 |
| Vol. 8, Iss. 26 |
Sept. 27, 2018
|
|
A message from Steve Haas, director at large, BFA board of directors...
Dear Parents,
Did you know Benjamin Franklin is the only founding father to have signed all four of the key documents establishing the United States? They include:
- The Declaration of Independence (1776)
- The Treaty of Alliance with France (1778)
- The Treaty of Paris establishing peace with Great Britain (1783)
- The U.S. Constitution (1787).
As it relates to voting, the U.S. Constitution states in Amendment XV, which was ratified by the states in 1870, "Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
The BFA School Board encourages you to research and understand the ballot measures affecting our country, state and county this coming Election Day--Tuesday, Nov. 6. There are many great resources available online to learn more about the issues. In regards to local Douglas County elections, please visit the Douglas County website
. To learn more about the Douglas County School District's (DCSD) measures on the upcoming ballot, please visit the DCSD website
.
As Americans we all have the right to vote and we hope you will exercise your right this November.
Sincerely,
Steve Haas
|
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES NEXT WEEK
We look forward to seeing you at Parent Teacher Conferences, which will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 4.
Parents of kids in grades K-4 were sent a sign up by their teacher and should have scheduled a time to meet with their student's teacher. Please show up on time, and do your best to stay within the time frame allotted for your meeting. You are welcome to schedule a follow up discussion, if needed.
Fifth grade will offer 'drop in' conferences in the Middle School Commons, so feel free to come by any time between 4:15 - 8 p.m. Teachers will take a half hour break for dinner from 5:30 - 6 p.m. Please note, if your fifth grade teacher is not back in the Commons by 6 p.m., it may be because they were delayed in going to dinner.
Sixth and eighth grade teachers will be available to meet with parents in the Thunder (large) Gym from 4:15 until 8 p.m. Parents are welcome to come by during that time and talk to their student's teachers. The teachers will take a half hour break for dinner from 5:30 - 6 p.m. Please note, if your middle school teacher is not back in the Gym by 6 p.m., it may be because they were delayed in going to dinner. Kindly keep your discussions with the teacher to 10 minutes so all parents are able to meet with each teacher.
Seventh grade teachers will send out a parent/student conference form for all students tomorrow. In addition, they've sent out a separate invitation to meet with parents of new students and/or any parents and students with whom they'd like to have a more in depth discussion. If you are a seventh grade parent interested in meeting with a teacher, but did not receive an invitation, you can request a conference by emailing the teacher directly.
|
Next week, Oct. 1 - 4, is Cancer Awareness Week at BFA. Although there are various months and colors associated with showing support for those fighting/surviving different types of cancers, we've chosen to show our love and solidarity with our family, friends and neighbors who have been affected by cancer by wearing pink accessories next week.
Students may wear pink accessories (in their hair, bracelets, shoe laces and socks - no hair dye or colored hair spray) with their regular uniform.
|
Next week is very busy with conferences and other activities, so please be sure the following dates are in your calendar:
- Wednesday, Oct. 3, is a Formal Uniform Day
- Thursday, Oct. 4, is a Spirit Day
- Friday, Oct. 5, there is No School as it is a comp day for teachers.
|
CAST AND CREW AWARDED FOR SEUSSICAL JR. PERFORMANCE
On Saturday, representatives from BFA's spring 2018 musical, "Seussical Jr.," opened the 13th Annual National Youth Arts award ceremony with a performance of "Oh the Thinks You Can Think." Thanks to Mrs. Simpson, Ms. Johnson and all the "Seussical Jr." cast and crew who represented BFA at the awards!
|
BFA's STEM Committee can't wait for your student(s) to attend the annual
STEAM Expo on Friday, Sept. 28! Be sure to
send your child(ren) to school with a bag on Friday for all the STEAM Expo goodies.
Parents are welcome to drop by while their student is visiting the Expo. (Please bring your Driver's License to enter the building). Below is the schedule for the day:
|
9:30-10:30 a.m.
|
Full day and morning Kindergartners, First Grade
|
|
10:30-11:30 a.m.
|
Grades 4 and 5
|
|
11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
|
Expo closed for lunch
|
|
12:15-1:15 p.m.
|
Grades 2 and 3
|
|
1:15-2:15 p.m.
|
Afternoon Kindergarten and Grade 6
|
|
2:15-3:15 p.m.
|
Grades 7 and 8
|
We still need a few volunteers; sign up today
to volunteer and help ensure the 2018 Expo is a success!
|
THANK YOU KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES
EIGHTH GRADE--IT'S YOUR TURN!
Thank you to the following Kindergarten families who accepted the Carpool Challenge and
volunteered for Carpool thus far in September.
There's still one day left Kindie Families! In
October
, we'd like our
eighth grade parents
to volunteer in carpool.
Thanks again to the following Kindergarten families:
Lee Family
Macris Family
Mansfield Family
|
VIRTUES AWARENESS BOOKMARK CONTEST BEGINS
As part of the
PTO's Virtue Awareness Program
, we'd like BFA students to create colorful bookmarks highlighting Ben Franklin's 13 Virtues. One elementary and one middle school winner will be chosen for each virtue category (see entry form), and the winners will have their design professionally printed as either a bookmark or poster.
