Weekly Update
A Message from Principal Simpson
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Dear Parents,
I hope everyone has had a good week. Our seventh graders have been off exploring the outdoors this week, and we’re excited to welcome them back later today and hear about their adventures.
As you know, last Friday we quarantined two fifth-grade classes. We’re happy to report that these students will be returning next week. Following is our current case count by grade level:
- 1st grade - 1 case
- 2nd grade - 2 cases (they are connected)
- 4th grade - 1 case
- 5th grade - 3 cases
- 6th grade - 1 case
- 8th grade - 1 case
We did receive a warning letter from Tri-County Health last week. It was regarding five complaints that the health department received from Sept 2 - 9, which was during our phased roll-out. Since that time, we have been very proud of how our students and staff have adapted to the mandatory masks throughout the school. We have masks available for students who forget them and remind kids to wear them correctly or put them back on throughout the day. Overall, our percentage of compliance to Tri-County Health’s mask order has dramatically increased during the last few weeks. Thank you for helping us by showing your support at home.
Approximately 45 students currently have mask exemptions, and a few staff members have them as well. Please remember this if you visit the building and see a student or staff member without a mask.
We want to remind everyone that the mask mandate does extend to indoor sporting events and extra-curricular activities. For example, it's the expectation that participants and fans wear masks while in the building for volleyball games. This includes while walking through the hallways and in the gym. Non-compliance to the mask order during after school activities could result in additional reports to Tri-County Health.
Lastly, we've had some families express interest in finding ways to test their students for Covid more quickly. The state of Colorado is offering free at-home testing kits to anyone in Colorado. Here is the link if you are interested in having this ability to test from your home. These tests are not PCR tests, and results cannot be used to shorten a quarantine, but could come in handy for some families.
I hope everyone enjoys this three-day weekend. Fall in Colorado is such a beautiful time, and this weekend should be a great one to get outside and go leaf-peeping. As always, please let me know via email if you have any concerns or questions.
Thank you!
Diana Simpson
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A Focus on Second Step's Middle School Advisory Component |
BFA incorporates Second Step during Advisory for students in middle school (grades six through eight). Depending on the grade and particular week’s schedule, the plan for Advisory may differ. However, the overall goal of Advisory does not.
Advisory programs create a space for students to form closer bonds with teachers and other students, making them ideal for teaching SEL. Using Second Step Middle School lessons as the foundation, Advisory activities foster a sense of community and student-teacher relationships while reinforcing essential skills and concepts from Second Step lessons.
There are four types of activities that teachers can choose to incorporate into their Advisory plans.
- Check-ins and Check-outs: allow advisors and students to build personal relationships in a simple, safe way;
- Class Meetings: build a sense of community within Advisory, and give students a chance to explore and reflect on Second Step skills and concepts;
- Class Challenges: give students a chance to form strong, positive bonds with each other; or
- Service-Learning Projects: align with BFA’s service-learning project which is currently in the planning stages for the upcoming school year.
Research shows that if a student can make just one strong relationship with an adult in their school, they're significantly more likely to do well academically. The article below talks further about how successful advisory programs can have a significant and positive impact on student engagement and learning.
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There is no school for students tomorrow, Sept. 24, as it is a professional development day for teachers. Enjoy your long weekend!
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We are looking forward to a FUN spirit week for all students from October 4-8. Student Council decided upon the following themes and is still working on some exciting events:
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Monday - PJ day, start the week off in comfort!
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Tuesday - Beach Day, good vibes only today!
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Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday, outrageous outfit? crazy hair? don't care!
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Thursday - Dress Up Day, dress to impress in your fanciest clothes! (And, send a BFA polo to school if your student is participating in picture retakes.)
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Friday - Icon/Movie Day, showcase your iconic look that everyone is sure to recognize!
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Student Council is hosting a fall dance for students in grades 6-8 from 5:30-8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, at BFA. The cost of admission is $5 each and includes pizza, beverages, and snacks. Get your tickets on MySchoolBucks today--there will be no tickets sold at the door. Please note, all students are required to wear a mask.
