In the schools

Home educators
The first meeting for the upcoming school year of the Fort Belvoir Home Educators is from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 29 at George Washington Community Center. Families are welcome.
Refreshments will be provided and people who attend are asked to bring a snack to share. There is no cost to join the group or participate in activities, although some field trips and monthly events incur a cost.
Registration for FBHE Co-op session one, from Sept. 4 to Oct. 9, runs through Aug. 29.
The co-op is at Markham Center South Post.
The FBHE is a group of military and DoD families dedicated to the home education of children. Group members support and encourage one another and participate in activities that enrich the group's families' lives.
The group includes children from preschool through high school.
It offers social, support, and enrichment activities, including holiday parties, playgroups/dates, and monthly events such as bowling, hiking, skating or swimming. Enrichment activities include monthly field trips to Washington, D.C., state and local parks, local nature centers, plays, and four co-op sessions, which meets on Thursdays for six weeks.
Special events include a spelling bee, science fair, international fair and geography bee. Support activities include monthly meetings and mom's coffee/dinner.
The group's Web log is available at FBHomeEducators.com or groups.yahoo.com/group/belvoirhomeschoolers/.
More information about the group is available via e-mail to FBHEmoms@gmail.com
School/student orientations, open house
Fort Belvoir Elementary School, for students who live on Belvoir, has new-student orientation Aug. 28. Kindergarteners are from 11 a.m. to noon; and grades one through six are from 1 to 2 p.m.
An open house for all returning students is from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Teachers' names will be posted on the school cafeteria windows at 10 a.m.

Walt Whitman Middle School has new-student and rising 7th grade orientation Aug. 29. Transportation is provided. Parents should have received some mail with the information last week.
Mount Vernon High School's orientation, for rising 9th graders and new students is Aug. 29. Transportation will be provided. Parents should have received some mail with the information last week.
All Mount Vernon students, returning and new, are asked to come to the school Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. to get paperwork, course and bus schedules and everything needed to start school, including an opportunity to buy physical education uniforms.
Back-to-School Nights
Specific information is available for each school's Web site.
Fort Belvoir Elementary Sept. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m., for grades three, four, five and half of kindergarten.
Sept. 9, 6 to 8 p.m., grades one, two, six and half of kindergarten.
Elementary school Back-to-School Supply Lists, according to grade, are available at fcps.edu/FtBelvoirES/School_Supplies/supply_lists.htmhttp://www.fcps.edu/FtBelvoirES/School_Supplies/supply_lists.htm
Walt Whitman Middle School, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
Mount Vernon High, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m.
Summer Assignments are due the first week of school for all Fairfax County Schools. Information is available from any of the schools' Web sites.
Information is available by calling 805-9119.
Elementary school registration
For people who live on Belvoir and whose child will attend Fort Belvoir Elementary School and have not yet registered are asked to register today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the school.
Parents and guardians can pick up registration packets at the neighborhood community centers before registration or visit the Web site, fcps.edu/forms/htm, to print them before registration. The requested documentation, such as the school physical, proof of residency and birth certificate are due at registration. Details are on the Web page. More information is available from the school's registrar, 703-781-2701.