End of Trimester Update
A Message from Matt Keillor, President BFA Board of Directors
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Dear Parents,
Prior to the 2021-22 school year, the Board of Directors identified a list of priorities to aid in promoting the vision and mission of BFA. While the first trimester has presented a number of challenges, our administration and staff have done a tremendous job of maintaining focus and putting the education of our students at the forefront.
Please allow this update to highlight some of the Board priorities:
Provide professional development and leadership opportunities to BFA staff: A group of BFA teachers will attend the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) conference this month hosted in Denver. One teacher will travel to Boston, Mass. to attend a brain development education conference focused on teaching students with depression, anxiety, and academic learning loss. By attending conferences like these and sharing gained knowledge with fellow staff, it strengthens our teachers’ ability to help all of our students excel.
Enhance BFA’s Second Step program and conduct a school-wide service-learning project: Research indicates that remote learning and quarantines have wreaked havoc on students’ social and emotional health. Prior to the pandemic, BFA adopted the Second Step program which was designed to focus on the mental well-being of students by teaching them practical tips like interacting positively with peers, bullying prevention, and caring for others. A committee has been formed and is looking at several options for a school-wide service-learning project starting in January 2022. The Board is hopeful that this project will unify our students and serve as an important reminder that “We are Better Together” and can lean on each other in times of need.
Promote volunteer opportunities at BFA: Every year, we ask that you help our school and utilize your expertise by serving on one of the numerous committees that help make BFA the incredible institution it is. This year is no different. Please consider volunteering on Ben’s Brigade, CEC, STEM, Finance, PTO, or SAC committees. The school needs you! Thank you to all who have volunteered their time in classrooms, during lunch/recess/carpool, at events, festivals, and in countless other ways. BFA benefits immensely from all your contributions!
Have a great weekend!
Matt Keillor
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Second Step Learning during the Second Trimester |
As we transition from the first to the second trimester, most classrooms will be moving on to the next Second Step units.
Empathy, Grades K-5
In the Empathy Unit, students learn to recognize kindness and do kind acts for others, have empathy for others and take others’ perspectives, and recognize kind acts and empathy as essential elements in building and maintaining relationships.
These skills improve children’s ability to have self-control, so they learn better in school. They also help children manage their emotions and solve problems. Children with empathy are less aggressive, more likely to achieve, better liked, and socially skilled.
Around the building, we’ll be reminding students to have empathy, identify their own and others’ feelings, notice and respect the same and different feelings, and show compassion. Compassion involves saying kind words or doing something helpful to show you care how another person feels. When students can identify, understand, and respond in a caring way to how someone else is feeling, it helps create a positive and accepting school climate.
Keep an eye out for a Family Letter and Home Link describing why empathy is important, including fun activities to do with your child to help them identify feelings and practice showing empathy and compassion. We hope you find them helpful.
Recognizing Bullying and Harassment, Grades 6-8
Students learn to recognize bullying and harassment, stand up safely to bullying, and respond appropriately to harassment. This unit’s content helps students develop empathy, understand the impact of bullying and harassment on individuals and their communities, examine social and environmental factors that contribute to negative behaviors, and identify solutions for preventing those behaviors.
Next week families of middle schoolers will receive an email that goes into further detail specific to each grade level. Please feel free to reach out to our MIndful in the Middle specials teacher Tracy Pierce, tpierce@bfacademy.org, if you have any further questions.
DCSD Resources
More information on Social-Emotional Learning and wellness is available at www.dcsdk12.org/SocialEmotionalWellness. You’ll find resources and support for your whole family on self-care, mental health, social-emotional wellbeing, fitness, nutrition, and more on their website.
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Veterans Day Celebrations |
It's almost time to celebrate our veterans! See below for information about how you can get involved.
Veterans Day Celebration - Please RSVP by TOMORROW
Our annual Veterans Day Event will be held from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11. We invite active duty service members or veterans of BFA families to be honored guests at our annual celebration. If your family member is planning to join us, please RSVP to cec@bfacademy.org no later than 3 p.m. TOMORROW, Nov. 5. When sending your RSVP, please indicate whether you will bring a guest and/or plan to join us for brunch following the ceremony. Additionally, we ask Veterans and their guests to arrive around 8 a.m. to allow enough time to park and check-in prior to the start of the event. Don't forget your Driver's License. *Please note masks must be worn in the building at all times.
This year, BFA is limiting attendees to veterans and one guest; however, for those interested in watching the Veterans Day Ceremony, a recording will be posted in the days following. Feel free to contact Nikki Busto at cec@bfacademy.org with any questions.
