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Vol. 10, Iss. 5
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February 6, 2020
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Dear Parents,
I can't believe that we celebrated our 100th day of school this week! It was fun to see our kindergarten through second grade students celebrate that milestone on Tuesday.
Our virtue for the month of February is PURITY: Be pure in thought and deed. White Lies, a little gossip, and small, mean words are painful and say more about you than about others. What you think about others is how you will treat them. Develop good thoughts and feelings towards all. I'd like to challenge all members of our community to exemplify this virtue by being respectful of staff and other parents, especially during carpool and parent teacher conferences next week.
Speaking of carpool, I have a couple of quick reminders. If your student is a "walker," they need to walk off school property to get picked up. Please do not park in the preschool lot to pick your students up. If the weather is bad and you don't want them to have to walk far, please email traffic by 1:30 p.m. to take him/her off the walker list and come through carpool. It is a major safety hazard to have cars coming in and out of that parking lot while releasing the walkers and it's confusing to those managing the B waiting zone. My other reminder has to do with Zone B drop-off in the morning. When Zone B is full, all ten cars should be unloading at once, and then moving out so the next ten cars can come in. If you are in the middle of the group that is stopped, please let your students out of the car; don't just wait to let your student exit until you are at the front of the line to get him/her closer to the door. Waiting until you get to the front of the line to unload is causing a delay for morning drop-off in this zone. I would also encourage you to use Zone A between 7:50 and 8 a.m. as it is usually much faster and there is generally no wait during this timeframe.
One final note for the week, many students have been sent home from school recently because they are sick. Please keep your students at home if they are displaying symptoms of being ill. This will help them recover more quickly and will prevent the germs from spreading to others.
I hope to see many of you at conferences next week. If you would like to meet with me during those times, please email me and we can set up a time.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Diana Simpson
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BFA loves its volunteers, and we want to show our appreciation for all of your work. Again 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 MANDY DOOLITTLE!
For the month of February,
Mandy Doolittle has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteer of the Month.
Mandy is being recognized for her help in making weighted lap pads for kindergarten and first grade classes. Her demonstration of Ben Franklin's virtues of
frugality and
humility were apparent in her donation of labor and
sewing materials to help other BFA students and staff.
For all her efforts, we'd like to say thank you!
Mandy and her husband, Jason, are parents of Austin (sixth grade) followed by Cooper and Sawyer (fourth grade). In Mandy's words, "We are the Doolittles, a crazy little family. We have been a BFA family since 2012 and have loved every second of it! We appreciate so many things about BFA, however, there is a special place in our hearts for the teachers, staff, and administration. We have genuinely loved every single teacher the boys have had at BFA. Quite especially our entire team of special education teachers and aides - they are the most devoted, loving, truly amazing group of individuals that have touched our family and our hearts in more ways than they will ever know."
Congratulations again, Mandy. Your dedication and service to BFA most recently and throughout the years has touched us as well!
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THANK YOU CHRISTINE BRADEN!
This month,
Christine Braden
is the winner of our drawing for her volunteer time in February. She volunteered in science lab and chaperoned a field trip, and has won a $10 gift card to Target. Congratulations, Christine! And, thank you again for your support of BFA.
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A note from Matt Keillor, director, BFA board of directors...
My daughter started kindergarten in 2012, the second year of Ben Franklin Academy's existence. The following year, as a member of the STEM Committee, I became involved with the Punkin Chunkin Colorado and brought the experience to the students of BFA as part of an after-school club and through school-wide fruit/pumpkin toss events. It's been very rewarding and the STEM Committee is a fantastic way to engage with all of the great things happening at BFA.
I was elected to the Board of Directors in May 2017 and have enjoyed the experience of being a part of the strategic direction, policies, and governance of the school. It is rewarding to share my personal experience as a former classroom teacher, and the challenges that I currently help businesses address in today's technology world, and bring ideas and solutions to the BFA community for the benefit of our students.
Working with fellow board members who share the same passion in making our school great during the past three years has made a tremendous impact on me personally and professionally. If you share this passion in making a difference for the students, staff, and stakeholders of BFA, I highly recommend throwing your hat in the ring and run for the Board of Directors. We need you!
This year, the BFA community is seeking three leaders, who are passionate about and committed to BFA
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s mission and vision, to serve on the seven-director BFA Board of Directors (Board). This spring, our community will elect two (2) directors and the BFA Board will appoint one (1) director in accordance with the Board of Directors Election Policy. Each seat is for a three-year term. If you or someone you know is committed to the future success of BFA and is passionate about having a voice in that process, please consider a nomination for a Board seat.
Anyone interested in the Board is welcome to contact me or one of the other Board members (see below). Parents also can go to the Board webpage, or click here for more details on the appointment/election process and qualifications.
