For your convenience, below are several calendar reminders:

• To celebrate the U.S. win in the World Cup and their advancement to the next round of the tournament, we’ll have a special Soccer Spirit Day tomorrow, Dec. 2. Students may wear a soccer related shirt (jersey, t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.) with their uniform bottoms on Friday. And/or, they can also choose to wear fun (and appropriate) socks for Fun Sock Friday! (Friday was a regularly scheduled spirit day, so alternatively, students can wear a spirit wear shirt with uniform bottoms.)
• Wednesday, Dec. 7, is a Formal Uniform Day. Students should wear a navy polo with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.

Current BFA families can express interest in the preschool program for the three-year-old and four-year-old classes via the Intent to Enroll form on the preschool webpage. The Intent to Enroll form for the 2023-24 school year will be active beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Preschool enrollment for new BFA families is on a first come, first served basis, so it’s a good idea to complete the Intent to Enroll form early; but we certainly encourage parents to fill out the form before Friday, Jan. 6, as it will be available to the general public at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11.

If you are interested in the Ben Franklin Academy Preschool program, please click here for more information—including important information about the Universal Preschool program. And, don't forget to look at the website for the preschool class schedule and tuition information for next school year.

Be sure to ask your student to check Lost and Found. There are piles of jackets, coats, water bottles, lunch boxes, etc. If your student lost something valuable, such as a smart watch, glasses or jewelry, see the front office staff.

To prepare for donation, Student Council is cleaning out Lost and Found and returning items that are CLEARLY labeled with both first and last name. They plan to box up any remaining items on Wednesday, Dec. 21, and donate them.

Frugality. A word that can spark a cluster of thoughts and feelings when we hear it--especially during the holidays! 

The renaissance man himself selected Frugality as one of his 13 virtues, just as the ancient philosophers, like Plato and Socrates, did. Central to these schools of philosophical thought was the question, “How should we live?” 

Ben Franklin’s perspective on Frugality was about being disciplined as opposed to miserly with our resources. He encouraged us to “do good” and spend wisely on self or others and to not be wasteful. Frugality can include being wise and becoming good stewards of our time (how we choose to plan it), our energy (how we choose to devote it), our financial resources (how we choose to allocate them) and also ecological resources (how we choose to use or enjoy them). His masterful words about economy set guideposts for us to grapple with these questions just as he did, so we build an unshakable character to live a life of virtue in both good and challenging times.

Taken another way, living frugally can also mean that we choose to live simply, which in today’s world is a challenge because of the numerous outside influences that constantly compete for our attention. While Ben Franklin’s definition is far more eloquent, the acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple… ahem, Silly), thought to be coined by the U.S. Navy in 1960, reminds us to live modestly. This article provides several straightforward, unsurprising tips on frugality--"20 Habits of Frugal People." 

We have partnered with DreamBooks Co. and the Douglas County School District (DCSD) to provide a Donation Book Bin for books that parents or local residents would like to donate. Books that can be re-circulated will be given to children's charities, but all books are accepted, not only children’s books. The books that can't be repurposed are appropriately recycled into paper or paper board.

Many of our families have inquired about donating books to our library, but we only use special library bound books so we’re glad to be able to offer our thoughtful parents with an alternative donation opportunity.

The bin (pictured here) is located in the upper parking lot.

The School Accountability Committee is meeting from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. today, Dec. 1, via Zoom ONLY (meeting details on the SAC agenda).

The committee will review the following policies:

· Mobile Electronic Device Usage Policy,

· Teacher Compensation Policy, and

· Assistance for Qualified Free and Reduced Lunch Recipients.

All are welcome to attend the Zoom meeting!

If you’re participating in RaiseRight gifting, you have until this Sunday, Dec. 4, to place your orders for holiday staff and teacher gifts!

To place your RaiseRight order and pay with credit card, visit MySchoolBucks.com. (There will be NO paper forms to complete and return to the office this year.) Staff are grouped by grade or category (lunch room, support services, etc.); click here for a current staff list. When you’re in MySchoolBucks, simply select the appropriate grade or category you’d like to gift, then use the dropdown menu to select the specific staff member you’re gifting, and enter your gift amount in the “Amount to Pay” box. You'll designate how much you'd like to give each teacher/staff member in whole-dollar increments. You also may elect to have your student's name (but not the gift amount) shared with the recipient when you place your order. Repeat this process as many times as needed until all of your staff gift orders have been placed. And, don’t forget to check out when you’re all done!

Due to the time needed to calculate and process the orders, the PTO cannot accept orders after Dec. 4. Gift cards will be distributed electronically this year during the last week we are in school before the holidays, and will be in lieu of any other class gift/collection.

Participation in the RaiseRight program is completely voluntary. You are welcome to participate with any amount, or alternatively gift the teachers and staff on your own.

If you have questions, please visit the PTO webpage or contact Rebecca Mullenix, RaiseRight committee manager.

This month, you have a great reason to indulge in a dozen (or two) Krispy Kreme doughnuts! From December 1-9, more than 50 percent of your order price will be donated back to the BFA PTO when you purchase via our fundraising sales page! Simply buy online, visit your local store, and redeem your doughnuts using your code. Treat yourself, or even gift them to friends and family.

This link (grouprai.se/krispykreme5622sa) can be shared with anyone, and the offer can be redeemed at any location in the country (except in Connecticut). So, feel free to share this with friends and family all over America! 

After you purchase via the fundraising sales page you will immediately get an email confirmation with a link to access the redemption code. Once you click "Redeem (or Gift) your Dozens" in the email, you will be able to see all the Digital Dozens associated with your order. From here, you can choose to redeem or gift each dozen individually. You do not have to redeem your digital dozens at the same time (each dozen has a unique code). 

These Digital Dozens are for a glazed dozen only. Happy doughnut shopping!

Make plans to join members of the BFA PTO for their holiday gathering! This FUN event is for all of the adults who make BFA a special community (PTO members AND non-members) and will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Old Blinking Light (9344 Dorchester St., Highlands Ranch). Dinner will be provided by the PTO, and there will even be a gift exchange! Check out the sign-up for more details and to RSVP. Happy holidays!

You’re also invited to join the PTO for their December meeting prior to the holiday gathering at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, in the Sanders Science Lab.

The CEC will hold their December meeting from 7- 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Starbucks in Central Park (1519 Park Central Drive). If you are interested in volunteering, learning about upcoming events, or simply want to find out more about who the CEC is and what we do, we would love to have you join us!

Don't forget, you earn volunteer hours for attending! Please RSVP if you plan on attending. We look forward to seeing you there.

All BFA girls and their father or special adult are invited to attend this year’s Sweetheart Ball, Diamonds and Denim, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at BFA. Mark your calendars! Tickets will go on sale after Winter Break.

If you have questions, please contact Christina Dilley and Kelly Dees, PTO Sweetheart Ball committee managers.

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 the BFA PTO.

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? Contact Lindsay Bullock, PTO Spirit Rock committee manager.