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| Vol. 8, Iss. 8 |
March 1, 2018
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Dear Parents,
You may have noticed that our staff has seemed more comfortable on Mondays this school year. One of the first things I was asked when I became Principal was, "Can we wear jeans more often?" I gave it some thought and decided that we would introduce "Jeans for a Cause."
We gave staff the option to pay one dollar, per Monday for the school year to wear jeans (much like our fundraiser dress of choice days), and as a community we would then donate that money to the Student Council spring philanthropy project. Student Council has chosen the American Cancer Society as their focus, and I am excited to announce that the BFA staff will kick off their fundraising efforts with a donation of $2,120! The teachers get to be more comfortable, while remaining professional, and we get to make a difference in our community. I think our Jeans for a Cause has been a huge success! A big shout-out to all staff who participated!
Sincerely,
Diana Simpson
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ACCELERATED READER DRESS OF CHOICE DAY
Tomorrow is a Dress of Choice Day for first through fifth grade students who have met their Accelerated Reading goal for the second trimester.
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CLASS PICTURES NEXT WEDNESDAY
Class pictures are scheduled throughout the day next Wednesday, March 7. It is also a Formal Uniform Day, so students should wear their navy polo with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.
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FINAL DAYS TO COMPLETE THE PARENT SATISFACTION SURVEY
Don't miss this chance for your voice to be heard--take the
The survey is YOUR OPPORTUNITY to be involved in the planning and evaluation of the school's instructional program and quality improvement processes. So we hope you'll make time to complete it before
the survey period ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 2.
Parents who take the survey and give their family number will be entered into a drawing for $25 gift cards to Amazon and Target. SAC is going to randomly choose 10 lucky winners--
so take the survey today!
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The Math Olympiad problem-solving event between
Platte River Academy (PRA) and BFA was held earlier this week. We're excited to note that 41 fifth through eighth graders participated in the competition. There were 15 students from PRA, and 26 students from BFA. Awards and certificates were given to the first and second highest scoring students for each grade. Congratulations to the following winners:
- 5th Grade - First Place: Quinlan Smythe (BFA), Second Place: Rochan Mansingh (BFA)
- 6th Grade - First Place: Reed Richardson (BFA), Second Place: Tuhin Sur (BFA)
- 7th Grade - First Place: Ashton O'Connell (PRA), Second Place: Kevin Lou (PRA)
- 8th Grade - First Place: Kunal Shinde (BFA), Second Place: Trevor Olson (BFA)
In addition to BFA students receiving most of the top scores, Mikey Webb (BFA, 7th grade) was the highest scoring BFA student overall. Congratulations Mikey!
Everyone enjoyed the competition, and they're looking forward to another event at PRA in the upcoming weeks. Thanks to all our BFA and PRA competitors, the STEM Committee, Ms. Svensen, all our volunteers and the PTO Baking Committee who made this event successful!
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SEVENTH GRADERS LEARNED ABOUT HOLOCAUST FROM SURVIVOR JACK ADLER
We were honored to have Holocaust survivor
Jack Adler speak with our seventh graders recently. The students were beginning their Holocaust unit, and learned a lot from hearing about his experiences in Nazi concentration camps in 1943-44. We appreciate his willingness to share, as it is so important for kids to learn about history from someone who experienced it first hand.
Mr. Adler encouraged our kids to end discrimination against all human beings so what he, and so many others, went through will never happen again. Special thanks to the
seventh grade team and the
Mizel Museum who helped arrange for him to come to BFA.
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Next week, March 5 - 9, BFA's student council is sponsoring
Charity Week! The BFA Student Council has elected to raise money for the American Cancer Society with a Penny War and a variety of other activities. It's going to be a FUN week, for a GREAT cause.
Students will have the opportunity to purchase a ribbon (50 cents) for the bulletin board in honor of a loved one, and/or buy a 'BFA Fights Cancer' bracelet ($1). They'll be a table in the main hallway from 7:45 - 8:10 a.m. each morning so kids can purchase ribbons and bracelets.
In addition, we'll have a PENNY WAR! Students in every grade (pre-K - 8) will compete. Each class will earn money by adding pennies and bills to their jar, and can sabotage other classes by putting silver coins in their jars. The class with the highest average amount of money raised per student will win a popsicle party!
The student council planned lots of other activities, including:
- Monday, March 5 - Sock it to Cancer Day: Wear crazy, fun socks with your BFA uniform.
- Tuesday, March 6 - Put a Cap on Cancer: Wear your favorite hat with your BFA uniform.
