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| Vol. 8, Iss. 7 |
Feb. 23, 2017
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Dear Parents:
We have an amazing staff at Ben Franklin Academy! Each staff member is vital to BFA's success, and the expertise and passion they bring to their individual roles defines who we are as a school. I am thankful to work with all of our staff members, and recognize the ways they go above and beyond the call of duty every day to do what's best for our students.
Each year, Douglas County School District asks the community to nominate teachers and support staff members who demonstrate excellence in their field for the Apple Award. Based on recommendations from our parent community, the District selects one licensed staff member and one support staff member to represent our school and attend the Apple Award ceremony on May 4, where the finalists and 2017 Apple Award winners will be announced. Today, I'm especially happy to announce that Michelle Bynum and Candice McGinty will represent BFA for the District's 2017 Apple Awards!
Michelle Bynum played an integral role at BFA as a founding family member, and now serves the school as an Office Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. BFA's students, parents and staff benefit from Michelle's expertise, sense of humor and her incredible ability to remember names.
Candice McGinty has been a teacher for more than 10 years. She started at BFA as a long-term substitute, and was hired as a full-time first grade teacher three years ago. Mrs. McGinty is a warm and caring teacher, and a strong proponent of the Core Knowledge curriculum.
We are very proud of our BFA representatives! They are both amazing at what they do and I am honored to present them as our nominees.
Sincerely,
Bob Barber
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BE SURE TO COMPLETE THE PARENT SATISFACTION SURVEY
Be sure to take BFA's
Parent Satisfaction Survey
today!
Don't miss out on this important opportunity for your voice to be heard; the survey will be open from now until the end of February. To date, we have heard from 226 of our 492 families, which is about a 46 percent response rate. Your input is key to understanding what parents love about BFA, as well as identifying areas of improvement. Ten lucky participants who give their family number (located on your carpool tag) will be selected for a $25 gift card of your choice.
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SEEKING LEADERS FOR OPEN BOARD POSITIONS
Your community is seeking leaders who are passionate and committed to BFA's mission and vision to serve on the BFA Board of Directors. This year, there are three (3) open director seats on the BFA Board, which will be filled according to the
Board of Directors Election Policy. Each seat is for a 3-year term. Two (2) directors will be elected by the Parent Voting Group, and the other director will be appointed by the BFA Board. Specifically, the following seats are open:
- Class C Seats 5 and 6 are currently occupied by Becky Mullen and Paige Brock, respectively. They have each served on the Board since 2010. Having served two (2) consecutive terms, they are ineligible to serve on the Board this year. These seats each serve a 3-year term, ending in May 2020, and are elected by the Parent Voting Group.
- Class C Seat 7 is currently occupied by Matt Warder. Matt has served on the Board since 2013 and is not seeking reappointment. This seat serves a 3-year term, ending in May 2020, and is appointed by the BFA Board.
Nominations from the BFA Parent Voting Group MUST be submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28.
To nominate yourself or someone else, please click here.
There will be a Board candidate forum/Q&A session at 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 14, in the BFA Library, before the regularly scheduled Board meeting. All Board nominees are encouraged to be there for at the forum/Q&A session.
Voting by the Parent Voting Group for the two (2) open elected seats will take place electronically from Monday, April 3, through Friday, April 7. Each family within the Parent Voting Group can vote for one candidate for each available elected seat. Results of the election will be announced and the appointment by the Board will made on Tuesday, April 11, at the regularly scheduled Board meeting.
Please click here for more details on the appointment/election process and qualifications.
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A MAGICAL PERFORMANCE TO OPEN BFA'S NEW STAGE THIS WEEKEND
BFA families, please come see 55 of our middle school students as they perform
Aladdin Jr
. on
Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
on BFA's new stage! When the street urchin, Aladdin, vies for the attention of the beautiful princess Jasmine, he uses a genie's magic power to become a prince in order to marry her. Iago, Jafar, the Genie, and more are here in
Disney's Aladdin Jr.
