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Vol. 9, Iss. 30
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October 31, 2019
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Dear Parents,
Wow, what a crazy week! We had a little of everything....late start, early dismissal, snow day and the National Day of Candy (otherwise known as Halloween!). The week ends with another day off for
students as there is a teacher in-service day tomorrow.
I wanted to once again thank everyone involved in making the BENefit Bash a big success last weekend! It was such a fun event and it was nice to see so many of you in a social setting. The event took hours and hours of volunteer time to pull off and it showed. I can't wait to do it again in a couple of years!
Last week, I neglected to congratulate two of our students--
Addi Torres, a seventh grader, and Ethan Duffy, an eighth grader who represented BFA at the State Cross Country meet during
Fall Break.
We are so proud of
both of these runners who placed 22nd and 26th respectively in their races.
Great job representing BFA at the State level!
I hope to see many of you at the Halloween parties today!
Sincerely,
Diana Simpson
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There is
NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Nov. 1, as it is a professional work day for teachers. The scheduling of this professional day is purely coincidental and has absolutely nothing to do with how much candy kids eat during Halloween.
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The annual BFA Veterans Day celebration is right around the corner! In order to make this event successful, we need YOUR help.
We are still looking for volunteers for the day of the event and for clean up on Nov. 12. If you want a fun way to earn your volunteer hours, please visit our
SignUp Genius!
Veterans Wall of Honor
Families who would like to submit information sheets about loved ones who are veterans can download and print the form here. Please return it to school no later than MONDAY, NOV. 4.
Assembly Programs and Veterans Reception
We invite you to join us at our Veterans Day assemblies on
Monday, Nov. 11, at 8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
(please note slight change in time).
A reception will be held for veterans between the two assemblies in the Sander's Science Lab.
Please invite veterans in your family or neighborhood to attend--it's so meaningful for BFA students to be able to honor these veterans at school! To help spread the word,
we've created an invitation; please feel free to print and disseminate.
If you have any questions, please email the CEC.
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VETERANS OUTREACH PROJECT
Each year the CEC coordinates an outreach project to support veterans in our community. This year we will be collecting gloves/mittens, scarves, fleece blankets and hand/toe warmers for the VA Hospital from NOW until Nov. 15. Please place your donation in the designated boxes in the front hallway and label your item(s) with your student's name and grade. The grade with the most donations will receive a special treat! Thank you in advance for your support.
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BENEFIT BASH THANK YOU AND REMINDERS
Thank you to everyone who registered for and participated in the BENefit Bash. The online auction, main event and after party were huge successes. Congratulations to the winners of the prestigious Ben Franklin Award - Steve and Burgandy Hodge and Paige Brock (pictured with Principal Simpson and PTO President, Mollie Anderson). Special thanks to the main event's masters of ceremony - Katie Stolk and Kevin Knudsen. And, to all the volunteers who made the event happen - THANK YOU.
MJ Thomas Photography, our school photographer, donated the main event photography. We will be certain to share the link to all the pictures once they're received.
Final participation numbers and profits won't be available until after the last chance auction.
As a reminder,
auction item distribution will take place from
4:30 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov 5
, in the BFA Middle School Commons.
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ARE YOU COMING TO THE FEAST?
Wednesday, Nov. 20, is the Nutrition Services Thanksgiving Feast
! Students can elect to purchase lunch that day and will be treated to roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, dinner roll, side salad, cranberry sauce and apple crumb cake. If you plan on joining your student for lunch, please email your student's teacher and Holly Long, kitchen manager by next Tuesday, Nov. 5, to let us know how many family members are coming. (Do not include your student in the count--we only need to plan for extra guests.) The cost for the Thanksgiving Feast is $4.25 for guests.
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YOU GET PIZZA, PARRY'S GIVES BACK!
Parry's Pizzeria and Bar (9567 S University Blvd., 80126) will be hosting a BFA Spirit Night from 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov.14. Parry's will donate 20 percent of the purchases back to BFA--so, make plans for a pizza night, and help BFA!
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PLEASE CHECK LOST AND FOUND
Please ask your student(s) to
check the Lost and Found if they are missing a sweater, BFA sweatshirt, coat/jacket, lunch box or water bottle. Items will be donated during Thanksgiving Break.
