Helpful School Tidbits

BES shared, "A friendly reminder of our birthday policy! We cannot pass out birthday invitations at school, even if the whole class is invited. Due to many food allergies in the building, food items (such as cupcakes) are not able to be passed out to classes. If you’d like to have something for your child to pass out to celebrate, you may send in pencils,

stickers, or other small items/trinkets."

If you would like to send out birthday party invitations, the Parent Square app has a directory by class and includes email addresses of parents who have signed up.

AACPS is using a new communication platform this school year. To be sure you remain updated, please download the AACPS app. Here you will receive live updates from both AACPS and Belvedere and access event schedules. Also on the app, you will be able to access “Rooms” to communicate directly with your child’s teacher. You will receive emails and text messages as the primary form of communication through a new Alerts system. In addition, BES will eventually be utilizing this new system to provide weekly updates to families about upcoming events and reminders as well as the monthly newsletter. This is a new communication system for all of us, so we thank you in advance for your patience as we learn the new technology.

Here is the link to the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Your child has an online account that you can add money to all year long or your child can pay cash for lunch. To view the online account, sign up for MyPaymentsPlus found on AACPS Purchasing School Meals site click here. If your child pays cash for lunch, any change goes into your child’s online cafeteria account.

Please complete the 2024-2025 AACPS - Absence Form located in PowerSchool Parent Portal, click here.

BES shared, "Dismissal is 2:25 pm. For safety reasons, early dismissal cannot occur after 1:45 pm, meaning that if you don’t arrive by 1:45 pm, your child will need to wait until 2:25 for dismissal. We understand emergencies occur but want to ensure the safety of all of our students. If you do need to pick your child up early, please call the front office, do not e-mail, as teachers do not check their e-mails throughout the school day while they are instructing students.

As children are absent, please fill out the AACPS absence form located on the Parent Portal app. This allows us to

code your child’s absence as excused/unexcused. You may also send in a handwritten note. You can let your

child’s teacher know about an absence on the rooms app, but please follow up with the Parent Portal form for

excusal. If you need assistance with the Parent Portal app, please call the office."

Due to limited parking spaces and staff being "on duty" from 2:25pm until 2:45pm, parents will not be able to walk students into the building to collect overlooked items or wait to meet with staff, unless you have an appointment.

As shared in the Superintendent’s message dated August 12, 2024, cell phones should be off and away during the school day. This includes Smartwatches. Students will be permitted to wear Smartwatches as long as they are not texting, calling, playing games, or otherwise using the watch as a distraction throughout the day. To support the Superintendent’s mission to reduce academic distractions, BES will uphold consequences aligned to the Code of Student Conduct. If you need to get ahold of your child during the school day for an emergency, please contact the office. Accordingly, if your child needs to contact you during the school day in case of an emergency, they can utilize the office phones or their teacher to contact you. Belvedere's school phone number is 410-975-9432.

Teacher and Staff Shout Outs can be submitted on our PTA website by clicking the "Teacher & Staff Shout Out" link. This is a great way to share with the community how your teachers and the school staff are showing up for you and for your students! Shout Outs are shared with the staff at PTA meetings and via email.

Super Kids' Place Inc. has four school locations; Belvedere, Arnold, Jones, and Point Pleasant Elementary, all of which are located in Anne Arundel County, Md. To learn more, please visit their website, http://www.superkidsplace.org/

The PTA uses the platform ParentSquare to send out information on school events, announcements, and class lists (class lists is an opportunity to send birthday invitations). Informational blasts are sent out on Wednesdays and Sundays.

In order to keep it secure, parents need to register each student, whether your student is a Kindergartner, or your family is new to Belvedere, or if you have not signed up for ParentSquare. Once you complete the form (click here), PTA volunteers manually enter your information, and you will be sent an invitation to join ParentSquare. 

RETURNING PARENTS need to add their newest addition to ParentSquare manually, the software does not automatically add new students who follow the previously registered siblings. 

The weight of the clothes donated to this box kicks back money to our school! Please consider donating here as you’re cleaning out closets and join in making a positive impact on the environment. It must be in a tied plastic bag.

There are many opportunities to volunteer at Belvedere! Click on the “volunteer” link to see all the upcoming opportunities to volunteer for events and recess help. In the classroom, teachers can choose to have a room parent. If this is of interest to you, at the start of the school year, contact the teacher and ask if they would like the help. Before you volunteer, there are steps to be completed and they can be found on the  “volunteer” page.

We love when parents send pictures of their students and their friends having fun at school events and activities. Help us make sure EVERY student makes it into the yearbook at least once in addition to their school portrait. Email pictures to: belvedereyearbook21012@gmail.com.