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| Vol. 8, Iss. 12 |
April 5, 2018
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Dear Parents,
As Board Secretary Bryan Molen stated in his message earlier this week, your involvement in BFA's Board of Directors election is important to the continued success of our school. As you can see from the Board's stated goals--the Board plays an essential role at BFA. Annual Board elections are one way for you to have input into the future of the Board and of BFA.
This year there are two open seats on the seven-director BFA Board of Directors (Board), one of which is elected by you, the Voting Parent Group, and one seat which is appointed by the Board. Both seats are 3-year terms.
There are three candidates running for the open seats. Please click on their names to review their responses to the Board candidate questions. Then, vote for one candidate to fill the open, elected seat.
Click here to vote NOW; the election period runs through Monday, April 9.
The Board will announce results of the election on Tuesday, April 17, at the regularly scheduled Board meeting. In addition, they will appoint a candidate for the open, Board appointed seat.
If you have not done so already, I hope you will take some time during the next few days to review the qualifications of each candidate and cast your vote.
Sincerely,
Diana Simpson
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DCSD SUPERINTENDENT FINALIST ANNOUNCED TONIGHT
Tonight, the DCSD Board will hold a special meeting to announce the sole finalist for the permanent superintendent position. To read more about the candidates, go to the DCSD
website. You are welcome to
view the meeting at 6 p.m. tonight, April 5, through livestream.
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SPIRIT DAY/CELEBRATION OF ROCKIES HOME OPENER
This Friday, April 6, is a BFA Spirit Day, AND it is also the home opener for the Colorado Rockies!
Students may wear spirit wear shirts OR baseball jerseys/shirts with their regular uniform bottoms.
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MATH OLYMPIAD COMPETITION
The Math Olympiad problem solving event between Platte River Academy (PRA) and BFA was completed last week, with 24 participating fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Eleven students represented PRA and 13 were from BFA. Awards and certificates were provided to the first and second highest scoring students for each grade. Recognitions were provided as follows:
Fifth Grade - 1st Quinlan Smythe, BFA; 2nd Rohan Mansingh, BFA
Sixth Grade - 1st Parker Lollini, PRA; 2nd Braden Nagel, BFA
Seventh Grade - 1st Kevin Lou, PRA; 2nd Aaditya Bahl, BFA
Eighth Grade - 1st Nicole Lollini, PRA
Congratulations to seventh grader Aaditya Bahl who was one of two students achieving a perfect score (100 percent!). Two BFA eighth graders were first and second place winners in the previous event on Feb. 27, but no BFA eighth graders participated in this contest.
A fantastic time was had by all--not only did the kids get to show off their math skills, but they had pizza and ice cream sandwiches after the competition! If students are interested, we plan to schedule similar events next school year. And, we hope to see more students get involved in this exciting competition next year, so look for more information about how your student can participate in the newsletter next fall.
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PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING FOR BFA'S SCIENCE FAIR
Spring means elementary SCIENCE FAIR, and we need you! Take advantage of this great opportunity to participate in the Elementary Science Fair. You don't need science experience or a science background to help. This fair is non-competitive, so it is really about getting kids excited about experimenting, igniting their passion for science and celebrating our students' hard work.
Sign up here to be a part of the team that talks to our elementary students about their amazing projects and shows support for their efforts to demonstrate the scientific method.
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Thanks to the
Community Events Committee
(CEC) for hosting another amazing event this school year! Yesterday,
470 moms and kiddos attended Morning with Moms
and spent time before school eating treats and spending quality time together. Special thanks to dads from
Ben's Brigade
for helping to ensure the event was a success.
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SCRIP PROGRAM USED FOR END OF YEAR GIFTS
Would you like to give to your favorite teacher or staff member AND to BFA at the same time? You can do just that when you participate in the SCRIP gift-giving program.
The SCRIP program is how we are gifting teachers and staff for the end of the year. Your participation is quick and easy. Just fill out the
form (only one form is needed per family) and return it with your payment (cash or check only).
You can drop it off in the red lockbox in the front office OR give it to one of the SCRIP carpool volunteers today or tomorrow afternoon. All forms and payments are
due by Friday, April 6. Don't forget that you can gift any member of the staff and every dollar adds up.
Thank you to everyone who has participated so far.
