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| Vol. 7, Iss. 4 |
Jan 26, 2017
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Following is a m
essage from Ann Citrin, at-large director, BFA Board of Directors
Ribbon Cutting and Town Hall Meetings
It was wonderful to see so many of our parents and families at last week's Ribbon Cutting and Town Hall meetings. What a celebration! I want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Building Corporation - Bill Castor, Kent Barwind and Bob Barber - on behalf of the entire Board and the school community for tirelessly working through all of the details to make this expansion a reality. You will never get those hours back, but you have something incredible to show for it. Thank you!
If you did not get a chance to attend either event, you should know that the addition to the school is now open and ready for all students to continue their Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) education, as envisioned by the founding board of our school. The new building brings two computer labs, two science labs, a large art room, a large music room, and a phenomenal gym to our school.
In addition to tours of the new building, participants of the Town Hall Meetings discussed the past, present and future of our school. The remaining two founding board members are term limited from running for the Board this year. We need candidates for these positions - as well as Matt Warder's at-large director position. Please watch for details in Principal Barber's newsletter to see how you can throw your hat into the ring.
Finally, we need your input as we review and update our 5-year plan to continue to improve BFA. Please help us by completing the SAC parent survey. The survey will be "live" the week of Monday, Feb. 13, just in time for Valentine's Day and Parent/Teacher conferences!
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START YOUR DAY WITH DAD TOMORROW!
Dads are our real superheroes! Please join us as we celebrate our special Dads at
Daybreak with Dads from 7 - 8 a.m. tomorrow, Jan. 27. If you'd like to help out with the event,
sign up today to volunteer.
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WINTER FEST IS THIS WEEKEND! READ MORE ABOUT THE MENU OPTIONS
This Saturday join us for a fun-filled afternoon with games, inflatables, refreshments, and the much anticipated cake walk!
Winter Fest will be held from 4 - 7 p.m. Jan. 28, at BFA. Tickets will be available at the door for $5 per person. There are still plenty of volunteer opportunities; please see the BFA
website
and follow the links to sign up.
Tours of the new building will be given during the first hour of the event. You won't want to miss this exciting day!
Disney Choir and Washington, D.C. students will be selling concessions at Winter Fest. They plan to offer meal deals and Anthony's pizza by the slice (cheese & pepperoni), chips, water and Gatorade. Prices will range from $0.75 - $5, and proceeds will benefit both trips. They will accept cash and checks as payment for concessions.
Need Gluten-free? If you pre-order today, you can purchase a full 10-inch gluten-free pizza for $10 each. Email Tiffanie Vaught this evening if you want to order. Please specify cheese or pepperoni and how many whole pizzas you want to order. A reply will be sent as confirmation and give you the total cost. Gluten-free pizzas will not be available to order the night of the event.
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Ben's Brigade will be meeting at
8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 26, at the Starbucks
inside the Highlands Ranch Target
(1265 Sergeant John Stiles Dr.).
A Financial Seminar/Ben's Night Out will be offered from 7 - 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. This will be an informative and fun-filled evening with pool, pizza, classic cars and more. Click here to find out more information and to sign up.
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HELP PLAN THE 2017-18 BENEFIT BASH
The BENefit Bash will be the PTO's primary fundraiser next school year. This biannual event is a BFA tradition, and parents look forward to a night out with friends as well as an opportunity to support the school through a silent and live auction. The first Bash planning meeting will take place
at 7 p.m.
on Monday, Jan. 30, at the Starbucks inside Target (1265 Sergeant Jon Stiles Dr.). If you're looking to get more involved, or just want to know more about the event, please join us! Email Serena Grissom and Rachael Hamburger, PTO fundraising coordinators, with questions.
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Held every January, National School Choice Week (Jan. 22-28) shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for every child.
The goal of National School Choice Week is to raise public awareness of all types of education options for children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online learning, private schools and homeschooling.
Thank you for choosing BFA!
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YEARBOOK PURCHASE DEADLINE QUICKLY APPROACHING
Order your 2016-17 yearbook by Tuesday, Jan. 31, as there will only be limited copies available after that date. Please
email
Katie Devlin
with questions.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR THE FATHER/DAUGHTER EVENT
Dads and daughters will enjoy an evening of dancing, crafts and dinner
from 6-8 p.m. o
n Saturday, March 4, as we transform BFA into
A Night in Paris!
Tickets will be available on the BFA website beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Want to help make it a success? Please join us for the father/daughter event committee meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at the King Soopers Starbucks (9551 S University Blvd.). We need lots of volunteers to help make it happen!
