Fort Belvoir Upper News
End of Semester:
March 20 - Holiday (Eid)
March 27 - Quarter end 2 Hr Early Dismissal
March 30-April 6 - Spring Break
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This month, we are excited to launch a schoolwide attendance campaign to reinforce the importance of daily attendance. Classes will earn one letter for each day that every student in the class is present. Our goal is to earn 15 days of perfect class attendance this month so we can spell:
D O L P H I N S A T T E N D !
We look forward to celebrating our students' commitment to showing up and supporting one another. Soon, families will also receive attendance report cards with an update on your child’s attendance record. This is an opportunity to review attendance patterns and ensure students are on track.
As a reminder, any student who misses 10% or more of the school year — for any reason (excused or unexcused) — is considered chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism may require additional support or intervention to include attendance conferences to help students stay on track. If your family is experiencing challenges that impact attendance, please contact us so we can partner with you. Please take a moment to review the full FCPS Attendance Policies.
Together, we can ensure that all students are present and positioned to succeed.
Bus Expectations & Student Safety
We also want to remind families about important bus conduct expectations outlined in the FCPS Students’ Rights and Responsibilities handbook. Riding the bus is a privilege, and students are expected to:
- Recognize that the bus driver is the authority on the bus and obey and be courteous to them and fellow students.
- Go directly to a seat and remain seated unless otherwise directed by the driver.
- Not tamper with the emergency door.
- Not slap others or wave or shout at pedestrians or other vehicles.
- Not throw objects about the bus or from a window (or throw objects at the bus from outside).
- Carry onto the bus only unbreakable objects that can be safely held in a student’s lap.
- Not share, sell, or consume food or beverages.
- Not talk on the cell phone, except in the case of an emergency. Texting or listening to music or video is permissible with earphones.
- Present a written request from parents or guardians, subject to approval of the school principal, to go home on an alternate route.
At this time, conduct on some buses is not meeting these expectations. School administration will be reviewing bus expectations with students. Disciplinary steps will include reteaching expectations with administration, assigned seats, and, if behaviors continue, bus suspension.
Safe transportation is a shared responsibility. Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately, and we will continue to support them in understanding these expectations. Our priority is ensuring that every student feels safe, respected, and has a sense of belonging while riding the bus.
Thank you for your continued partnership in reinforcing attendance and behavior expectations at home. When students attend regularly and follow expectations, everyone benefits.
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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!
Fort Belvoir Upper and Primary Families,
Join us at the Primary School on March 18th from 5:30-7:30 for our annual STEAM FAIR! We'll have our Community Partners here with fun STEAM activities, games, and demonstrations. Night Vision, The Army Museum, ASNE, AFCEA, Fairfax Waterworks, and more!
The PTA will have food and soft drinks for sale in the cafeteria. The Kids Lab Showcase will have even more fun displays and activities to show you what our Kids Lab students have been learning in class!
Register for an evening of family fun at: https://forms.gle/h7CrmxdT3tpUAvtz5
Celebrating Read Across America by inspiring every student to be themselves!
We are excited to share information about our Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) — a dynamic summer enrichment program serving students currently in grades K–5. Students currently in grade 6 are eligible for our secondary program, Institute for the Arts (IFTA).
Our programs offer students daily experiences in Art, Music, Theatre, and Dance in a fun, supportive environment designed to nurture creativity and confidence. To ensure access for all families, we provide:
- Tuition assistance
- Transportation
- After care options
We would greatly appreciate your help sharing this opportunity with families in your school community. Flyers for all programs — including translated versions — are available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qX_RLDLyI5_U81c3kF34ZbR87G98KG3O?usp=drive_link
Please feel free to print, post, include in newsletters, send home in folders, or share digitally with families.
Thank you for helping us expand access to high-quality arts experiences for our elementary students. We are grateful for your partnership!
Spark Your Future at the CTE Summer Academy!
Is your student ready to build, create, and explore this summer? Registration is now officially OPEN for the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) CTE Summer Academy!
This enrichment program is a fantastic way for students to dive into Career and Technical Education through hands-on learning. Whether they want to program a robot, cook a gourmet meal, or learn the basics of medical science, there is something for everyone.
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