For the month of November, Dave Fischer has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteer of the Month. He's being recognized for all of the time he has invested throughout the years in Ben’s Brigade.

Dave was the driving force behind the creation of Ben's Brigade. He felt there was a need for "dads/uncles/grandpas/

stepdads" to have a way to volunteer at BFA which showcased their particular talents and skills, and that it's vital for kids to see how important volunteering and education are to both parents.

Dave worked tirelessly to promote the idea of Ben's Brigade. He created the "back to school" service day project and many other traditional Ben's Brigade activities. He served as the group's first chairperson and continues to attend meetings and arrange activities to this day. Ben's Brigade has become a staple of BFA, and is part of what has made BFA a community, not just a school. Thank you Dave--we appreciate your leadership and your dedication.

Dave and his wife, Lisa, have two children. Nicholas, a graduate of BFA, is a junior at ThunderRidge High School, and Jennifer is an eighth grader at BFA. Dave and Lisa met at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, but got to Colorado as quickly as they could. Dave enjoys snow skiing, hiking and beer. Dave and Lisa are Founding Family members at BFA and have been at the school for eleven years. 

When asked what he likes best about BFA, Dave replied, "Community. The families, administration, teachers, and staff have created a caring community at Ben Franklin Academy. We have enjoyed actively participating in a variety of committees at BFA. Our volunteerism shows our children how important their education is to us. As a bonus, we've made wonderful life-long friends. We will always treasure the time we've spent at BFA."

Congratulations, Dave! We're grateful for your vision of a unique way for dads to serve the school, and for all the hard work you undertook to execute your idea. Thank you for all you've done throughout the years to support our community.

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

The middle school girls basketball season is right around the corner! In order to try out, players must be registered and complete waivers through MySchoolBucks. Registration opens tomorrow, Nov. 11. Any players not registered, cannot try out.

On tryout days, players should bring a water bottle and athletic clothes/shoes. They’ll stay in carpool until All Call, then meet their coaches in the Thunder gym to try out. 

• Tryouts: From 4 - 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, AND Tuesday, Dec. 20
• Callbacks (if needed): From 4 - 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21

After teams are finalized, a payment of $200 will be invoiced for the season through MySchoolBucks and includes a sweatshirt, warm-up and locker sticker. The C team will be $100 and includes the same package as A and B team. 

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. This is a great way to honor our wonderful teachers and staff, while highlighting the innovative work they do to challenge and inspire students.

As Principal Simpson mentioned above, we hope you'll click on this link before the nomination window closes on Sunday, Nov. 13, and nominate your favorite BFA teachers and staff for these prestigious awards.

We hope to see you at our Veterans Day celebration TOMORROW. The first assembly will be held for grades K-3 at 9 a.m. in the Lightning (small) gym. A second assembly will be held at 10 a.m. in the Thunder (large) gym for grades 4-8. Seating will take place 15 minutes prior to assembly start. We are excited to host our honored guests, and think kids and adults alike will enjoy our speakers and presentations.

We ask Veterans and their guests to arrive between 8:20 - 8:45 a.m. to avoid any bottlenecks with morning carpool. Please do NOT arrive prior to 8:15 while we are in the last stage of carpool. Also, please allow enough time to park and check-in prior to the start of the event. Don't forget, the front office will need to scan the Driver's License of our guests in the front office.

A huge THANK YOU to all our volunteers who have been a part of making this event happen! From the hours it took decorating the school, to planning the activities, to handling all the big and small details of the day--we could not do this without you. Thank you for your contributions honoring our veterans and service members.

We could still use a few extra volunteers for take down and clean up after the event. Please visit the SignUpGenius if you are able to help.

Please direct any questions to Nikki Busto at cec@bfacademy.org or 303-946-8388.

Mark your calendar for BFA’s first annual Faculty and Staff Pie Drive, organized by the Community Events Committee (CEC)! We hope you will join us in thanking our spectacular Ben Franklin Academy faculty, administrators and staff for their kindness, care and commitment to our students by contributing a pie for their Thanksgiving table. Pies will be collected on Thursday, Nov. 17, during both morning and afternoon carpool and again on Friday, Nov. 18, during morning carpool ONLY. Pies can also be dropped off at the front office from noon – 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, ONLY. Our goal is 100 pies so each staff member can go home with a pie for Thanksgiving.

Due to health considerations, we humbly request donations of only store or restaurant-bought pies (Kneaders, Village Inn, Whole Foods, Costco, Wave the Grain (GF), Manna etc.). Any and all flavors are appreciated, however we do request pies that DO NOT REQUIRE REFRIGERATION. Please see the SignupGenius to donate a pie and/or volunteer. Thank you for helping to start a new CEC tradition at Ben Franklin Academy!

Now's the time to get your BFA spirit wear! The PTO's online store for spirit wear and spirit items will be closing after tomorrow, Nov. 11, and will be closed until the spring. Shop for all your BFA gear including logo t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, baseball caps, and more! Many items have been restocked, so be sure to check out the inventory at MySchoolBucks.

Orders will be delivered and sent home through your child's classroom. Questions? Contact Amy Marks, PTO spirit wear committee manager.

This fall, our staff Service Committee and the CEC would like your support for two very deserving organizations--SECORCares (South East Community Outreach) and Volunteers of America Colorado (VOAC).

We're accepting the following items through tomorrow, Nov. 11:

• Soap (body wash and bar soap)
• Toothpaste and toothbrushes
• Hand/body lotion
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Facial tissues
• Toilet paper
• Deodorant
• Feminine hygiene items
• Diapers
• All sizes of mens clothing, socks, underwear and undershirts

If an online purchase is more convenient, VOAC also has an Amazon wish list available. All items dropped off at school will be evenly divided between the organizations.

Thank you for helping us to spread kindness not only to our staff/students, but to those in need within our community.

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Committee is seeking input from parents as they plan this school year's activities, including the annual STEM Expo and classroom presentations. To prepare for these events, they could use your input and potentially your expertise, so they kindly request that you complete the survey linked below before Friday, Nov. 18.

The PTO will use the SCRIP staff gifting program again this year to facilitate convenient group gift-giving. Since we’ve last worked with them, SCRIP has changed their name to RaiseRight, but everything else about the program remains the same. Through this program, each family makes one payment for all of their teacher and staff gifts. Then, each teacher/staff member receives an email with the total amount collected, and selects which gift cards they would like to receive. By consolidating donations, we are able to provide teachers and staff with meaningful gifts.

This program allows the PTO to purchase the requested gift cards at discounts ranging from 2 - 21 percent, depending on the retailer. That discounted amount comes back to BFA from RaiseRight, and will be used for PTO funded programs at school.

Families will be able to place RaiseRight orders via MySchoolBucks and pay by credit card. You may designate how much you would like to give to each teacher/staff member in one-dollar increments. Collections will take place Nov. 28 – Dec. 4.

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.

The gifts will be given to the staff the week before Winter Break, and will be in lieu of any other class gift/collection. Look for more information in future newsletters regarding details on how to contribute to your teacher's gift! 

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

Last month, Pre-K-5 students were sent home with their Original Works art, and all the necessary instructions so you can order beautiful, professional products featuring your student's artwork. A portion of your purchase goes back to our arts programs, so your support is greatly appreciated.

To order, simply follow the detailed instructions on the form. It's very easy and makes a terrific gift!

Please order online by Thursday, Nov. 17. Orders should be available before our winter break. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Hinkle.