"The Belle View Beat"-Belle View ES's Weekly Newsletter-February 27, 2026

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 02/27/2026 09:00 AM EST

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A Message from the Principal

Dear Belle View Families,

We had an absolute blast at the Winter Dance last Friday! It was a wonderful evening filled with music, laughter, and memorable moments for our students and families. A huge thank you to our amazing PTA for hosting such a fantastic event and to our dedicated 6th-grade families for managing all of the pizza and delicious treats for sale. Your time, energy, and support truly made the night a success, and we are so grateful for all you do to support our school community.

This week, we were thrilled to welcome a very special visitor — a young George Washington from The Mount Vernon Estate — who captivated our 2nd graders with stories and insights into history. It was an engaging and memorable experience that brought learning to life in a fun and meaningful way. In addition, students have been hard at work preparing for our first annual Spelling Bee, which will take place next Thursday, March 5, after school in our library. We are incredibly excited about this event and proud of our students for their enthusiasm and dedication, with nearly 60 students signed up to participate. We look forward to cheering them on and celebrating their efforts!

Have a great weekend, and I will see you around the View! 🐾

Principal Pluntke

Montessori @ Bucknell Elementary

Montessori Program: 2026-27 Lottery Application Now Open

The West Potomac Pyramid Montessori Program at Bucknell ES is now accepting applications for Pre-K and Kindergarten for the 2026-27 school year.

The Approach: Multi-age classrooms focused on discovery, independence, and hands-on learning.
No Tuition: New PreK students will attend tuition-free for the 2026-27 school year.
Key Dates: The lottery is now open. Apply by March 20 for initial consideration.
Eligbility: Open to eligible students living in the West Potomac Pyramid.

Explore the program and apply today at www.fcps.edu/montessori.

Questions? Email Montessori@fcps.edu.

Celebrating the Power of School Breakfast

Multiple studies show that school breakfast is important in supporting overall student health by improving students’ diets and combating food insecurity. Also, students who eat school breakfast consume more fruit and fiber than their peers.

This National School Breakfast Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services reminds families that they are dedicated to providing flavorful, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. New menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback.

Would you like to know what’s for breakfast? View Nutrition Services’ printable menus.

New Visitor Management System

We are excited to announce that our school is now using the new Raptor Visitor Management System (VMS). This upgrade is part of our school’s and FCPS’ ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety and streamlining the process for visitors at our school. The VMS ensures that no visitor is on the sex offender registry.

For most visitors, the user experience will be the same when you check-in at the front office.

But now there is also an app, which can make check-in’s even faster at school. Visitors who choose to download the RaptorSafe App and create a Raptor Passport can pre-verify their information before they get to school. The app will give you a QR code you can use when you check-in at school.

If you have questions or need assistance with the new system, please contact our front office. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe!

Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid

As a listening leader, connecting with community members across our school division is critical to FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) on:

Tuesday, March 3, at Waples Mill Elementary School.
Tuesday, March 17, from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., at Glen Forest Elementary School.
Monday, March 23, at Ravensworth Elementary School.
Monday, April 13, at Belle View Elementary School.
Monday, April 20, at Westgate Elementary School.
Wednesday, April 22, at Crestwood Elementary School.

Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.

Early Release Wednesdays

Early Release Wednesdays for the 2025-2026 school year. Belle View students will be dismissed at 12:55. Students will go home their usual way. SACC is open for those registered for afternoon SACC.

Please contact the administration if you have a childcare hardship.

March 25
April 29
May 20

National School Social Work WeekMarch 2-8 is National School Social Work Week. Social workers in FCPS help to prevent social, emotional, and behavioral factors from affecting a student's ability to perform at their best. Their primary goal is to remove barriers that prevent a student from fulfilling their academic potential. Social workers are assigned to every school and center in the school system. Most social workers serve one to two sites. Learn more about the role of social workers in FCPS.

A message from our Family Liaison, Mrs. Bartolome

FCPS Family Literary Program Weekly – Tuesdays and Thursdays Where: Virtual with West Potomac High School Who: Adult English Learner Families The Family Literacy program supports residents with limited English skills, building literacy and community connections for students and their families. The Family Literacy Program is part of the Office for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Services. It is designed to empower and connect English Learner families to their community and with their children’s school. Adult learners acquire basic English language skills while learning how to understand, participate, and support in their children’s education in Fairfax County Public Schools. Contacts listed below for registration: Rosa Rapavi rarapavi@fcps.edu 703-718-2588

Katherine Lodge klodge@fcps.edu 703-608-4407

My First Book Club Saturday, February 28^th from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Where: Martha Washington Library Who: Grades K-1 Do you love good stories and picture books? Join My First Book Club. Listen to read-alouds, talk about what you like about the books, and make a craft project. One Saturday per month. Register for each meeting online or by phone. Register Here

Build Like Banneker Saturday, February 28^th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Where: Sherwood Regional Library, Sherwood Meeting Room Who: School Age Children Experiment with clocks as inspired by Benjamin Banneker, a self-taught mathematician and one of the surveyors of Washington, D.C.! Registration Here

