August 15
August 14, 2024
Dear Parents,
What a great first couple of days! It is so nice to have everyone back in the building. Watching students connect with old friends and make new ones is one of my favorite parts of a new school year. There were lots of shouts and hugs in carpool this morning. Also, don't worry-- the afternoon carpool will get faster each day!
We have several new families this year and some new staff, so I wanted to introduce our Administration Team to all of you.
Principal
I'm Diana Simpson, the Principal. I have served as BFA's Principal for the past seven years. Before becoming principal, I was the assistant principal here. I taught upper elementary and middle school before moving into administration. This is my twenty-eighth year in education, and I am so excited about this year at BFA. My husband and I live in Parker and love to travel and cheer on the Broncos, Nuggets, and Rockies. Our son, Kenny, lives in Nebraska with his wife, April, and our granddogs.
K - 4 Assistant Principal
Michael Peterson joined us at the end of last year as our K-4 Assistant Principal. He has six years of administrative experience and was a GT Coordinator before moving into administration. He and his wife, Lilli, live in Centennial. He has two children, Hudson and Henry, who also attend BFA this year. We are excited to have him as part of our team—even though he is a Minnesota sports fan!
5 - 8 Assistant Principal
Richard Zaccaria is our 5-8 Assistant Principal. He taught middle school school for six years before going into administration. He and his wife, Ally, welcomed their son, Rome, in May. Mr. Z grew up in New York, so our team has many sports rivalries.
Both Mr. Peterson and Mr. Zacccaria will contact families in their levels in the next couple of weeks. We will also host a "Meet the Principals" coffee event ☕—details coming soon!
PreSchool Director
Lori Hafner is our PreK Director. She taught for 3 years then worked for 23 years in a childcare setting before transitioning back to the classroom. Born in North Dakota, she moved to Colorado almost 28 years ago with her husband, Adrian, and raised all three of our children here, Shelby, Sheldon and Shantell.
New Staff & Faculty
We have some other new staff and faculty members as well. Please welcome them when you meet them.
Ms. Barta- 4th Grade teacher
Mrs. Hayes- MS Life Skills
Ms. Ferguson- MS Social Worker
Mrs. deBedout- IA and Spanish elective
Mrs. Childs- Health Assistant
Mrs. Watson- IA
Mrs. Thompson- IA
Mr. Hill- IA
Mrs. Townsend- IA
Have a great weekend!
Diana Simpson
Every Friday is now SPIRIT WEAR DAY! Students may wear any Ben Franklin-approved top. All of our Field Day, Fun Run and Charity shirts are included. Some PTO spirit wear is also approved and can be determined by visiting the PTO Spirit Wear Store. Spirit Wear store will reopen on August 27th.
Students MUST wear approved Uniform bottoms. Please refer to our Uniform Standards for more information.
Carpool: Check in, Dismissal, Walkers
Check In:
- BASE and Preschool will use the Check In option in the PikMyKid (PMK) App when you arrive in the morning or mid-day.
- Please be ready with your PMK App open if you need assistance.
Dismissal:
- We use PMK for afternoon carpool and BASE dismissal. Make sure you have downloaded the app. Visit our Carpool webpage for more information.
Walkers:
- As a parent, you choose the Walker option on PMK App. Park offsite and please prearrange a meeting spot with the student(s).
- NEW INFORMATION
- If parents wish to walk onto the property to pick up their Walkers, parents pick up the student(s) by the Buddy Benches near the turf/playground. Otherwise, parents can wait anywhere east of the school crosswalk.
- If they are in PMK as a Walker, they will be dismissed as a Walker. If a student will not be a Walker on a specific day, please go into PMK to remove them from the Walker list for that day before 2pm (call the front office if after 2pm). This can include absence, early dismissal or sport/clubs.
We also created a PikMyKid helpful and simple tutorial with screenshots for Parents. Please call our Front Office if you have any issues with the PMK app.
Medications & Immunizations can still be dropped off
- Bring student medications and completed required health forms with parent and physician’s signature to the Front Office during school hours once school starts.
- Any updated vaccination records or exemptions can be emailed to our Health Office.