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LAST CHANCE AUCTION NOV. 4-8
Last Chance Auction will be held at https://bfacademy.ptapal.com from Nov 4-8. The auction includes, among other things, teacher experiences. No ticket is needed to participate. All you have to do is be registered at PTA Pal in order to participate and bid.
Pathway to Learning Bricks are BACK. Next week is your last chance to purchase a commemorative brick for placement in front of the school alongside the existing bricks. This is a great way to leave a lasting memory of your time at our school. Purchased bricks are scheduled to be installed Spring 2020 prior to the last day of school.
To purchase, simply login/register at
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YEARBOOK SALES OPEN TODAY
Beginning TODAY, yearbook sales have officially launched! Similar to last year, the only way to purchase a yearbook is through our vendor, Walsworth. The PTO will not be offering yearbook sales at any other events throughout the year. Don't wait, as prices will increase beginning in January.
Nov. - Dec. 31, 2019 = $26.00 per book
Jan. 1 - Feb. 29, 2020 = $31.00 per book
March 1 - March 31, 2020 = $36.00 per book
Order and pay for your 2019 - 20 yearbook today.
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COGAT RESULTS MAILED NEXT WEEK
If your third and/or fifth grade student took CogAT in September,
please look for your student's test results in the mail late next week. Students who were tested based on referral also will receive their child's test results next week. We'll send the results through the USPS on Monday. Gifted identification letters are NOT being mailed out at this time. They will be mailed out at a later date once the gifted identification process is complete.
If you do NOT receive your child's test results by Friday, Nov. 8, please email Mrs. Murphy.
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Ben's Brigade will be hosting a bowling night for all BFA Dads. Please join other Dads from
8 - 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Bowlero Lone Tree for a free night of bowling, pizza and wings. You do not need to be a member of Ben's Brigade to attend--just come have some fun with other BFA Dads!
Please email Ben's Brigade to RSVP.
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ATTENTION SEVENTH GRADE FAMILIES
SEVENTH GRADE FAMILIES - please help in carpool this NOVEMBER! Carpool volunteers are critical and we'd like the help of our seventh grade families for the month of November.
As a reminder, to help fill crucial carpool volunteer roles, we're asking parents in each grade level to make a special effort to volunteer one month of the school year.
Even if you don't have a seventh grade student,
we still need you so please consider signing up today. Just log into HelpCounter and click on 'Check for Upcoming Opportunities.'
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WE'D APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!
BFA has been participating in the Douglas County Library "Battle of the Books" program since the 2014/15 school year. We have a third/fourth grade team and a fifth/sixth grade team. Each team has to read ten books and be able to answer detailed questions about each of them during the battles. We have done very well in the battles over the years but have noticed the exceptional schools have the help of a lot of parent volunteers.
We are looking for anyone who would be willing to read at least ONE of the assigned books for the third/fourth grade team or fifth/sixth grade team and write as many questions as you can think of about the books.
We have copies of the books at the school and sample questions that we can give you. These books don't take long to read and anyone participating in this volunteer activity will receive volunteer hours for your family. This is a great way for those who can't come to the school to get your hours at home. You do NOT have to have a family member on the team or in those grade levels - just a willingness to help!
We would like to inundate these kids with questions so there isn't any part of the book they haven't reviewed. The teams begin practice in late November and battles will begin in February.
We would love to have your questions submitted by the last week of November. However, we will continually accept questions for practice after this time.
Please contact us if you would like to help:
Thank you!
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...OPEN ENROLLMENT BEGINS TOMORROW
DCSD's online Open Enrollment starts TOMORROW, November 1. Parents of ALL NEW K-8 BFA students for the 2020-21 school year need to take action by completing the Open Enrollment process. Even if you have a student who currently attends kindergarten through eighth grade at BFA, you will need to complete DCSD Open Enrollment for any NEW or incoming K-8 students.
Note: If you are a current BFA family and plan to Open Enroll a student in BFA's 2020-21 kindergarten class, please complete this
Preference Form and
submit it to Colleen Bobbin by Monday, Nov. 11.