This year, we are seeking community members with a financial background as well as other skill sets to fill the three (3) total seats up for election/appointment. Based on the composition of the BFA Board and the anticipated short- and long-term needs of the school, the desired skills and knowledge for this election/appointment cycle include the following:
- Organizational and Financial Management
- Strategic or Long-Range Planning
- Banking and Trusts
- Business/Corporate
- Academic/Education
- Technology
I hope you'll consider serving on the Board or nominating another qualified candidate. Please complete the nomination form no later than 11:59 p.m. MT., Friday, February 21.
The form is your opportunity to let the BFA community know why you, or another BFA parent would be an asset to the BFA Board, our students and the community.
Listed below are other members of the Board who would be happy to talk to you about how you can make a difference within the BFA community.
Bill Castor
, President,
bill@bfacademy.org
Bryan Molen, Vice President,
bryan@bfacademy.org
Courtney Jurbala, Secretary,
courtney@bfacademy.org
Steve Hass
, Treasurer,
steve@bfacademy.org
Matt Keillor, Director,
matt@bfacademy.org
Sarah Nisbet, Director,
sarahn@bfacademy.org
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FREE, EXTRA DRESS OF CHOICE DAY FOR YOUR STUDENT
The
Parent Satisfaction Survey
is available NOW! It only takes 10 minutes, and families who take the survey and report their family number will receive an
extra Dress of Choice day for their child(ren) on April 24 and be
entered into a drawing for a BFA parking spot for the month of August. This is your opportunity to give valuable feedback and suggestions to the Administration and Board. In fact, i
f you've posted comments on the Friends of Ben Facebook page, we encourage you to add those to the parent survey instead, as this is the data analyzed by SAC, the administration and the Board.
If you still need volunteer hours, volunteers are needed to work the SAC table during parent/teacher conferences from 4 to 8 p.m. on February 11 and 13. This is the perfect opportunity for eighth grade Washington, D.C. families! Be sure to sign up TODAY!
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PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES NEXT WEEK
While you are welcome, and encouraged, to contact your child's teacher at any time about any questions or concerns you might have, our formal Parent Teacher Conferences are next week.
Please mark your calendar for Conferences, which will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11, and Thursday, Feb13.
Parents of kids in
grades K-4 have been sent a sign up by their teacher, and should have chosen 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 Sanders Science Lab, 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 science lab by 6 p.m., it may be because they were delayed in going to dinner.
Sixth, seventh, 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.
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FREE BABYSITTING AT CONFERENCES
National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) will offer
FREE babysitting during conferences on February 11 and 13. Babysitting will be in the Maker Space room (go to the library; head west, then north down the first hallway to find the entrance to the Maker Space).
Parents will need to sign their children in and leave a contact number in case of emergency. If a child needs a diaper change or is struggling in the babysitting room, NJHS members will call the parent and ask them come pick up their child.
Please note that
children may not be dropped off in the Dana Library and left alone while parents are at conferences. All children that need childcare need to be dropped off in the Maker Space room.
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MORE SUMMER CAMP CHANGES BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK
We're very excited about all the fun things we have planned for summer camp this year! Recently, we announced that we were offering weekly instead of daily sign-ups for camp; but based on your feedback, we've decided to split our weekly sign-ups into the following options:
1) Three days of
In-House Summer Camp for $105/week, per child; and
2) Two days of
Bolts Adventures Field Trip Summer Camp for $100/week, per child.
In MySchoolBucks, you can choose either option, or choose both In-House AND Bolts Adventures Summer Camps to ensure child care for the entire week. We hope that gives parents the additional flexibility they enjoy, while streamlining the process for parents who need weekly coverage.
With this change, the full week cost is $205 per week.
The annual registration fee has not changed, and is $35 per child.
Please click here to register your child(ren); sign-ups for In-House and Bolts Adventures Camps will be available later this spring. The first week of camp will be May 27-29 and will cost $115, as camp will only be three days that week (we will not split out this week into In-House and Bolts Adventures Camps).
Program Details:
Dates: May 27-August 14 (Closed June 29-July 3)
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Days: Monday through Friday
Summer Camp is open to any 2020-21 enrolled BFA Kindergarten-eighth grade student 5-years-old and above. Your child must be 5 on or before May 27, 2020 to participate.
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Students can wear Dress of Choice next Thursday, Feb. 13, if they have not had two dress code violations since the last Dress of Choice Day. Clothing should follow the guidelines outlined in the uniform policy.
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There is no school next Friday, Feb. 14, as it is a comp day for teachers, since they will have worked two evenings at Parent Teacher Conferences. In addition, the school will be closed on Monday, Feb. 17, to commemorate Presidents Day. Enjoy the long weekend!
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This year, our award-winning performing arts program is taking you back to the legendary days of ancient China with an action-packed stage adventure. The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor!
