 |
| Vol. 8, Iss. 31 |
Nov. 8, 2018
|
|
Our eighth graders attended a career expo sponsored by the Foundation for Douglas County Schools yesterday. The students met and discussed career options with employers from all aspects of life. There were tables with representatives from various industries including: agriculture, business, military, hospitality, criminal justice, design and many more. Our eighth graders have attended this expo for the past several years and we have always heard rave reviews from our students about how impactful this experience was for them. Today, Mr. Rau and I received an email from one of the employers at the fair. He had some wonderful things to say about our students and their preparation for the expo. I wanted to share his message with all of you (edited slightly to omit the name of a student):
Dear Diana and Joshua-
I was representing Sky Ridge Medical Center at the 8th Grade Career Expo today and just wanted to give you both Kudos for your students attending. Your group clearly stood out to me with personal appearance and having their prepared student resumes and photos. Really outstanding! I spoke at length with a student about medical careers and how to get started in our student volunteer program, and had an online application waiting for me before I even returned to my office!
Well done and congratulations on the work you are doing with your students at Ben Franklin Academy!
This is why we do what we do each day. We are here to prepare students for high school and beyond. We are helping to build students who are articulate, respectful, responsible, contributing citizens.
Thank you for sharing your children with us everyday and trusting us to help guide and shape them. It is a responsibility that we do not take lightly!
I hope to see many of you at the Veterans Day assemblies tomorrow!
Sin
cerely,
|
BFA loves its volunteers, and we want to show our appreciation for all of your work. This year, the PTO will be recognizing TWO volunteers each month. One volunteer will be chosen as the 'Volunteer of the Month,' and will get exclusive use of the dedicated 'Volunteer' spot in the parking lot for their month.
Each month, a second volunteer will be randomly chosen through a monthly drawing to win a fun, surprise gift. All you have to do to be eligible to win, is log at least ONE hour of volunteer service in the month prior to the drawing.
|
CONGRATULATIONS JAMIE SMITH!
For the month of November, Jamie Smith has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteer of the Month. Jamie is being honored for working so diligently to fulfill her family's volunteer requirement prior to the birth of her twins in late September. Her demonstration of Ben Franklin's virtue of resolution has left a lasting impression on our school's community. For her efforts, we'd like to say thanks and recognize her.
Jamie is the proud mother of a daughter in first grade (who started in preschool at BFA), another daughter who will start preschool at BFA next year, and now twins! Having been a teacher in Jefferson County for 13 years, Jamie truly appreciates the value of parent involvement in the classroom. That's a big reason why she feels it is so important to volunteer here at BFA. With a family of six now, her husband, Charlie, and she decided that she needed to take some time off from teaching to be a full-time mom. When asked what about BFA she likes best, Jamie replied, "I really enjoy volunteering at BFA because being in a great school and classroom is like a second home to me. The positive involvement of the administration, teachers, staff, and parents have really impressed us because each student is getting the support and guidance they need to succeed!"
Congratulations, Jamie, and thanks for all you do for BFA. You've certainly earned 'superhero status' in our minds.
|
Jennifer Dela'o is the winner of the PTO's monthly volunteer drawing. Not only did Jennifer get to go on the aquarium field trip with Ms. Lindgren's third grade class last month, but she also was chosen in the drawing and won a $10 gift card to Torchy's. Congratulations, Jennifer! And, thank you again for your time and effort at BFA.
|
CELEBRATE VETERANS DAY WITH US TOMORROW!
Our annual Veterans Day celebration is tomorrow! There are two assemblies--
grades K-4 will be from 8:30-9:30 a.m., and grades 5-8 will be from 12:45-1:45 p.m. A special reception will be held just for veterans in Sanders Science Lab. The morning reception starts immediately following the morning assembly, around 9:30 a.m., while the afternoon reception begins at noon.
The assemblies will feature a flag ceremony by our Scouts as well as songs performed by our fourth graders. Our keynote speakers will be
U.S. Air Force Officer Joshua Tolin and
First Lieutenant Elizabeth Tolin.
1Lt. Elizabeth Tolin is an Aircraft Maintenance Officer who has served in the
Wyoming Air National Guard for 12 years, and
Officer Joshua Tolin is active duty in the
Judge Advocate General Corps, and currently deployed to
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
As part of the assemblies, we will be showing a video featuring BFA students and honoring our very own military heroes--the relatives and loved ones of students who have served in the military.
All families are invited and welcome to attend, and please feel free to invite any friends or relatives who serve or have served in the armed forces!
It is recommended that you be
IN YOUR SEAT for the assembly 5-10 minutes early so that we can cheer on the veterans as they make their grand entrance at the beginning of the assembly. If you plan to attend, please make sure to bring a
valid Driver's License and check in at the front office to receive your badge.
