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Vol. 9, Iss. 18
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May 16, 2019
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Dear Parents,
I can't believe that next week is the last week of school! We have a few announcements before we wrap up the year, as well as important information and key dates for next school year.
Additional Staff Changes:
Mrs. Sieradski, our eighth grade language arts teacher, has decided not to return to BFA next year. While we will miss her very much, we support her decision to spend more time with her family. We are hopeful that she will still be involved at BFA in some capacity.
We have hired Heather Salberg for eighth grade language arts. Heather is an experienced secondary language arts teacher and is very excited to join the eighth grade team next year.
Student Fee Changes:
When you go through DCSD Online Check-In (details can be found below), you'll notice that there has been a change to our student fee schedule. We are excited to announce that we have cut student fees for next year by 50 percent! When the mill levy was passed last November, the administration and the Governing Board wanted to make sure that some of that increased revenue to the school was used to cut costs to families. One way we are doing that is through these reduced student fees. We also have created some field trip funds for each grade level so that there should be fewer requests for field trip payments throughout the year.
Important Reminders and Key Dates for Next School Year:
Carpool
Returning families, please keep your carpool tags and bring them with you to BFA Annual Family Check-In (previously called Registration). At that time, we'll give you the new 2019-20 validation sticker. New families will receive two carpool tags at BFA Annual Family Check-In. You may order additional carpool tags through our payments system MySchoolBucks. If you place your order before Aug. 1, the additional tags will be available during BFA Annual Family Check-In.
Uniforms
The current uniform policy can always be found on our website under the 'Parents' tab. Keep in mind that Educational Outfitters, our only uniform vendor, is having a 20 percent off sale May 20 - 31, a 15 percent off sale June 1 - 15, and a 10 percent off sale June 16 - July 10. The used uniform sale is from 9 - 11 a.m. this Saturday, May 18, in the Lightning Gym. Please remember that they only accept cash or a check.
Summer Office Hours
Beginning May 29, the front office will only be open Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until noon, except the week of July 1.
K-8 District and BFA Check-Ins for 2019-20 School Year - Two-Step Process
On July 15, you'll receive a link for DCSD Online Express Check-In, which is the first step in the check-in process. To complete DCSD Online Express Check-In, you must have an active Parent Portal and be able to access it. If you have forgotten your username or password, please email our registrar by Monday, July 1. Please note: Parents of K-8 students NEW to DCSD will receive an email from DCSD on Monday, July 1, with instructions for setting up and activating their parent portal. Each parent should set up their own portal account.
DCSD Online Express Check-In will open on Monday, July 15. To avoid delays at the BFA Annual Family Check-In, you must complete DCSD Online Express Check-In AND pay your student fees by Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Following are the annual student fees for the 2019-20 school year:
- Half-Day Kindergarten: $60
- Full-Day Kindergarten through Fifth Grade: $85
- Middle School (Grades 6-8): $92.50
The second step in the check-in process takes place Wednesday, Aug. 7 - Friday, Aug 9. Parents of K-8 students should plan on coming to BFA to complete BFA Annual Family Check-In on their assigned date (see below). It is important to complete all required paperwork from DCSD Online Express Check-In and bring it, along with your carpool tag, to BFA Annual Family Check-In. Keep in mind, student photos will be taken during Annual Family Check-In, so students should wear a uniform shirt. Parent photos for volunteer badges will also be taken during this time.
If you have a new address or moved over summer, please bring Proof of Residency (POR) documents (warranty deed, tax notice, deed of trust, rental or lease agreement) to Annual Family Check-In. Addresses cannot be changed without POR. In addition, if there are updated legal documents for your student, this is a good time to bring those to our Registrar.
BFA Annual Family Check-In dates are as follows:
Wednesday, Aug. 7
Families with last name beginning A-L
Registration hours: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (with lunch break from noon until 1 p.m.)
