There is no school tomorrow, Feb. 17, as it is a teacher comp day, and there is no school on Monday, Feb 20, as it is Presidents Day.

We hope to see you at the Town Hall and Board meeting beginning at 5 p.m. next Tuesday, Feb. 21, via Zoom or in the Middle School Commons. The agenda for the Board meeting will be posted on the Board Transparency webpage 24-hours in advance of the meeting. Open Comments are accepted until noon the day of the meeting.

Please join us in person or via Zoom for the next BFA Town Hall meeting beginning at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, in the Middle School Commons. This year, the Board wants to hear from YOU at our Town Hall! We invite our BFA community to share any and all positive stories about BFA with the rest of the community. In what ways—big and small—have the BFA teachers and staff positively impacted your student(s)? Is there a team of teachers, a staff member, or an administrator who has provided extra guidance, support and/or a special/unique learning opportunity for your student? Is there a BFA tradition that has brought your family together? Let us know!

Please fill out this Google Form to indicate whether you want to share your story in person or via Zoom. We are hoping to share as many stories as possible, so we kindly ask that your story take between 1-3 minutes to share. If anyone wants to share positive feedback or a story anonymously, please email your message to BFA Board Director, Haley Maglieri.

School Accountability Committee (SAC) invites every parent/guardian to complete the Parent Satisfaction Survey by end-of-day TOMORROW, Feb. 17.

Your feedback is important, so please express your thoughts and opinions regarding the current BFA academic year. In anticipation of your participation, all students will get a Dress of Choice Day on Friday, Feb. 24.

The SAC will only share the results of the survey with the Board and Administration.

The Succession Committee of the BFA Board of Directors is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for the BFA Board of Directors ("Board") is open and will remain so until 11:59 p.m. MST TOMORROW, Feb. 17.

Please consider nominating yourself or someone you know for the BFA Board of Directors. We are seeking leaders who are passionate and committed to the mission, vision, and long-term strategic plan of BFA to serve on the Board.

Please click the button below to learn more about the upcoming Board Election/Appointment including the nomination, voting, and appointment processes, as well as the qualifications.

It's time to sign up for middle school boys volleyball tryouts! Registration is now open through MySchoolBucks. There is no cost to register for tryouts, but you MUST register before 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20. No exceptions.

BFA will have three boys teams this season with 10-12 players each; the season game schedule is listed on the BFA Boys volleyball website (it is subject to change). We are excited to have a full season this year!

Practices will be on Wednesdays plus either a before-school or after-school practice on Mondays. More information will be provided at tryouts.

TRYOUT SCHEDULE

• Tuesday, Feb. 21, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. (6th - 8th graders)
• Thursday, Feb. 23, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. (6th - 8th graders)
• Friday, Feb. 24, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. (Callbacks by invitation only)

Tryouts will be held in the Thunder Gym. Participants must have a water bottle, and good court shoes.

John Warner will be coaching the A team and Erin Atkins will be coaching the B team.

Please contact them with any questions. Go Bolts!

The "Little Mermaid, JR" performances are coming up at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4. Many parents have been donating their time to help make this show happen. Thanks to Summer Tenney, Jennifer and Zach Gautier, Becky Hollo, Malia Sabia, Niketa Saboo, Rachel Molieri, Kelley Marie Paulson, Kori Pyne, Erin Dohrman, and Kaitlin Kinney.

An extra big shout out to Daniel Flint for working on the set, Mark Wray for designing lights and Mary Jo Brewer (Velasco family) for sewing costumes. None of them have children involved in the show, yet they still shared their skills to help this show come to life! That's impressive!

We are STILL looking for volunteers to help with jobs big and small. Sewing, costume creation, and set building skills are helpful, but any type of assistance is welcome. If you are interested, please email Ms. Johnson

Thank you! Come see their hard work at 7 p.m. on March 3 and 4. Tickets are FREE so please make plans to come see our amazing student performers and support our wonderful tech crew!

All items in Lost and Found will be donated before Spring Break. Please ask your student to check the Lost and Found. Parents are also welcome to stop by and see if you can find any of your missing items. (Please bring your Driver’s License!)