We can't wait to celebrate our United States military heroes with you!
|
SCOUTS ENCOURAGED TO WEAR UNIFORMS
All active BFA Boy and Girl Scouts are welcome to show their scouting spirit on Friday, Nov. 9, as we celebrate Veterans Day. Boys can wear their full uniform or
their Boy Scout shirt with regular school pants/shorts. Girls
can wear their Girl Scout vest or sash. We recommend wearing your Girl Scout vest/sash with our Formal Uniform, but it's not required. We're proud to have representatives from both Boy and Girl Scouts helping with the Color Guard at the assemblies this year.
|
STUDENT COUNCIL CHARITY WEEK, NOV. 12 - 16
Veterans are the reason we live in the home of the free, and we are grateful for their sacrifices for our nation. We need your help this season to show our gratitude.
Student Council is partnering with Soldiers' Angels, a nonprofit organization that supports service members and veterans nationwide. We are doing a
collection drive to benefit the patients at the VA Hospital in Aurora as well as homeless veterans in the Denver area. We are collecting the following items:
- Socks
- Hats
- Gloves
- Mittens
There will be a drop-off box in the front lobby. Please donate only
new adult men's and women's sizes. Thank you for your support!
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~ John F. Kennedy
|
The men of Ben's Brigade are hosting Dad's Night Out from 7-9 p.m. TONIGHT, Nov. 8, at Bowlero Lanes in Lone Tree. This PTO sponsored event will include bowling and appetizers. There still a few spaces available. Click here to sign up for the event. We hope to see you there!
|
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.
|
Wednesday,
Nov. 14, is the Nutrition Services Thanksgiving Feast! Students can elect to purchase lunch that day and will be treated to roasted turkey breast, loaded mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered green beans, a snickerdoodle cookie and the harvest bar. I
f you plan on joining your student for lunch, please email your student's teacher and Holly Long, kitchen manager, TODAY, Nov. 8, 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 students and guests.
|
ORIGINAL WORKS ONLINE STORE REOPENED
Original Works has reopened its online store for BFA orders, and will remain open until tomorrow, Nov. 9. Orders placed during this time period are not guaranteed to arrive before Winter Break, but they often do. If you'd like to support the Arts at BFA and are looking for a great gift idea, consider o
rdering
beautiful, professional products featuring your student's artwork from Original Works
. See this flier for specific instructions. I
f you have questions,
contact
Mrs. Hinkle
.
|
MODERN MARKET SPIRIT NIGHT NEXT TUESDAY
Warm up with a three cheese brick oven pizza, a BBQ pork sandwich with house made pickles on a soft brioche bun, a curry salmon bowl or a salad with grilled steak, roasted potatoes, blue cheese and caramelized onions. And, treat your kids to a quick service meal that's actually healthy and delicious, like the build-your-own salads, grilled chicken plate or kids mac and cheese. Sound amazing? Well, it is, so take the night ake the night off from cooking, and come enjoy some delicious food while supporting BFA.
M
odern
Market
will donate 50 percent of the proceeds from purchases made from 5 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at their Highlands Ranch location
(537 W Highlands Ranch Pkwy #108). Please be sure to mention the BFA fundraiser.
|
Have you ever wanted your own reserved parking space at BFA? How about six front row seats to a grade level musical? Your chance is coming! The
PTO's online auction will be held from Monday, Nov. 26, through Friday, Nov. 30. You can bid on reserved seats to grade level musicals as well as eighth grade graduation. Additionally, the five reserved parking spots (4 annual and 1 monthly) will be up for auction for the calendar year 2019. Look for more information in upcoming newsletters. If you have questions, please
contact
Julia Porterfield, PTO fundraising coordinator.
|
FIRST GRADE FAMILIES - WE'RE THANKFUL YOUR HELPING IN NOVEMBER!
FIRST GRADE FAMILIES--please volunteer in carpool this month! 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.
In November, we'd like our first grade families to sign up for open volunteer spots in carpool. If you
don't have an first grade student, but enjoy volunteering in carpool--we still need you so please consider signing up today. Just log into
HelpCounter and click on '
Check for Upcoming Opportunities.'
|
CALLING ALL PARENT PHOTOGRAPHERS!
We need your help with pictures for the yearbook! We
need more candid pictures
--including past events such as Harvest Festival, after school activities, middle school sports, field trips etc.
Earn some volunteer time and click here to upload photos.
