For the month of October, Sage Felux has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteer of the Month. She is being recognized for all of the time she has spent volunteering in the art room and at Goodies with Grandparents. She has set herself apart as an outstanding volunteer! Thank you Sage--we appreciate your positivity and support of BFA students and activities. 

Sage, a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines, and her husband, Garrett, have two children at BFA: Waverly (3rd) and Palmer (kindie). When asked what she likes about BFA, Sage responded, “It’s hard to pick just one favorite thing about BFA. I love the community feel and parent involvement. Additionally, this year more than ever, we have been blown away by the dedication, compassion, and tireless effort of the teachers and staff. We are genuinely and deeply grateful.”

Congratulations, Sage, and thank you for all you do for BFA!

If you know someone who should be considered for volunteer of the month for outstanding volunteerism, please email Janelle Nichols, PTO president.

There is no school tomorrow, Oct. 14, as it is a comp day for teachers. Next week, Oct. 17-21, is Fall Break. We hope you get to spend a lot of quality time with family and friends during break!

Each year the Foundation for Douglas County Schools asks parents and students throughout the district to nominate teachers and support staff for the coveted Apple Awards. Nominees receive a certificate and recognition at the school level. Then, we choose two of the nominees to represent the school at the District awards ceremony, where they have the opportunity to win Teacher of the Year, Classified Staff of the Year or Administrator of the Year. In fact, last year Mrs. Triplett won Elementary Educator of the Year for the District!

This is a great way to honor our wonderful teachers and staff, while highlighting the innovative work they do to challenge and inspire students. Again this year, your nominations will be submitted as a video or written testimonial that will be posted publicly on a customized webpage for our school. Anyone over the age of 18 can nominate, as well as students age 13 or older if they have your permission. Parents can submit nominations on behalf of students 12 and younger.

We hope you'll click on this link (scroll down; you'll find BFA in the Charter Schools list) before the nomination window closes on Nov. 13, and nominate your favorite BFA teachers and staff for these prestigious awards. We’d love to have a RECORD number of nominations to show our teachers how much we appreciate them.

Our Veterans Day celebration will be here before you know it. This is a wonderful opportunity to show our respect and appreciation for veterans and active duty service members in our families and community. The celebration will be held on Friday, Nov. 11. Please see the attached invitation with additional information. This event is always a success due to the help of our wonderful volunteers. Please see the SignUp Genius for available volunteer opportunities.

LAST CHANCE to Submit Veterans Day Photo/Video - Deadline: Wednesday, Oct. 19

This is your last week to submit digital pictures or videos for our annual BFA Veterans Day video. If you have photos or videos of veterans or current service members you would like included in the video, please complete this Google form. Videos must be no longer than 30 seconds. Please contact Heather Kimball at hkimball23@gmail.com with any questions. Please note, no late entries will be accepted due to the time intensive nature of producing this video. 

Veterans Wall of Honor Forms - Deadline: Friday, Oct. 28

The deadline to submit Wall of Honor forms is quickly approaching. We only have 40 percent of the targeted submission goal so please download and print forms here. This is a special way to display our honored veterans throughout the halls of BFA. Please return all Wall of Honor Forms to the front office no later than Friday, Oct. 28. Please do not use original pictures, as they will not be returned.

Attention Veterans and Service Members - RSVP by Thursday, Nov. 3.

We invite all BFA family members who are active duty service members or veterans to be honored guests at our Veteran's Day Celebration. Our assembly looked a little different the last few years due to Covid restrictions, but we are excited to welcome BFA families back!

If your family member is planning to join us, please RSVP to cec@bfacademy.org no later than 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3. 

DCSD is committed to implementing equitable practices to increase access to advanced/gifted learning opportunities. Based on state and national recommendations and requirements, we conduct Universal Screening for students in second grade (February) and fifth grade (November)--a student's final year of elementary school.  

5th Grade Universal Screen 

As part of this process, ALL students in fifth grade not identified for gifted programming will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) the week of Nov. 6. This assessment indicates the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student in comparison to grade and age mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school. 

If your child is already identified for gifted programming, they will not participate in this universal screen testing. Your Gifted Education Facilitator will contact you directly with information about this process. 

Gifted Identification Referral Testing  

If your child is in grades 3, 4, or 6th and you believe they need evaluation for Gifted Identification and Services, you may refer your child for testing by initiating the Gifted Identification Process. 

NOTE:  Requesting this assessment automatically initiates the process to evaluate for Gifted Identification. Please request CogAT testing for your child by completing the Referral for Gifted Identification linked HERE. Upon receipt of this form, Mrs. Murphy or Mrs. Bond will connect with you to discuss next steps in the gifted identification process.

Parent-teacher conferences are from 4:15 – 8 p.m. this evening, Oct. 13. 

• Parents of K-5 students, please arrive on time to your student’s homeroom, and limit your conversation to the time outlined on the SignUpGenius.
• Middle School conferences will take place in the Thunder/large gym and be open house style. The teachers will break for dinner from 5:30-6 p.m. 

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) will offer Parent-Teacher conference babysitting services for children who are no longer in diapers. Please take the kiddos to the Makerspace Room located around the corner from the Dana Library and sign them in. Parents may not drop off children and then leave the building.

It's the final evening of our fall Book Fair! The fair is open until 8 p.m. today, Oct. 13. Please remember that the fair is closed from 3 - 4 p.m. for carpool and sales tax will be charged.

We hope to see you this evening! 

As a reminder, we need your help in recognizing November’s virtues, Sincerity and Humility:

• Sincerity: Be kind. Say kind words and treat others as you want to be treated. Encourage others to succeed.
• Humility: Be mindful of others before yourself. Treat them as you want to be treated. Think about how you can help others before being asked. Let others speak when it’s their turn.