Thursday, Aug. 8
Families with last name beginning M-Z
Registration hours: Noon - 6 p.m. (with lunch break from 2 - 3 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 9
New K-8 BFA Families ONLY
Registration hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Middle School Electives
The complete Middle School Elective Catalogue will be sent to middle school parents in the near future. Parents will receive an email in July with instructions on how to select and pay for electives:
- Eighth graders will be invited to choose their electives beginning Monday, July 8;
- Seventh graders can choose electives beginning Wednesday, July 10; and
- Sixth graders may select their electives beginning Friday, July 12.
All elective choices should be made by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17.
Teacher Assignments/Middle School Schedules
Elementary parents will be notified of their student's homeroom teacher via email on August 1. Middle school schedules will be available in the Parent Portal beginning Aug. 1. (We will not hand out printed schedules during registration.)
Other Important Dates to Note
Kindergarten Teacher Meet and Greet
- Look for a Sign-Up Genius from your teacher by Aug. 2.
Monday, Aug. 12
- Teacher Meet and Greets - First through eighth grade students can stop by their teacher's classroom from 9 a.m. until noon, or from 1 - 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 14
- First day of school! Students should wear their Formal Uniform, which is a navy polo with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
- Back to School Night from 6 - 7:30 p.m. for kindergarten through fourth grade parents.
Thursday, Aug 29
- Back to School Night from 6 - 8 p.m. for fifth through eighth grade parents.
Sincerely,
Diana Simpson
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BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM LEAGUE CHAMPS
Congratulations to the boys
A and B volleyball teams who won the playoffs this week and are LEAGUE CHAMPS!
Both teams had a fantastic season--and the A team went UNDEFEATED!
The A team was coached by Mrs. Murphy and the B team was coached by Mrs. Haufschild.
Thanks to our coaches, and GREAT job gentlemen!
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Thank you everyone who has served on, volunteered for, and supported the PTO this year! It has been another great year, with many memorable events.
Each year, with the generous donations from our BFA community and our annual sponsors, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) provides the school with tools, materials, and financial support for important programs, including:
Lexia; Accelerated Reader incentives; Directory On Tap; HelpCounter software; student planners; teacher, staff, and volunteer appreciation; and community events such as the Harvest Festival, Sweetheart Ball, and Spring Social. Additionally, PTO purchases for the school this year include:
- Logo-ed pop-up sports tent for Middle School sports teams and field day events
- Yearbooks for students who participate in the yearbook elective all three trimesters
- The outdoor classroom
- Maintenance equipment including a ladder and vacuum
- Gridded white boards for middle school math classes
- Vending machine for the staff lounge
- Literacy materials for first grade
- Portable dance floor for the music room
- Projector and screen for the library
- Fees for HawkQuest to attend BFA's STEM Expo
- More than 1,000 Field Day t-shirts for all students and staff
- Field Day bounce houses and Kona Ice
Thanks to the generosity of the BFA community,
last fall's Fun Run netted $68,000. Of that amount, approximately,
$9,700 was given back to classroom teachers to enhance their classroom materials or curriculum. Additionally, the PTO has committed to spend
up to $40,000, on the MakerSpace.
Thank you again for your unwavering support!
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BFA COMMUNITY: THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING DI
The three Global Finals-bound Destination Imagination (DI) teams would like to sincerely thank BFA and all of its families who supported the teams by "BOLTING" one another during the past several weeks and for participating in the Dress of Choice Day and Frozen Treat Sale last month. Although the numbers are not yet official,
your generosity helped the DI teams raise funds to help defray the costs of traveling to and competing at Global Finals in Kansas City, Mo. The
BFA STARs,
Kolorful Koalas and
Served with a Side of Fries are ready and looking forward to representing BFA, the South Metro region, Colorado and the United States next week at this international competition.
All of BFA's DI teams will be competing in Monster Effects (Engineering Challenge) on the following days and times, so root for them in spirit! They will keep the BFA community updated via the Friends of Ben Facebook page. Times noted below are Central Time Zone.
