Election day is next Tuesday, Nov. 8. Please be sure to vote! To have your vote counted, you must turn in your ballot by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, or vote in person. For more information and/or to find a ballot box or voting location near you, go to www.DouglasVotes.com. Be sure to complete both sides of the ballot.

If you missed it last week, here is the video link that contains Superintendent Kane's message about the $60 million Mill Levy Override (5A) and the $450 million Bond (5B) that are on the ballot this year. A successful MLO would have a significant positive impact on every employee's salary here at BFA.  

Thank you to ALL of the amazing businesses who are sponsoring the BFA PTO this year! You have helped to set the record for the most sponsorship sales. We have some wonderful families and community members who are investing in our school, and we are incredibly grateful for their support. Please take the time to support THEM in return.

Look for more information about our fantastic sponsors to come on the BFA website, on social media, in the school directory, inside the school display case, and via yard signs. Also, stay tuned for some fun new changes we'll be implementing this year.

If you have questions, please contact Cassie Roberts, PTO sponsor committee manager.

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.

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.

There is one more day of Spirit Week! Thanks to everyone who participated in this fun week, where each spirit day was a different letter for the word KIND. 

Tomorrow, Nov. 4, is Disney Day where students can dress up as their favorite Disney character.

Thank you to our Student Council for planning the Spirit Week! 

Our Veterans Day celebration is next week on Friday, Nov. 11. Our first assembly will be held for grades K - 3 from 9 - 9:40 a.m. in the Lightning (small) gym. From 10 - 11:20 a.m., we will hold a second assembly in the Thunder (large) gym for grades 4-8. Seating will take place 15 minutes prior to the assembly start time.

Brunch will be held for veterans, service members and guests after the second assembly. If your family member is planning to join us, please RSVP to cec@bfacademy.org no later than 3 p.m. TOMORROW, Nov. 4.

We ask Veterans and their guests to arrive between 8:20 - 8:45 a.m. to avoid any bottlenecks with morning carpool. 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.

We are excited to welcome BFA families back to our assemblies this year! Please join us and help show our students the importance of honoring and supporting our veterans and service members. Parents also should stop by the front office to get their Driver’s License scanned.

There are just a few remaining volunteer opportunities available. Please visit the SignUp Genius for availability. We would love to fill these spots as soon as possible. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help!

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

There will be a School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, Nov. 3, in the BFA Conference Room with an option to Zoom in (Meeting ID: 742 2054 0929; Passcode g11RNR).

Feel free to join them as they review the Financial Accounting and Reporting, Continuing Disclosure and Parent Communication Policies.

Now's the time to get your BFA spirit wear! You can purchase spirit wear and spirit items through the PTO online store NOW through next Friday, Nov. 11. 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.

We’re always looking for ways to give back to our community and are extraordinarily grateful for your support in these endeavors. This fall, our staff Service Committee and the CEC would like your support for two very deserving organizations.

As part of our KIND-themed Spirit Week, the BFA staff Service Committee would like to invite our community to join in supporting the SECORCares (South East Community Outreach) food pantry in collecting desperately needed toiletry items. In addition, the CEC is collecting donations for Volunteers of America Colorado (VOAC). VOAC is dedicated to helping those in need transform their lives; they support and empower Colorado’s most underserved residents through more than 50 distinct human service programs.

From NOW until Nov. 11, we’ll be collecting the following items for SECORCares and VOAC:

• 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

Donations bins will be available at the main entrance, and items can be dropped off at the middle school dance as well. 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.

Trunk or Treat was another huge success last Friday! The kids had a great time, and it was fun to see them all in costume. Plus, we had some wonderfully decorated trunks this year. 

We were so grateful to the volunteers who made this a fun, festive event for our students! Thank you to everyone who worked to organize treats beforehand, hosted a trunk during the event, helped with set up and clean up, and to anyone donated treats. We could not have done this without you! Thank you to all!  

Last week, 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.