During parent-teacher conferences this evening, you will find tables equipped with markers and lightning bolts. Please take a few minutes and share thoughtful, kind and encouraging words for our students and staff. We will display your bolts during the month of November in our effort to (1) highlight the virtues for which our character education program is modeled; and (2) prepare for National Parent Involvement Day (Nov. 17). 

This is an exciting opportunity for us to honor and highlight the powerful contributions parents and caregivers provide to support student success. We cannot wait to share what you create!

BFA’s 2022-23 online school directory will be available on Monday, Oct. 15. If you would like to update your family's information for the directory or opt out, you need to act today! You have through today, Oct. 13, to do the following:

1. If your child goes by a nickname or shortened name, contact ptovp@bfacademy.org.
2. If you have recently moved or changed an email address or cell number, update your information in the Infinite Campus database AND email the school registrar at registrar@bfacademy.org.
3. If you DO NOT want any or all of your personal information listed in the directory, contact ptovp@bfacademy.org. You may OPT OUT completely or partially. If you take no action, your information will be included in the BFA Directory.

If you have questions, please contact Alissa Motazedi, PTO vice-president.

The PTO is hosting TRUNK OR TREAT again this year on Friday, Oct. 28! It's going to be a fun day for ALL preschool through eighth grade BFA students! Throughout the day, classes will be invited to step outside with their class and participate in Trunk or Treat where volunteers will be distributing trinkets, candy, popcorn and/or fruit snacks from the trunk of their own vehicle parked in an assigned spot. This year ALL parents are invited to come and watch your children at Trunk or Treat! To find your student's Trunk or Treat time, click here. 

Last call for Trunk or Treat items! We are very close to fulfilling our goal of getting 25,000 treats, snacks and trinkets, but in order to meet that goal, we are extending the deadline to drop off donated treats through TUESDAY, OCT. 25. We are organizing all of the items that evening (10/25), so it is very important to have everything by then. We have been blown away by all of the support we have already received, and we cannot wait to throw an amazing event for the kids of BFA! If you would still like to sign up to donate treats, please click here.

If you have any questions about the Trunk or Treat, please reach out to Erin Wiley, PTO Trunk or Treat committee manager. Thanks in advance for all of your support!

K-5 Halloween Classroom Parties will also take place from 1:45-2:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28. Party volunteers will be limited to a max of FOUR per classroom. As much as we love welcoming our families into the school, we also ask that no additional siblings come with you if you are volunteering in one of our classroom parties. Instead, please make plans to attend the Trunk or Treat if you would like to participate in our Halloween festivities. If you have any questions about the elementary party coordination, please reach out to 

Anne Chacon, PTO room parent coordinator.

Dracula is not the only one who wants your blood this time of year. The Community Events Committee (CEC) does too! Join our blood drive from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the BFA parking lot. (Look for the bloodmobile!)

To schedule an appointment, visit donors.vitalant.org and use blood drive code 10485, scan the QR code, or call 303-363-2300.

If you cannot attend the blood drive at BFA, you can always schedule an appointment at a Vitalant blood donor center, then provide our code (10485) and BFA will receive credit.

Unfortunately, walk-ins CANNOT be accepted. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions please contact Amy Marks at amymm630@gmail.com.

Zell’s Creperie (2229 Wildcat Reserve Parkway A4, Highlands Ranch) will be hosting a BFA spirit night from 3:30 - 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27. Zell’s is new to the area, but it looks delicious; and they will generously donate 15 percent of your purchases back to the BFA PTO. Please remember to let them know that you’re with BFA so we get credit for your purchase!

Make plans to join us for a fun spirit night at Skate City in Littleton (5801 S. Lowell Way, 80123) on from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. This is a private event for our school community. The more skaters we have in attendance, the more money we will earn for BFA. Hope to see you there!

Middle school students, this is your chance to perform in "The Little Mermaid!" In a magical underwater kingdom, the young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home—and her fins— behind and live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince Prince Eric that she's the girl whose enchanting voice he's been seeking.

Please fill out this form, if your student would like to be in the cast of "The Little Mermaid." There are roles for performers who want to sing solos and performers who do not! Space in this second trimester performing arts elective is limited to 40 spots. The deadline to fill this form out is Thursday, Oct. 13. After the deadline, we will let you know who is in the class and register you. Everyone in the class will be in the show (no cuts).

This class meets on B DAY elective. You must be available after school for performances on March 2, 3 and 4, 2023.

To ensure the safety of all our students, the small parking lot on the north side of the building will be used for preschool parents during drop off/pick up and BASE parents. (It also will remain a play space for kids during the school day.) You may notice the new sign (pictured) to remind parents that this lot is for BASE parents between 4 - 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Please refrain from parking in the preschool lot from 4-6 p.m. during the weekday when BASE is in session unless you are a BASE parent. However, there will be an exception for our sports spectators who are not as mobile. Within the next few weeks there will be five smaller signs posted under the basketball hoops stating that these spots are only for grandparents of either home or away teams attending after school games. Once these five spots are filled, the rest of the spectators will need to park in the upper or main parking lot, leaving the remaining spots for BFA BASE parents. 

If you have any questions or concerns please email Leigh Savoy, BASE director, at base@bfacademy.org.

Do you know anyone interested in learning more about BFA? We’ve set up our K-8 grade tour schedule for the school year, and are looking forward to meeting prospective parents. Tours are scheduled from September through April, 2023. If you know someone who is interested in BFA but cannot make a tour, please share this video link to listen to what current and former students, teachers, parents, our Principal, and our Board president have to say about BFA!

Questions about K-8 enrollment can be directed to Colleen Bobbin, BFA's director of admissions and records. If you know parents interested in BFA's preschool, they can go to our webpage or reach out to Lori Hafner, BFA's preschool director.