For the month of December, Donna Esterline 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 lunch room and the art room. Donna has truly set herself apart; she is an excellent example of outstanding volunteerism! We love having you in the building—thank you, Donna!

Donna and her husband, Ray, have five grandchildren, two of whom are BFA students. Their grandson, Jack, is in seventh grade and their granddaughter, Whitley, is in fifth grade. When asked what she likes best about BFA, Donna replied, “We feel so lucky to be close enough to our grandkids and their school allowing us to be involved in their daily lives. I love BFA! The staff is always friendly and so helpful. I like that you always see parents and grandparents at the school volunteering. BFA has a wonderful community and we’re happy our grandkids are part of it.”

Congratulations again, Donna. We’re so glad you’re part of our community!

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

This month, Sandra Tompkins is the winner of our drawing for her volunteer time in November, and has won a $10 gift card to Starbucks. She enjoyed volunteering in the library last month, and keeping scores/stats during volleyball games in previous months.

Congratulations, Sandra! And, thank you again for helping out around school!

Student Council has organized a HOLIDAY SPIRIT WEEK, from Monday, Dec. 19, through Wednesday, Dec. 21. It’s going to be an AMAZING, SPIRIT FILLED few days with a big class party on Wednesday for elementary students and mini holiday celebrations for our middle school students each day.

All students are welcome to participate in the themed dress up days; but if a student chooses not to participate, they should wear their uniform.

• Monday, Dec. 19 - Be A Holiday Movie Star: Dress up as one of the MAIN characters in a holiday movie. (Dress should be appropriate for school.)
• Middle schoolers will watch the Spirit Week movie and listen to holiday music during advisory.

• Tuesday, Dec. 20 - Pajamas and Holiday Hats
• Middle schoolers will be treated to a hot chocolate bar during advisory.

• Wednesday, Dec. 21 - Regular Dress of Choice or Fancy Festive Holiday Outfit 
• K-5 Holiday Classroom Parties will take place from 1:45 - 2:45 p.m. Party volunteers will be limited to a max of four adults per classroom and can arrive at 1:30 p.m. to set up. Volunteers should bring their Driver's License, their own party supplies, but not younger siblings.
• Please keep in mind carpool scanning begins promptly at 3 p.m. each day, so do not block carpool lanes if you are volunteering.
• Middle School students will have a grade-level party.

As a reminder, Winter Break begins on Thursday, Dec. 22, and we return to school on Thursday, Jan. 5.

As we notified you last week, beginning in January, most communications from BFA will be sent through School Messenger. Parents should ensure contact preferences within their IC Parent Portal account are updated and confirm that the appropriate boxes are checked to receive General, Attendance and Emergency notifications.

To verify that your profile is set up correctly, simply login to IC, select the ‘User Menu’ (the person icon on the upper, right side of the screen), select ‘Contact Preferences’ and indicate your preferences, then click 'Save.' You should also create personal contacts using the phone numbers below on your own phone so you know who is calling/texting:

• DCSD Emergency phones calls: 855-695-9448
• DCSD General phone calls: 877-279-4061

If you have questions about how to update your contact information in IC, contact Colleen Bobbin, BFA's director of admissions and records.

Nutrition Services has let us know that they’ll serve Bean and Cheese Tostadas instead of Taquitos tomorrow, Dec. 16. The other menu item remains the same—cherry muffin, string cheese and spicy lime power seeds.

We're grateful to have so many amazing PTO sponsors this year supporting our school! They are current and former BFA families, and local small businesses who want to support our kids in getting a fantastic education. We would like to return the favor and show them some support too. 

If you're looking for gifts, want to achieve a new goal next year (financial, real estate, business, health/wellness, etc.), or just want to check out fun and interesting local businesses, please click on the logos linked in this short newsletter to learn more, shop (with discounts and promotions!), and support our wonderful sponsors.

Happy Holidays from the PTO!

