For the month of March, Danielle Paroczai has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy PTO Volunteer of the Month. She was nominated by Ali Hinkle and the front office staff, and is being recognized for the time she has spent volunteering in the art room, donating projects/materials, and for always being willing to take things home to complete, too. She's truly set herself apart and is an excellent example of outstanding volunteerism! (And, the kiddos love having her help out in class!) Thank you, Danielle.

Danielle and her husband, Andrew, have one child, Emery (second grade) at BFA. They have lived in and around Highlands Ranch for the majority of their lives, and enjoy being so close to the mountains and the strong community that Colorado provides. They love spending quality time together, watching movies, and playing board games. Emery started attending Ben Franklin Academy her kindergarten year in 2021.  

When asked what they love about BFA, Danielle said: “We chose Ben Franklin Academy for the amazing opportunities that it provides not only to their students but also their family. We love the community and feeling like a part of a family. I feel a sense of belonging when I volunteer and am so appreciative of the close relationships I have formed with the teachers and staff at Ben Franklin Academy.” 

Congratulations, again, Danielle. We appreciate your dedication to the teachers and students at BFA!

If you know someone who should be considered for volunteer of the month for outstanding volunteerism, please email Janelle Nichols, PTO President, at pto@bfacademy.org.

This month, Lindsay Weikart is the winner of the PTO drawing for her volunteer time in February, and has won a gift card to Starbucks. Congratulations, Lindsay! And, thank you again for helping out around school!

The Board nomination period ended earlier this month, and we’re very excited to announce the 2024 Ben Franklin Academy (BFA) Board of Director nominees: 

• Mette Castor, current BFA Board Director will be seeking re-election.
• Haley Maglieri, current BFA Board Director will be seeking re-election. 
• Justin Mayhall, current BFA parent, will be seeking election.

Parents should plan on attending the Board Forum on March 26. To learn more about the nominees prior to the forum, please see the Board Elections webpage or click on the link below.

This spring, the BFA community will elect one (1) director, and the BFA Board of Directors will appoint one (1) director in accordance with the Board of Directors Election Policy to serve on the volunteer, seven-director BFA Board. Each seat is for a three-year term.

2024 BFA Board Election/Appointment Process 

There will be a Board Forum at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, before the regularly scheduled Board meeting. All Board nominees are required to attend and participate in a Question and Answer session. BFA Parents are invited to the forum so they can learn more about the nominees.

Members of the BFA Parent Voting Group will receive access to an electronic ballot on Monday, April 1, and will have until 11:59 p.m. MST on Friday, April 12, to

cast their vote. Results of the election will be announced and the appointment will be made on Tuesday, April 16, at the regularly scheduled Board meeting. All Board nominees are encouraged to be in attendance for the results of both (1) the election and (2) the appointment.

Calendar Reminders:

• Friday, March 15: It’s a Dress of Choice Day, and middle school students can participate in Dodgeball for Dollars. (If tomorrow ends up being a snow day, we'll reschedule Dodgeball for Dollars!)
• March 18-22 is Spring Break. We'll see you on March 25!

Note: We plan to reschedule the Charity Week T-shirt day. Additional details will be provided after we know the full impact of this storm.

Each year at this time, we seek parent feedback on how things are going at BFA via the Parent Satisfaction Survey. The Spring Survey focuses on the school's culture, climate, and operations. Please take a few minutes to fill out the Spring Satisfaction Survey.

Please see the letters below regarding the Colorado requirement for the Tdap vaccine for the sixth grade. If you have any questions or would like to submit documentation, please email our Health Room at health@bfacademy.org.

• T-Dap Letter (English version)
• T-Dap Letter (Spanish version)

Last week, author and BFA parent, Cara Brzezicki was kind enough to teach the third grade classes about how a book is made. Mrs. Brzezicki showed them her notes from her very first book (she has written 15 books) and explained how the book started as a thought and became a reality. She spoke to them about illustrations, editing, selecting your cover and how to get a book published. The students asked great questions such as:

"How long does it take to write a book?"

"How much work is involved?"

"How much money do you make from each book you sell?"

They were very interested; in fact, we have several third grade students who are currently working on writing books and several more wanting to know how to get started.

Afterwards, Mrs. Brzezicki took more in depth questions from students and offered to help them, if needed, to achieve their dream of becoming a published author. 

Ms. Williams does not often give assignments in the library but she gave the third grade students a book cover template and asked them to design a cover that includes the title of the book (if they were to write one) along with a design. This week in the library, they're presenting their book covers to their classmates. (There are a few examples below from the presentations to date--see our public Facebook page for more!)

THANK YOU to Ms. Williams for organizing this, and to Mrs. Brzezicki for coming in and speaking with our students and allowing them to experience what it might be like to be an author. One of the students was so impressed he said, "So we are really meeting a celebrity?"

Middle School Dodgeball for Dollars is scheduled for tomorrow, March 15. Middle school students should bring their own lunch. 

Middle School students who signed up to play have been invoiced through MySchoolBucks for $5 per player, per team. Please pay this invoice BEFORE tomorrow, March 15.