, a musical adventure filled with magic, mayhem and the power of love.
This will be the first performance on our new stage. All families and friends are invited to come and there is no charge to attend this performance!
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FINAL DAYS TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO 'A NIGHT IN PARIS'
Tickets on sale now for the father/daughter event, 'A Night in Paris.' Please join us
from
6-8 p.m.
Saturday, March 4, at BFA for a night of dinner, dancing and more. Tickets are $10 per person and will be available until
Feb. 28; tickets will not be sold at the door.
No girls? Come help set up while the boys are at home. Have daughters? Sign up to help run the event and see your little ladies having the time of their lives. We need your help to make it a success - please sign up for whatever slots work for you.
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BATTLE OF THE BOOKS UPDATE
BFA's Battle of the Books teams fought hard this week! The teams competed against Cougar Run Elementary. The third/fourth grade team won with a final score of 53-45, moving them into first place. The fifth/sixth grade team lost a close battle with a final score of 48-53. They have the most points, and are in second place. Both teams made it to the quarterfinals! Next week
, t
he
third/fourth grade team will battle Bear Canyon at 5:30 p.m. and the fifth/sixth grade team will compete against Arrowwood at 6 p.m. at the James H. LaRue Library in Highlands Ranch (9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd.). This is a single elimination competition; so if either team loses, they are done for the season. Come cheer on your teams!
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The PTO would like to thank one of our 2016-17 Gold Sponsors, Schomp BMW. Your support truly benefits the students and teachers at BFA!
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MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL REGISTRATION
Boy's volleyball is now open for registration! Be sure to sign up today, as registration will close Wednesday, March 17. Click here to sign up, or go to the athletics page on the BFA website.
Please complete all the registration forms, including a health form signed by your student's physician (unless you have a current one on file), and a vehicle registration form. The vehicle registration form needs to be completed for each sport, as it is required by insurance and it helps us ensure student safety.
Mr. Emmons will be the boys volleyball coach, and plans to have a short team/parent meeting next week to discuss time commitments and expectations. Please
email him if you have any questions.
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MICI'S SPIRIT NIGHT - FEB. 28
BFA's next Spirit Night is from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Mici's Handcrafted Italian (9245 S Broadway). Proceeds go to all students.
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CLASS PICTURES NEXT WEDNESDAY
Class pictures will be taken on
Wednesday, March 1
. Look for the class picture order forms that will go home with all students this week. Please remember that Wednesday, March 1, is a Formal Uniform Day.
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SAVE YOUR CHANGE FOR THE BAKE SALE!
Eighth graders will be
selling baked goods before school from 7:30 - 8:10 a.m. on Friday, March 3, in the main and upstairs hallways
. Baked goods also will be on sale during afternoon recess. All proceeds go to support students attending the Washington, D.C. trip.
If you can help provide baked goods, please sign up here.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPOINTMENTS
To ensure the smooth transition of governance responsibilities, your Ben Franklin Academy Board of Directors appointed its president and treasurer for the upcoming school year at its meeting this week. On February 13, your Board unanimously appointed
Bill Castor to serve as the 2017-18 president and
Kent Barwind to continue to serve as the treasurer in 2017-18. The Board will appoint its 2017-18 vice president and secretary at its June retreat.
Congratulations and thank you to Bill and Kent for their continued service and dedication to BFA!
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SAVE THE DATE FOR MORNING WITH MOMS
Save the date for Morning with Moms, hosted by the Community Events Committee (CEC), from 7 - 8 a.m. on Friday, March 10. More details to come.
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PARENTS NIGHT OUT - MARCH 31
Mark your calendars for the next
Parent's Night Out childcare on Friday, March 31, to benefit the eighth graders going to Washington, D.C. Let your children wear pajamas and bring a pillow, blanket or stuffed animal. Students can watch Disney's 'Moana,' we will provide popcorn and water, and there will be stations set up to entertain kiddos with coloring, drawing and games. Concessions will be available for purchase upon drop-off. We will offer Sour Patch Kids, mini M&Ms, and granola bars for $1 each, cash or check.