Wednesday, May 22
- 10:42 a.m., Central Challenge: Kolorful Koalas (fifth graders), Elementary Level
- 2 p.m., Central Challenge: BFA STARs (sixth, seventh and eighth graders), Middle Level
- 4:06 p.m., Central Challenge: Served with a Side of Fries (third and fifth graders), Elementary Level
Thursday, May 23
- 8:15 a.m., Instant Challenge: Served with a Side of Fries
- 9:15 a.m., Instant Challenge: BFA STARs
- 1:30 p.m., Instant Challenge: Kolorful Koalas
DI is a creative problem-solving program that integrates STEAM principles and teaches 21st century skills, including leadership, teamwork, positive thinking and project management.
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THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! ENJOY A BFA-ONLY NIGHT AT PIRATES COVE THIS SUMMER!
Thank you to all the families who have volunteered this year. We sincerely appreciate all that you do for BFA! To show our thanks, the PTO is hosting a volunteer appreciation event - an evening at Pirate's Cove - on July 13 from 6 - 8:30 p.m.
All BFA families who have met and recorded their family's volunteer quota (30 hours per family or 15 per single household) will be rewarded with FREE admission for their immediate family to Pirate's Cove. The PTO has rented out the park for the evening so it will be a private BFA only event. Hope to see you there!
It's not too late to get in your volunteer hours for this year -
keep on volunteering and be sure to record your hours!
Already met your quota? Keep logging those hours! When applying for grants, the school reports our total number of combined volunteer hours. Every hour is important! AND, the PTO will have some special volunteer appreciation schwag for families who go above and beyond in volunteering with 50, 75, and 100+ hours recorded.
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Student Council is hosting an end-of-year barbecue for all middle school students! The event will be held from
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. Students will enjoy great (free) food and celebrate the end of the school year.
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BENEFIT BASH VENUE ANNOUNCEMENT
The PTO is excited to announce that the 2019 BENefit Bash will take place at
Palazzo Verdi on October 26. Palazzo Verdi is located in the Denver Tech Center next to Fiddler's Green, with easy access from the E, F and R Light Rail lines. In addition to being an event venue, Palazzo Verdi also houses the Madden Museum of Art, which will be open to Bash attendees.
Additional information will be posted all summer long on the PTO Fundraising page.
Check back often as we will be announcing the theme, after party location, ticket prices and MORE!
The procurement committee will be meeting over the summer to obtain auction items for our event, and would love your help! Meetings will be at a variety of locations and most are kid friendly. Dates, times and locations can be found on the this sign up. We'd love to see you at one of the meetings!
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Have your kids had a growth spurt or are you ready to get new uniforms for next year? If so, come to the
Uniform Consignment Sale from 9 - 11 a.m. this Saturday, May 18, in the Lightning Gym. Please note that we only accept cash or check. We have 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 signup genius link.
For those selling items, please pick up any unsold items between 12-1 p.m. after the sale this Saturday. Note that items will not be held after May 18 unless previously arranged.
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TIME TO SIGN UP FOR DCL'S SUMMER READING PROGRAM
Sign up for the Douglas County Libraries (DCL) Summer Reading Program this year! This fun program is for all ages, including adults. Thanks to you, last year we won their contest with the most participants signed up, and our BFA Library received $250.
This is a great program that helps make reading exciting for kids, and we can always use additional funds for the Library, so please SIGN UP TODAY!
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BUY ONE, GET ONE BOOK FAIR BEGINS NEXT WEEK
School is almost over! Join us at our
Scholastic Book Fair May 20 - May 24 to stock up on some great books to keep your kids reading all summer! Books, posters, and miscellaneous items will all be buy one, get one free.
- Monday, May 20, and Thursday, May 23: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 21, and Wednesday, May 22: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Friday, May 24: 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
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WANT TO BE A ROOM PARENT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR?
The PTO is looking for Room Parents for next school year! Being a Room Parent is a great way to get your hours in, develop a great relationship with your child's teacher and get involved in the school. If you are interested, please send an email to Amanda Trenck and Emily Tenhundfeld
, co-room parent coordinators, K-5.
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FOURTH GRADE PARENTS- ONLY ONE MORE WEEK OF CARPOOL!
FOURTH GRADE FAMILIES--please volunteer in carpool this MAY! 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 May, we'd like our Fourth GRADE families to sign up for open volunteer spots in carpool. If you
don't have a fourth 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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GET REGISTERED FOR SUMMER CAMP!