- Wednesday March 7 - This is first Wednesday and Class Picture Day, so we'll keep up the PENNY WAR while wearing our Formal Uniform.
- Thursday, March 8 - Team Up Against Cancer: Wear your favorite sports team jersey with uniform bottoms. AND, attend the social after school from 4 - 6 p.m. at Skate City in Littleton. Admission is $5, skate rental is $2.50 and there will be food available for purchase. Half of the admission will be donated back to BFA for the fundraiser.
- Friday, March 9 - Spirit Day: Students can wear their Spirit Wear T-shirt, a field day T-shirt from a prior year or a BFA Fun Run T-shirt with regular uniform bottoms.
For more information, see the flier on charity week and the penny wars. We're looking forward to a fantastic charity week!
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STUDENTS MESMERIZED BY SEUSSICAL
We appreciate all families who came to see Seussical Jr. this past weekend! It was a
terrific performance thanks to a wonderful cast as well as our fantastic tech and production crew. The set, props and costumes were amazing! Thanks to our directors,
Jamie Johnson, LaCretia Gelley, Brenda Bauer and
Sammie Legg, and our Tech Crew managers,
Ali Hinkle and
Laura Tickle. Also, special thanks to
Dylan Gregory, Scott Hochhalter and
Rita Miniaci
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Finally, please see this note from Ms. Johnson...
To all the performers,
All creatures and whos,
To the wonderful teachers
And parents in slews,
I send you my thanks
For this magical tale,
And congratulate all
I'd even do it in braille!
Happy Seussical, kids!
Oh, the Places you'll go!
I sure hope you had fun!
Thanks for being part of the show!
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The spring Moms Night Out has been scheduled at Hacienda Colorado! You deserve a relaxing night out so please join us from
5 - 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, at Hacienda Colorado (5066 S Wadsworth Blvd). The PTO will provide a nacho bar, so
please RSVP to let us know you're coming!
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Congratulations to the Battle of the Books fifth/sixth grade team who won their quarter-final battle last night, 45-50.
The A team battled last night with Evan McDermott as team captain.
They battle again at 6 p.m. Monday, March 5, at the
James H. LaRue Library in Highlands Ranch
(9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd.)
. Next week, the B Team battles Cougar Run in the semi-finals with Vinisha Tripathi leading as team captain.
Last night's competitors, along with their assistant coach, Anna Ricks, are pictured here. (Our other assistant coach, Olivia Velasco, is not pictured.) Good luck next week!
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NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY GIVES BACK
We're proud of all our National Junior Honor Society students who volunteered at the Food Bank of the Rockies last week. Nearly 50 BFA students worked at the main distribution center in Denver to pack and sort food items for families in need. The Food Bank of the Rockies serves some of our homeless population, but the bulk of their donations go to low-wage workers, children, seniors on a fixed income and individuals with health issues. In fact, they provide more than 134,000 meals every day to our neighbors in Colorado and Wyoming.
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COME CHEER ON OUR DI TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Come cheer on your BFA Destination Imagination (DI) teams at the South Metro tournament on
Saturday, March 10, at Englewood High School (3800 S. Logan St, Englewood, 80113).
BFA has six elementary and middle school teams competing throughout the day. Our teams will be demonstrating their problem solving skills in the following categories:
Technical Challenge: Maze Craze
- 9:30 a.m., Middle School Gym - The Pirate Parrots
Engineering Challenge: Drop Zone
- 9:54 a.m., Main Gym - Magnificent Mangoes
- 1:12 p.m., Main Gym - Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies
- 3:36 p.m., Middle School Gym - Awesome is Our Middle Name
Scientific Challenge: Unlikely Attraction
- 1:36 p.m., Band Room, BFA BEASTs
- 3:24 p.m., Library, Colorful Creative Kangaroos
The teams would enjoy your support and to see BFA faces in the audience rooting them to victory!
Everyone is welcome. The entire tournament schedule is available by clicking
here.
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CONGRATULATIONS ON A WINNING DESIGN
Congratulations to Maria Mundackal in Mrs. Walter's fifth grade class! Her bookmark was chosen as the winner for February. Her winning bookmark design showcased her fabulous artwork and showed a strong and succinct definition of February's virtue, Purity.
Grades K-5, look for your copy of Maria's winning bookmark in your Thursday folder! Middle School will have a poster of the winning bookmark on display in the Commons.