NEW FOR THIS PNO:
Childcare will run from 6 - 9 p.m. (30 extra minutes!) and is just $5 per child. Volunteers will watch your child(ren) while you grab a bite to eat or do some shopping. We can only accept BFA students (including preschool students).
We must sign up at least 40 children by
Thursday, March 23, to host the event.
Sign up early to help ensure the event is not cancelled. Please sign up each child individually, and please be sure to feed your child(ren) dinner before they come.
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GROCERY CARDS EARN MONEY FOR BFA
Did you know you can earn money for BFA each time you shop at King Soopers and Safeway? Ordering your King Soopers and Safeway cards is easy! Just click here or go to the BFA Store, click on Grocery Cards and order yours today. The cards are pre-loaded with $5. When ordering, be sure to include your FIRST/LAST NAME and FULL MAILING ADDRESS. Your King Soopers/ Safeway card(s) will be mailed directly to the address provided. Once the order is received, please allow five business days for processing.
The King Soopers and Safeway fundraising programs donate 5 percent of your purchases back to the school. All you have to do is re-load your King Soopers or Safeway gift card at customer service or at the register before you scan your first item. Buy your groceries, gasoline at fuel centers, lottery tickets and postage stamps while helping BFA at the same time! (Safeway gift cards also can be used at Albertson's locations.)
Online shoppers can use grocery cards too! Shoppers using Safeway's online service can make purchases with their Safeway grocery card, while King Soopers online shoppers can pay using their grocery card when they pick up their order.
BFA raised more than $5,500 through this program last year!
For more information or questions,
email
Amy Sunahara, PTO grocery card coordinator.
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NEED LUNCHROOM VOLUNTEERS THIS MONTH
One of our fabulous
lunch aids will be out the entire month of February, so we'll need extra help throughout the month. Please check your schedules and come in when you can. Please remember, working in the lunchroom earns you an entry in the parking space drawing for the following month.
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2017-18 REGISTRATION DATES
Mark your calendars for these important dates for next school year:
Wednesday, Aug. 9
Families with last name beginning A-L
Registration hours: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (with lunch break from noon until 1 p.m.)
Thursday, Aug. 10
Families with last name beginning M-Z
Registration hours: 11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (with lunch break from 2 - 3 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 11
New BFA Families ONLY
Registration hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 14
Teacher Meet and Greets
Wednesday, Aug. 16
First day of school!
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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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PTO MEETING - CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
Tonight's PTO meeting has been cancelled due to poor weather conditions.
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Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25
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ALADDIN JR.
BFA families, please come see 55 of our middle school students as they perform
Aladdin Jr
. on
Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
on BFA's new stage. Bring your family and friends to this free show!
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MICI'S SPIRIT WEAR DAY
BFA's next Spirit Night is
from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Mici's Handcrafted Italian
(9245 S Broadway). Proceeds go to all students.
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SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
The BFA Board of Directors will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the BFA Library.
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FORMAL UNIFORM DAY
The first Wednesday of every month is Formal Uniform Day. Students should wear a navy polo with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.
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CLASS PICTURE DAY
Class pictures will be taken on Wednesday, March 1.
Look for the class picture order forms that will go home with all students this week.
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STEM COMMITTEE MEETING
Join the STEM Committee at their meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, in the Sanders Science Lab.
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BAKE SALE
Eighth graders will be selling baked goods before school from 7:30 - 8:10 a.m. on Friday, March 3, in the main and upstairs hallways. Goodies will also be sold during afternoon recess.
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FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE
Please join us from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at BFA for a night of dinner, dancing and more. Tickets are $10 per person and will be available until Feb. 28; tickets will not be sold at the door.
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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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