Tomorrow, March 3, is an Accelerated Reader (AR) Dress of Choice Day for the elementary students who met their AR Goal.

It's also a Spirit Day and Fun Sock Friday for Middle School students (or any student who did not make his/her AR goal).

On Spirit Day, students can wear spirit wear items including: t-shirts/sweatshirts sold by the PTO with the official BFA logo, official BFA sports shirts/sweatshirts, or a BFA Field Day shirt from a previous year. These should be worn with regular uniform bottoms.

For Fun Sock Friday, kids can wear fun, appropriate socks.

This April, the BFA community will elect (or re-elect) two (2) directors to serve on the seven-director Board, for a term of three years. In addition, the current Board of Directors will also appoint one (1) director, in accordance with the Board of Directors Election Policy. Thank you to everyone who participated in the BFA Board nomination process that ended on Feb. 17! As previously announced, we are seeking committed and passionate individuals with a broad range of skills and knowledge, including: 

·      Finance

·      Education

·      Real Estate

·      Governance

·      Strategic or Long-Range Planning

·      Business Ownership

As Mr. Keillor mentioned last week, there will be a Candidate Q&A at 5 p.m. (MST) on Tuesday, March 21, before the regularly scheduled Board meeting. We encourage everyone to save the date for this important event as you’ll get to hear directly from the candidates.

Voting for the Seat 5, Class C and Seat 6, Class C directors will take place electronically. Members of the BFA School Voting Group will receive access to an electronic ballot on Monday, April 10, and will have until 11:59 p.m. (MST) on Sunday, April 16, 2023, to cast their vote. Results of the election will be announced and the appointment will be made on Tuesday, April 18, at the regularly scheduled Board meeting. 

We're proud to introduce our 2023 Board Candidates! Click on the links below to read about each of them, or see the Board Elections web page.

Congratulations to BFA’s inaugural Technology Student Association (TSA) team!  

Jennifer Kranz and Hailey Burt earned a second place finish at the Colorado TSA Conference on Saturday, Feb. 25, in the Forensics Crime Scene Analysis competition. With a focus on fingerprint analysis, their second-place finish also qualifies them for the national TSA event. Their dedication, hard work, and a quick trip to Walmart on the day of the event paid off!

Also, big thanks to Mr. Astler, BFA’s eighth grade science teacher, who sponsored their work.

Click here to learn more about TSA. Congratulations again, ladies!

Ben Franklin Academy’s Destination Imagination (DI) team consisting of current seventh grade students Grayson Wilt, Keian Martinez, Luke E. Smith, and Ryan Fillmore took first place at last Saturday’s South Metro Destination Imagination Regional Tournament held at Heritage High School! 

The team did a great job with their core Improv competition. The Improv had to incorporate an expert, a competition, and a complication. For our team, their randomly selected expert was Socrates, the competition was Thumb Wrestling, and their complication was An Overprotective Jump Roper. As you can imagine, this was not easy, but they did a wonderful job integrating all of the components in the Improv routine and got quite a few laughs out of the judges! 

Their Instant Challenge was another bright spot on the day, as they quickly completed the challenge, which maximized their points. Now their sights are set on the DI State Tournament which will be held on Saturday, April 1, at Metropolitan State University. They’ll practice during the coming weeks to refine their Improv delivery and strive to incorporate elements that have proved successful for other teams. The boys came away from this weekend happy and full of confidence and resolve to continue to improve their performance.

For those unfamiliar with the Destination Imagination program, it’s a STEAM rooted challenge that promotes creativity and encourages kids to develop critical thinking, problem solving, and leadership skills. You can find out more about DI on their website.

Journey "under the sea" with Ariel and her aquatic friends in Disney's "The Little Mermaid, JR" at 7 p.m. tomorrow, March 3, and Saturday, March 4, in the Thunder Gym on the BFA stage. In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home — and her fins — behind and live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she's the girl whose enchanting voice he's been seeking.

Tickets are FREE so please make plans to come see our amazing student performers and support our wonderful tech crew!

