Weekly Update
A Message from Principal Simpson
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Dear Parents,
First, I'd like to welcome all new BFA families! We will include all of you in our weekly newsletters moving forward. This newsletter is an excellent resource for information about camps, registration, orientation, uniforms, opportunities to get involved next school year, etc. The newsletter goes out every Thursday during the school year and a couple of times throughout the summer. We are excited to have you join our BFA family!
As far as COVID is concerned, we currently have six classes
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quarantined. One of those classes does have more than one case reported, so we have one "outbreak" as defined by the CDC. If we have five outbreaks within 14 days, we would need to go remote. Most of these quarantines end next week.
As discussed at the last few Board meetings, we heard your opinions and are adding two new uniform vendors for the 2021-22 school year. We’ll share additional information and links in the newsletter next week. In the mean time, the Uniform Committee would like your feedback on a one-time try-on event with Tommy Hilfiger to be held at BFA. Please take this quick survey.
Also, at the last Board meeting, the SAC committee shared the results of the Parent Survey. As part of that survey, we asked new families if they would be interested in participating in a Town Hall meeting before the end of the year to ask any questions they may still have since their onboarding process was different due to COVID. More than half of our new families indicated that they would like that opportunity. So, we’re planning a virtual Town Hall that will be open to all BFA families, and will be similar to the Town Hall meetings held last summer. Please submit your questions by Wednesday, May 5, using this form. The Town Hall will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, via Zoom. We will record the meeting for anyone who is not available. We also will offer new family orientation and a middle school orientation at the beginning of August to ensure everyone is ready for the 2021-22 school year.
The Board and Administration are analyzing the other comments and responses from the survey. We will outline action items from the survey following the Board Retreat in June.
The parent community has knocked our socks off the past few weeks. As I mentioned previously, your donations to the Food Drive were incredible! Thank you to the CEC for organizing the drive, Student Council for counting all those donations and Ben’s Brigade for fitting everything into the truck. Also, a huge thank you to Ben's Brigade for all of their work on the school beautification day! The grounds look fantastic, and we sure appreciate your hard work (pictured below). The father-daughter event went off without a hitch! Thank you to the PTO for organizing such a special event within some problematic parameters--it was not easy as requirements kept changing, but everyone who attended had a blast. Finally, STEAM Week has been fantastic! Thank you to the STEM Committee and all of the other volunteers for making this week a special one for our students.
I hope everyone has a fun weekend. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns
Mrs. Simpson
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Thank You for Generously Supporting IFCS! |
We want to thank everyone again for their incredible kindness and generosity last week. With your support, we donated 3,173 items – 315 percent of our goal – of 1,000 items for Integrated Family Community Services (IFCS). The fifth grade students were the winners of the grade-level reward and their kindness will be celebrated with a special treat the week of May 3. Additionally, given the generosity of our entire school, an additional dress of choice day has been approved for ALL students on Friday, May 7.
The Food Drive Event would not have been successful without the time and effort of many! We would like to thank Ms. Poleschook and the Student Council for their time in counting and sorting the donated items, Ben’s Brigade for loading the IFCS van at the end of the week, the Community Events Committee members for all their work behind the scenes and Alyssa Gale Freund for chairing the One Act of Kindness event! It is wonderful to see BFA come together to impact the larger community!
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It’s been such an amazing STEAM Week so far! Here’s a recap of the activities:
Preschool and Kindie:
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The Butterfly Pavilion loaned us Mrs. Dorothy as a goodwill and educational ambassador for spiders! She talked to students about all of the things that make spiders special and shared a story. She also had a live black widow spider and a tarantula to show.
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In addition, Snapology Lego engineering shared RoboPet frogs with our preschool and kindie students. The kids constructed frog habitats and programmed their robots to climb around the habitats. (Of course, robo frog racing also ensued!)
First and Second Grade:
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Thanks to volunteers from Colorado Ballet, students learned that ballet dancers use their bodies to communicate emotion and to tell stories. They practiced using levels and danced through the water cycle... Thankfully, the enthusiastic hail dancing did not bring on a storm—until later that evening!
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CodeNinjas used block-based coding to show students how to build and play a fun video game. Each student had to work through and code the process that they wanted their character to follow. (Stealth-mode learning - We see what you did there code ninjas...)
