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Vol. 9, Iss. 29
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October 24, 2019
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Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a great fall break! The kids and staff came back refreshed and ready to get back to work. There are a couple of weeks left in the trimester to work on grades as well as meeting those AR goals (K-5 students). As always, we encourage you to log into Gradelink to monitor your student's progress.
I know there has been much talk surrounding fundraising this year. While the school recognizes that the groups are able to do their own fundraising outside of the school, and we encourage students and their families to continue doing so, we also acknowledge that limiting fundraising activities/announcements at school has impacted the earning potential for this year's groups. I am pleased to announce that the Board of Directors approved putting $25,000 toward this year's trips. They designated $12,000 to the eighth grade Washington, D.C. trip, $12,000 to the Disneyland Choir trip, and $1,000 for Destination Imagination teams if they qualify for the Global Competition in May. In order to receive funding, families must meet their volunteer quota for the year.
The process for allocating funds for future trips is to be determined, but the school is dedicated to helping these groups with some of the expenses as we feel that these trips are important milestones for many of our students. We also still feel strongly that we do not want to put a burden on the community by asking for money for various fundraising efforts, therefore the overall stance of not allowing individual small groups to fundraise here at school has not changed. We are hoping that the combination of outside fundraising, the PTO grant process and the Board allocation of funds will make these trips accessible to all students as they move through BFA.
Speaking of fundraising, I am so excited for the BENefit Bash! A huge THANK YOU to the PTO for organizing this amazing event and all the volunteers who have been working tirelessly for months! I can't even imagine the hours that have been put towards making this a fun and successful event. I love the variety of options and the online portion of the auction. Don't forget to register (IT'S FREE!) and help your student's class earn and extra dress of choice day. The online auction closes tonight starting at 8 p.m., so get those final bids in. I hope to see many of you at the Main Event and the After Party on Saturday evening!
Sincerely,
Diana Simpson
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LAST CHANCE TO EARN DOC AND PARTICIPATE IN AUCTION
and if you haven't already,
register for FREE. Be sure to get your bids in before the auction closes! Closing times are staggered with the first category closing at 8 p.m. and the last category closing at 9 p.m. Don't miss out on that special event, item or experience.
And, if you complete your PTA Pal registration by today, Thursday, Oct. 24, you'll help qualify your student(s) for an extra dress of choice day. Each K-5 class or Middle School grade with more than 75 percent parent registration will earn an extra dress of choice day during the second trimester!
Auction item distribution will take place from 4:30 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the BFA Middle School Commons.
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The annual BFA Veterans Day celebration is right around the corner! In order to make this event successful, we need YOUR help.
We are still looking for 25 plus volunteers for decorating on Tuesday evening (Nov. 5) and Sunday afternoon (Nov. 10) as well as assisting the day of the event (Nov. 11). If you want a fun way to earn your volunteer hours, please visit our
SignUp Genius!
Veterans Slide Show
Do you want to have your loved ones honored during the Veterans Day Assembly? If so, TOMORROW, Oct. 25, is the last day to submit pictures! Please email your picture to Julie Roper here and include the following information in your email:
- Veteran's Name
- Branch of the Military
- Rank
- Years of Service
- Name of BFA Student
- Relationship to Student
- Student Grade
If you would like, please also share a favorite story or memory and/or have your student tell us why they would like to honor their veteran in your email. Also, please let us know if your veteran will be in attendance on Nov. 11.
Assembly Programs and Veterans Reception
We invite you to join us at our Veterans Day assemblies on Monday, Nov. 11, at 8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. (please note slight change in time). A reception will be held for veterans between the two assemblies in the Sander's Science Lab. Please invite veterans in your family or neighborhood to attend--it's so meaningful for BFA students to be able to honor these veterans at school! To help spread the word, we've created an invitation; please feel free to print and disseminate.
Veterans Wall of Honor
Families who would like to submit information sheets about loved ones who are veterans can download and print the form here. Please return it to school no later than Friday, Nov. 1.
If you have any questions, please email the CEC.
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VETERANS OUTREACH PROJECT
Each year the CEC coordinates an outreach project to support veterans in our community. This year we will be collecting gloves/mittens, scarves, fleece blankets and hand/toe warmers for the VA Hospital from NOW until Nov. 15. Please place your donation in the designated boxes in the front hallway and label your item(s) with your student's name and grade. The grade with the most donations will receive a special treat! Thank you in advance for your support.