Next week, March 6-10, is Charity Week! The Student Council wants to make this an EXCITING week for the entire school as they partner with the CEC to support the Boys and Girls Club. Thanks to everyone who ordered a Charity Week t-shirt! We’ll hand out the shirts on Tuesday, March 7, and students will have an opportunity to wear their shirt to school next Thursday. Student Council also has come up with some fun, optional dress of choice days: 

Monday, March 6: Collegiate Day – Students can wear their favorite (or possibly their parent’s favorite!) college t-shirt, sweatshirt or jersey and Dress of Choice (DOC) bottoms.

Tuesday, March 7: Career Day – Students can dress for the career they plan to pursue OR the job he/she wanted as a kindergartener!

Wednesday, March 8: Colorado Wilderness Day - Dress up like a hiker, cyclist, camper, snow enthusiast, trail runner, park ranger, or even come in your scout uniform. (Please note: the costume should be obvious—this is not a regular DOC day.)

Thursday, March 9: Students can wear the Boys and Girls Club Charity Week t-shirt and DOC bottoms. Students who did not purchase the shirt should be in their regular uniform. 

Friday, March 10: It’s a regular Dress of Choice day for everyone, and Middle School students can participate in Dodgeball for Dollars (see below).

Students that opt to not dress up on theme days need to wear their uniforms.

Middle School Dodgeball for Dollars

Dodgeball for Dollars will be held from approximately 8:30 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. on Friday, March 10, in the Thunder gym. Students should bring their own lunch, and lunch will be held from noon – 1 p.m. Middle School students can sign up to play through MySchoolBucks for $5 per player, per team. Students may sign up to play on up to three teams but they need to choose a primary team in case their teams play each other. Any student that joined more teams than they are registered for in MySchoolBucks will be invoiced later.

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

Thanks for supporting Charity Week! 

Middle School girls soccer tryouts will be held from 4 – 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, and Thursday, March 9, on the turf field at BFA. Students MUST register in MySchoolBucks by Monday, March 6, to participate in tryouts.

On tryout day, players should meet out on the turf after all-call, and bring water. Players are encouraged to wear shin guards and cleats, but these are not required for tryouts. Please contact Coach Svensen with any questions.



A team:

• Monday and Wednesday practice, 7-8 a.m.
• Tuesday and Thursday practices and/or games

B team:

• Monday practice, 7-8 a.m.
• Wednesday alternating practices/scrimmages, 4-5:15 p.m.
• Additional games TBD

The BENefit Bash is the PTO's primary fundraiser this school year. It's a BFA tradition parents look forward to, so we hope you'll save the date! The Bash will be held from 5 - 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, at Freedom Golf Carts. 

It takes a lot of support to host the Bash--so whether you're new to auctions/events or a veteran Bash volunteer--we could sure use your help!

In addition, we are in need of silent and live auction items! We are looking for a variety of things: sports items, timeshares, lodging, gift basket items etc.

If you have something you would like to donate or to volunteer, please reach out to the PTO Fundraising Coordinator, Andreya Flanigan, at fundraising@bfacademy.org.

BFA will conduct hearing and vision rescreenings during school hours on Wednesday, March 29. Hearing and vision impact learning, so it's essential to conduct screenings and Colorado law (C.R.S. 22-1-116) states that students should be tested for sight and hearing. It is important to note that this is a screening, not a complete exam. 

If your student wears prescription glasses or contacts, it is necessary that he/she wear them during the screening. A list of students being screened will be sent to the teachers.

After the screening, you will receive a letter only if your student does not pass the screening. Students with concerns should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Please take the letter to your appointment and have the provider complete the bottom of the form, and return it to your school's health office.

We can use four volunteers between 9 and 11:30 a.m. on March 29. Please sign up if you would like to help.  

Please contact Mrs. Paulson in the Health Room if you have questions or concerns about your student.

The BFA School Accountability Committee (SAC) is meeting at 4:30 tonight, March 2, in the Middle School Commons and via Zoom. For meeting details, please see the SAC Meeting Agenda; within the header is the Zoom link and alternate Meeting ID and Passcode. They will review the Student Survey as well as the following policies: Field Trip, Non-Discrimination, Student Discipline, and Employee Dress.

The Community Events Committee (CEC) will hold their March meeting from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, at Living the Dream Brewery in Highlands Ranch. They would love to have you come check out what the CEC is planning whether you are interested in volunteering or simply getting more information. Don't forget, you earn volunteer hours for attending! Please RSVP by Monday, March 6, if you plan on attending so they can plan accordingly.