The code is 'YEARBOOK2019.'
|
Check out the new library
webpage. Parents can use this webpage to sign up to volunteer in the library, contact the librarians, see when your student's class is coming to library, and find useful links to OverDrive, Battle of the Books, Douglas County Libraries and more.
|
BEFORE SCHOOL ELEMENTARY SPANISH
Is your elementary student interested in learning Spanish? If so, our middle school Spanish teacher,
Señora Connell, is offering a Spanish class for elementary students
. You can sign up for classes by the month; the cost for this activity is $50 per student (less on shorter months).
- Kindergarten, first and second grade will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8 a.m.
- Third, fourth and fifth grade will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 to 8 a.m.
Y
ou can sign up for one month at a time; classes continue through the end of May and follow the regular BFA school calendar for breaks/days off.
Sign up today! Please
contact
Señora Connell with any questions.
|
TIME TO PURCHASE YOUR 2018-19 YEARBOOK
Yearbook sales have officially launched! This year, the only way to
purchase a yearbook is through our vendor, Walsworth. (You may recall--purchasing a yearbook was not an option this year during Express Check-In.) We will not be offering yearbook sales at any other events throughout the year. Don't wait, as prices will increase beginning in January!
- Now - December 31, 2018: $26.00 per book
- January 1, 2019 - February 28, 2019: $31.00 per book
- March 1, 2019 - March 31, 2019: $36.00 per book
Order and pay for your 2018-19 Yearbook today!
|
A MESSAGE FOR ALL PARENTS FROM BASE
Just a friendly reminder, as per the state of Colorado Licensing, only children registered in the BASE program may attend during BASE hours. This includes areas such as the turf field, playground areas, the BASE room, and the Lightning Gym.
If your student chooses to play outside after he/she has been picked up from school, they may do so until 4 p.m. BASE starts promptly at that time and we ask that all non-BASE students vacate the BFA premises immediately. If you have any questions please
email
Leigh Savoy, BASE director. T
hank you!
|
SPREAD THE WORD - ONLY TWO TOURS LEFT THIS YEAR
Do you know any families interested in sending their student(s) to BFA? If so, we'd love to show them our amazing facility! Tours for prospective K-8 families will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays through Nov. 27 (with no tour Nov. 20 due to Thanksgiving break). At that time, we'll show prospective parents around the school so they can see firsthand why we are the STEAM School of Choice in Douglas County. 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.
|
BFA ENROLLMENT FOR NEW STUDENTS OPEN NOW!
New: Preference Sheet for Kindies due Nov. 14
Open Enrollment for NEW BFA students is now OPEN! Please be sure to complete enrollment well before the first round closes at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3. Although enrolling early during the FIRST ROUND does not offer any advantages--it's a good idea to complete the process early just in case you encounter any issues. You can choose up to four schools during the Open Enrollment process, but we encourage you to only pick the schools you plan to accept as that helps streamline the process for everyone.
For your quick reference, below is the information we shared earlier this fall about Open Enrollment for new BFA students. Most of the information is the same, but we've added a form for parents of upcoming Kindergarten students. We'd like you to complete this
Preference Form by Wednesday, Nov. 14, in addition to completing Open Enrollment.
The first round of Open Enrollment IS NOW OPEN!
Parents of ALL NEW K-8 BFA students for the 2019-20 school year need to take action by completing DCSD's 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. For example, if you have a third grader attending BFA, and want to send your child to Kindergarten at BFA, you MUST complete Open Enrollment for the upcoming Kindergarten student.
FIRST ROUND: Runs today through 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3. All families are highly encouraged to complete Open Enrollment at some point during the First Round; please keep in mind that the first round is NOT first come, first served.
- Parents will use their DCSD EngagED Parent Portal to access Open Enrollment. (Hint: You used your EngagED Parent Portal to complete Express Check-In in August.) Parents without a DCSD EngagED Parent Portal account will be able to create one today. If you do not know your username and password, please email BFA's registrar, Colleen Bobbin. Keep in mind, if you have any concerns about accessing your Parent Portal, try to log in early in the process and, if you encounter problems, email the registrar well in advance of the deadline on Monday, Dec. 3.
- If you are applying for Kindergarten, your child MUST turn five by Oct. 1 of the enrollment year. For example, if your student will be five by Oct. 1, 2019, they can apply for the 2019-20 school year. Also, as mentioned above, please complete the preference form for your upcoming Kindergarten student and send it to our registrar, Colleen Bobbin, by Wednesday, Nov. 14.
- 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;
- Children of full-time teachers; and
- BFA preschool students. (See Mrs. Goldberg's Oct. 17 email for specific details.)
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.
- Parents will see offers in the EngagED Parent Portal at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and MUST log back in by 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17, to accept an open enrollment offer. If you receive an offer, and do not accept it by the deadline, you will automatically be placed on the second round open enrollment wait-list, which runs from Jan. 22 to Aug. 1.
