Goodies with Grandparents

For the month of September, Keri and Jason Street have been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteers of the Month. They are being recognized for their volunteer commitment to BFA, especially the time and labor they generously gave to improve the stairway railings throughout the building this summer. This was a major project and a significant time and financial contribution to the school. They brought in a team to take off the stair rails throughout the building, prepped and powder coated them, and welded the railings back into place. In addition, Keri dedicates a considerable amount of time to the school through her service on the BFA Board of Directors and the Curriculum Committee. The Street family has set an excellent example of dedication to the BFA community and outstanding volunteerism. Thank you Keri and Jason!

The Streets have been part of the BFA family since 2014 when their now seventh grader, Brayden, was just a teeny tiny 3-year-old in the preschool program. 

When asked what they love about BFA, they said:

We chose Ben Franklin Academy because of its rigorous and sequenced curriculum, smaller class sizes, and the amount of parent involvement that we knew set it apart from our neighborhood schools. Moreover, our values as a family aligned with the vision and mission of the school and we still feel the same way ten years later. 

Ben Franklin Academy and its community truly hold a special place in our hearts. We are forever grateful to the teachers, aids, support staff, administration, and front office who not only work tirelessly to uphold the vision and mission of this school, but also for playing a crucial role in molding our kids into bright, successful, and productive young adults.

Congratulations, Keri and Jason. And, thank you for all you do for BFA!

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

Laurel Solomon is the winner of the PTO's September drawing for her volunteer time in August and has won a Starbucks gift card.

Laurel - Congratulations and thank you again for helping out around school!

Thursday, Sept. 21, is a Dress of Choice (DOC) Day for all students (unless they have received two uniform violations). Clothes worn by all students on DOC days shall be modest, in good condition, and neat in appearance. See the uniform policy for additional information.

There is NO SCHOOL for students NEXT Friday, Sept. 22, as it is a Professional Development Day for teachers.

We’re looking for an experienced photographer to do BFA’s middle school sports photos this school year. It will require the volunteer to be on site from approximately 3:15 – 4:15 p.m. around three to four times per year to take team sports pictures, then share the electronic version of the pictures with BFA so we can display them and share them with parents. (These are not action shots - just group photos.)

We hope to have photographs during each sports season (fall, winter and spring). If you have an editing tool that allows you to write the sport/year on the picture, that would be extremely helpful as well. Please contact Mr. Macias if you’re interested in helping with our sports pictures for this school year.

Now that school is underway, it is time to update and add new families to the BFA directory! 

Again this year, the BFA Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) will be using DirectorySpot for the online school directory. It's an incredibly handy resource that contains each family's class roster(s) and contact information, as well as the entire BFA directory.  

DirectorySpot is an app-based online directory. The free app is available for download through the App Store and Google Play, simply search for DirectorySpot. Once the directory is ready, you will receive an email from DirectorySpot with your one-time password.

If you would like to update your family's information for the directory or opt out, you need to act today! You have until end-of-day on Thursday, Sept. 28, to do the following:

• If your child goes by a nickname or shortened name, contact the PTO at ptovp@bfacademy.org.
• If you have recently moved or changed an email address or cell number, update your information in the Infinite Campus database AND email Colleen Bobbin, the school's director of admissions and records, at registrar@bfacademy.org.
• If you DO NOT want any or all of your personal information listed in the directory, please contact the PTO at ptovp@bfacademy.org. You may OPT OUT completely, or partially. If you take no action, your information WILL BE INCLUDED in the directory.

If you have questions, please contact Alissa Motazedi, PTO vice-president.

The 2023-24 yearbooks are on sale now. Be sure to order yours early for the best pricing! Right now, yearbooks cost $40 per book. And, if you order by TOMORROW, Sept. 15, you will get free icons (graphics) when you personalize the cover! 

You may also order a yearbook dedication (parent tribute ad) for your student. Dedications are $35 for 1/8 of page if you order by November 13. After that, the price for dedications will go up to $38 (if ordered by 12/31) and then to $40 (from 1/1 until the last day to order, 1/31). These ads are a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!

This year, we will be using a new company, Jostens, for our yearbooks. You can order and pay for your 2023-24 yearbook here, and your dedication here! See the flier for details.

Calling all moms! The Community Events Committee (CEC) is excited to host our annual community event for students and their moms (or special adult). As a result of last year's survey feedback, the CEC is trying something new - an after school timeframe.

Save the date and mark your calendars for a Magical Night with Moms from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 6, at BFA. Additional details to follow.

Ben's Brigade is a PTO group open to all BFA dads that provides a place for dads to get to know each other, as well as opportunities for unique ways to give back to the school and earn volunteer hours. 

Their next meeting is at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, at Max Taps Highlands Ranch (2680 E. County Line Road), and we would love to have more dads get involved!

Ben’s Brigade handles work projects around the school, provides volunteers for school functions, and hosts a number of social events throughout the year--some just for dads and some with kids as well.

Contact Curtis Anderson and Justin Mayhall, Ben’s Brigade co-committee managers to learn more.

Do you know anyone interested in learning more about BFA? We’ve set up our K-8 grade tour schedule for the school year, and are looking forward to meeting prospective parents. Tours are scheduled from September through April, 2024. If you know someone who is interested in BFA but cannot make a tour, please share this video link to listen to what current and former students, teachers, parents, our Principal, and our former Board president have to say about BFA!