If you have questions, p
lease email the SCRIP Coordinator
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND DUST OFF YOUR BOWLING SHOES! THEN GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE MOTHER SON BOWLING EVENT
The BFA PTO is proud to present a
Mother Son night of bowling fun from 4:30 - 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, at AMF Littleton Lanes (2530 E. County Line Road, 80126). Tickets are $25 ($10 for each additional son) and are
on sale TODAY through the BFA Store. Your ticket includes bowling, shoe rental, pizza, soda, cupcakes and a souvenir! Boys can bring their mom, or any other special female guest. Get your tickets before
sales end on Friday, April 20.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH FESTIVAL APRIL 13
Come enjoy a night filled with Spanish culture at BFA's annual Spanish Festival! Middle school students and their parents should plan on attending this fun night filled with great food sold by Casa Caliente, as well as singing and dancing from our middle school Spanish students.
The festival will be held from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13, in the Lightning and Thunder Gyms. Attendance is free--just bring cash/credit card to purchase dinner from Casa Caliente restaurant.
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5:30-7:30 p.m.
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Lightning Gym
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Casa Caliente offering Mexican food for sale
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6 - 6:30 p.m.
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Thunder Gym
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Sixth Grade Performance
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6:30 - 7 p.m.
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Lightning Gym
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Sixth Grade Pinata Party
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6:30 - 7 p.m.
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Thunder Gym
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Zumba Dancing Party (open to everyone)
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7 - 7:30 p.m.
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Thunder Gym
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Seventh and Eighth Grade Performance
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We hope to see you there! And, if you still need volunteer hours, Sra. Connell needs help with set up and take down. Please email her if you can be of assistance or if you have any questions.
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What:
Chemistry Camp!
When:
9 a.m. - noon, June 25-29
Where:
Ben Franklin Academy, Sanders Science Lab
Cost:
$125 per student for camp
Curious about Chemistry? Come and discover some of the basic principles of chemistry through laboratory exercises and experimentation. Grow your own edible crystals, make ice cream with carbon dioxide, and explore how the substances of the world interact with each other.
Join Mrs. MacDonald, and your fellow classmates as we strive to uncover the unseen mysteries of the world around us!
The camp is open to middle school kids, including incoming sixth graders and outgoing eighth graders.
Register
today, or
email
Mrs. MacDonald
with any questions!
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STEM AFTER SCHOOL CLUB REGISTRATION OPEN
Third and Fourth graders...if you love science and you enjoy building, experimenting and engineering, then STEM club is the place for you! The spring session is right around the corner. We'll be exploring wind, water and solar energy through engineering and building a waterwheel, testing a wind turbine and creating a solar oven.
We will meet on Mondays from 4-5 p.m. in the Sanders Science Lab, beginning Monday, April 9, through Monday, May 7. The cost is
$75 for five sessions.
Email
Mrs. Lewicki for more information.
Registration is open NOW on the website under
After School Clubs/Activities
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CRAVING SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR DINNER?
Looking for something crave-able for dinner? Then make plans to enjoy some delicious burgers at our April Spirit Night at Crave Real Burgers in Town Center (9344 Dorchester St.). Stop by between 4 - 9 p.m. on April 17 AND April 18, to enjoy some great food, and support BFA! Be sure to mention BFA when ordering so we receive credit for your purchase; to-go orders do not count toward the fundraiser. Hope to see you there!
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BFA DI TEAMS WILL PARTICIPATE IN STATE TOURNEY
Congratulations to the BFA teams who are competing at the Destination Imagination (DI) State Competition! Join the teams and show your support
T
HIS Saturday, April 7, at the Auraria Higher Education Center Campus
(located at 777 Lawrence St., Denver, 80204). For more information, check out the DI Colorado
website
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The BFA teams are as follows:
Team Name: Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies
Performance Time: 7:51 a.m.
Performance Location: PE Gym East Side
Challenge: Drop Zone, Engineering, Elementary Level
Team Members: Cooper Akin, Kiefer Bale, Madeline Blum, Deagan Clendening, Trevor Debellis and Matthew LaSelle
Team Manager:
Darick LaSelle
Team Name: Awesome Is Our Middle Name
Performance Time: 10:33 a.m.
