December 16, 2021
Weekly Update
A Message from Haley Maglieri, At-Large Director, BFA Board of Directors
Haley
Dear Parents,
 
The Ben Franklin Academy (BFA) community is seeking leaders who are passionate about and committed to BFA’s mission and vision to serve on the BFA Board of Directors (Board). In the spring of 2022, the BFA community will elect (or re-elect) one (1) director and the BFA Board will appoint one (1) director in accordance with the Board of Directors Election Policy to serve on the volunteer, seven-director BFA Board. Each seat is for a three-year term. We hope to receive a record number of nominations with a desire of having a diverse, talented and dedicated pool of candidates to draw from for BFA’s Board.

A critical element to the success of any charter school is its ability to advocate for its educational philosophy, successfully fulfill legal requirements and carry out its mission and vision. Serving on the BFA Board is an opportunity for you to ensure that BFA is and remains “The Core Knowledge STEAM School of Choice.” Board directors use their backgrounds, experience and skills to focus on oversight and matters of strategic importance which can help improve BFA’s educational programs. In addition to helping teachers, staff and administrators lay a solid foundation in education for future generations and instill a love of learning in BFA students, the Board provides individuals a chance to grow personally and professionally, further develop skills, gain unique experience and make lasting connections with a team of other passionate and motivated individuals.

The Board encourages all individuals with a passion to serve the BFA community to get involved in the nomination and election process this spring. More details on the election/appointment process, director qualifications and Board needs will be communicated in early 2022.

Have a wonderful Winter Break!

Sincerely,


Haley Maglieri
Second Step Program
Improving the Mental Health of our Youth, A National Concern
Every day we face reminders of the pandemic that has disrupted our lives, but we are starting to see glimmers of hope. Wherever we find ourselves, we cannot lose sight of the emotional impact these past twenty-two months have taken on all of us. There has never been a stronger case for integration and support of Social-Emotional Learning in schools than right now.
 
This past week the Surgeon General released “Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Surgeon General’s website introduces their advisory as follows:
 
Supporting the mental health of our nation’s youth is a major priority for the Surgeon General. In a new Surgeon General’s Advisory, available below, Dr. Vivek Murthy calls for a whole-of-society effort to mitigate the mental health impacts of the pandemic, to address longstanding challenges, and to prevent future mental health challenges. The advisory outlines actionable steps for young people and their families and caregivers, schools, health leaders, community organizations, funders, media and technology companies, employers, and governments to protect youth mental health. All of us have a role to play.
 
Follow this link to read the complete advisory and press release.

Please note, inherent in any government document are the viewpoints of the current administration, but we hope readers can see the value in the concrete suggestions offered to improve the mental health of our children. 
BFA News
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Winter Break
Students will be on Winter Break from Monday, Dec. 20, through Friday, Dec. 31. Students will go back to school on Monday, Jan. 3. We hope your Winter Break is filled with fun activities and time with family and friends!
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Few Days Left to Check Lost and Found
Please ask your student to check the Lost and Found areas for missing coats, BFA sweatshirts, uniform items, lunch boxes, water bottles and even missing baseball gloves.

Items will be donated during Winter Break.
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Let's Get Into the Holiday Spirit
There is one more day of Student Council's holiday Spirit Week. Students can either participate in Dress of Choice tomorrow, Dec. 17, or make their Dress of Choice day an Ugly Sweater Day. Happy Holidays!
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Apple Award Nomination Deadline Extended
The Foundation for Douglas County Schools extended the submission deadline for the coveted Apple Awards to midnight tomorrow, Dec. 17.
 
This is a great way to honor our wonderful teachers and staff, while highlighting the innovative work they do to challenge and inspire students. Again this year, your nominations will be submitted as a video or written testimonial that will be posted publicly on a customized webpage for our school. Anyone over the age of 18 can nominate, as well as students age 13 or older, if they have your permission. Parents can submit nominations on behalf of students 12 and younger.
 
We hope you'll click on this link (scroll down; you'll find BFA in the Charter Schools list) and nominate a BFA teacher or staff member before the nomination window closes on Dec. 17.
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Get Your Yearbook Before Break
Yearbooks are on sale now! Yearbooks cost $30 per book, but don’t wait, as the price will go up to $36 after Winter Break. For details on pricing and how to order, check out the attached flier

You may also order a dedication (ad) for your student. What a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!

Order and pay for your 2021-22 yearbook and dedication today at: http://www.yearbookforever.com.
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Practice Good Book Care
As we mentioned earlier this year, we're seeing too may torn and water damaged books. Multiple books have already been taken out of circulation because of severe water damage. We could use your help!
 
If you know your student has damaged a book, please don’t send in a replacement from a local bookstore. We appreciate the gesture, but all of our books must be purchased through a district approved vendor so that they come in with library bound covers and barcodes which are then entered into the system by the vendor or district.
 