- Parents who accept an offer will receive enrollment requirements and deadlines via email. You can 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 Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019 - August 1, 2019
- 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.
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. If you have questions about enrollment, please
email our registrar or call 720-383-4519 x3104 to reach the registrar.
Current BFA Students
Current K-8 students intending to return to BFA next school year DO NOT need to take any action. If your K-7 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. 3. Preschool enrollment for the general public will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 14.
If you are interested in the Ben Franklin Academy Preschool program, please click here for more information.
|
ATTENTION EIGHTH GRADE FAMILIES
As you prepare for your eighth grader's high school enrollment, you may need to request transcripts and/or other records. If that's the case,
please email our registrar, Colleen Bobbin, and let her know exactly what the high school requires. (They should specify which records are needed, and understanding their exact requirements will eliminate delays in processing.)
It takes some time to gather all the necessary documents, so
please allow three business days (72 hours) to complete the request. Once the student's packet has been completed, the registrar will email the requesting parent and leave the packet at the front desk for pick up.
|
GOT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE?
RENT THE ROCK!
Have a birthday to celebrate or a team to cheer on? Then rent the Spirit Rock! You've probably already seen the fun messages painted on the rock, and it's just $15 per day for you to display your message.
For more information on how to rent and paint the rock, visit the PTO
webpage. If you have questions,
email
Sara Hope
, spirit rock committee manager.
|
MAKE YOUR STUDENT'S BIG DAY SPECIAL--SEND A BIRTHDAY BAG!
Order your birthday bags today and help our eighth graders who are going to Washington, D.C. next spring. For just $10, our
eighth graders will deliver a bag of goodies (no food included) to your child's classroom and surprise him or her with a special Happy Birthday song. We're happy to celebrate half birthdays too! Bags are available for
purchase on the BFA online store. Please order early to ensure delivery on your child's special day.
|
GET YOUR DISCOUNT TICKETS TODAY!
The Foundation for Douglas County Schools
Community Events Program
is out with their latest fundraisers! The Foundation works with our community event partners to provide substantially discounted tickets to cultural venues and sporting events; and, best of all, your ticket purchases benefit DCSD. Go to their website for the latest information on discount tickets.
|
FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
The Finance Committee is meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, in the BFA Conference Room.
|
The men of Ben's Brigade are hosting Dad's Night Out from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, at Bowlero Lanes in Lone Tree. Click
here to sign up for the event.
|
VETERANS DAY CELEBRATIONS
Veterans, service members and BFA families are invited to join us at our Veterans Day assembly programs on Friday, Nov. 9.
- Grades K-4 will be held at 8:30 a.m.
- Grades 5-8 will be held at 12:45 p.m.
A special reception will be held just for veterans in Sanders Science Lab. The morning reception starts immediately following the morning assembly, around 9:30 a.m., while the afternoon reception begins at noon before the afternoon assembly.
|
Tours for prospective K-8 families will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays through November (with no tours Nov. 20 due to school breaks). 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.
|
MODERN MARKET SPIRIT NIGHT
Take the night ake the night off from cooking, and come enjoy some delicious food while supporting BFA.
M
odern
Market
will donate 50 percent of the proceeds from purchases made from 5 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at their Highlands Ranch location
(537 W Highlands Ranch Pkwy #108). Please be sure to mention the BFA fundraiser.
|
BFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
The BFA Board of Directors meets monthly during the school year at 5:30 p.m. in our school's library. Parents are welcome to attend the Board meetings, or use the call-in number listed on the agenda to listen to the meeting.
The next Board meeting is from 5:30 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the Dana Library.
The agenda will be available via the BFA website 24 hours prior to the meeting.
|
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION MEETING
Join our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for their monthly meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the Sanders Science Lab. All BFA community members (parents, teachers, legal guardians) are welcome.
|
There is a
Dress of Choice day on Friday, Nov. 16
, for all students, except those who have had two uniform violations since the last Dress of Choice day. Per the uniform policy, "Clothes worn by all the students during the DOC days shall be modest, in good condition, and neat in appearance. Students are not allowed to wear pajama items or clothing that contains wording or images that could be interpreted as racial, vulgar, or offensive in any way. Revealing clothes are not acceptable (i.e. tank tops, midriffs, sleeveless, etc.)."
|
| Monday, Nov. 19 - Friday, November 23 |
|
|
NO SCHOOL FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK
Please remember there is no school on
from Monday, Nov. 19, through Friday, Nov. 23
. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break!
|
Ben Franklin Academy
2270 Plaza Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 |
Fax: (303) 974-1738
|
|
|
Our mission is to create young adults with character like America's founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged.
|
|
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.
|
|
Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.
|
|
|
|
|
|
