March 31: No School - Eid-al-Fitr April 1st: No School - Teacher Work Day May 26: No School - Memorial Day

A Message from Ms. Laxton,  Principal

Fort Belvoir Upper Families,

I hope this message finds you well! As we move into spring and thankfully seem to be past the peak of cold and flu season, we want to emphasize the importance of regular school attendance.

Every day your child is in school, they are engaging in valuable learning experiences, building friendships, and developing essential skills. Consistent attendance is crucial for academic success and social-emotional growth.

Here's why attendance is so important:

• Academic Success: Regular attendance ensures your child doesn't miss out on key lessons and activities. Each day builds upon the previous one, and even a single absence can create gaps in learning.
• Social-Emotional Development: School is where children learn to interact with their peers, develop social skills, and build strong relationships. These experiences are vital for their overall well-being.
• Establishing Routines: Consistent attendance helps children establish healthy routines and develop a sense of responsibility.
• Building a Strong School Community: When students are present, they contribute to a vibrant and engaging learning environment for everyone.

We understand that occasional absences are unavoidable, and we appreciate you communicating with us when your child is sick. However, we encourage you to prioritize attendance whenever possible.

Here are some tips to promote good attendance:

• Establish a consistent bedtime and morning routine.
• Prepare for the school day the night before.
• Communicate with your child's teacher about any concerns.
• Schedule appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.

Let's work together to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive!

Thank you for your partnership.

Jennifer Laxton

Principal

Fort Belvoir Upper Elementary School

571-982-1300

Spring Photos

PTO News

Stay up to date on all of our PTO news and events HERE!

AVID Tutor Position

Attention families - looking for a flexible and part-time position? FCPS is hiring AVID tutors for the Spring 2025 semester for Whitman and Sandburg Middle Schools and Mt Vernon and West Potomac High Schools. AVID tutors work with small groups of approximately 5-7 students during the school day in an academic elective class called Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). These groups use questioning strategies to help students develop a variety of college preparatory skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. Tutors earn $20.13 per hour and should either be a college graduate or currently enrolled in college. If interested, please email your resume to AVID@fcps.edu.

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/employees/careers/current-job-openings/other-career-opportunities

Thank you!

Student Fasting Meal Kits

Student Fasting Meal Kits for February 28 - March 28, 2025

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has issued a new, first-time waiver allowing students fasting during the school day from February 28 to March 28, 2025, to request take-home breakfast and lunch meal kits. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will provide meal kits reflecting the school menu. Meals will be kept cold and must be heated at home. Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day. If a student purchases breakfast or lunch at school, they cannot pick up a kit that day. Meal kits must be picked up by students at the end of the school day—adults cannot collect them. Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:

• February 24, 2025, for February 28 and the week of March 3, 2025
• March 3, 2025, for the week of March 10, 2025
• March 10, 2025, for the week of March 17, 2025
• March 17, 2025, for the week of March 24, 2025

Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.

Families,

We are working with the Fairfax County Health Department to notify you that there is an increase in respiratory illnesses at our school. These illnesses can cause symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose (congestion), sneezing, and feeling very tired. They can be caused by different germs, including COVID-19 and influenza (flu).

To keep your family safe, the Health Department recommends the following:

• Monitor your child and keep them home if sick. Watch for signs of illness in your child. If your child has a fever or severe cough, keep them home. They should stay home, except for medical visits, until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication, feel better overall, and are able to participate in school activities. After they return to school, parents may choose to have them wear a mask at school and during other indoor activities for 5 days after symptoms improve. This will further reduce the chance that they may spread illness to someone else.
• Get your child tested. Consider getting your child tested for respiratory illness if they are sick. You can get COVID-19 tests to use at home, and testing for flu can be done by your healthcare provider.
• Teach your child to wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
• Cover coughs and sneezes. Have your child use a tissue to cover their mouth and nose when they cough and sneeze. Throw tissues in the trash after use. If they do not have a tissue, they should cover coughs and sneezes with their upper sleeve.
• Remind your child to avoid touching their face, like eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Improve your air quality at home. If it’s not too cold, open doors and windows or move activities outside to get fresh air.
• Get vaccinated. Vaccines are highly recommended to protect your child from COVID-19 and the flu. Updated vaccines available each fall are needed for the best protection to prevent serious illness.
• Talk to a healthcare provider about treatment. Talk to your child’s healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns, especially if they have a chronic illness or take long-term medications.

Please follow these recommendations to help keep your child healthy and to prevent others from getting sick. If you have questions, please contact your healthcare provider or the School Public Health Nurse, Shahenil Grealish, RN at 571-982-1310.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Jennifer Laxton, Principal

Need to Register for ParentVUE?

Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily have access to helpful information about your child.

Technical support for using using ParentVUE is available through the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 or by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. 

 FCPS Cares!

The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees at Fort Belvoir Upper ES. We love our FBES staff members, let's tell them how we feel!

2024-2025 School Year Calendar