Want to try fresh, chef-prepared meals, delivered to your doorstep? Now’s your chance! Check out their menu online and order by 8 p.m. tomorrow, March 3, for delivery on Tuesday, March 7, as part of our spirit night.

Simply Savor is a local catering, charcuterie and meal delivery service, based in Highlands Ranch. They'll give back 20 percent of purchases to the BFA PTO, so be sure to reference BFA in the checkout notes.

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

Yearbooks are on sale now and cost $35 per book. Don’t wait to purchase yours, as the price will go up to $45 after Spring Break. For details on pricing and how to order, check out the attached flier.

Order and pay for your 2022-23 Yearbook today!

All items in Lost and Found will be donated before Spring Break. We've seen lots of kiddos stop by Lost and Found to check for items, but there are still MANY unclaimed coats, water bottles and lunch boxes.

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.

If making a difference, meeting new people and having fun sounds like the PERFECT way to support your school and earn volunteer hours, then the PTO is the place for you! The PTO is looking to fill volunteer positions for the 2023-24 school year, and they would love for you to join their team! 



They have a variety of volunteer positions that can be done from home or school, and that fit any schedule--days, nights or weekends. The PTO offers behind-the-scenes volunteer opportunities, as well as those that put you front and center. You name it, they’ve got it!

PTO nominations will take place from March 12-26. Please nominate yourself or a friend. PTO elections will be held April 23-29. For more information on the PTO, including job descriptions of the volunteer positions, please visit their webpage, and click on PTO Elections.

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’ sign up. Then, pay for your reservation through MySchoolBucks.

Have questions? Contact Lindsay Bullock, spirit rock committee manager.

Mark your calendars for a sweet spirit day/night from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, at Twisted Sugar in Highlands Ranch (3624 E Highlands Ranch Parkway). They will offer special BFA Bolt Cookies and a Signature Bolt Drink!

Twisted Sugar will give 20 percent back to the PTO, so be sure to mention BFA.

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.

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. next 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.

The theatre department is looking for donations of middle school size clothing. Please take a look at this list and consider donating any good condition, unwanted clothes.

Thank you for your support!

Heather joined real estate as a third generation Denver REALTOR® in 2012. Heather works alongside her father, Brook, and together they have 30+ years combined experience in greater Denver-Metro area real estate. When paired together, their individual unique talents, coupled with their sense of humor, make working with them an enjoyable experience! Born and raised in Highlands Ranch, Heather graduated from Utah Valley University in 2007 and is currently seeking a second degree in Interior Design; Heather Kimball Design Co. is her Interior Design business. She married Dan in 2005 and their four children - Brooke (14), Tanner (12), Wendy (9) and Peyton (6) - are the joy of their life. In addition to design, Heather enjoys sewing and all things Broncos. (Yes, her son is indeed named after Peyton Manning and was born 7 weeks after they won the Super Bowl.) Feel free to contact Heather for FREE home value analysis or any design related needs!

CONNECTION TO BFA: First, Fourth and Seventh Graders



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Land Queen is a Consulting and Real Estate Brokerage Firm, specializing in acreage properties, development land, and water for sellers, buyers, investors and exchangers. Their professional services include zoning regulations, prescriptive easements, water availability, adverse possession, well permits, county master plan, mineral rights, taxation, water rights and more. Contact them today at 720-402-6699 or land-queen@outlook.com if you or someone you know could benefit from our services.

CONNECTION TO BFA: Second and Fourth Graders

With Mischelle Weaver Executive Coaching and Leadership Development, my passion is to teach entrepreneurs and executives how the same systems I’ve used for years can be used to elevate and empower themselves and their leadership teams. Leadership development is one of the most profound commitments a company can make. Statistics are showing employees asking for one-on-one coaching for their own personal development is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after employee benefits for new hires. You and your team deserve an opportunity to take your careers and businesses to the next level.

As an advocate for a strong education and a stronger community, our family is proud to be in our 11th year with BFA. We have seen our youngest daughter Dani Weaver graduate in 2015 and is now a senior at the University of Denver. Our oldest daughter's children also attend BFA - our grandson Austin Doolittle graduated in 2022 and our youngest grandsons Cooper and Sawyer Doolittle are current 7th graders.

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