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Final Days for Important Charter School Training |
There is an important election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, that will decide on four new members of the Douglas County School District Board of Directors. This election will have a direct impact on our school. Our partners at the Colorado League of Charter Schools are hosting an hour-long online training to ensure that you know what it means to be a charter school, how the DCSD Board of Directors and their decisions affect us, and most importantly that you know the steps you need to take to be able to participate in the election. The same training will be offered two more times. We encourage you to register by clicking on the date and time that work best for you.
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PTO's Franklin Fest Wrap Up
Thank You Volunteers!
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Franklin Fest was a huge success with more than 650 people attending the event last Saturday! It was a great example of what our community can accomplish when we all work together.
We were so grateful to the volunteers who made this a fun, relaxing event for students and parents alike. Thank you to everyone who worked before, during and after Franklin Fest--we couldn’t have done it without you!
Also, special thanks to our wonderful PTO members, Alissa Motazedi and Christina Dilley, for their work planning and executing the event; Anna Burt and the Baking Committee, for all of their tasty cakes and goodies; and Erika Kranz, for all of her work on the balloon fundraiser (which raised around $350)! We’d also like to thank the awesome Cake Walk MC’s, Josh Pierce and Rich Battista. We appreciate you all and the time you gave for the Franklin Fest.
Congratulations to the winners of the balloon fundraiser:
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Rebecca Mullenix - October Parking Space
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Renie Linden - November Parking Space
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Kady Dieker - Broncos Tickets
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SAC Monthly Meeting Tonight |
The School Accountability Committee (SAC) will host their monthly meeting from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. today, Sept. 23, via Zoom. They will discuss the following policies: Enrollment, Document Retention, Building Key and Scheduling.
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Support BFA While Promoting Your Business
Consider Becoming a Sponsor
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The new school year means another opportunity to promote your business while supporting BFA. Each year, sponsorships allow BFA to continue to grow and to meet the needs of our school, as well as our teachers, staff and students. Sponsorships will go on sale tomorrow, Sept. 24. They are limited in quantity, and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
For details on the various sponsorship options and pricing, click here to view the flier, or visit the PTO Sponsorship webpage by going to the PTO webpage and then click Sponsors at the top of the page.
If you have questions about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Anne Giusti-Chacon, PTO sponsor committee manager.
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Tours for Prospective Families |
Do you know any families interested in sending their K-8 student(s) to BFA? If so, we'd love to show them our amazing facility! Please direct interested parents to our website or directly to the SignUpGenius
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BFA Directory Available Next Week |
The 2021-22 online directory, Directory on Tap, will be available next week. To access the directory, you will need to download the free Directory on Tap app available through the App Store and Google Play. You will receive an email from directoryontap@gmail.com with your one-time password, which will allow you to log-on.
If you have questions, please contact Janelle Nichols, PTO vice-president.
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Have your kids had a growth spurt, or do you need a few extra uniforms to bridge the gap until your order comes in? If so, mark your calendar for the upcoming Uniform Consignment Sale from 10 a.m. - noon on Saturday, Oct. 2, in the outside courtyard between the gyms. (If the weather isn’t cooperating, we’ll be in the small gym.) We’ll have uniforms in all sizes and styles, so come check it out!
If you’d like to consign items, drop off your clean, tagged garments at the office any time between 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 27, through Thursday, Sept. 30. Please follow the tagging instructions, and if you’d like guidance with pricing your items, a Suggested Resale Pricing Guide can be found here. After the sale, any unsold items you’d like back need to be picked up between 1-2 p.m. on Oct. 2. Unsold consignment items that are not picked up will be placed with the PTO donations.
Looking for some volunteer hours?
If you would like to volunteer to help with the sale, please visit the SignUp Genius.
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Want to know more about Destination Imagination (DI)? Please attend a DI informational/kick off meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29, in the Middle School Commons (second floor) to learn about this great program. We encourage you to bring your student if s/he is new to DI.
In case you’re new to DI, below are a few highlights:
- International, educational program that gives kids an amazing outlet for their creativity.
- Teaches leadership, teamwork, positive thinking, project management and so much more.
- Annually offers new academic challenges in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), fine arts, service learning and early learning.
- Provides opportunities for students to solve challenges and learn the creative process from imagination to innovation along the way.
- Supplies students the skills needed to thrive in school, their careers and beyond.
- Teams (made up of two to seven kids) solve one main challenge in their own unique way and present their solutions at the South Metro Regional Tournament in the spring. They also solve an on-the-spot (instant) challenge where they must think quickly on their feet and work together to solve a problem (generally in five minutes).
