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አማርኛ: ይህን ጋዜጣ ለመተርጎም ከላይ የመረጡትን ቋንቋ ይጫኑ።
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中文: 点击上方您选择的语言来翻译本期通讯。
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We finished our first week of school! Our students spent the week building classroom communities, exploring new routines, reading, collaborating, learning, and having fun. We are so proud of the positive start our students have made!
Check out our reel to see the highlights, and follow us on Instagram for more Belvedere updates!
Wednesday, September 2 - First Belvedere PTA Meeting
Friday, September 4 - Labor Day Holiday - Division Closed
Monday, September 7 - Labor Day Holiday - Division Closed
Wednesday, September 16- PTA Sponsored Movie Night
Thursday, September 17- AAP Continuum of Services Information Session
Monday, September 21 - Yom Kippur - Division Closed
Wednesday, September 23- Back to School Night
Monday, October 12 - Staff Development Day - Student Holiday
Dear Belvedere Families,
It has been a fabulous first week of school! Our students have been actively learning routines and expectations while also engaging in meaningful academic content and learning experiences. Thank you for your patience with our arrival and dismissal procedures. Things have been smooth, and we appreciate your support as we all settle into our routines.
We want to highlight a few important reminders and new things this school year: smartwatches, student ID cards for bus transportation, attendance, transportation changes, and ParentVUE forms.
⌚ Smartwatches and Cell Phones
Students are not permitted to wear smartwatches at school. Please make sure smartwatches stay at home.
If your child has a cell phone, please remember that cell phones should be turned off while students are at school and kept in the student's backpack. Thank you for helping us minimize distractions and keep students focused on learning.
🚌 Student ID Cards and Bus Transportation
We distributed student ID cards to all students who ride the school bus. Your child's ID card is attached, or will be attached, to their backpack.
Students with ID cards should tap their card as they board and exit the bus. You can see how the process works in this short video.
At this time, only students who use FCPS transportation services will receive a student ID card.
We ask for your patience! Bus drivers are checking students in as they board and exit, which may take a little extra time at each bus stop. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays as everyone becomes familiar with the new process.
You can learn more about the bus navigation system and student ID cards here.
📞 Absences and Transportation Changes
If your child will be absent from school, please call the Belvedere office at 703-916-6868 to report the absence.
If your child will have a change in transportation for the day, please contact the Belvedere office no later than 3:30 p.m. Messaging your child's teacher alone may not result in the necessary transportation change taking place. Calling the office ensures that we have the information we need to make the appropriate arrangements.
📝 ParentVUE Forms
Please take a moment to log into ParentVUE to access the digital consent and opt-out forms that need to be reviewed and completed. Thank you for taking care of these forms early in the school year.
Thank you for your continued patience, support, and partnership as we begin another great year at Belvedere!
Warmly,
Cecilia Vanderhye, Tara Boone, and Jess Duvel
Belvedere Elem Administration Team
Friday, September 4, and Monday, September 7, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS students and employees.
Virginia legislation requires that schools opening before Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately before Labor Day.
We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.
Fairfax County Public Schools is currently conducting several school boundary studies. One of these studies involves the Glasgow Middle School community, including Belvedere Elementary and Beech Tree Elementary.
Please note that the meeting previously advertised for September 23 at Edison High School is for a different boundary study and is not the meeting for the Glasgow Middle School boundary study.
A separate community meeting will be held for the school communities involved in the Glasgow Middle School boundary study. The date and location have not yet been determined, but the meeting is expected to take place in late September. FCPS will share additional information when the meeting details are finalized.
For an overview of FCPS boundary studies, visit the FCPS School Boundary Adjustments page.
For information specific to the Glasgow Middle School boundary study, visit the Glasgow Boundary Study information page.
Welcome back, Bulldogs and a very warm welcome to our new BES families! Belvedere Elementary School is proud to be one of only two elementary schools in Fairfax County that offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP). Watch this space throughout the year to find out more about PYP learning at Belvedere. Please feel free to email our PYP Coordinator, Margot Hwang (mahwang@fcps.edu) if you have any questions about the program.
Are you working your way through back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find important forms and updates.
- Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in ParentVUE. To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon.
- Submit daylong absences by clicking “Report Absence.”
If you do not have a ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
Families can now easily grant consent for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account login. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of a variety of resources, including online educational tools, school counseling services, and more.
Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.
We have distributed student ID cards to all our students who ride the school bus or use FCPS transportation services.
ID cards should be worn or attached to your child’s backpack and brought to the bus each day.
Students who have student ID cards should begin tapping as they board and exit the bus. Only students who use FCPS transportation services will be provided with a student ID card at this time.
We ask for your patience! Bus drivers are checking in students and may need some extra time at each bus stop while they do this. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays.
Learn more about the bus navigation and student ID cards.
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your child’s bus.
If your child’s bus is delayed, you may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Please contact the Transportation Office at [phone number] with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.
Dear Belvedere Families,
Welcome back to the 2026–2027 school year! My name is Ivanova Plazas, and I am your School Family Liaison here at Belvedere. I work in the Family Center, a welcoming space where I would love to see you and your family visit often!
Backpack Friday Program
Our Family Center offers a weekly program called Backpack Friday. This program provides students with a bag of nutritious food to take home for the weekend.
Your child may participate in Backpack Friday once you let us know that your family is enrolled and qualified for the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Program.
Please note that, unlike some other schools where free meals are universal, Belvedere requires families to apply each school year in order for students to receive free or reduced-price meals. Please make sure you complete an application for the 2026–2027 school year.
