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| Vol. 8, Iss. 34 |
Dec. 6, 2018
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Dear Parents,
Each year the Foundation for Douglas County Schools asks parents and students throughout the district to nominate teachers and support staff for the coveted
Apple Awards. Nominees receive a certificate and recognition at the school level. Then, the school chooses two of the nominees to represent the school at the District awards ceremony, where they have the opportunity to win Teacher of the Year, Classified Staff of the Year, or Administrator of the Year.
This is a great way to honor our wonderful teachers and staff, while highlighting the innovative work they do to challenge and inspire our students. This year, the process has changed and your nominations will be video or written testimonials that will be posted publicly on a customized webpage for our school. Anyone over the age of 18 can nominate, as well as students age 13 or older (if they have your permission).
We hope you'll click on this link before the nomination window closes on Friday, Jan. 11, and nominate your favorite BFA teachers and staff for these prestigious awards.
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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.
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CONGRATULATIONS MARY ARBOLEDA
For the month of December,
Mary Arboleda has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteer of th
e Month. Mary is being honored for consistently volunteering in her grandson's class, the lunch and art rooms, the science lab, and at class parties. She has not only met, but tripled her family's annual volunteer quota! Her dedication to helping the staff and being present in her grandchildren's classrooms is so special, and it's appreciated by many. For her efforts, we'd like to say thank you and are happy to recognize her.
Mary is the proud grandmother of two BFA students - a grandson in Mrs. North's first grade class and a granddaughter in Pre-K. This is her family's third year at BFA. When asked what she likes best about Ben Franklin Academy, Mary replied, "The faculty, staff, and facility are AMAZING and provide a caring, safe, and positive environment for learning. I've very much enjoyed getting to know my grandchildren's teachers, aids, and classmates on a more personal level, and look forward to being part of the BFA family for many years to come."
Congratulations, Mary! And, thank you again for all you do for our school.
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This month,
Amanda Leverson
is the winner of our drawing for her volunteer time in November. Amanda volunteered for the fifth grade Ameritowne field trip last month and won a $10 gift card to Shake Shack.
Congratulations, Amanda! And, thank you again for your time and effort at BFA.
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PRESCHOOL ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN FOR BFA FAMILIES
Are you interested in a preschool that uses the Core Knowledge Sequence and offers a nurturing environment and individualized instruction to ensure your little one is ready for Kindergarten? If so, we hope you'll consider the BFA preschool!
Preschool enrollment is now open to current BFA families.
To enroll, please complete the Intent to Enroll form by Friday, Dec 21. Please note that preschool slots are available on a first come, first served basis and spots do fill quickly. Enrollment will open to the public on Jan. 14.
For more information,
email our Preschool Director,
Kristen Goldberg.
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Congratulations to Nash Lucero in Mrs. Parsons's kindergarten class and to Hansika Lakkireddy in sixth grade! They are the winners of the November Virtues Awareness Bookmark Contest.
Nash's bookmark design was chosen for October's virtue of Order. What could be more orderly than the planets? Nice work Nash!
Hansika's poster was chosen for the virtues of Order and Cleanliness. Great, colorful design!
K-5 students, look for your copy of Nash's winning bookmark in your Thursday folder.
Middle school students, look for Hansika's poster in the Middle School Commons.
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SEVENTH GRADE FAMILIES - GIVE THE GIFT OF VOLUNTEERING THIS DECEMBER!
SEVENTH GRADE FAMILIES--please volunteer in carpool this December! 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 December, we'd like our seventh grade families to sign up for open volunteer spots in carpool. If you
don't have a seventh 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.'
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SPELLING BEE QUALIFYING ROUND TONIGHT
The schoolwide spelling bee will be held in January. In order to compete, students must first qualify. Study materials should have been delivered by classroom teachers.
Any student in grades 4-8 who is interested in competing in the school spelling bee must attend the qualifying round beginning at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon, Dec. 6, in the Middle School Commons.
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GIFTING WITH SCRIP ENDS TOMORROW
Tomorrow is the last day to place your SCRIP orders for staff and teacher holiday gifts.
To place your SCRIP order online and pay with credit card, visit the BFA Store and click on 'SCRIP Gifting.' Then select the appropriate grade or category, and click on "more info" next to the staff member's name to open the amount dropdown. If the amount you want to give isn't listed, you can use the options available to come up with your desired gift amount. For example, if you want to give a staff member $7, you can create one order for $4, then go back and create another order for the same teacher/staff member for $3 to make a total of $7.
To place your order with a paper form and check, visit the PTO webpage to find the printable form. Paper forms and checks can be submitted to the red lockbox in the main office, or can be given to the SCRIP volunteers during afternoon carpool TODAY, Dec. 6.
Participation in the SCRIP program is completely voluntary. You are welcome to participate with any amount, or alternatively gift the teachers and staff on your own. Teachers and staff will receive their gifts the week before Winter Break; gifts for K-5 teachers will be presented during classroom parties and will be in lieu of any other class gift/collection.