Questions about K-8 enrollment can be directed to Colleen Bobbin, BFA's director of admissions and records. If you know parents interested in BFA's preschool, they can go to our webpage or reach out to Lori Hafner, BFA's preschool director.

The PTO’s new spirit wear store is open now, but will be closing this Sunday, Sept. 17. No orders will be accepted once the store closes, so don’t wait to order your spirit wear! Not only do we have classroom-approved sweatshirts, fleeces, and spirit day shirts, there are additional tops, shorts, hats, and more! Once the store is closed, all orders will be ready in approximately three weeks.  

Show off your school spirit and support the PTO by placing an order today.  

A few things to note when ordering through the new store:

• Orders are custom made. Denver Athletic does not offer any refunds, exchanges, or substitutions after store is closed.
• Inventory on the store is live. If any size or color is out of stock please check back for new availability.
• Please make sure you are ordering from the right size category for orders—youth, adult, etc. 
• The PTO recommends referring to the sizing charts in the item description.
• Due to global supply issues, Denver Athletic reserves the right to change your item for something of equal or greater value. If no acceptable substitutions are available, you will be refunded.
• Logos on item may not be an exact representation of size, placement, or color.

If you have any questions, please email Gen Townsend, PTO spirit wear committee manager.

Franklin Fest is back! This time-honored event is a great way to connect with the entire Ben Franklin community! We hope you'll join us for activities, food and games from 3 - 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, at BFA. Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun! There will be bounce houses and inflatables for all ages, a dunk tank, face painting, balloon artists, and the ever-popular CAKE WALK! The afternoon also will feature a signature appetizer from Urban Village Grill as well as salads and pizza (gluten-free and regular) from Parry's Pizzeria! 

Tickets are on sale NOW through Friday, Sept. 22, via MySchoolBucks. Tickets are $15 per child, with a maximum of $40 for a family. Adults as well as siblings who do not attend BFA are FREE. IMPORTANT NOTE: When purchasing tickets, please enter the total number of attendees in your group so that we can ensure there is enough food for everyone.

Families who have completed and logged their recommended volunteer hours (30 hours per family or 15 hours per single parent household) for the current school year in Help Counter by midnight Monday, Sept. 22, will be given free admission to the event! 

We can't make this event happen without our volunteers! Volunteers spend a little time helping, then can spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the event with their family. We hope you’ll consider volunteering to help staff the event or donating a cake for the cake walk! Volunteering for Franklin Fest is a fantastic way to support these types of amazing community events and earn hours towards your recommended family totals.

Please contact Ewelina Chrzanowski, PTO social coordinator if you have any questions. 

Mr. Redford, our licensed school psychologist, will host a parent seminar at 7 p.m. on Wednesday Sept. 20, in the Middle School Commons. The topic of discussion is Stress Management for our children. In the seminar, Mr. Redford will discuss how to identify stressors, what type of stressors may potentially be impacting our children (social media, post pandemic issues, suicide), coping mechanisms, as well as general mental health struggles. This is a great opportunity to become more informed, seek answers to your questions as well as connect with other parents in the BFA community. We hope to see you there!

Please join us at Modern Market (537 W Highlands Ranch Parkway, Unit 108) between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. next Tuesday, Sept. 19, for the next spirit night. Modern Market will donate 30 percent of orders placed back to the PTO! 

Orders can be placed for dine in, take out, or pick up. IMPORTANT: You must tell the cashier that you are there for the Ben Franklin spirit night in order for the PTO to get credit for your order. If you order online, enter "giveback008" in the promo code box.

Please spread the word and invite friends and family!

There is an important meeting hosted by the Alliance of Douglas County Charter Schools from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, at Parker Performing Arts Charter School. The forum will provide an opportunity to hear from director candidates for the Douglas County School Board of Education. Click here to see a copy of the Douglas County School Board Candidate Forum flier.

Nobel Peace Prize winner for nonviolent struggle to ensure women's safety and full participation in peace-building efforts, Leymah Gbowee, will be the keynote speaker for an upcoming fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 22, at the DCSD Legacy Campus. The event is sponsored by Global Village Academy, a DCSD-Authorized Charter School.

Gbowee, renowned as a Liberian peace activist, social worker, and women's rights advocate, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. She will be honored during GVA's International Day Liberia celebration. At 10 a.m., Gbowee will engage with middle and high school female students in a transformational presentation at the DCSD Legacy Campus in Lone Tree.

Student tickets are available for $10 and can be purchased online here. This opportunity is open to all DCSD middle and high school female students.

We have noticed some students have medications in their backpacks. Please contact the Health Room before sending medications into school with your student(s).

To review, below is a summary of our Medication Policy:

For elementary students (K-5), all medication, including over the counter, must be in the Health Room with the completed Medication Provider Form on file. No medication can be in the classroom or carried by the student.  

Middle school students (6-8) may be able to Self Carry medication on a limited basis. (Students may carry one dose of either Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen without a form.) However, most medications, including over the counter, are administered in the Health Room with the correct medical forms on file. Students should never share medication with their peers. 

All prescription medications must be provided in the original pharmacy labeled container. All over-the-counter medications must be provided in the original packaging and labeled with the student's name.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Paulson in the Health Room or Mrs. Brown, our school nurse.