If tomorrow is a snow day, we'll reschedule Dodgeball! The teams would stay the same and no new teams would be added.

Students who do not want to participate will go to a designated classroom for study hall. 

We appreciate your support of this fun, Charity Week event!

Seventh grade families—it’s time to learn more about the once-in-a-lifetime eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. Click here for the flier and come to the meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, in the Middle School Commons to learn more about this exciting opportunity. Students and parents are welcome at the meeting. And, if you want to learn more but cannot make the meeting, please contact Mrs. Simpson via email at dsimpson@bfacademy.org for additional information.

The members of the PTO are looking forward to a fun evening of pampering, mixing, mingling, and dinner at Moms’ Night Out from 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at Purity Skin Studio.

There will be a raffle for 16 skin treatments, with the opportunity to sign up for additional treatments. The general sign-up for the event is currently full (you are welcome to check back for cancellations), but there are still a few spots available for paid treatments. For those signed up, please remove your name from the sign up if you decide you can't make it, so another mom can take your spot.

Please email the PTO Welcoming Committee Manager, Adalene Keller, at adalene.keller@gmail.com with any questions.

Be sure to order your PTO Spirit Wear today! Sunday, March 17, is the last day to place your order. There are terrific new items--just in time for warmer weather (that we hope is right around the corner) and spring sports! Be sure to check out the new shorts and tanks; and keep scrolling to see the new youth caps. 

Also, pay special attention to the notes about items that are approved for the classroom. Click on the Denver Athletic BFA Store link to start shopping. All orders need to be in by Sunday, March 17, when the store will close again so items can be processed. Merchandise will be delivered to your student’s classroom in April. Please read the bullet point information provided at the top of the store webpage and email the PTO Spirit Wear Committee Manager, Gen Townsend, at ptospiritwear@bfacademy.org if you have questions.

Due to the winter storm, the BFA STEM Committee is postponing the Spring Engineering Night Egg Drop. The event will now be held from 5 - 7p.m. on Wednesday, April 3. For families who were planning on attending the event, we’ve created a NEW sign up to ensure we accurately capture the number of attendees for the new date. Please sign up HERE. 

We appreciate everyone's flexibility. If you have any concerns or questions please reach out to the STEM Coordinator, Kyle Nolting at knolting@bfacademy.org.

Thank you everyone and look forward to an eggtastic evening on April 3!

Did you know that the PTO hosts a volunteer appreciation event at Pirate’s Cove to show our thanks to all families who complete their family’s volunteer recommendation (30 hours per family or 15 hours per single-parent household)?

This year, the event will be held from 6- 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 8. This is always a fun evening, so be sure to log those volunteer hours as you complete them! 



Thank you to all the families who have volunteered this year. We sincerely appreciate all that you do for BFA!

In April there will be TWO PTO Spirit Night opportunities! More details to come, but please mark your calendars for:

• Skate City Littleton Spirit Night - from 4-6 p.m. on April 2; and,
• Spirit Day/Night from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on April 21 with PTO sponsor, Robeks, in Parker.

Thinking about volunteering with the PTO? There are so many reasons why you should! Here are just a few:

1. Your volunteer work will make a difference.
2. You can meet new people.
3. We can match jobs to your interests and availability.
4. You’ll know what's going on at BFA.
5. It’s so much fun to be an active part of the community!

Nominations are being accepted NOW through Sunday, March 24, and PTO elections will be held April 21-28. To nominate yourself, or someone you know who'd be a good fit in the PTO, please complete the 2024 BFA PTO Nominations form.

For more information, including the top 10 reasons you should join the PTO and job descriptions (with time commitments) of the PTO's volunteer opportunities, please visit their webpage, and click on PTO Elections. The right position is waiting for you!

The Community Events Committee (CEC) has a few officer positions to fill for the 2024-25 school year. Please take a look at the openings and think about how you can help!



1. Chair - the Chair serves as the lead of the CEC and the primary liaison between the committee and Principal.

2. Vice Chair - the Vice Chair will assist the Chair. 

3. Secretary - the Secretary shall keep records of meetings and ensure accurate website information.

4. Community Relations – this position is responsible for developing relationships with community partners and vendors.

For full position descriptions, please see page four of the CEC bylaws. All of the above are two-year voting positions.

If you would like to apply for any of these positions, please send an email to CEC@bfacademy.org no later than Wednesday, March 27, with your name, position of interest, and a brief description of why you are interested and would be successful in the position. Elections will be held in April and new officers appointed in May.

If you are interested in becoming more involved, but don't want to take on an officer role, they are also looking for event leads. As an event lead you would lead or co-lead one of their various events and oversee event logistics such as the budget, facility needs, and work alongside our Communications Officer for volunteer and communications needs.

To find out more about the CEC, see their webpage.

Please ask your student(s) to check the Lost and Found, or stop by school between 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. to check on behalf of your student(s). All unclaimed items that are not clearly labeled with a current student's name will be donated after break.