this opportunity! View a list of all school sites that will be providing meals for children on September 9. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800.
School Liason & Ambassador News
Early Release Wednesday Afterschool Care
During Early Release Wednesdays, schools will be offering afterschool care when that works best for families. To support schools in knowing which students are staying afterschool, families will need to OPT IN to afterschool care on the digital consent app. The consent form location can be found in the BOY Digital consent App under Early Release Wednesday. Parent selection deadline will be August 25, but the form will officially close on September 1 in case families miss the deadline. Any changes after September 1 must be communicated directly to the school. Schools should plan to communicate to parents prior to each early release to confirm childcare needs and plan for future changes.
The form defaults to students being dismissed early. Parents must complete the form to opt in to afterschool care. Schools/teachers must confirm dismissal plans with students for both early release times. If families need support in using the digital consent app, they can find more information using this link: Digital Consent Directions for Families. Staff who need support in navigating the digital consent app can find more information using this link: ERW Consent Form Directions
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Dear Parents,
Please be sure to make childcare arrangements on our early dismissal Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. each month! 😊
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