For more information about the program and to complete the 2026-2027 application, please visit www.fcps.edu/frm.
Once your student receives a qualification letter confirming eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, they may participate in the Backpack Friday program.
When and Where?
Starting next Friday, September 4, students who are enrolled in the program may pick up a food bag every Friday morning at the Family Center.
If you would like your child to participate in Backpack Friday, or if you have any questions, please let me know. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please let me know as well.
I look forward to working with you and your family this school year. Please stop by the Family Center anytime—I am happy to help connect you with resources and support!
Warmly,
Ivanova Plazas
School Family Liaison
Check out some tips to help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:
- Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
- Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
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Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens.
Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.
Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records
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. Prior to the start of school on Monday, August 24, please submit your child’s immunization documentation. If your child has an appointment to receive their required immunizations after August 24, please submit an Immunization Action Plan to confirm the appointment.
You can check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to a school’s front office. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form. Please visit the FCPS How to Submit Immunization Documentation webpage for step-by-step instructions on how to submit each of these items.
Immunization Events for FCPS Students
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students, ages 18 and under, with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary.
Additional immunization resources are also available.
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K to 12 and is designed to match services to each student’s unique academic needs.
Identification for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services occurs throughout the school year. Full-Time AAP services have two identification cycles:
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Fall identification: Students in grades 3 to 7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15.
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Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2 to 7 may be referred by December 15.
FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic identification process for AAP services:
- All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Test (NGAT).
- Students in Grades 3 to 6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
- Students in Grades 3 to 6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Tara Boone, school testing coordinator, at taboone@fcps.edu by September 30.
Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings led by Jaclyn Walsh, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):
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AAP Continuum of Services: Thursday, September 17th. Families will learn about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students.
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Full-Time AAP Identification: Thursday, November 12th. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.
For more information, please contact Jaclyn Walsh, AART, at jwalsh@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage.
Time to Renew Your PTA Membership
Our goal is to top the membership involvement we saw last school year when 130 members of the BES community joined the PTA. Belvedere PTA membership is $10 per caregiver or $5 for Teachers/Administrators/Staff. Members have to renew each year to retain their voting rights.
Joining the PTA comes with no commitments or expectations. We simply hope you will join us to further build the Belvedere Elementary School community. Joining the PTA does not commit you to volunteer time. Your membership means that you support our efforts and our goals. In addition, your membership gives you voting privileges at our general meeting and teacher-members also qualify for the BES PTA mini-grant program, which is funding for projects and other classroom needs.
Annual membership is open now! If you have questions, please reach out to bespta.va@gmail.com and a Board member will be in touch.
Save the Date: Sept. 2 Community PTA Meeting
The new school year’s first community meeting will be Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 6:30 pm. We will discuss and vote on the annual budget, share calendar ideas and ask the community for their thoughts on what we should focus on for the next nine months.
New this year – community meetings will continue to be held on the first Wednesday of each month but the time will be limited to 45 minutes! We know that everyone is busy. This meeting will be hybrid – held online and in person at the BES library. Spanish translation is available as part of the virtual format, so please join us via Zoom if you require Spanish support.
A meeting 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 library to play games, use electronics, read and/or color.
All staff and BES families are welcome to join PTA meetings, share ideas, ask questions and volunteer.
September Event Calendar:
- Sept 2, 6:30-7:15 Community Meeting (BES Library and Online)
- Sept 16, 6-7:30 - Movie Night! (Volunteers Needed!)
- Sept. 23 - Back-to-School Night (Table Help Needed!)
- Sept. 29, 6-7:30 - Volunteer Night at Total Wine (Refreshments + Meet the PTA Community!)
One Week Left to Register for Late Day Learners
Registration is open for Belvedere PTA’s after school clubs and will close Sunday, Aug. 31.
The fall session will run from Sept. 8 to Dec. 11. Students can join weekly athletic, academic, and fine arts clubs after school including volleyball, soccer, running, basketball, cheer, STEM lego, movement, art, music, drama, and coding. Students will be dismissed directly from their classrooms. Students must be picked up at 5:15 p.m. from Door Two (far left door at the front of the school). SACC students can be picked up by their parents from SACC as usual. There are no classes on student holidays and early release days.
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
A limited number of scholarships are available to students on free/reduced lunch. Apply today.
Room Parents are Needed!
BES is looking for room parents. Typical room parents responsibilities include:
- Supporting communication with families
- Helping build classroom community
- Coordinating volunteers
- Assisting with teacher-requested needs
The role is generally about building classroom community and helping with logistics, not assisting with instruction or managing the classroom. If you are interested in becoming a room parent, contact bespta.va@gmail.com.
Follow the PTA on Instagram
We are on Instagram! Come see photos of ways the PTA has already supported the BES community before the school year officially began. We plan to share more stories and behind-the-scenes looks at what goes into building a volunteer organization like the Belvedere PTA in the months ahead. Follow us @belvedereES_PTA.
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Have Children in Multiple FCPS Schools?
The FCPS mobile app lets you follow updates from all your children's schools in one place! Simply open the app, tap the teal pull-down menu, then tap the gear icon and select every school you want to follow. See this video of how to follow your school.
Find out about more features of the app. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
☎️Family Information Line Available in Nine Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
📲Follow FCPS on WhatsApp
Is WhatsApp one of the ways you stay connected with family, friends, and your community? Now you can use it to stay connected with FCPS, too.
Follow the new FCPS WhatsApp Channel for helpful information and reminders throughout the school year, including important announcements, upcoming dates, tips for families, and more.
FCPS This Week
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
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- Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE
- Permission Forms for School Resources
- Follow Multiple Schools in the App
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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