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THANKS FOR SUPPORTING OUR FALL BOOK FAIR
Thank you so much for your continued support of our library by buying books at our book fairs! Because of your support, we are able to stay self sufficient as we purchase all our books using the profits earned through the Book Fair. Thanks to all of you, we sold 1,685 books at the most recent fair and will receive $3,600 to use toward new books! That's fantastic--thank you!
Also, a huge thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who helped us with the book fair. We wouldn't be able to do this without you.
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WE'D APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!
BFA has been participating in the Douglas County Library "Battle of the Books" program since the 2014/15 school year. We have a third/fourth grade team and a fifth/sixth grade team. Each team has to read ten books and be able to answer detailed questions about each of them during the battles. We have done very well in the battles over the years but have noticed the exceptional schools have the help of a lot of parent volunteers.
We are looking for anyone who would be willing to read at least ONE of the assigned books for the third/fourth grade team or fifth/sixth grade team and write as many questions as you can think of about the books.
We have copies of the books at the school and sample questions that we can give you. These books don't take long to read and anyone participating in this volunteer activity will receive volunteer hours for your family. This is a great way for those who can't come to the school to get your hours at home. You do NOT have to have a family member on the team or in those grade levels - just a willingness to help!
We would like to inundate these kids with questions so there isn't any part of the book they haven't reviewed. The teams begin practice in late November and battles will begin in February.
We would love to have your questions submitted by the last week of November. However, we will continually accept questions for practice after this time.
Please contact us if you would like to help:
Thank you!
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BUY A BRICK THROUGH THE ONLINE AUCTION
The Pathway To Learning Bricks are BACK! The PTO will be offering opportunities during ALL of the electronic BENefit Bash auctions (online, mobile and last chance) for families to purchase a commemorative brick for placement in front of the school alongside the existing bricks. This is a great way to leave a lasting memory of your time at our school.
Purchased bricks are scheduled to be installed Spring 2020 prior to the last day of school. To purchase, simply login/register at
https://bfacademy.ptapal.com.
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Ben's Brigade will be hosting a bowling night for all BFA Dads. Please join other Dads from
8 - 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Bowlero Lone Tree for a free night of bowling, pizza and wings. You do not need to be a member of Ben's Brigade to attend--just come have some fun with other BFA Dads!
Please email Ben's Brigade to RSVP.
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ATTENTION KINDIE AND SEVENTH GRADE FAMILIES
KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES - please help in carpool this October! Carpool volunteers are critical and we'd like the help of our Kindie families for the remainder of October.
We'd like our SEVENTH GRADE families to help us in November!
As a reminder, 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.
Even if you don't have a kindergarten or seventh grade student,
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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NOVEMBER BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL ELEMENTARY SPANISH CLASSES
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 month, per student; and, payments should be made via Zelle or check (made out to Patricia Connell).
Morning classes: Kids in grades K-5 will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 to 8 a.m. in the Spanish classroom (#276)
Afternoon classes: Kindergarten through second grade will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 - 4 p.m. in the Spanish classroom (#276). Third grade through fifth grade will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 - 4 p.m. in the Spanish room (#276).
You can sign up for one month at a time. Classes follow the regular BFA school calendar for breaks/days off, and continue until the end of May.
Please contact Señora Connell if you have any questions.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - HALLOWEEN PARTY REMINDERS
If you missed our email yesterday, below are several reminders about the Halloween celebrations scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 31.
Elementary Activities:
Elementary students (K-5) can bring a Halloween costume to school for the parade and classroom party. (Please look for an email from your teacher and/or room parent with specific details about your student's party.) They will have time to change prior to the activities. Costumes should follow the spirit of our Dress of Choice guidelines; please no revealing/offensive clothing, full face masks/face paint, costumes with pretend blood/gore, or pretend weapons.
Parking
Please park in a designated parking space and (as always) refrain from parking along the curb in the parking lot, or in a volunteer of the month, staff member of the week, or purchased parking spot that is not yours--even if it is just for a few minutes. After the overflow lot is full, you may park along the 'B' lane. We kindly remind you not to park in A-lane as this must be kept open to facilitate the flow of traffic.