Student Council is excited to host a middle school dance from 6 – 8 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 5. See the invitation below for details, and be sure to review important guidelines for the dance, including drop off and pick up times. Tickets are on sale through tomorrow, Nov. 4, via MySchoolBucks!

Student Council will need help from the BFA community to supply drinks and desserts, as well as set up/clean up the dance. Note: We need some GLUTEN FREE treats! Parents, if you are interested in helping, please sign up here.

Make plans to join us for a fun spirit night at Skate City in Littleton (5801 S. Lowell Way, 80123) from 6-8 p.m. next 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 the BFA PTO. Hope to see you there!

The 2022-23 yearbook sales have launched. 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 this 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.

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.

If you have questions, please contact Lindsay Bullock, spirit rock committee manager.

Thank you to our BFA community for making the second annual blood drive a success! We collected 22 units which will enhance and/or save the lives of 66 people. Fantastic work, donors!

It is worth noting that often these donations remain within our community--so you are truly making a difference locally. We'd also like to recognize our FIVE FIRST TIME DONORS--thank you!

Parents of ALL prospective 2023-24 K-8 students, including siblings of current BFA K-8 students and BFA preschool students, must complete Open Enrollment to be eligible for an enrollment offer. The First Round is NOW OPEN and runs through Dec. 1. Plan to complete the process before Thanksgiving break as BFA is closed and DCSD IT Support will be limited during the break. Once the First Round ends, the next opportunity to complete the process will be in mid-January. 

Open Enrollment Process

Open Enrollment submissions during the FIRST ROUND ONLY will have priority based on the following:

• Children in the household of Founding Families;
• Siblings of current K-8 BFA students; 
• Children of full-time teachers; and
• BFA preschool students, as detailed in the Enrollment Policy.

IMPORTANT: Priority status is ONLY during the First Round of Open Enrollment.

The DCSD Open Enrollment Webpage contains important details, so please review it for the most up-to-date information, instructions and answers to commonly-asked questions. After reviewing this page, if you have questions about enrollment or need your EngagED Parent Portal login please email BFA’s director of admissions and records, Colleen Bobbin, before Thanksgiving break.

• Parents who have had K-12 DCSD students should have an EngagED account already. DO NOT CREATE a new account. (Hint: This is the username and password you used to complete Express Check-In.)
• As of Nov. 1, parents who have not had K-12 DCSD students will now be able to create an EngagED Parent Portal account, as the system is open for the first round. (Follow instructions from the OE webpage.)

Note: Upon completion of OE, parents should select “Email me my choices” to receive a confirmation email of the school(s) selected. This is the only way to confirm OE submission.

Enrollment Packet

BFA Parents - Take Advantage of the Early Submission and Review Process!

Generally, parents whose students get first-round Open Enrollment offers, receive the required Enrollment Packet in mid-December. The packet is due by 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. This timeline can be challenging during the holiday season, but BFA parents can receive the Enrollment Packet a month early! Those who submit their child’s Enrollment Packet to Colleen Bobbin, BFA’s director of admissions and records, by 8 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, will know before going to Winter Break whether their child’s packet is complete or requires additional attention.

• If you are a BFA parent with an incoming kindergarten student who does NOT attend BFA's preschool, please complete this form by 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7. Mrs. Bobbin will email the packet to you by mid-November.
• If you are the parent of a current BFA preschooler who will start kindergarten next year, please DO NOT complete the form. Mrs. Bobbin will provide the packet to Mrs. Hafner to send out to her preschool families.

Current K-7 BFA Students

Current 2022-23 BFA K-7 students will automatically be enrolled at BFA for the 2023-24 school year. If your student will not return to BFA next year, please email, BFA’s director of admissions & records by 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.

2023-24 Preschool Students

Preschool Enrollment for the three-year-old and four-year-old classes will take place via the preschool enrollment webpage on the BFA website. Preschool enrollment for current BFA families will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Preschool enrollment for the general public will begin 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.