Thank you to everyone who contributed during the RaiseRight collection earlier this month. A total of $20,826 was collected from BFA families! Staff were notified of their respective gift amounts, gift card selections have been made, and the order placed. Led by PTO RaiseRIght Committee Manager, Rebecca Mullenix, electronic gift cards will be distributed shortly.

Take a look at the pictures updated this week. There are still a lot of unclaimed items in Lost and Found! All remaining items will be boxed up on Wednesday, Dec. 21, and donated. Please be sure to check Lost and Found very soon!

If your student lost something valuable, such as glasses or jewelry, see the front office staff.

The 2022-23 yearbooks are on sale now! Be sure to order yours early for the best pricing! Right now, yearbooks cost $30 per book, but the price will go up to $35 after Winter Break, and $45 after Spring 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. Dedications are $15 for 1/16 of page and $30 for 1/8 of a page. What a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!

Order and pay for your 2022-23 yearbook and dedication today!

Looking for a unique holiday gift for the proud BFA adult in your life? Check out the very first pop-up sale items from the BFA spirit wear store in MySchoolBucks! To ensure delivery by Winter Break, please have all orders placed by Saturday, Dec. 17. Supplies are limited. 

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.

Parents who completed Open Enrollment for the 2023-24 school year can check the EngaGED Portal for "first round" offers.

If Your Child Received An Offer

• To accept a first-round offer, you must do so via the EngagED Portal before 4 p.m., on Monday, Dec. 19.
• Parents who accept an offer from BFA by the Dec. 19 deadline will receive an email with the Enrollment Packet by 4 p.m., on Wednesday, Dec. 21, from BFA's Director of Admissions and Records, Colleen Bobbin. (To request the Packet earlier, please email Mrs. Bobbin.)
• **Enrollment Packets must be submitted via email no later than 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023**
• Incomplete or late Packets will not be accepted and enrollment offers may be withdrawn.

If Your Child Did Not Receive An Offer

• Students who did not receive a first-round offer are on the waitlist.
• As of Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, when there are new openings, EVERY new enrollment offer Colleen Bobbin makes will be via email ONLY. The deadline to reply to offers is usually 24-36 hours after the offer is made. Those who accept an offer will need to submit the Enrollment Packet by a specified deadline.
• Beginning Jan. 23, parents whose children are on the waitlist can email Colleen Bobbin to inquire as to their child's general waitlist status.
• If a parent accepts enrollment for their child at another school, their child will remain on the BFA waitlist

Please note: Winter Break is Dec. 22 through Jan. 4; Mrs. Bobbin will not be available for questions during the break. When she returns to work on Jan. 5, she will begin the process of reviewing packets and will follow up with parents in regard to the status of their child's packet.

If you are a King Soopers or Amazon shopper, you can help earn money for BFA by signing up for King Soopers Community Rewards and Amazon Smile. Here's how:

To sign up for King Soopers Community Rewards:

1. Sign in to your digital account at King Soopers Community Rewards. If you haven't already set up an account, set up your account and link your King Soopers card or phone number to your account.
2. Click on Community Rewards, Enroll Now and search for Ben Franklin Parent Teacher Organization or enter our code, XN773. Click Save.
3. Next time you check out at King Soopers or City Market, scan your card (or enter your alternate ID), and BFA will get money back from your purchase.

It's exciting how quickly this program adds up and how much our school can earn. From July to September of this year, BFA has earned $2,427 back from this program!

To sign up for Amazon Smile:

1. Go to: smile.amazon.com, and click Get Started.
2. Enter Ben Franklin Academy Parent-Teacher Organization in the search box, and select BFA PTO as the organization that you want to support.
3. Once you have signed up for Amazon Smile online, you can enable Amazon Smile through the Amazon app, by selecting Gifting and Charity from the menu in the lower right-hand corner, then Amazon Smile. 

You can find out more information about the AmazonSmile program including how to link your Amazon account to BFA, click here.

Please contact Andreya Flanigan, PTO fundraising coordinator with any questions. Thank you, again, for your support of BFA and the PTO.

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 found HERE or on the preschool webpage. The Intent to Enroll form for the 2023-24 school year is NOW OPEN.

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.

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.