Blood Drive - Appointments are Filling FAST...REGISTER TODAY!
BFA will be holding a blood drive in honor of our Veterans from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 8, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday Nov. 11, in the BFA upper parking lot.
If you are interested in participating in the blood drive, please follow these steps: Visit donors.vitalant.org, select "Blood Drive Code" (below zip code field), enter BFA’s code 10485 and select "Find Location". Select date/time to register for your appointment. Our goal is to fill ALL blood drive spots so please consider signing up TODAY. A big THANK YOU to those who have registered to donate blood in honor of Veterans in our community!
*Please note masks must be worn and an appointment is required to donate blood. Unfortunately, walk-ins cannot be accepted. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions please contact Amy Marks.
Veterans Day Event Setup/Decoration - Sign Up TODAY!
Do you enjoy photography or videography? Are you creative and like to decorate? Are you interested in completing your BFA volunteer hours? If so, we need all hands on deck to assist with our annual Veterans Day Celebration. No prior experience necessary! Please see the SignUpGenius for dates, times and roles. Thank you in advance for helping to make this event a success!
Veterans Day Donations - November 8-12
Ready, set, DONATE! Each year we support our veterans by collecting items for the VA Hospital and this year is no different. We will be collecting gloves/mittens, scarves, fleece blankets and hand/toe warmers. Donations will begin the week of Veterans Day (Nov 8 - Nov 12). Please tell your student to drop their donation(s) in the designated boxes in the main entrance of the school.
CEC November Meeting - CANCELLED
In lieu of Veterans Day this month, we will forgo our previously scheduled meeting this evening, Nov. 4. Instead, we invite you to join us this month by volunteering for the Veterans Day Event. Please check out the Sign Up Genius for ways to get involved. Our December CEC meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2, location TBD. Mark your calendar and plan to join us!
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Last Friday’s Trunk or Treat was a huge success! The kids had a great time and it was fun to see them all in costume. Plus, our volunteers went all out and we had some wonderfully decorated trunks again this year!
We were so grateful to the volunteers who made this a fun, festive event for our students! Thank you to everyone who worked to organize treats beforehand, hosted a trunk during the event, helped with set up and clean up, and to anyone who donated treats--we couldn’t have done it without you!
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New Twist on Spirit Night! |
For the PTO's November Spirit Night, they are partnering with Modern Plate, a company that makes meals and delivers them to your doorstep. Modern Plate is a locally owned and operated, family-run business. They deliver fully cooked, heat and serve, family-style (serves 4) meals within the metro area. If you order by 10 a.m. on weekdays, you can get your meal delivered the same day! It's the perfect dinner solution for busy days. Meals range from $19.99 to $37.99. Sides, soups, appetizers, and desserts are available as well. For more information, click here.
Purchase your meals between November 5 and November 19 by visiting www.modernplate.com. Use the code 'BFA' at checkout in the coupon code box at the top of the screen. Modern Plate will track our orders and donate 10 percent back to Ben Franklin Academy. Spread the word amongst your colleagues, neighbors, family and friends for our fundraiser to have a greater impact!
Our October Spirit Night at Shake Shack raised $522 for BFA. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our Spirit Night. Let's see if we can make the Modern Plate Spirit Night even better! We appreciate your continued support.
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Battle of the Books in Person this Year! |
We are so happy to report that Battle of the Books will be back in person this year! If your child (grades 3-6) is interested in participating in Battle of the Books this year, please fill out the Battle of the Books Interest Form to let us know.
Students interested in participating in Battle of the Books are asked to read all 10 books for their grade level, achieve at least 80 percent on the AR test for each book, and commit to being an expert on two books for the BOTB season. The deadline to complete the AR tests is Friday, Nov. 19.
Mrs. Bond will be the grade 3/4 team coach; and Mrs. Dunn will be the 5/6 team coach. Battles will take place at the Highlands Ranch Library and begin the week of January 24. The District Battle will take place on Wednesday, March 9. Battles can take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evenings, from 3:30 until 8 p.m. We will let you know the battle schedule once we receive it.
Practices will be held on Tuesday/Thursday mornings from 7:30-8 a.m. beginning Nov. 30.
If you would like to read the books and submit practice questions, we would LOVE it! Here are the links to submit questions:
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Time to Get the 2021-22 Yearbook |
Yearbook sales have officially launched! Right now, yearbooks cost $30 per book, but don't wait, as the price will go up to $36 after Winter Break. For details on pricing and how to order, check out the attached flier.