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THANKS FOR SUPPORTING JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
Congratulations Ben Franklin Academy students! Because your kind hearts, we were able to donate $20,287 to the American Heart Association in honor of our heart hero Sam Leclaire. We beat our goal by $2,000! The class with the most participation was Mrs. DePasse's first grade class; in fact, 100 percent of their students raised money for the American Heart Association. Very soon, Mrs. DePasse's class will get to make an ice cream sundae out of Mrs. Simpson, Mr. Gomez, and Mrs. Bauer during an assembly to celebrate their success. Our top fundraiser was Olivia Veigel who raised $1,300! Thank you for all your efforts--we're very proud of all of our students.
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BFA GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAMS LEAGUE CHAMPS
The A and B girls basketball teams competed in the championship games this past weekend. The A Team beat North Star in the semi-final game, then went on to win against SkyView Academy in the finals. The B Team won their semi-final game against Littleton Prep, and went on to defeat North Star in the championship game. Congratulations to both A and B Teams--the Front Range Charter League Champions! And, thanks to their coaches, Mr. Macias and Mr. Knudsen.
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KCA FOR TREY SIERADSKI - A MESSAGE FROM BFA EIGHTH GRADER, CONNOR BROCK
As a school community, we have the opportunity to come together to support one of our own.
In the fall Trey Sieradski (pictured here), a BFA graduate and the son of our eighth grade Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Sieradski, was diagnosed with Stage II Burkitt's lymphoma. Burkitt's lymphoma is a fast-growing cancer of the lymphatic system (where your immune system does its work). Trey has been battling this cancer for three months, and HE IS WINNING!!
In honor of Trey and for his courage and strength, I want to get a group of students and others together who will raise awareness about childhood cancer by shaving their heads and fundraising.
Imagine how hard these past months have been for the Sieradski family and especially for Trey. Imagine how hard Trey has had to work to battle this cancer. He has missed school, faced horrible fears and pains, and lost his hair. Let's show Trey that he isn't alone. Trey has finished his treatment, so we can all grow our hair back together!
Please join me in the St. Baldrick's head-shaving event between 4 - 9 p.m. on Friday, March 16, at Snooze in Lone Tree (10002 Commons Street, Suite E1, Lone Tree). I have set up a team called "KCA for Trey." Click here to join us!
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Thank you to everyone who came and
supported the STEM Committee and BFA Day at the Movies
by watching
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema last weekend. It was great fun to see the story come to life on the big screen once again! Also, thank you to those students who participated in the costume contest. There were great Gryffindors, witches and even a dragon (fortunately, the fire breathing was kept to a minimum). The winners -
Téa Lobis, Sophie Runyon, Rocco Sammartino, James Silber and Thomas Silber - should check their home mailboxes in the coming week to receive their prize.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR MICI SPIRIT NIGHT
Come enjoy a delicious dinner and support BFA! Mici Handcrafted Italian (9245 S. Broadway, Highlands Ranch) will generously donate 20 percent of all dine-in, delivery, and carry-out purchases between 3 - 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13. Just be sure to mention BFA!
Help us make this evening a success by sharing this great opportunity with your family, friends and colleagues!
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The middle schoolers had a blast last week raising money for The American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. Students formed teams to compete in dodgeball games, and other students cheered on all the teams (and many donated $2 to watch the games). There were lots of hard fought battles, but the Average Joes won the gigantic DODGEBALL FOR DOLLARS trophy. Thanks to all our parents and students who supported this fundraiser; with your generosity we raised more than $1,200 for The American Heart Association and The American Cancer Society.
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The BFA middle school Student Council was excited to support Ronald McDonald House Charities as their philanthropy project for the fall/winter.
Thanks to your efforts, they collected 145,218 pop tops!
It was a close competition until
Olivia Betts brought in two 5-gallon Deep Rock Water jugs and another gallon container of pop tops! In fact, the Student Council had to switch they way they tracked the winning class; instead of counting each pop top, they had to use their math s
kills and convert the weight to the equivalent numbers of pop tops. Following are our top three collectors:
- Ms. Dychus - 51,390
- Mr. Knudsen - 12,664
- Mrs. Wall - 11,172
Great job everyone!
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THE PTO NEEDS YOU!
CONSIDER RUNNING FOR 2018-19 PTO POSITION
Are you interested in helping BFA while connecting with other parents who are passionate about our school? If so, they hope you'll consider becoming a member of the PTO team! When you join the PTO, you make a real, meaningful difference at BFA and build lasting friendships with other BFA parents.