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BFA's Spring
Scholastic Book Fair will be held
Monday, Feb. 13, through
Thursday, Feb. 16, in conjunction with Parent-Teacher conferences:
- 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13, and Tuesday, Feb. 14, and
- 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15, and Thursday, Feb. 16. Please note, the office is closed from 3 - 4 p.m. every day so unless you are in the building already, you will need to wait until carpool ends to come in and shop.
Click
here
for a preview of all the exciting selections that will be offered this year. Visit the fair and enter your child's name in a drawing for books and miscellaneous items. The drawing will be held after the fair. We look forward to seeing you there.
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DCSD PRESENTS,
SCREENAGERS
Douglas County School District (DCSD) is hosting a presentation for parents called,
Screenagers: Growing Up in a Digital Age. The presentation will be held at
7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at Mountain Vista High School, and Thursday, Feb. 9, at Highlands Ranch High School. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Click
here to watch the trailer.
Registration is now open and tickets are just $5. Below is a description of the event:
Are you watching kids scroll through life? With their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw that with her own kids and learned that the average kid spends 6.5 hours a day looking at screens. She wondered about the impact of all this time and about the friction occurring in homes and schools around negotiating screen time-friction she knew all too well. In
SCREENAGERS, as with her award-winning documentaries on mental health, Delaney takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including her own, to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories, we welcome you to discover surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists in this extraordinary and timely film. Please
email
Kimberly Romine or
contact
Lauren LaComb for additional information.
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SHOW YOUR LOVE THIS VALENTINE'S DAY
BFA's eighth graders are excited to offer Smencil grams for delivery on
Valentine's Day, Tuesday,
Feb. 14. Smencils are fun, scented pencils made from recycled materials, and each pencil comes in a tube with a decorative cap. When you purchase a Smencil for your student(s) it will be delivered with a personalized, Valentine-themed tag. Each Smencil gram is $2 or you can buy a bundle of six Smencils for $10.
These must be purchased from the BFA PTO store by Sunday, Feb. 5. Late orders will not be accepted.
You won't want to miss this opportunity to have a special valentine delivered to your student on Valentine's Day.
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VISION AND HEARING SCREENINGS
The 2017 Vision and Hearing Screenings are just around the corner. They'll be held on Monday, Feb. 6, and Tuesday, Feb 7. Screenings are conducted for all students in state-mandated grade levels, K - 3, 5, and 7, as well as new and special education students in other grades. Please mark these important screening dates on your calendar and ensure that your student wears their contacts or glasses on those days. For more information, click here to read the flier. If you have questions about your student's vision and/or hearing, email the health assistant.
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DO YOU HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF?
Feeling over-stuffed or ready to declutter? We have your solution:
WHAT: Eighth graders will be collecting donations for ARC. In return, you'll get a receipt for tax purposes when you drop off your donation.
WHEN:
Feb. 6: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-7:30 p.m.
Feb 7: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.
Feb 8: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-5:30 p.m.
Feb 9: 8:30-11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Drop off your donations at 9260 Lark Sparrow Trail, Highlands Ranch, 80126. If you can't drop off, let us know. We have parent volunteers that will be happy to pick up your items.
WHY: To support the eighth grade Washington, D.C. trip. We will receive $1 for each bag donated.
Please bag your donation items in Target/Walmart size bags (please, no King Soopers bags because they are a bit smaller and break easily). Items can be placed in a box if needed. Items that aren't accepted include, furniture, TVs, computers, car seats, mattresses, and large items that require more than one person to carry.
Email
Tiffanie Vaught
, Washington, D.C., fundraising committee manager, for more information, or to schedule a pick-up of your items. Start your new year off with some spring cleaning and bag your unwanted items for donation!
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DRESS OF CHOICE FUNDRAISER
On
Friday, Feb. 10,
students may bring a dollar to their homeroom teacher for an extra dress of choice day.
Proceeds benefit students going on the Washington, D.C. trip.
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Our last bake sale of the school year will be on Friday, March 3. Stay tuned for more information.
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WONDERING WHAT THE PTO DOES WITH THE MONEY IT RAISES?
Thanks to your generosity, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is able to provide BFA with tools, materials, and financial support for important BFA programs each year, including Lexia, Accelerated Reader incentives, Directory on Tap, new software, student planners, teacher/staff/volunteer appreciation and community events--just to name a few. This school year, the PTO has also purchased:
- Bookshelves for the Library
- Literacy kits
- A pilot program for Discovery Education student science online tech book
- Camera kits used in middle school STEAM classes
- Costumes and sets for the upcoming Aladdin performance
- Chain replacements for playground swings, and
- The PTO contributed toward the purchase of new artificial turf above Zone B.