If you need full-time day care for the summer, want to schedule your own summer break, or are looking for a safe, fun way for your student to connect with other Ben Franklin Academy kids, then please sign up for Summer Camp!
Summer Camp will operate on either a weekly or a daily registration schedule; and the costs will be as follows:
Weekly registration
: Tuition will be a flat $195 fee, per child/day, which is a $60.00 discount rate from the daily tuition rate.
Daily registration
: If registering for specific days only, tuition will be $45/child/day for general/in-house activities and $60/child/day for off-site field trip or special in-house activity days.
Program Details
Dates: May 29 - August 9; Closed July 1-5
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Days: Monday through Friday
Summer Camp is open to any currently enrolled BFA student 5-years old and above. Your child must be 5 on or before May 29 to participate.
All child(ren) must be registered using the online system in advance. Registration will close at 11:59 p.m. (MST) on Sunday, two (2) weeks prior to the date you would like your child(ren) to begin camp. For example, on Sunday, June 2, you can register your kiddo for Summer Camp beginning on Monday, June 17.
The summer camp calendars are now available. If you would like a copy please email us! (For your reference, the email is
[email protected].)
If you have any questions please
email
Leigh Savoy or
Janet Harlow.
Go to MySchoolBucks or click here to register.
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CO-ED BASKETBALL CAMP FOR KIDS IN GRADES 5-8
Mr. Knudsen, Ms. Mares, and Mr. Macias would like to invite incoming fifth-eighth grade boys and girls to their basketball camp this summer from 9 a.m. - noon, July 29 - Aug. 2, in the Thunder gym.
Kids will work on dribbling, passing, shooting, offense, defense, and of course scrimmaging. The cost is $110 which includes a t-shirt and daily prizes! Please make a check out to Mr. Macias, Mr. Knudsen, or Ms. Mares on July 29.
If you have any questions, please email Mr. Macias.
Go Bolts!
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MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER CAMP
Boys Middle School Soccer Camp will be help from 8:30-11:30 a.m. July 22-25 on the BFA turf. For more information and to sign up please use this link. Camp is only offered to incoming sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys. Take advantage of the early registration discount and sign up early! Hope to see many of you out there this summer.
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AVOID THE SUMMER SLIDE WITH BOOTCAMP AT BFA!
Help prevent some of the inevitable 'summer slide' by joining us for Summer Bootcamp at BFA! Ellen Cain and Sarah Harrell will be hosting two Bootcamp sessions to review math, reading and writing skills for incoming first, second and third graders. Each session will meet for two hours per day, for four consecutive days. They will host both a June and July Session. Please visit the SignUpGenius for more information. Space is limited sign up now. Feel free to email Ms. Cain or Mrs. Harrell with any questions.
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REGISTER FOR VOLLEYBALL SUMMER CAMP
Incoming fifth through eighth grade BFA boys and girls are invited to a Summer Volleyball Camp! T
here are two sessions from July 8 - 12, a morning session for incoming fifth through eighth grade beginners and an afternoon session for incoming sixth through eighth grade experienced players. Each session is $150. There are also t
hree evening clinics available July 8-10; these are separate from the two daytime sessions and cost $50 for all three clinics. Register for the day camp and/or evening clinics!
Registration is NOW OPEN through MySchoolBucks and closes June 30. Please see the
flier for more information.
If you know a current high school player who would like to volunteer that week, please ask him/her to contact Coach Haufschild. We are also looking for parent volunteers who want to earn 2019-20 volunteer hours. Sign up today!
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SEND YOUR KIDDO TO STEM CAMP THIS SUMMER
Are you looking for something interesting and fun for your rising third, fourth and fifth graders to do this summer? Look no further, because
Mrs. Lewicki is offering two STEM Camps at BFA this Summer!
Students will work in teams to perform experiments, discover the principles behind the experiment, innovate a new design with their team, and perform the experiment again. The fun increases throughout the week as teams compete against each other to earn points. The winning team at the end of the week will receive a mad scientist award. Limit 10 students, and the
registration deadline is May 20.