Using the attached
form, enter the contest TODAY! All entries should be submitted to the collection box in the Dana Library by the end of school on Monday, Oct. 15. Please email Rachel Clouse, PTO virtues awareness committee chair, with any questions.
|
BEFORE SCHOOL ELEMENTARY SPANISH CLASS
Is your elementary student interested in learning Spanish? If so, our middle school Spanish teacher, Señora Connell, will begin offering a Spanish class for elementary kids beginning mid-October. 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.
Classes start on Oct. 23 and continue through the end of May, following the regular BFA school calendar for breaks/days off. Sign up today! Please contact Señora Connell with any questions.
|
FINAL DAYS TO PURCHASE EILEEN'S COOKIE DOUGH
ONLINE ORDERS TO BE PICKED UP NEXT WEEK
There are still a few days left to purchase Eileen's cookie dough! Students will be selling the dough through Sept. 30. If you're interested, contact an eighth grader raising money for their Washington, D.C. trip.
If you purchased dough through the
BFA Store, plan on picking up your dough NEXT WEEK at fall parent teacher conferences on Oct. 2 and 4
.
Please keep in mind, dough purchased through an individual student will be delivered to your front door the week of Oct. 15.
See this
flier for additional details. Thanks for your support!
|
REGISTRATION CLOSING SOON FOR BASE FALL CAMP
During
BFA's fall break, Oct. 8-12, the BFA BASE program will offer a Fall Break Camp. It will be similar to the Summer Camp program, with a field trip, activities, movies and fun the entire week! We need at least 15 families to
sign up for the program otherwise it may be cancelled.
The camp will be open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.; and, the cost will be $50 for the field trip day and $35 for each of the other days.
Registration IS OPEN now and will close on Tuesday, Oct. 2
.
All registrations are non-refundable unless we do not have the required number of families. Enrolled families will be notified of the status on Wednesday, Oct. 3, and refunds given if we need to cancel.
To register online, please go to
payments on the BFA website,
and choose BASE Camp.
Families that have not enrolled in BASE for the current year will be contacted to do so and also pay the 2018-19 BASE registration fee of $25. To obtain the registration paperwork and read the parent handbook please click
here
.
If you have any questions please email Mrs. Savoy.
|
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.
|
DIRECTORY ON TAP AVAILABLE
Your online BFA directory is available.
You should have received an individual email with instructions about how to access the directory from Directory on Tap, a free app for the iPhone, iPad and Android.
If you have not used this app in the past, please consider checking it out. It is a wonderful resource, as it contains each family's class roster and contact information, as well as the entire BFA directory. You can also email or call other BFA families directly through the app.
Look for your email, and get started using Directory on Tap! Email Directory on Tap with questions.
|
SHOP THE BOOK FAIR AND MAKE IT A MAGICAL FALL BREAK
BFA's
Enchanted Forest Fall Scholastic Book Fair will be held Monday, Oct. 1, through Thursday, Oct. 4, in conjunction with Parent Teacher conferences. This is also the week before fall break, so whether you're traveling or staying home, be sure to pick up something fun for your student to read! The fair will be open as follows:
- Monday, Oct. 1, and Wednesday, Oct. 3: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 4: 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- Please remember the front office is closed during carpool from 3 - 4 p.m.
See this preview of all the exciting selections that will be offered this year. And, when you visit the fair, you can enter your child's name in the drawing for books and miscellaneous items.
|
MIDDLE SCHOOL BAKE SALE NEXT THURSDAY
Raid your piggy bank and make plans to buy a treat
to support the Middle School Social Committee at their
bake sale from
7:45 - 8:05 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, at BFA. The Middle School Social Committee plans parties for the entire middle school student body and this is their only fundraising opportunity for the year, so p
lease support their efforts!
|
BEN FRANKLIN ACADEMY FUN RUN COMING SOON
The PTO's main fundraising event this year is the
Ben Franklin Academy Fun Run! It's a two-week program that
kicks off with a pep rally on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Elementary school families will gather pledges for every lap their student runs (30-35 laps), and we'll celebrate at the Fun Run on
Thursday, Oct. 25. Middle school students will gather flat-rate pledges (not per-lap), and will participate in a color run on
Thursday, Oct. 25.
With our big
goal of raising $70,000 for a makerspace, we asked the Fun Run experts at
Boosterthon to power our Fun Run and make it easier, more profitable, and more fun. A makerspace is a supervised learning environment in which students can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge.
By partnering with Boosterthon, our students will participate in a two-week, fitness-based fundraiser where they'll learn essential character traits through this year's theme:
MINDSPARK MYSTERY LAB. See this
video for a preview of MINDSPARK.
In the past, the PTO has profited $64,000 from the Fun Run to fund STEAM and playground enhancements, as well as to fulfill teacher requests. Help us reach our goal this year by collecting pledges!
Oct. 9: Pledging Opens, Log on to FUNRUN.COM
Oct. 16: Pep Rally!