The score of 'Mulan JR.' includes songs from the film including the hit "Reflection" and "Be a Man." The performance is the culmination of a trimester of hard work from middle school students who elected to participate in the musical theatre elective. We hope all our BFA families (and their friends) will be able to attend this FREE production at 7 p.m. on either Friday, Feb. 21, or Saturday, Feb. 22, on BFA's performance stage.
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PARENT SEMINAR ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
The CEC is hosting a
Parent Seminar from 7-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, in the Middle School Commons
. Our very own BFA licensed school psychologist,
Hugh Redford
, will be speaking on
Executive Functioning
from 7-8 p.m. and then the CEC will host a short reception afterwards. Please mark your calendars!
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Did you receive a DCSD 2-minute survey regarding fall break? Please feel free to complete the survey, but keep in mind that it is a District sponsored survey and may or may not impact BFA's 2020-21 school calendar. Once the District announces how they plan to proceed, we'll discuss our options at the following Board meeting.
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As you know, Student Council is hosting a winter formal for middle schoolers and we would appreciate your help with goodies and supplies as well as decorating, chaperoning and cleaning up. These types of events can't happen without your support--so please SIGN UP today!
As a reminder, the dance is from 6 - 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8
. Suggested attire is formal wear, but you can come in whatever feels comfortable. Today, Feb. 6, is the last day to get tickets at a discounted price. Tickets are available to current BFA middle school students for $5 each if you purchase through MySchoolBucks. Tickets will be $10 at the door.
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Mark your calendars for the BFA Spirit Night at Chipotle (2209 W. Wildcat Reserve Pkwy) from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Look for the
flier
in your child's Thursday folder. Chipotle will donate 33 percent of the proceeds to BFA, so be sure to show the flier or tell the cashier that you are with BFA, to make your purchase will count!
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MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL TRYOUTS
The middle school boys volleyball season begins this spring with their first game on April 7. This year, we'll have two teams coached by Mrs. Haufschild and Mrs. Murphy. We expect to have between 10-12 players on each team. Practices will likely be held BEFORE school throughout the season. If your middle school student wants to be a part of BFA's winning athletic tradition by trying out for our boys volleyball team, please mark your calendar for the following dates:
- Register for tryouts on MySchoolBucks NOW through March 8. No payment is necessary at this time; the coaches would like to know how many kids plan to try out.
- Tryouts will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Monday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 10, in the Thunder Gym. There will be a 15-minute parent meeting at 4 p.m. on March 9.
- Callbacks will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, in the Thunder Gym.
- Teams will be announced on Thursday, March 12. Registration details will be provided at that time.
- Practices begin after spring break, with the first game on April 7.
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ELEMENTARY VALENTINE'S DAY PARTIES NEXT THURSDAY
Feeling sweet? Maybe because it's almost time to celebrate Valentine's Day! Since we're off school on Friday, Feb. 14, our
elementary students will have their Valentine's day parties on Thursday, Feb. 13.
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 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.
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. 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 Valentine's Day 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
to
Amanda Trenck and Lauren Flint, PTO Co-Room Parent Coordinators.
Middle School Early Check Out
Middle school is not having a Valentine's Day celebration. 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 B
FA kids safe and ensuring that everyone has a fun Valentine's Day celebration! We look forward to seeing many of you on Feb. 13.
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SPIRIT WEAR STORE OPEN IN FEBRUARY
The
PTO's spirit wear store is open now, and will remain open throughout the month of February
. If you or your student would like a new BFA t-shirt, hoodie, other BFA spirit wear or spirit items--this is your opportunity to make those purchases! Please visit the store on
MySchoolBucks
to place an order.
The store will close again in March--so get your items TODAY.
All items will be delivered to the classroom and sent home with your student.
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Moms and ladies of BFA,
your turn for an evening out is coming up
again! Please join members of the PTO at Lansdowne Arms in Highlands Ranch at
7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19,
for Moms' Night Out. Light appetizers will be provided. We hope to see you there!
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Please mark your calendars for our annual
Morning with Moms from 7-8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, at BFA
. The Community Events Committee (CEC) is hosting this fun event for students and their mom (or aunt, grandma, special family friend) and plan to treat attendees to some delicious goodies. Moms, please plan on staying with your student(s) in the gym until at least 7:45 a.m., and you're welcome to walk your student(s) to their classroom before you leave at 8 a.m. We're looking forward to spending a great morning together.
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE, MEET NEW PEOPLE, HAVE FUN!
If that sounds appealing, then the PTO is the place for you! The PTO is looking to fill volunteer positions for the 2020-21 school year, and they would love for you to join their team!
They have a variety of volunteer positions that can be done from home or school, and that fit any schedule: days, nights, or weekends. In addition, they have behind the scenes volunteer opportunities as well as those that put you front and center. You name it, the PTO has it!