You can help by ensuring kids keep their library books (and other school work!) away from water bottles in their backpacks and encouraging the use of bookmarks. As you already know, a little positive reinforcement goes a long way too. Please reach out to Ms. Williams if you have any questions. Thanks for your help!
Cheer
Register for the Spring Cheer Season
We are very excited to offer a spring season of cheer this school year to support the girls basketball team! All middle school students (grades 6-8) are eligible to participate. The season runs from Monday, Jan. 3, through Monday, Feb. 28. Please register in MySchoolBucks to participate (20 students max). The cost is $120 for new team members and $100 for those returning from the fall 2021 season as they already have a uniform. Registration is NOW OPEN. Please see the flier and/or email Ms. Whelan with any questions.
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Thank You Cara - Parents Can Still Get a Book!
Big thanks to BFA’s own children’s book author, Cara Brzezicki, for visiting with our kindie, first and second grade students last Friday. Her sons, Camden (5th Grade) and Carson (2nd Grade), did a fantastic job introducing her to the attendees. Mrs. Brzezicki read her latest book and told students about her journey to becoming an author.

If parents would like to order a book, they can do so via her website but they will not be delivered to school until after Winter Break.(Parents can also order any of the books from Amazon, but those books would not be signed.) 
 
Also, thanks to Ms. Williams for organizing the event, as well as Mrs. Murphy and the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) for ensuring our teachers had extra support during the visit.
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SAC Meeting Tonight
If you would like to be involved in reviewing policies that impact our school's direction and your student's education, please consider attending SAC's monthly meeting from 4:30-5:30 p.m. today, Dec. 16, via Zoom. (Call in details on the BFA calendar.) They'll be reviewing the following policies: Asset Management, Board of Directors Election, and the Uniform Policy/Table. If you have any questions, please email Woody Haynes.
Enjoy Modern Market for Lunch or Dinner TODAY!
The PTO Spirit Night is from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. TODAY, Dec. 16, at Modern Market in Highlands Ranch (537 W Highlands Ranch Pkwy). Modern Market will donate 30 percent of your meal’s price back to BFA for all dine-in or take-out orders. Please be sure to mention that you are with BFA before placing your order.
Mark Your Calendar for Donuts with Dads
The Community Events Committee (CEC) is excited to host Donuts with Dads before school on Friday, Jan. 21, at BFA. Please mark your calendar so you don't miss this fun event.

Stay tuned for more information after Winter Break!
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Sweetheart Ball, A Night in Disguise
All BFA girls and their father or other special adult are invited to attend this year’s Sweetheart Ball, A Night in Disguise, a glowing masquerade from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, at BFA. Mark your calendars! Tickets will go on sale after Winter Break.

If you have questions, please contact Alissa Motazedi, PTO social coordinator.
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Thanks for your Generosity!
Thank you to everyone who contributed during the SCRIP collection earlier this month. A total of $23,065 was collected from BFA families! Staff were notified of their respective gift amounts this past weekend, gift card selections have been made, and the order placed. Led by Natalie Lucero, BFA SCRIP coordinator, the PTO is organizing all the orders and will distribute the electronic gift cards.
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Elementary Holiday Parties
Holiday Classroom Parties will take place from 2-3 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 17. To limit exposure, party volunteers will be limited to a max of three adults per classroom. These volunteers have already been identified so please do not show up if you are not a designated party volunteer. All volunteers should have their Driver’s License for check-in and should not bring younger siblings. Volunteers will be allowed into the classroom at 1:45 p.m. to begin party set up. Also, volunteers should bring their own supplies rather than borrow them from the staff break room. Please keep in mind carpool scanning begins promptly at 3 p.m. each day, so do not block carpool lanes if you are volunteering.

If you have any questions about the elementary party coordination, please contact your classroom's room parent or reach out to Erin Crowe, PTO room parent coordinator.
Preschool
Intent to Enroll Open for Preschool
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 on the preschool webpage. 

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; but we certainly encourage parents to fill out the form before Friday, Jan. 7, as it will be available to the general public at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 10.
 
If you are interested in the Ben Franklin Academy Preschool program, please click here for more information. And, don't forget to look at the website for the preschool class schedule and tuition information for next school year.
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If you Have not Already, Please Sign Up for King Soopers Rewards or Amazon Smile
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 RewardsEnroll 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.
This program adds up quickly, so please consider participating.
 
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 email fundraising@bfacademy.org with any questions. Thank you, again, for your support of BFA and the PTO!
Upcoming Events
BFA's Guiding Principles
Mission:
Our mission is to create young adults with character like America's founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged.

Vision:
Our students will excel academically through a challenging, sequenced curriculum that emphasizes math, science, the arts, and literacy. We will be a data-driven institution, focusing on individual students. Our students, teachers, parents, staff, and leaders will be held accountable for the success of our school. Finally, we recognize that an education is incomplete without fostering social emotional development, character, sports, and nature.

13 Virtues:
Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.