Items that have not been claimed by Friday, March 10, will be donated.

Save the date for our next PTO spirit night - two weeks to try Simply Savor! They are a local company that makes meals and delivers them to your doorstep. They deliver fresh, fully cooked, heat and serve meals ranging in price from $15 to $17. The delivery dates for our spirit nights are Feb. 28 and March 7. Orders need to be placed by Friday at 8 p.m. to receive meals the following Tuesday. Simply Savor will give back 20 percent of purchases to BFA, so be sure to reference Ben Franklin Academy in the checkout notes.

For more information about Simply Savor and to view the menus visit their website.

Again, this year BFA will offer a fun-filled summer camp program! Although the calendar of activities is not complete yet, you can be sure it will be a great summer! The first day of camp is Wednesday, May 31, and camp will run through Friday, Aug. 11. We will be closed July 3-7 for the holiday week. 

More details will be coming out soon, so stay tuned. For questions, please email base@bfacademy.org 

OR summercamp@bfacademy.org.

The 2022-23 yearbooks are on sale now and cost $35 per book. Be sure to order yours today as prices go up 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. They're a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!

TOMORROW, Feb. 17, is the last day to order a yearbook dedication. 

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

We are excited to announce a never-before science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) event hosted at Ben Franklin Academy! Get ready for our first-ever Family Fun Night - Spaghetti Tower Challenge - from 5 - 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, in the Thunder Gym at BFA!

Our STEM Committee along with the help from the local organization, Science Matters In America, will be organizing this FREE event. It is a school-wide challenge where students and families are invited to compete in pasta building challenges. Who can build the highest tower made of spaghetti? Who can build the longest and strongest bridge out of spaghetti? Who can come up with the most creative design? 

After some brief instructions (and the establishment of rules) participants will work in teams to design and build structures using spaghetti and other household materials. Some light snacks will be provided and prizes will be awarded in multiple categories. 

Don’t miss out! Sign up to participate in this free, fun, STEM-tastic evening of friendly competition at BFA!

Bring your thinking caps, teamwork, and a little ingenuity for this fun and brain-tingling night.

If you are a King Soopers shopper, you can help earn money for BFA by signing up for King Soopers Community Rewards. 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 Sooper or City Market, scan your card (or enter your alternate ID), and BFA will get money back from your purchase.

It's fantastic how quickly this program adds up and how much our school can earn. From October through December of last year, BFA earned $2,566.48 back from this program!

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

Purity Skin Studio is the premier local MedSpa of Highlands Ranch, specializing skincare treatments ranging from facials to chemical peels, laser treatments, Botox, filler, and more! Their mission is to empower their clients to LOVE their face and put themselves and the health of their skin as a top priority!

Purity Skin Studio was started in 2017 by owner Amanda Sakach. At the core of everything they do is integrity and full transparency—which they believe is the best way to do business and build strong long-term relationships. Owner and CEO Amanda Sakach brings more than 20 years experience in the skin care industry to south Denver. Purity Skin Studio’s specialty lies in skin health and integrity. They utilize the best, award-winning technology and products to deliver the best results in a kind and caring environment. They have won “Best of the Best” for Highlands Ranch for the last three years because they put the clients’ needs first. Their main objective is to help everyone that walks through the doors love what they see in the mirror.

CONNECTION TO BFA: Many of their clients have kids who attend BFA

purityskinstudio.com

instagram.com/purityskinstudio

facebook.com/purityskinstudio

Super 3D Printer grew from a hobby to a business in a flash! They started 3D printing fun things for themselves and their kids and quickly discovered that other people liked those things too. They started to offer a few things at a time on Etsy and found a footing right away. While they do 3D print practical things and take requests, most of what they print are fun items to play with or to display your toys--but they also have unique bird feeders, cup holders and camera mounts! You'll find plenty of Marvel, Star Wars and Harry Potter objects in their storefront as well!

CONNECTION TO BFA: Fifth & Seventh Graders

https://linktr.ee/super3dprinter

super3dprinter.com/