We look forward to supporting further enhancements to the playground and new STEAM building soon.
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NO PARKING IN RESERVED SPOTS
Please keep in mind, reserved parking spots are assigned to the purchaser, volunteer or staff member 24 hours a day, which means you cannot park in a reserved spot at any time. If grandparents or other guests are coming to BFA for an event, please advise them that they are not allowed to park in a reserved spot.
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PRIVATE VOICE AND ACTING LESSONS AT BFA
BFA now offers private voice and/or acting lessons on campus. Lessons are after school
between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the Music Room. The pricing is $30 for 30 minutes and $60 for an hour.
The instructor is Sydney Harper a performer and teacher from Denver.
She has soloed with esteemed organizations such as the Colorado Symphony and the Denver Philharmonic. She has been directing professional and amateur children's theatre for 11 years and has a private studio of more than 50 students. She holds a BA in Music Theatre.
For more information, contact Ms. Johnson or email Sydney Harper.
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Douglas County Community Events is offering a variety of discounted tickets. Take advantage of these great prices today!
Saturday, March 3 at 7 p.m
.: Colorado Mammoth Community Night vs. Calgary Roughnecks. Tickets are $15/$23. Event flyer and ticket ordering info will be available soon.
Denver Center for the Performing Arts presents, '
The Secret Garden.' For discounts on all performances between April 21 - May 7, Click
here and enter promo code DCSDFUND. Promo code is good for price levels A, B, & C.
On Friday, June 2, Saturday, June 3, or Sunday, June 4, the DCSD community can enjoy a fun-filled day of rides and attractions at Elitch Gardens for only $27.99 (reg. $49.99). If you purchase tickets before May 31, you will receive a free return ticket to the park, valid mid-August through mid-October. Ticket ordering info will be available soon on the DCSD website.
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BE A HERO FOR THE DAY--BUY A BIRTHDAY BAG
Celebrating birthdays at BFA is fun! For
$10, your child will receive the following:
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A bag full of goodies, such as erasers, pencils, bouncy balls, etc. (no food or candy will be in the bags) delivered to their classroom by eighth graders
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A personalized note from you (if requested)
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Eighth graders singing happy birthday to your child in his/her classroom while delivering the bag
Did your student already celebrate his/her birthday? Is his/her birthday in the summer? We also will deliver "unbirthday bags" for students who have already celebrated their birthday or "half-birthday bags" for summer birthdays.
Thank you for supporting the eighth graders' trip to Washington, D.C.!
To order your birthday bags, click here. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Simpson.
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BEN'S BRIGADE MEETING
The Ben's Brigade meeting will be held at 8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 26, at the Starbucks inside the Highlands Ranch Target (1265 Sergeant John Stiles Dr.).
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DAYBREAK WITH DADS
Mark your calendar today to celebrate your special Dad at Daybreak with Dads from 7 - 8 a.m. tomorrow, Jan. 27.
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BENEFIT BASH PLANNING MEETING
The first Bash planning meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, at the Starbucks inside Target (1265 Sergeant Jon Stiles Dr.).
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FORMAL UNIFORM DAY
The first Wednesday of every month is Formal Uniform Day. Students should wear a navy uniform shirt with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, shirt or a skort.
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STEM COMMITTEE MEETING
There is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Committee Meeting from 5:30 - 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, in the Sanders Science Lab.
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SECOND GRADE MUSICAL
The second grade will be performing, 'Go West' from 6:30 - 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
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FATHER/DAUGHTER EVENT PLANNING MEETING
Please join us for the father/daughter event committee meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at the King Soopers Starbucks (9551 S University Blvd.).
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BEN'S BRIGADE NIGHT OUT
A Financial Seminar/Ben's Night Out will be offered from 7 - 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. This will be an informative and fun-filled evening with pool, pizza, classic cars and more.
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SPIRIT WEAR DAY
Friday, Feb. 3, is Spirit Wear Day. Students can wear a BFA Spirit Day T-shirt, a field day shirt from a prior year, or their Apex Fun Run shirt.
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Ben Franklin Academy
2270 Plaza Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 |
Fax: (303) 974-1738
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Our mission is to create young adults with character like America's founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged.
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Our students will excel academically through a challenging, sequenced curriculum that emphasizes math, science, and literacy. We will be a data driven institution, focusing on individual students. Our students, teachers, parents, staff, and leaders will be held accountable for the success of our school. Finally, we recognize that an education is incomplete without fostering the arts, sports, nature, and character.
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Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.
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