You may also order a yearbook dedication (ad) for your student. What a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!
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Open Enrollment for 2022-23 Has Started |
Parents of ALL prospective K-8 students, including siblings of current BFA K-8 students and BFA preschool students, must complete Open Enrollment during First Round to be eligible for an enrollment offer and earn a priority status. The First Round is NOW OPEN and runs through Dec. 1. Plan to complete the process before Thanksgiving break as BFA is closed and DCSD IT Support will be limited during the break. Once the First Round ends, the next opportunity to complete the process will be in mid-January.
Open Enrollment submissions during the FIRST ROUND ONLY will have priority based on the following:
- Children in the household of Founding Families;
- Siblings of current K-8 BFA students. Siblings that share the same birth date (ie. twins or triplets) shall receive automatic enrollment;
- Children of full-time teachers; and
- BFA preschool students, as detailed in the Enrollment Policy.
IMPORTANT: To leverage priority status, please complete Open Enrollment during the First Round.
The most up-to-date information, instructions, and answers to commonly-asked questions visit the DCSD Open Enrollment webpage. After reviewing this page, if you have questions about enrollment or need your EngagED Parent Portal login please email our registrar, Colleen Bobbin before Thanksgiving break.
- Parents who have had K-12 DCSD students should have an EngagED account already. DO NOT CREATE a new account. (Hint: This is the username and password you used to complete Express Check-In.)
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Parents who have not had K-12 DCSD students, will need to create an EngagED Parent Portal account once Open Enrollment begins on Nov. 1.
Note: Parents can select “Email me my choices” to receive a confirmation email of the school choices made for your student. Registrars will not have access to this information until after First Round closes. Emailing your choices provides confirmation of completing the process. Should there be a question, parents will be asked to provide this confirmation.
Enrollment Paperwork - Get A Head Start!
If a parent completes Open Enrollment and receives and accepts an enrollment offer for their child, and that child is not a current DCSD student (BFA preschool students are not considered DCSD students), s/he will receive an email by December 22 with the required Enrollment Packet. The turnaround to complete and submit the packet is quick; the due date is Monday, January 3, 2022.
BFA parents who would like to submit the Enrollment Packet on or before Wednesday, Dec. 1, can get a head start! Mrs. Bobbin, BFA's registrar, will review all packets submitted by this deadline. Prior to the December break, she will confirm whether packets are complete or require additional attention on or before January 3, 2022.
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If you are a BFA parent with an incoming kindergarten student who does not attend BFA's preschool, please complete this form. Once the packet is finalized, Mrs. Bobbin will email the packet to you.
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If you are the parent of a current BFA preschooler who will start kindergarten next year, Mrs. Bobbin will provide the packet to Mrs. Hafner to send out to her preschool families. You DO NOT need to complete the aforementioned form designed for those who do not attend BFA preschool.
Current K-7 BFA Students
Current 2021-22 BFA K-7 students will automatically be enrolled at BFA for the 2022-23 school year. If your student will not return to BFA next year, please let the registrar know via email.
2022-23 Preschool Students
Preschool Enrollment for the three-year-old and four-year-old classes will take place via the preschool webpage on the BFA website. Preschool enrollment for current BFA families will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 6. Preschool enrollment for the general public will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 10.
If you are interested in the Ben Franklin Academy Preschool program, please click here for more information
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Something to Celebrate? Rent the Rock! |
The Spirit Rock is an opportunity to share exciting events with our school community by painting your own message. Parents, students, and staff may “Rent the Rock” to recognize a student’s birthday, show school spirit, wish a team good luck, thank a teacher, announce an event, etc. It is a great way to spread positive messages and increase excitement! The rate to rent the Rock is $20 per day. All proceeds benefit Ben Franklin Academy!
Want to rent the Rock? Here’s how: First, reserve the date you want by visiting the ‘Rent the Rock’ SignUpGenius. Then, pay for your reservation through MySchoolBucks.
Have questions? You can find answers to frequently asked questions on the PTO webpage, or contact Subashri Sadasivan, Spirit Rock committee manager.
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Mission:
Our mission is to create young adults with character like America's founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged.
Vision:
Our students will excel academically through a challenging, sequenced curriculum that emphasizes math, science, the arts, 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 social emotional development, character, sports, and nature.
13 Virtues:
Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.
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Ben Franklin Academy
2270 Plaza Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
www.bfacademy.org
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Main Office Phone: 720-383-4519
Email: info@bfacademy.org
Attendance Phone: 720-432-9239
Email: attendance@bfacademy.org
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