The PTO is an integral part of Ben Franklin Academy. Since it began serving BFA, the PTO has raised funds to provide all sorts of items needed by the school, including playground equipment, library books, a climbing wall as well as tools and resources needed by the teachers, staff and administration. They also organize social events to bring together the entire BFA community.
This year, there are several Officer and Committee Chair positions up for election by the school community, and many Committee Manager positions that are selected by the PTO Board. If you are interested in becoming a PTO Executive Officer, Committee Chair, or Committee Manager, please submit the following information to the PTO co-secretaries by April 2, 2018. (For all elected positions, the information provided will be posted on the election ballot.)
- Your Name
- Number of children enrolled at BFA
- Grade of each child
- How long your family has been at BFA
- How many PTO Meetings you have attended in 2018-19
- Why are you interested serving on the BFA PTO?
- Why do you think you would be a good fit for this position?
- Is there any other information you would like to share?
With approximately 30 open positions, there's a role for most all skill-sets! Please see the recent news article for a list of open positions, visit the PTO page on the BFA website and look under 'important forms' to view a description of each, or contact
Mollie Anderson, PTO president.
Please note, if you are elected for multiple officer/committee manager positions, you may only serve in one position.
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CELEBRATE YOUR PERFORMER WITH A CANDY GRAM
Let your star know how special they are with a
candy gram for only two dollars ($2) each; then add your personal greeting to make it even more meaningful! Candy Grams now will be available at the concession table before performances.
Save yourself some time by preordering your Candy Gram at least two days prior to the performance, then pick them up and pay for them at the concession table. Let's recognize our performers for all their practicing and hard work. Proceeds benefit the Disneyland Choir Fundraising team.
Upcoming Performance Dates:
March 7: Full-day Kindie Musical, "Cover Your Sneeze, Please!"
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EXCITING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
If you're interested in trying a
new and fun way to contribute to BFA, and work with our staff and elementary students, we have a great opportunity for you!
The STEM Committee is seeking a volunteer (or two) to work with our veteran Elementary Science Fair Coordinators to coordinate this year's event, April 10-12. This is an
opportunity to learn the ropes by shadowing our current coordinators and helping with tasks such as:
- Coordinating with school staff on scheduling, logistics, and parent outreach,
- Recruiting judges,
- Day of logistics/setup/coordination, and
- Clean up and follow up.
The total job requires a few hours of coordinating from home and about 8 hours of being at school. If you have questions or want to express your interest, please
email STEM. We are looking for help ASAP.
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SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Ben Franklin Academy is happy to announce that we will offer an exciting Summer Camp program again this year.
Do you need full-time daycare for the summer? Or perhaps you want to schedule something fun for your kids once a week while you run errands. Maybe your kids would like to connect with other Ben Franklin Academy kids and enjoy fun, summer social time? Whatever your situation,
our Summer Camp is sure to keep your kids safe and entertained. And, the best part is--the program is staffed by people you know and trust!
Program Details
Dates:
May 30 - Aug. 10 (closed the week of
July 4th)
Hours:
7 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Days:
Monday through
Friday
Summer Camp is open to any BFA student age 5-years-old and above.
Program Costs
Registration: There is a $35.00/per child one-time registration fee. All registered campers will receive a camp T-shirt and day pack.
Daily Tuition: The cost of the camp is $35/day/child for non-field trip days and $50/day/child for field trip days.
Registration is now open. If you have any questions to please
email the Summer Camp team.
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BFA IS THE MOST FANTABULOUS DCSD SCHOOL!
We're proud to announce that
Ben Franklin Academy is the FIRST PLACE WINNER of the
Macaroni Kid 2018 Most Fantabulous DCSD School! Thanks to our
BFA community who voted (sometimes every day!) for our school. We sincerely appreciate you spreading the word about our amazing school. As a FIRST PLACE winner,
Macaroni Kid Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock-Lone Tree is awarding us with a
$500 Visa Gift Card from Osgood Team Real Estate and
Dream Dinners Parker is providing a
catered lunch for staff.
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BOYS AND GIRLS SUMMER VOLLEYBALL CAMP
Mark your calendar! The BFA boys and girls summer volleyball camp will be the week of July 9 in BFA's Thunder Gym. The camp is for incoming fifth through eighth graders who are new or experienced players. We are also looking for high school players who are interested in earning required volunteer hours to help. If you have questions, email Coach Haufschild.
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The PTO's online store will be
re-opening from March 1 through April 15. What does that mean to you? This is your chance to get that coveted T-shirt, hoodie, or other spirit wear items before the school year ends. Please visit the
store to check out all the terrific items for sale. If you have any questions, please
email
Rachel Molieri, PTO spirit wear coordinator.