Third and Fourth Grade
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Representatives from Snapology helped students explore the fundamental steps architects and engineers follow when designing and building structures. They practiced creating floor plans, developing scale models, designing reinforcements, as well as designing for safety and functionality.
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KidzArt taught us how amazing paper art is! Through cutting and folding, students transformed colorful paper into lanterns, hats, three-dimensional sculptures and masks.
Remote Students:
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We had another successful STEAM day, 22 remote students joined the in-person activities with Snapology Lego engineering and KidzArt paper crafts.
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Virtual students joined DaVinci Adventures and worked together to build squirmy toothbrush robots! The simple circuits ran a small motor that made the robots wiggle. In this activity the battery was the robot's "brain" sending signals to it's "muscles," the small motor that made it move. Not all of the robots cooperated... but, it was fun for the remote students to connect with each other and try something new.
We are so appreciative of the volunteer organizations that took time to share their expertise with our students. Stay tuned for more about our activities today and tomorrow.
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Elementary Room Parents Needed |
The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is looking for elementary Room Parents for next school year! Being a Room Parent is a great way to meet your volunteer hour requirement, develop a positive relationship with your child's teacher and become more involved at school. If you are interested, please send an email to Amanda Trenck and Lauren Flint, co-room parent coordinators, K-5.
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Thank You Sweetheart Ball Participants and Volunteers |
Thank you to everyone who donated items and volunteered your time to help make the Sweetheart Ball a success. The weather was perfect, the activities were a hit, and it was such a fun spring event. A huge shout out goes to Christina Dilley and Alissa Motazedi for planning the event and adjusting their sails MANY times in order to stay in line with the ever changing COVID protocols. The MJ Thomas pictures will be delivered to BFA and sent home through the classrooms before the end of the school year.
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Make Weekly Summer Camp Choices by May 7 |
If you are planning to send your student(s) to BFA’s exciting Summer Camp, please sign up for the weeks you’ll need care by end-of-day on Friday, May 7. We’ve had a lot of student registrations but, with so many parents working from home these days, we’ve not received the typical number of Summer Camp sign-ups. And without enough campers signed up for each week, we won’t be able to offer the program. If that's the case, we’ll let you know by close of business on May 10.
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Student Council is planning one more Spirit Week to celebrate everything we've accomplished this year. May 10-14, students are encouraged to dress up for each of the themed days:
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Monday, May 10 - Icon Day (from athletes to movie stars, and even TV/movie characters--dress as someone well-known)
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Tuesday, May 11- Decade Day (pick your favorite historical decade)
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Wednesday, May 12- Wacky Zoom Meeting Attire! (A new take on Wacky Wednesday--put together your craziest outfit and silliest hair)
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Thursday, May 13- Beach Day (don your summer apparel)
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Friday, May 14- Color Out Day (each grade is assigned a color--color your whole grade!)
- Kindie - yellow
- 1st - green
- 2nd - dark blue/navy
- 3rd - purple
- 4th - orange
- 5th - white
- 6th - black
- 7th- light blue
- 8th - red
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SAC is a Great Way to Serve |
The School Accountability Committee (SAC) will have their final parent meeting for the school year at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, and you’re welcome to join them. Being a member of SAC provides an excellent opportunity have an impact at BFA by reviewing school policy, advising the BFA Board and school leadership, and administering both the parent and student surveys. In addition, you’ll gain a better understanding of the inner workings of your family's school. Please consider joining them!
At the May meeting, they will review the final three policies and elect next year's SAC officers. If you're interested in joining the SAC and/or putting your name on the ballot for one of the four SAC officer positions, please review the SAC bylaws for information on the SAC's duties and the roles of the SAC officers. Then email the SAC Chair Woody Haynes.
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The BFA Student Council would like to give students an opportunity to showcase their talents, so they are planning to put together a video compilation to be shown on the last week of school. If your child would like to film their talent to be included in either the elementary (grades K-5) program or the middle school (grades 6-8) program, then please fill out this Google Form as soon as possible: Talent Show Audition. Families will be contacted by May 7 to know if their video act will be included.