Entry into the School
For the safety of our students, we need to be sure that EVERY PERSON who enters the building has had their Driver's License scanned THIS SCHOOL YEAR. All parents will need to pick up their badges upon entry to the building or have their license scanned to obtain a badge. All visitors inside the school will need to wear their badge during the festivities.
- Parents who have come into the office and had their license scanned THIS YEAR and received their official volunteer badge will be routed through the main doors. A staff member will distribute their volunteer badges.
- Parents who DID NOT have their pictures taken during BFA Check-In/Picture Retake Day and have not had their license scanned this school year, as well as ALL guests (grandparents, relatives, neighbors, etc.) will need to come through the main office to have their license scanned. No exceptions will be made. Please make sure that every person has a license.
- Anyone who had their picture taken during BFA Check-In/Picture Retake Day but has not provided their license to be scanned this school year, will need to come through the main office with their license. You may come to the school before the day of the party day to have your license scanned and have your official volunteer badge issued; if you are planning to do so, please stop by between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. any day prior to the party.
Elementary Party Start/End Times
Please pay special attention to the times outlined in your room parent's email for information about the start time of your student's party. Most all parties will be held from 1:45 - 2:45 p.m., with the K-5 parade beginning at 1:45 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend! Parents may release their students after the party if they sign them out with their student's teacher. We'd appreciate it if all partygoers leave before carpool begins around 3 p.m., otherwise it will be more difficult to exit the parking lot as you'll be in the middle of the carpool process.
Party Supplies
Keep in mind that you need to bring all the supplies needed for your Halloween party activities. As a friendly reminder, please note that you may not remove items from the staff lounge or the school's kitchen for your activities.
If you have any questions about the elementary party coordination, please
reach out to
Amanda Trenck and
Emily Tenhundfeld, PTO Co-Room Parent Coordinators, at [email protected].
Middle School Halloween Activities
This year the middle school students will be taking on a new role. As leaders of BFA, they will be able to dress up in their costumes later in the afternoon but they will not be walking in the parade. Instead, they will line up to cheer the elementary students and hand out candy and toys to them, compliments of Student Council. After the parade, middle school students will have an interactive recess until carpool begins. The middle school events are for students only, so our middle school parents get the afternoon off! Costumes must follow BFA guidelines. Since students will be changing into their costumes, it is recommended that they choose costumes that can be put on over their clothes. If students choose not to wear costumes then they must stay in their uniform.
Middle School Early Check Out
Our middle school students will be back in their classrooms by 2:45 p.m. so if you would like to check your middle school student out early, please come to the office to do so.
Thank you for helping us keep all BFA kids safe and ensuring that everyone has a fun Halloween celebration! We look forward to seeing many of you on Oct. 31.
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Please join members of the
School Accountability Committee (SAC) for their next meeting from 4:30-5:30 p.m. tonight, Oct. 24, in the BFA Conference Room.
They'll be reviewing the parent communication and scheduling policies. In addition, attendees will get an update about what's happening at the District Accountability Committee. All are welcome!
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Ben's Brigade will meet from 8 - 9 p.m. this evening, Oct. 24, at Lansdowne Arms in Highlands Ranch. All BFA Dads are welcome to attend.
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We hope to see you at the 2019 BENefit Bash beginning at
5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Palazzo Verdi
, and at 9 p.m. for the Casino Night After Party at Max Taps! Please remember--you should have already purchased tickets. No tickets will be sold at the door.
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DRAMA AND CHOIR PERFORMANCE
All are welcome to attend the Drama and Choir performance beginning at
6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, on BFA's Performance Stage. Come see what these amazing kids have learned this trimester!
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We're excited to celebrate Halloween with our students! Most all parties will be held from
1:45 - 2:45 p.m., with the K-5 parade beginning at 1:45 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend the elementary parties! The middle school students will dress up and hand out candy at the parade, then participate in some fun activities during the afternoon.
We'd appreciate it if all partygoers leave before carpool begins around 3 p.m.
Check out for elementary students is with their respective teacher(s) and parents should go to the office to check out middle school kids.
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There is
NO SCHOOL on Friday, Nov. 1, as it is a professional work day for teachers. The scheduling of this professional day is purely coincidental and has absolutely nothing to do with how much candy kids eat during Halloween.
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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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