Our Parent Teacher Organization looks forward to an amazing year full of events, fundraisers and sponsorships.
Got Something or Someone to Celebrate? Rent the Spirit Rock!
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 directly benefit Ben Franklin Academy!
Want to rent the Rock? Here’s how:
First, reserve the date you want by visiting the ‘Rent the Rock’ Sign Up Genius. Then, pay for your reservation through MySchoolBucks.
Have questions? Contact Lindsay Bullock, Spirit Rock Committee Manager.
Back to School Movie Night at BFA
Come kick off the school year with a fun, outdoor movie night on Saturday, August 24. We’ll be showing Despicable Me 4 on the turf field! Gates will open for the turf field at 7 p.m., and the movie will start around 8 p.m. (once it is dark). Tickets are $20 per family and can be purchased through MySchoolBucks. The BFA PTO will provide popcorn, juice, water, and cookies. Please bring blankets and chairs, and be ready for a fun night! If you have any questions, please reach out to Erin Wiley, PTO Fundraising Coordinator.
Support BFA While You Shop
If you are a King Soopers shopper, you can help earn money for BFA by signing up for King Soopers Community Rewards. For details on how to sign up for King Soopers Community Rewards visit their webpage or click here for instructions.
It's CRAZY how quickly this program adds up and how much our school can earn. From April- June of 2024, BFA earned $2,341 back from this program!
Please contact Erin Wiley, PTO Fundraising Coordinator with any questions. Thank you, again, for your support of BFA and the PTO!
Calling all Dads: Ben's Brigade Needs You!
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. 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.
The first Ben’s Brigade meeting is coming up next Thursday, August 22, 8 p.m. at Max Taps Highlands Ranch (2680 E. County Line Road), and we would love to have more dads get involved!
Contact Curtis Anderson, Ben’s Brigade Committee Manager, to learn more.
Shake Shack August Spirit Night August 28
Join us at Shake Shack (1509 Park Central Dr, Suite 100) on Wednesday, August 28 between 10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. for our first Spirit Day/Night of the school year! Shake Shack will donate 25% of your total meal purchase back to the BFA PTO! Important: you must either mention the fundraiser to your cashier at checkout, show them our digital flyer, or use code DONATESHAKE on the Shake Shack website, app, or kiosk in order for the PTO to receive credit for your order.
Please spread the word. We hope to see you there!
CEC meets the first Wednesday of each Month.
Goodies with Grandparents - Sept. 6 from 6:45 - 8:00am
A morning for students to share a special time with their grandparent(s) or special adult.
Festivities include breakfast treats, photos and activities.
Blood Drive - Oct. 25
An opportunity for our school community to give back and help others. Blood drive will be drop in at your convenience at a designated blood center.
Veteran's Day - Nov. 11
A special celebration to honor and show respect to our Veterans and current service members within our school and local community. Festivities include school wide assemblies, guest speakers, demonstrations, special lunch for Veterans, classroom activities, and a service donation drive.
Fathers Event (Ex: Donuts with Dads, Daybreak with Dads) - Feb. 21, PM event
A dedicated time for students and their fathers, or special adult, including refreshments and activities.
Mothers Event (Ex: A Morning with Mom, Magical Night with Mom) - April 4th
A dedicated time for students and their mothers, or special adult, including refreshments and activities.
Middle School Fall Sport Tryouts were in full swing this week. Our game schedules will be up on Events Calendar for Girls Volleyball, Boys Soccer and Co-Ed Cross Country.
Cross Country Tryouts are next week and open to Grades 5 - 8. You MUST sign up in MySchoolBucks to tryout (no cost, it is just parent permission).
Tryouts
Students will meet in Outdoor Classroom
Tuesday, August 20 at 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday, August 21 at 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
Thursday, August 22 at 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
Visit our Athletics Page for more information about our Athletics Programs at BFA.
Our delicious lunch is provided by DCSD. Check out the menu for the first weeks of school.
If a student has a specific dietary restriction or allergy, parents must contact DCSD Nutrition Services to arrange an allergy/restriction lunch section.
BFA does not provide breakfast at this time.