Performance Location: PE Gym East Side
Challenge: Drop Zone, Engineering, Middle Level
Team Members: Kaitlyn Blum, Mary Kodenkandath, Sahithi Mathukumilli, Sreehitha Sajja and Luke Trotter
Team Managers: Doug and Kimberly Blum
Team Name: Colorful Creative Kangaroos
Performance Time: 11:09 a.m.
Performance Location: CU Commons Building Room 2600
Challenge: Unlikely Attraction, Scientific, Elementary Level
Team Members: Evan Heitman, Bryn McDermott, Caleb Olson, Téa Sunahara and Makenna Washeck
Team Managers: Amy and Jason Sunahara
Team Name: Magnificent Mangoes
Performance Time: 12:57 p.m.
Performance Location: PE Gym East Side
Challenge: Drop Zone, Engineering, Elementary Level
Team Members: Tristan Bettis, Rohan Mansingh, Aidan Murphy and Matthew Thiessen
Team Managers: Jessica and John Thiessen
Team Name: BFA BEASTs
Performance Time: 1:51 p.m.
Performance Location: Tivoli Ballroom
Challenge: Unlikely Attraction, Scientific, Middle Level
Team Members: Evan McDermott, Tyler Sunahara, Siva Sundaresh, Anson Washeck and Brynna West
Team Managers: Amy Sunahara and Missy Washeck
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REMINDERS FROM THE REGISTRAR
If you do not plan to re-enroll at BFA for the 2018-19 school year, it's time to notify us in writing by sending an
email to
Rachelle Patterson
, registrar. It's helpful to know who may be leaving for planning purposes, and parent/guardian confirmation is required before student records are forwarded to a new school.
If you have
recently moved, please bring your proof of residency to change your address in the system or
email it to the registrar. One of the following will be required:
- Lease Agreement
- Purchase Agreement
- Tax Notice
- Warranty Deed
- Deed of Trust
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DCSD Community Day with the Colorado Rapids
Saturday, April 14 at 1 p.m.
Alternate game:
Sun. Apr 29th at 2 pm vs. Orlando City SC
DCSD Community Days at Elitch Gardens
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 1 - 3
(Regular Admission is $54.99)
SPECIAL OFFER:
Purchase your ticket by May 31, 2018 and receive a FREE RETURN TICKET to the park.
DCSD Appreciation Day with the Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona
Diamondbacks
Saturday, June 9 at 5:15 pm
Use promo code DCSD
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DENVER YOUNG ARTISTS ORCHESTRA VOUCHER
The Denver Young Artists Orchestra is pleased to offer free tickets to our families for their next concert, Transformations, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, at the Boettcher Concert Hall. Click here for a flier with more information.
They also are offering a ticket voucher for Spring Prelude, held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, at Central Presbyterian Church.
Click here for the voucher form and instructions on how to get your free tickets.
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Parent University: How Do I Know If My Child has an Eating Disorder?
April 11, 6 - 7:30 p.m., SkyRidge Medical Center
Dr. Jennifer McBride will equip parents and children to know the early warning signs and symptoms in order to address the underlying causes of this disease.
No cost to attend. Reserve your spot.
Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age
April 17, 7 p.m., Chaparral High School
Are you watching kids scroll through life with their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw that with her own kids and learned that the average kid spends 6.5 hours a day looking at screens. She wondered about the impact of all this time and about the friction occurring in homes and schools around negotiating screen time-friction she knew all too well. SCREENAGERS explores the struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction.
This film is appropriate for students grades 6 and up.
Tickets are $5. Click here to purchase.
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The PTO's online store is now open
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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EARN MONEY FOR BFA WHILE YOU SHOP
Did you know you can earn money for BFA each time you shop at King Soopers and Safeway? Buy 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.)
How?
Simply
order a dedicated BFA King Soopers and/or Safeway gift card from the BFA Store, and use it to buy your groceries. Then, re-load your King Soopers or Safeway gift card at Customer Service or at the register before you scan your first item.
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.
Ordering your King Soopers and Safeway cards is easy!
Just 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.
Need a new card?
If it's been a while since you used your card, and it's been left with a zero balance, your card will expire! Please
order a new card through the store, as the zero balance card will no longer give rebates back to BFA.
The King Soopers and Safeway fundraising programs donate five percent of your purchases back to the school. BFA raised more than $5,500 through this program last year!