Email Mrs. Lewicki for registration details.
Session 1: NATURAL DISASTERS, June 25-28, Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. $150
Change on earth can be violent and amazing. Explore natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, mudslides, and floods. Build simulations and create the your own natural disasters. Learn how these natural events work and how they change the earth. As a team, engineer structures that will withstand these disasters.
Session 2: PHYSICS,
July 23-26, Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. $150
Physics is tricky. What do you know about friction, buoyancy, speed, thrust and lift? Explore the physics behind things that fly, float and zoom. Engineer ways to make different objects move. Then, test, improve, and test them again until you can make them move!
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Incoming Kindergartners--
join Mrs. Brook for a Kindergarten Boot Camp this summer! This fun camp provides an introduction to kindergarten literacy and math.
The Kindie Boot Camp is designed to provide an opportunity for new kindergarten students to become familiar with BFA and the kindergarten classroom.
Campers will learn a new letter and number every day, gain new skills, make friends, and work on crafts.
There are three boot camp sessions, and space is limited to 16 kids per session. Camps will be held June 24 - 28, July 15 -19 and July 22 - 26; sessions are from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, at BFA. Parents should not sign up for more than two sessions so others can have a chance to register. The cost is $65 per session (cash or check). Please bring payment on the first day of your session and make checks payable to Debbie Brook. See the flier and sign up for a session today!
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GET YOUR DISCOUNT TICKETS TODAY
The Foundation for Douglas County Schools
Community Events Program
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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FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
BFA's Finance Committee will meet from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, in the Conference Room. All welcome to attend.
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MUSICAL THEATER ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
The Middle School students taking Musical Theater Ensemble are performing at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, on the BFA performance stage.
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Mark your calendars for the upcoming
Uniform Consignment Sale from 9 - 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, in the Lightning Gym
. P
lease note that we
only accept cash or check
. We have uniforms in all sizes and genders, so be sure to check it out!
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BUY ONE, GET ONE BOOK FAIR
Join us at our Scholastic Book Fair May 20 - May 24 to stock up on some great books to keep your kids reading all summer!
- Monday, May 20, and Thursday, May 23: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 21, and Wednesday, May 22: 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Friday, May 24: 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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Parents are welcome to attend the Middle School Spanish Festival on Monday, May 20! They'll be food from Casa Caliente before school; and students will participate in games and performances from 8:30 - 11 a.m. Parents and guests - please remember to bring your Driver's License to be scanned if you are coming to the Spanish Festival and do not have a volunteer badge.
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The BFA Board of Directors meets monthly during the school year at 5:30 p.m. 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, May 21, in the Sanders Science Lab. The agenda will be available via the BFA website 24 hours prior to the meeting.
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The middle school will have Field Day from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Monday, May 22.
The students will leave Ben Franklin around 8:30 a.m. and walk to the park with their advisory teacher. Your student must be registered and the TrainOC waiver must be completed to attend! To register, please go to
and look for middle school field day. Registration is open now and closes May 21.
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If your elementary student met their Accelerated Reader goal, they will be notified by their teacher that they may participate in the AR Dress of Choice Day on Thursday, May 23.
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The School Advisory Committee (SAC) will meet from 4:10 - 5:10 on Thursday, May 23, in the BFA Conference Room.
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EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION ACTIVITIES
Eighth grade families, we hope to see you at the Clap Out/Red Carpet and Graduation! One of our favorite BFA traditions is the eighth grade 'clap out/red carpet' when all the kids come out of their classrooms and 'clap out' the graduating eighth graders, who then walk the red carpet out of school on their last day. Be ready to line the halls at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. (Remember to bring your Driver's License if you don't have a volunteer badge!)
Eighth Grade Graduation is at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. Students should arrive at 5:45 p.m. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony.
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LAST DAY OF SCHOOL/DRESS OF CHOICE
Friday, May 24, is the last day of school and a Dress of Choice Day (assuming your student has not received two uniform violations since the last Dress of Choice Day). This year, the last day is a half-day, and carpool begins at noon.
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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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