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Ben's Brigade Meeting and End-of-Year Picnic |
Join Ben's Brigade for their annual Dads + Kids end-of-year picnic from 12-2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 2, in the pavilion at Redstone Park. Ben's Brigade will supply hot dogs, burgers, chips, and water. If you plan on attending, please RSVP so they know how many to expect.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please email Josh Pierce, Ben's Brigade committee chair.
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PTO Elections - Tomorrow Final Day to Vote |
The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is an integral part of BFA, and they’d like your input on the members who will serve our community next year. Since the PTO began serving BFA, they’ve raised funds to provide all manner of items for the school, including playground equipment, library books, a climbing wall, the outdoor classroom, the MakerSpace as well as tools and resources needed by the teachers, staff and administration. In addition, the PTO organizes multiple social events to bring together the entire BFA community.
The mission of the PTO is to seek resources to strengthen, enhance and encourage the educational and social experience at Ben Franklin Academy. Each year, the parent community is asked to vote for open executive officer and committee chair positions. To view the candidate bios, please visit the PTO webpage, and click on PTO Elections. Your vote is important. Voting is open through tomorrow, April 30. Each current BFA family unit is permitted to cast one vote per position. Election results will be announced at the PTO meeting on Sunday, May 16.
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Please Read if your Student Will Not Attend BFA Next School Year |
If your child(ren) in grades K-7 will not return for the 2021-22 school year, please email BFA's registrar, Colleen Bobbin, by Monday, May 3. It's important that you let us know as soon as possible if your student is leaving next year, as there may be forms to complete to initiate the withdrawal process. In addition, that will allow us time to prepare all the records your student needs for their new school.
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Get Ready for Teacher and Staff Appreciation |
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 3-7! The PTO will be recognizing all of our SUPER teachers and staff. Take a look at the flier for details about the events they have planned, as well as for ideas for how you can honor the teachers and staff who make BFA such a special place for our children. You can also use this printable note template to let your BFA superheroes know how much you appreciate them!
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Uniform Consignment Sale Coming up Soon! |
Have your kids had a growth spurt or are you ready to get new uniforms for next year? If so, mark your calendars for the upcoming Uniform Consignment Sale from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, May 8, in the outdoor courtyard between the gyms. We have uniforms in all sizes and genders; see the flier for additional information and be sure to check it out!
If you want to sell items, please see the Uniform Tagging Instructions. Follow the instructions and drop off your items with the inventory sheet at school between May 3-6.
Any unsold items will need to be picked up between 1-2 p.m. after the sale on May 8. Please note that items will not be held after the sale and we will be donating them as we do not have the capacity to hold more uniforms at this time.
If you would like to volunteer to help with the sale, please visit the SignUpGenius.
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CaveSim Returning to BFA! |
The week of May 17, Cave Dave will be returning to BFA and will bring CaveSim to kids in full-day Kindergarten as well as students in grades 1-5. Invented by a caver and MIT engineer, CaveSim makes highly realistic artificial caves that teach STEM concepts. During the programs, students explore 60 feet of cave passages filled with artificial cave formations, and learn a huge amount about caves, conservation, bats, geology, biology, chemistry, and a host of other subjects.
Parents of kids in grades K-5, be sure to look for information from your teacher about registering for this activity. To find out more about CaveSim, check out their website.
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Judges Needed for Science Fair |
Students in grades 3 and 5 are currently working on Science Fair projects, and we could use YOUR help judging. You don’t have to be a science expert to participate, and the best news is that the judging will take place via Zoom!
You’ll be able to conduct a judging session one-on-one with the students so they can present their projects to you online. But don't worry—you’ll have a little prep time before the judging starts so Mrs. Ward can walk you through some important information. There is a simple Google Form that we will use for judging each student.
If you would like to help out, and feel comfortable with the technology as described above, please consider signing up for a time slot. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Mrs. Ward.
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Summer Volleyball Camp, Grades 5-8 |
Attention incoming 2021 fifth through eighth grade boys and girls...please mark your calendar for the BFA Summer Co-Ed Volleyball Camp which will take place July 19 - July 23 in the Thunder Gym! Registration is not yet open but see the flier for additional details. We will be monitoring and following all district guidelines, so please stay tuned.
The camp is for enrolled BFA students only.
Please contact Kristen Haufschild with questions.
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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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