Oct. 25: Fun Run, SAVE THE DATE--
You're invited!
The PTO will be sharing more information over the next few weeks.
Thanks so much for your support!
|
LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SUPPORT BFA AND PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS?
The new school year means another opportunity to participate in the BFA PTO Sponsorship season! Each year, annual PTO sponsorships allow BFA to continue to grow and to meet the needs of our school, as well as our teachers, staff and students.
If you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity, check out this flier or visit the PTO webpage
for details and information on how to secure your sponsorship. Questions can be
sent
to Denise Battista, sponsor committee manager.
|
GET YOUR SPIRIT WEAR AT CONFERENCES
The PTO will be selling spirit wear from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. at both nights of parent teacher conferences next week, so come ready to make your purchases; cash, check and credit accepted. You also can purchase spirit wear online at the BFA Store. Purchases made online will be delivered to the classroom and sent home with your student.
Now's the time to get your BFA spirit wear before the store closes for the season on October 31.
|
DI INTEREST FORM DUE MONDAY
If you are interested in participating in DI, please
fill out the following form:
BFA DI Interest Form
and
email to Jason Sunahara
, BFA DI Coordinator, by Monday, Oct. 1. You also are welcome to
contact
Jason
with any additional questions.
While DI is a BFA-sponsored program, it relies solely on parent volunteers to serve as team managers (and appraisers for competitions and South Metro's Instant Challenge Day). While the BFA DI coordinators are happy to create a team for interested students, teams can't come to fruition without the support of a parent volunteer(s) to serve as a team manager(s). There is no guarantee that your child will be placed on a team simply by filling out the interest form. In addition, once your child is officially part of a BFA DI team, there is a registration fee of $65 per participant ($30 for Rising Stars! which are DI's non-competitive participants). More information on the registration fee will come from your team manager/BFA DI coordinators at a later date.
DI's vision is "
to teach students the creative process and empower them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever changing world." Annually, DI offers seven new academic challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fine arts, service learning and early learning. In solving a challenge, students learn the creative process from imagination to innovation and the skills needed to thrive in school, their careers and beyond.
|
SPREAD THE WORD - SCHOOL TOUR TUESDAYS
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 tours on Oct. 9 and Nov. 20 due to school breaks). At that time, Principal Simpson will 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 Drivers License and arrive a few minutes early so we can scan their license before the tour begins.
|
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.
Please see this flier for details about all the events happening this fall/winter including how to get discounted tickets to Oklahoma!, Corduroy, A Christmas Carol and White Christmas.
If you'd like to purchase discounted tickets to the CU Buffs game on Oct. 27, at Folsom Field, go to www.cubuffs.com/promo and use code 2018DCSD.
|
BFA's STEM Committee can't wait for your student(s) to attend the annual STEAM Expo on Friday, Sept. 28! The Expo is a wonderful opportunity to expose BFA's more than 900 K-8 students to a wide variety of STEAM-oriented activities and presentations.
|
| Monday, Oct. 1 - Thursday, Oct. 4 |
|
|
Next week is Cancer Awareness Week at BFA
. Students may wear pink accessories (in their hair, bracelets, shoe laces and socks - no hair dye or colored hair spray) with their regular uniform.
|
BFA's
Enchanted Forest Fall Scholastic Book Fair
will be held Monday, Oct. 1, through Thursday, Oct. 4.
- Monday, Oct. 1, and Wednesday, Oct. 3: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 4: 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- Please remember the front office is closed during carpool from 3 - 4 p.m.
|
The boys basketball tryouts are from
4-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, and Wednesday, Oct. 3, at BFA.
|
SCHOOL TOUR FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS
Tours for prospective K-8 families will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays through Nov. 27 (with no tours on Oct. 9 and Nov. 20 due to school breaks). At that time, Principal Simpson will 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 Drivers License and arrive a few minutes early so we can scan their license before the tour begins.
|
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
We look forward to seeing you at Parent Teacher Conferences, which will be held from 4:15 - 8 p.m. on
Tuesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 4
. Teachers will break from 5:30 - 6 p.m. for dinner.
|
The boys basketball tryouts are from 4-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, and Wednesday, Oct. 3, at BFA.
|
Wednesday, Oct. 3 is a Formal Uniform Day. Students should wear their navy polo shirt with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.
|
Thursday, Oct. 4, is a Spirit Day so students can either wear a Spirit Wear shirt, or a BFA Fun Run or Field Day shirt from a prior year with their regular uniform bottoms.
|
Raid your piggy bank and make plans to buy a treat
to support the Middle School Social Committee at their
bake sale from
7:45 - 8:05 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, at BFA.
|
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
We look forward to seeing you at Parent Teacher Conferences, which will be held from 4:15 - 8 p.m. on
Thursday, Oct. 4
. Teachers will break from 5:30 - 6 p.m. for dinner.
|
Please remember there is no school on Friday, Oct. 5, as it is a comp day for teachers.
|
| Monday, Oct. 8 - Friday, Oct. 12 |
|
|
BFA will be on Fall Break from Monday, Oct. 8, through Friday, Oct. 12. We hope you have a terrific week!
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