First Round of Open Enrollment Begins Soon!
FIRST ROUND: Runs from 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, through 3:59 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019. All families are highly encouraged to complete Open Enrollment during the First Round.
- Parents will use their DCSD EngagED Parent Portal to login and access the Open Enrollment tool. (Hint: You used your EngagED Parent Portal to complete Express Check-In in August.)
- If you do not know your username and password, please email BFA's registrar, Colleen Bobbin, BEFORE Thanksgiving Break.
- Parents without a DCSD EngagED Parent Portal account will be able to create one once First Round opens on Nov. 1.
- For Kindergarten, your child MUST turn five on or before Oct. 1, 2020 to be eligible for 2020-21 kindergarten.
- Open Enrollment submissions during the FIRST ROUND ONLY will have priority based on the following:
- Children in the household of Founding Families;
- Siblings of current students. Siblings that share the same birth date (ie. twins or triplets) shall receive automatic enrollment; and
- Children of full-time teachers;
- BFA preschool students, as detailed in the Enrollment Policy.
IMPORTANT: Parents with students who have the above priorities who miss First Round of Open Enrollment will NOT receive priority in the Second Round of enrollment. If you want to leverage your priority status, please plan to complete Open Enrollment during First Round.
- To accept an Open Enrollment offer, parents MUST accept via the EngagED Parent Portal before 4 p.m. on Dec. 16.
- If a parent does not accept an offer by the deadline, the student automatically will be placed on the Second Round Open Enrollment wait-list.
- Parents who accept an offer will receive enrollment requirements and deadlines via email from the BFA registrar. Get a head start on some of these requirements by ensuring you have the following information handy: copy of your student's birth certificate, updated immunization records and proof of residency. One of the following will be required for proof of residency:
- Lease Agreement
- Purchase Agreement
- Tax Notice
- Warranty Deed
- Deed of Trust
SECOND ROUND: Runs Jan. 22 - Aug. 3, 2020
- Open Enrollment during Second Round is "first come, first served." Parents requesting open enrollment for their child in the Second Round are placed on the wait-list behind those that are currently on the wait-list from first round. Priorities will NOT be considered.
Second Round Offers:
- As space becomes available, offers during Second Round will be made via the email address parents submitted during Open Enrollment. (Offers during this round will not be visible from the Open Enrollment tool, rather parents should look for an email from the school's registrar.) Parents who accept an offer will receive enrollment requirements and deadlines via email from the BFA registrar. Unfortunately, if parents miss the deadlines outlined in the registrar's email, the enrollment offer will be withdrawn and another student on the list will be given an opportunity to enroll.
The DCSD
Open Enrollment webpage provides the most up-to-date information and specific details about the process, as well as answers to commonly-asked questions. Please visit this
site well before Open Enrollment begins on November 1. If you have questions about enrollment, please
email our registrar or call 720-383-4519 x3104 to reach the regi
strar.
CURRENT BFA STUDENTS:
Current K-8 students intending to return to BFA next school year DO NOT need to take any action. If your student will not return to BFA next year, please let the registrar know via
email.
PRESCHOOL STUDENTS:
Preschool Enrollment for the three-year-old and four-year-old classes will take place via the preschool
webpage on the BFA website. Preschool enrollment for current BFA families will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 2. Preschool enrollment for the general public will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13.
If you are interested in the Ben Franklin Academy Preschool program, please click
here for more information.
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There is
NO SCHOOL on Friday, Nov. 1, as it is a professional work day for teachers. The scheduling of this professional day is purely coincidental and has absolutely nothing to do with how much candy kids eat during Halloween.
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Tours for prospective K-8 families will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays through November 19.
Anyone going on a tour should bring a Driver's License and arrive a few minutes early so we can scan their license before the tour begins.
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AUCTION ITEM DISTRIBUTION!
As a reminder, auction item distribution will take place from
4:30 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov 5
, in the BFA Middle School Commons.
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Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend the next
Community Events Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the Starbucks inside the Highlands Ranch Super Target.
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Wednesday,
Nov. 6, is a Formal Uniform Day. Students should wear their navy polo shirt with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.
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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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