Questions? Visit the PTO
webpage or
contact
Rachael Hamburger, PTO SCRIP coordinator.
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Have your kids had a growth spurt or are you ready to get new uniforms for next year? If so, mark your calendars for the upcoming
Used Uniform Sale from 9 - 11 a.m. this Saturday, Dec. 8, in the Lightning Gym.
If you would like to sell your uniforms, please be sure your items are
tagged and brought to the front office with the inventory form by 2:45 p.m. TODAY, Dec. 6. Please follow the
tagging instructions and complete the
inventory form. Please note that no items will be held after the sale.
Any unsold items will need to be picked up between 12-1 p.m. on December 8.
If you would like to shop at the
uniform sale, please note that they
only accept cash or check. The PTO has uniforms in all sizes and genders, so be sure to check it out! If you would like to volunteer to help with the sale, please visit the Uniform Buyback
Signup Genius.
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SPRING AFTER SCHOOL MUSIC/PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS
Ms. Johnson is offering a number of after school programs this spring, including
Stage Combat, Ukulele, Improv and musical theatre. The shows for musical theatre this year are "Puzzle Puppy" (grades 1 and 2) and "Jungle Book" (grades 3+). Please see the
catalogue for more details.
Registration for the entire line up of spring programs opens on Monday, Dec. 3. Space is limited and programs tend to fill up quickly, especially for the musicals so don't wait!
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SkyView Academy is hosting a free Youth Education and Safety in Schools (YESS)
Parent Academy from 6 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, featuring guest speaker,
Lynn Riemer, to discuss vaping and related teen trends. There also will be a presentation by
Deputy Sean Heidman on digital citizenship and issues with teen device/internet usage, including resources for parents to recognize and monitor risky behaviors. This is for adults only. Please
RSVP soon if you plan to attend.
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Girls basketball tryouts will be held from
4 - 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, in the Thunder Gym. All interested middle school girls (grades 6-8) should plan to attend. The A team will be coached by Mr. Knudsen; and the B team will be coached by Ms. Mares.
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PARENTS DAY OUT, DEC. 15
GIFT WRAPPING FOR ALL FAMILIES FROM 4-6 P.M.
Sign up
NOW to attend the Parents Day Out from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at BFA.
It's going to be an amazing day for the kids AND you get
FOUR HOURS
to hang out with friends, shop or run errands. They'll be light snacks, crafts, games and movies for the kids to enjoy while you get a few kid-free hours. We also will have an opportunity for your kids to make a present for a loved one for a small fee of $5 to be paid at the door.
Not only is it a wonderful opportunity to shop, but
you can also bring holiday gifts to the Gift Wrapping Station to have them wrapped when you pick up your little ones.
The Gift Wrapping Station will be open to all BFA families from 4 - 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, and for a donation, our BFA 8th graders will wrap all your holiday gifts.
The Parents Day Out and gift wrapping station are fundraisers for the eighth graders headed to Washington, D.C. in the spring. The kids involved in fundraising are required to volunteer to help raise money for this trip, so please support their efforts. T
he sign up is on the BFA store, and the cost is $20 per child and $10 for each additional sibling. Only children currently attending BFA can attend. Our eighth graders really hope to see all your beautiful kids smiling faces...and are happy to offer you time to go to lunch, a movie, shop or even take a nap!
Thank you for your support.
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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.'
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The after school choirs will perform a concert beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6, on the Performance Stage in the Thunder Gym.
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SEVENTH GRADE SCIENCE FAIR
The seventh grade science fair will be held on Friday, Dec. 7, in the Middle School Commons. Seventh grade parents can come to the Fair during their student's science class.
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PTO UNIFORM CONSIGNMENT SALE
There is a
Used Uniform Sale from 9 - 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, in the Lightning Gym.
If you would like to shop at the
uniform sale
, please note that they
only accept cash or check
. The PTO has uniforms in all sizes and genders, so be sure to check it out!
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FIFTH GRADE MUSICAL: GREAT BIG HOLIDAY BAKE OFF
It's down to the wire and the remaining contestants in our confectionary cooking competition are assigned one final task---fantastic holiday treats! What will it be? Sugar cookies? Hot chocolate? A candy-covered gingerbread house? Find out during the fifth grade musical performance at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, on the performance stage in the Thunder Gym.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
The Finance Committee will meet from 6 - 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13, in the BFA Conference Room.
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HOLIDAY PARENTS DAY OUT, DEC. 15
GIFT WRAPPING FOR ALL FAMILIES FROM 4-6 P.M.
The Parents Day Out will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at BFA. The sign up is on the BFA store, and the cost is $20 per child and $10 for each additional sibling. Only children currently attending BFA can attend. Y
ou can also bring holiday gifts to the Gift Wrapping Station
to have them wrapped when you pick up your little ones.
The Gift Wrapping Station will be open to all BFA families from 4 - 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15,
and for a donation, our BFA 8th graders will wrap all your holiday gifts.
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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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