Fairfax County Youth Move – Bridging Minds Art Gallery Submissions Due: Sunday, March 1^st Where: Online Who: School Age Children Fairfax County Youth MOVE (FCYM) is hosting the Bridging Minds Art Gallery to showcase your work about experiences with mental health struggles and recovery. This is a time to showcase your art! You can submit a picture of your art or a copy of your writing (google docs, pdfs, etc. are accepted). Each year, pictures are printed onto foam board and displayed at an art gallery event and include written pieces in a booklet that people can read at the event or at home. A selection of the submissions will be included in a book that gets sent to stakeholders like Fairfax County Board of Supervisor Members. The following types of art are accepted:

Pictures of physical art - we cannot accept physical paintings or drawings or sculptures but will display the pictures you submit
Digital art
Photography
Videos (could be of dances, songs, digital movies, etc.)
Written work (e.g., poems, stories, memoirs, etc.)

2026 Middle School Transition Fair Future Planning for Elementary and Middle School Students in Special Education Wednesday, March 4^th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Luther Jackson Middle School Who: Parents & Caregivers It’s never too early or too late to start preparing for your future. We want to help you start planning for a successful transition from school to life as a young adult. Ensuring postsecondary success of our students with disabilities is dependent on what is known as transition planning. Please join Career and Transition Services (CTS) and other support service personnel for an evening focused on planning for the future.

You will have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of representatives from CTS programs and services for students with disabilities, as well as learn about short and long-term postsecondary supports, employment, postsecondary education considerations, Supported Decision Making, and student self-determination as an evidence-based predictor of post school success.

The schedule for the evening is: 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Exhibitor and Participant Registration 6:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Opening Session (Auditorium) 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Resource and Exhibitor Fair (Cafeteria) 7:15 PM - 8:15 PM: Family Panel (Auditorium) Register Here

First Saturday Book Sale Saturday, March 7^th from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Where: Sherwood Regional Library Who: All Ages Stop by the Friends of Sherwood Regional Library First Saturday Book Sale on the 2^nd floor. Choose from a wide variety of gently used books and media for all ages. Sale purchases support library programs for all ages.

The Connected Family: Navigating the Digital World Together Thursday, March 12^th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Where: Lorton Community Center 9520 Richmond Highway, Lorton, VA 22079 Who: All Families Technology connects us like never before, but it’s important to know how to stay safe while using it. This family workshop provides hands-on learning about internet safety to inform families of:

Today’s popular social sites and apps used by students
Effective strategies to engage youth in discussions regarding internet safety
Seven primary topics to discuss with youth that will remain important from kindergarten through adulthood

Join FCPS Intervention and Prevention Services to learn how your family can build healthy, secure, and positive habits online together. Interpreters and Childcare available.

Create Paper Bag Puppets of American Women Saturday, March 14^th from 2-3:00 p.m. Where: Martha Washington Library Who: Grades K-6 Women have been part of our country's story from the start! We will celebrate our favorite women history makers by making paper bag puppets to represent them. We'll have books on hand to give us good ideas and to provide the facts of their life stories. Registration Opens Saturday, February 28th at 2pm

Belle View Virtual Special Education Night Tuesday, March 17^th from 6-7:00 p.m. Where: Virtual Who: Parents & Caregivers Belle View Elementary is hosting a special education night with speakers from Fairfax County’s Therapeutic Recreation Services, Pulley Center, and a former Belle View family to share their experience from elementary to middle school. Zoom Link To join by phone: Dial (301) 715-8592 Meeting ID: 914 9198 7829 Passcode: 22307

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) 2025-26 School Year: October to May - Open Now! Where: In-person Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) partners with parents to prepare their children for success in school. Adult family members of 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds meet with their instructor for 1 hour each week to learn more about instructing their children at home.

For more information, please complete the interest form.

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) colabora con los padres para preparar a sus hijos para que tengan éxito en la escuela. Los padres o tutores de niños de 2, 3 y 4 años se reúnen con una instructora durante 1 hora cada semana para aprender más sobre cómo instruir a sus hijos en casa. Año escolar 2025-26: octubre-mayo – ¡INSCRIPCION ABIERTA

Para más información, complete la forma de interes.

Inova Cares for Families Who: All Ages Providing primary care for all ages, including Medicaid, FAMIS, financial assistance, and uninsured patients. Please call the clinic to schedule an initial well-adult or well-child visit. Locations:

Mount Vernon 8101 Hinson Farm Rd., Suite 415 Alexandria, VA 22306 Phone: 703.664.7005 Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Alexandria 4700 King Street, Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 22302 Phone: 571.665-6599 Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Have a question? Want to share your students' success? Click Here

Parents, Families, and Teachers can join today!!

$11 for Individuals/$20 for a Family

Join Today!

March 3-PTA Meeting -6pm-Virtual Meeting Link

March 5-Spelling Bee 4:30-7:30 pm in the library

March 9-13- Scholastic Book Fair in the library

March 10th-Family Literacy Night-5:30-7 pm

March 12th-Book Fair Open 5:30-7:30 pm

March 17-Virtual Special Education Night-6pm

Quick Links

6701 Fort Hunt Rd, Alexandria, VA 22307 | Main Office: 703-660-8300

Attendance: 703-660-8383 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

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