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Volunteers (e.g., Team Managers, school coordinator, etc.) get to count their hours toward BFA volunteer hours.
For more information about:
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DI (in general), see the BFA DI webpage (includes FAQs and videos)
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2021-22 DI Challenges, click here to preview
In addition, the STEM Committee is looking to fill its BFA DI school coordinator for the 2022-23 school year. It is a fun volunteer position (and an easy way to get your BFA hours). NOW is a great time to shadow BFA DI’s current coordinator to learn about the position. If you have any interest in this position, your child joining a team and/or being a Team Manager, please email Jason Sunahara, BFA DI coordinator.
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Invite Grandma and Grandpa to
Goodies with Grandparents
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The Community Events Committee (CEC) is excited to host students and their grandparents at BFA’s annual Goodies with Grandparents, from 7-8 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, at BFA. Students and their grandparents can spend quality time together while enjoying light morning treats, activities, games, and photo opportunities starting in the Lightening/small gym
We ask that you please arrive early, as this is a popular event. Grandparents are asked to stay in the gym with their grandkids until 7:45 a.m. (this is a change from last weeks' article!).
Click here for a flier you can give grandparents.
Please email the event coordinator, Marissa Patterson, with any questions at cec@bfacademy.org.
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Attention Eighth Grade Parents |
Our eighth grade families received important information from Mrs. Woudenberg this week; we are sharing the same information below in case you missed it.
If you live in Douglas County and plan for your child to attend your feeder high school (the DCSD high school associated with your address), your child will be enrolled to the feeder high school automatically for the 2021-22 school year.
Whether you live in Douglas County or not, if you want to choice into a Douglas County high school (NOT your feeder school), you must use the DCSD Open Enrollment tool to request enrollment. The First Round of DCSD Open Enrollment runs Nov. 1 - Dec.1.
If you live in Douglas County and want your child to attend a non-district high school or if you would like your student to attend a private high school, please visit the high school's or district's website for timelines and information about their enrollment processes.
Please refer to Mrs. Woudenberg's webpage for many helpful links. Our registrar, Colleen Bobbin, is a great resource if you have questions about the process and/or need to request records for enrollment.
To request transcripts and/or other records, please email our registrar, Colleen Bobbin, and let her know exactly what the high school requires. (Not all have the same requirements. Please make sure to email the exact requirements to eliminate delays in processing.) Please note: If the high school requires a first trimester grade report, but your preference is to submit your child's records earlier, please follow up with Mrs. Bobbin to request an updated transcript after first trimester grades are finalized.
It takes some time to gather all the necessary documents, so please allow three business days (72 hours) to complete the request. Once the student's documents are ready, the registrar will email the documents to the requesting parent.
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Say Cheese (Again!) for Photo Retakes |
Photo retakes are scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 7. If you need a retake or missed the first photo day, this is your final opportunity to have a school picture taken. Parents can also stop by to get a picture taken for their volunteer badge (bring your Driver's License!). Photos will be taken from about 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Click here for the photo form with a hyperlink to order.
Also, MJ Thomas' code to order is not working so if you already took pictures during BFA Annual Family Check-In and want to order OR if you do not have your proof from the first picture day, please call 720-441-1936 and/or 1-800-219-0199.
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Snow and cool temps will be here before you know it, so be sure to order warm weather uniform pieces now to allow time for shipping. See the BFA uniform webpage (click uniforms at the top of the page) for all the information you need to place an order.
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National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is open to all students in seventh and eighth grade. New members need to complete and turn in a full application and the policy form. Returning members only need to complete and turn in the policy form. Forms can be downloaded from the NJHS webpage located on the BFA website, or they can be picked up from Mrs. Murphy’s classroom during advisory. All applications and policy forms need to be turned in no later than Oct. 1. There is a $35 for new members and a $25 fee for returning members. The fee will be posted in MySchoolBucks the week of October third. If you have any questions regarding NJHS, please contact Mrs. Murphy.
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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.
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Ben Franklin Academy
2270 Plaza Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
www.bfacademy.org
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Main Office Phone: 720-383-4519
Email: info@bfacademy.org
Attendance Phone: 720-432-9239
Email: attendance@bfacademy.org
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