For more information or questions,
email
Rachel Molieri, PTO spirit wear and grocery card coordinator.
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The Parent Teacher Organization highlights a volunteer each month who has gone above and beyond in his/her contributions to the school. This volunteer receives recognition in the school newsletter and on the school website. S/he also has the privilege or parking in the reserved volunteer of the month parking space.
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For the month of April, Erin Fierro has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy volunteer of the month.
Erin is being honored for the countless hours she puts in volunteering at BFA in so many different capacities. This year, she took on the enormous task of leading the eighth grade Washington, D.C. fundraising team and, for that, we are grateful for her efforts and happy to recognize her as volunteer of the month.
The Fierro family has been at BFA since the school first opened in 2011. Erin has been a part of the PTO since its inception. Her first role was volunteer coordinator where she implemented HelpCounter. Erin and her husband, Michael, have three children - Colin in eighth grade, Zaylie in sixth grade, and Delanie in fourth grade. When asked what she likes best about Ben Franklin, Erin stated, "BFA is such a wonderful and caring community that has the best teachers and staff around! We love the rich curriculum and all the amazing things the kids learn."
Congratulations, Erin! And, thank you again for all you do for our school.
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SPIRIT DAY/CELEBRATION OF ROCKIES HOME OPENER
This Friday, April 6, is a
BFA Spirit Day, AND it is also the home opener for the Colorado Rockies! Students may wear spirit wear shirts OR baseball jerseys/shirts with their regular uniform bottoms.
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We're excited to offer Junior Achievement for K-5 students again this year. On Friday, April 6, trained volunteers will teach lessons and offer hands-on activities to help students understand business and economics concepts.
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DI TEAMS PARTICIPATE IN STATE TOURNEY
Cheer for BFA's
Destination Imagination (DI) teams
T
HIS Saturday, April 7, at the Auraria Higher Education Center Campus
(located at 777 Lawrence St., Denver, 80204). For more information, check out the DI Colorado
website
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EIGHTH GRADE WASHINGTON, D.C. MEETING
There is a mandatory meeting for parents and students of those going on the eighth grade Washington, D.C. trip from
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 9
, in the Middle School Commons. You'll be going over the itinerary, guidelines and permission slips.
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Please turn in your clipped Box Tops in a baggie labeled with your student's name and teacher.
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Elementary science fair projects will be evaluated today by our volunteer judges. We're looking forward to seeing all their projects!
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ELEMENTARY SCIENCE FAIR STUDENT/PARENT VIEWING
The elementary science fair projects will be on display Thursday, April 12. Each classroom has been assigned a time to view the projects. Parents are welcome to join their student's class and check out all the terrific demonstrations of the scientific method.
North
and McGinty - 8:20-8:40 a.m.
Triplett and DePasse - 8:40-9:00 a.m.
Klee and Murray (a.m.) - 9:05-9:25 a.m.
Wilson and Erbaugh - 9:25-9:45 a.m.
Lindgren and Marchisio - 9:45-10:05 a.m.
Parsons, Kessler, and Pitrone -10:15-10:35 a.m.
Rooney and Knudsen - 10:35-10:55 a.m.
Walter and Dunn - 10:55-11:15 a.m.
Hinz and Harms - 1:20-1:40 p.m.
Whelan and Hildebrand - 1:40-2:00 p.m.
Klee and Murray (p.m.) - 2:00-2:20 p.m.
Lewicki, and Wall - 2:20-2:40 p.m.
Van Wyk and Boyd - 2:40-3:00 p.m.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
The Finance Committee is meeting from
5 - 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 12
, in the Dana Library.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH FESTIVAL APRIL 13
Come enjoy a night filled with Spanish culture at BFA's annual Spanish Festival
from
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13, in the Lightning and Thunder Gyms
.
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5:30-7:30 p.m.
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Lightning Gym
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Casa Caliente offering Mexican food for sale
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6 - 6:30 p.m.
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Thunder Gym
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Sixth Grade Performance
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6:30 - 7 p.m.
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Lightning Gym
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Sixth Grade Pinata Party
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6:30 - 7 p.m.
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Thunder Gym
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Zumba Dancing Party (open to everyone)
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7 - 7:30 p.m.
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Thunder Gym
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Seventh and Eighth Grade Performance
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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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