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COUPON BOOKS ON SALE AND GOOD THROUGH AUGUST
Buy yourself something the entire family will enjoy--a coupon book containing discounts for some of our favorite places, including:
Pierre Michele French Bakery, Indulge, Mici's, Cuba Cuba, Cold Stone, Honey Baked Ham, Gigi's, Timbuk Toys, Arts on Fire, Pirates Cove, Dart Warz and Junglequest.
Coupon books are only $35 each and is a gift that you or a loved one can use all year! The paper coupons can be used once, and with the app, you get the discount AGAIN with duplicate coupons. Also, this year your purchase includes a small card good for multiple uses at five businesses.
To purchase,
email Erin Fierro, D.C. Fundraising Committee Manager.
Hurry and get these valuable coupon books today before they're all gone!
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DCEF DISCOUNT EVENT TICKETS
Hockey fans--get tickets to see the Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 4. Tickets start at $25, and a portion of every ticket will be donated to school of your choice. There is also a back-up option at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 16. Click on the flier to find out more.
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WANT YOUR KIDDO TO HAVE THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER?
Send them a Birthday Bag!
Celebrating birthdays at BFA just got more fun! Order your child a Birthday Bag for just $10, and s/he will receive:
- A bag full of goodies such as erasers, pencils, bouncy balls, etc. (no food or candy will be in the bags);
- A birthday certificate good for a free bake sale item at the next bake sale;
- A personalized note from you, if requested; and
- A 'Happy Birthday' serenade by the eighth graders who deliver the bag to your student's classroom.
Did your child already celebrate their birthday or do they have a summer birthday?
We also will deliver "Un-birthday Bags" for students who have already celebrated their birthday, and "Half-birthday Bags" for summer birthdays.
You can purchase Birthday Bags online through the BFA Store.
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Students who have met their Accelerated Reader goal can wear
Dress of Choice on Friday, March 2. You will be notified if your student has met their goal.
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The eighth grade social studies fair will be held on Friday, March 2, in the Middle School Commons. Students will create and present social studies projects; parents are invited to attend while their student is presenting. We look forward to seeing the eighth graders projects!
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Next week, March 5 - 9, BFA's student council is sponsoring
Charity Week! The BFA Student Council has elected to raise money for the American Cancer Society with a Penny War and a variety of other activities,
including:
- Monday, March 5 - Sock it to Cancer Day: Wear crazy, fun socks with your BFA uniform.
- Tuesday, March 6 - Put a Cap on Cancer: Wear your favorite hat with your BFA uniform.
- Wednesday March 7 - This is first Wednesday and Class Picture Day, so we'll keep up the PENNY WAR while wearing our Formal Uniform.
- Thursday, March 8 - Team Up Against Cancer: Wear your favorite sports team jersey with uniform bottoms. AND, attend the social after school from 4 - 6 p.m. at Skate City in Littleton. Admission is $5, skate rental is $2.50 and there will be food available for purchase. Half of the admission will be donated back to BFA for the fundraiser.
- Friday, March 9 - Spirit Day: Students can wear their Spirit Wear T-shirt, a field day T-shirt from a prior year or a BFA Fun Run T-shirt with regular uniform bottoms.
For more information, see the flier on charity week and the penny wars. We're looking forward to a fantastic charity week!
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The BFA B Team battles Cougar Run at
6 p.m. Monday, March 5, at the
James H. LaRue Library in Highlands Ranch
(9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd.)
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COMMUNITY EVENTS COMMITTEE MEETING
The Community Events Committee (CEC) will meet from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in the Dana Library.
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Class pictures are scheduled throughout the day Wednesday, March 7. It is also a Formal Uniform Day, so students should wear their navy polo with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.
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Wednesday, March 7, is a Formal Uniform Day, so students should wear their navy polo with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.
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Come watch our adorable full-day kindies as they make hygiene fun with, "Cover your Sneeze, Please!" They'll reinforce healthy habits with simple songs at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, on the performance stage.
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH COMMITTEE MEETING
The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Committee is meeting from 5:30 - 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, in the Sanders Science Lab.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
The Finance Committee is meeting from 5 - 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, in the Dana Library.
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Friday, March 9, is a Spirit Wear Day. Students can wear their Spirit Wear T-shirt, a field day T-shirt from a prior year or a BFA Fun Run T-shirt with regular uniform bottoms.
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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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