PTO elections will be held April 20-24. For more information on the PTO, including
job descriptions
of the volunteer positions, please visit our
webpage
.
Or, go to one of their monthly meetings held on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanders Science Lab.
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A message from the American Heart Association...
We are almost halfway through our program and we have raised
$11,567 towards our $16,000 goal!
The students listed below are
currently in the lead to SLIME their PE teachers. The top student in each grade at the end of the challenge on February 21 will get to SLIME their teacher!
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Grade
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First Name
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Last Name
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Teacher
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Kindergarten
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Kennedie
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R
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Brook
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1st
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Gabrielle
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C
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Triplett
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2nd
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Hanna
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K
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Whelan
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3rd
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Samantha
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H
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Gautier
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4th
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Ryan
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F
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Van Wyk
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5th
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Architha
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K
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Dunn
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DON'T FORGET students that raise $50 will be invited ON COURT to SHOOT HOOPS after a Denver Nuggets game.
We already have 76 students who will get this opportunity.
These students have taken the first step by registering online and some have even gotten their first donations already! Join the fun by downloading the Kids Heart Challenge app or visiting
www.heart.org/khc
where you can take a challenge, spread the word, and save lives.
Thank you again for your support of the American Heart Association!
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IT'S A BOOK FAIR JUNGLE OUT THERE!
The 'jungle' is coming to BFA in the form of our spring Book Fair! Book Fair set up will be Feb. 6, and student preview day will be Feb. 7. Sales will begin Monday, Feb 10, and run through Thursday, Feb 13. If you can volunteer please sign up today, and remember, volunteers receive a 15 percent discount on purchases!
We're happy to announce that
students from National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) will provide FREE baby-sitting during conferences again this year.
We hope you'll visit the Book Fair during one of the following times:
- Monday, Feb.10, and Wednesday, Feb. 12 - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, Feb. 11 and Thursday, Feb. 13 - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.
Once again we will be offering e-wallet so that parents don't have to worry about sending cash, check or credit card; watch this video to find out more.
The scholastic homepage is a good resource and, if you're like us and you can't get enough Book Fair information, you can watch a Book Fair video (click on your child's grade level).
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CHEER AND BASKETBALL PICTURES
Sports pictures for cheer and basketball will be
after school on Friday, Feb. 7. Please have students bring their uniforms to school!
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The middle school Winter Formal dance is from 6 - 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8
. Suggested attire is formal wear, but you can come in whatever feels comfortable. Tickets will be $10 at the door.
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TOURS FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS
Tours for prospective K-8 families will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays now through
March 31.
We'll also have a tour on April 7 and May 5.
Please note, there will be no tours on
March 17
while students are on break. And, if there is a school closure or delay, there will be NO TOUR.
Anyone going on a tour should bring a Driver's License and arrive a few minutes early so we can scan their license before the tour begins.
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PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Formal Parent Teacher Conferences are
Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Parents of kids in grades
K-4 have been sent a sign up by their teacher
, and should have chosen a time to meet with their student's teacher.
Fifth grade will offer 'drop in' conferences in the Sanders Science Lab
, so feel free to come by any time between 4:15 - 8 p.m.
Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teachers will be available to meet with parents in the Thunder (large) Gym from 4:15 until 8 p.m.
The teachers will take a half hour break for dinner from 5:30 - 6 p.m.
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Mark your calendars for the BFA Spirit Night at Chipotle (2209 W. Wildcat Reserve Pkwy) from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11. B
e sure to show the flier or tell the cashier that you are with BFA, to make your purchase will count!
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FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
There is a Finance Committee meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, in the BFA Conference Room. All parents are welcome to attend.
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Students can wear Dress of Choice next Thursday, Feb. 13, if they have not had two dress code violations since the last Dress of Choice Day. Clothing should follow the guidelines outlined in the uniform policy.
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ELEMENTARY VALENTINE'S DAY PARTIES
Our
elementary students will have their Valentine's Day parties on Thursday, Feb. 13.
Most all parties will be held from 1:45 - 2:45 p.m. Parents may release their students after the party if they sign them out with their student's teacher.
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PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Formal Parent Teacher Conferences are
Thursday, Feb13.
Parents of kids in grades
K-4 have been sent a sign up by their teacher
, and should have chosen a time to meet with their student's teacher.
Fifth grade will offer 'drop in' conferences in the Sanders Science Lab
, so feel free to come by any time between 4:15 - 8 p.m.
Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teachers will be available to meet with parents in the Thunder (large) Gym from 4:15 until 8 p.m.
The teachers will take a half hour break for dinner from 5:30 - 6 p.m.
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There is no school Friday, Feb. 14, as it is a comp day for teachers. In addition, the school will be closed on Monday, Feb. 17, to commemorate Presidents Day.
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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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