Committee News December 10
Did you know we are updating our Calendar almost everyday?
Important Committee Events
December 3 - SAC Meeting - Virtual Only
December 6 - Thank An Aide Day
December 10 - PTO Meeting and Holiday Party
December 19 - STEM Committee Meeting (via Zoom)
December 20 - K - 5 Grade Winter Parties
December CEC Monthly Meeting CANCELLED
We know this is a busy time of year, so the CEC will NOT hold their monthly December meeting. We'll see you in 2025! You can find the agenda and minutes on our webpage.
December PTO Meeting and Holiday Gathering – Tonight! Please RSVP
You’re invited to join members of the BFA PTO for their holiday gathering! This FUN event is for all of the adults who make BFA a special community (PTO members AND non-members) and will be held at 8 p.m. TONIGHT, Tuesday, December 10, at Old Blinking Light (9344 Dorchester St., Highlands Ranch). Dinner will be provided by the PTO, and there will even be a gift exchange! Please visit the SignUp Genius for more details and to RSVP. Happy holidays!
You’re also invited to join the PTO for their December meeting prior to the holiday gathering at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, also at Old Blinking Light.
A Big Outpour of Thanks!
Thank you all 🙏for all the outpour of Thanks😍! A huge thank you to our PTO and our Board member, Keri Street for adding so many fun extras for them today. ❤️🤍💙
Order Your Yearbook and Dedication Today for the Best Pricing!
The 2024-2025 yearbooks are on sale now and cost $50 per book. You may also order a yearbook dedication (parent tribute ad) for your student. Dedications are $40 for 1/8 of page if you order by December 31. After that, the price for dedications will go up to $45 from 1/1 until the last day to order, 1/26. These ads are a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!
This year, we will again be using Jostens for our yearbooks. You can order and pay for your 2024 - 2025 yearbook here, and your dedication here!
2025 BENefit Bash – Auction Items Needed!
The BENefit Bash is the PTO's primary fundraiser this school year. It's a BFA tradition parents look forward to, so we hope you'll save the date! This year’s Bash will be “A Night in Tuscany” held on Saturday, March 8, at Cielo at Castle Pines.
It takes a lot of support to host the Bash--so whether you're new to auctions/events or a veteran Bash volunteer--we could sure use your help!
In addition, we are in need of silent and live auction items! We are looking for a variety of things:
- Physical merchandise or gift certificates for products and/or services
- Tickets for sporting events
- Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
- Special experiences / tours
- Wine / Liquor
- Monetary Donations
Or, if you are connected to any business or person that may be a potential donor, an introduction to them would be amazing as well! Your generosity can make a significant impact on the lives of our students, as the funds raised from these auctions are used directly for improvements at BFA.
If you have something you would like to donate, know of a potential donor, or to volunteer, please reach out to the PTO Fundraising Coordinator, Erin Wiley. Thank you in advance for your support!
HINDS FINANCIAL (Hinds Family)
Jon is a Partner of Hinds Financial Group and heads our investment strategy practice. He has been with Hinds Financial group since 1999 and a partner since 2004. He has years of experience and knowledge in investment and financial planning including portfolio construction, portfolio tax-management, and sub-advisor due diligence in addition to working with clients and their long-term planning. Whether utilizing fixed income portfolios, mutual funds, exchange traded funds, stocks or alternative strategies, Jon will use tools to help clients develop a strategy that fits. He meets with families on a regular basis to prudently monitor the appropriateness of strategies for people as their lives change.
DEBACCO PROPERTIES (DeBacco Family)
Mention BFA when you give us a call and receive $500 towards your transaction! Refer a friend to us and they'll receive the same benefit!
DeBacco Properties is a family-owned and operated residential real estate business offering elite services with a "Golden Rule" approach. We specialize in helping our clients sell, buy, and invest in real estate throughout our Highlands Ranch neighborhood and beyond. We love building community, giving back, and having fun along the way. We look forward to working with you! Mention BFA and receive $500 towards your transaction!
We know that finding a martial arts school can be overwhelming. At Legacy Martial Arts, our priority is to help you and/or your children become better versions of yourselves. Our expert instructors are here to learn your goals, and help you achieve them in a fun, exciting, and welcoming environment. Take a minute to learn more about our facility, programs, and community through our website, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Based in the Rocky Mountain region, Moody Insurance has served the businesses and communities of Colorado for 50 years. Our team of experienced professionals provide specialized risk management solutions, insurance, bonding, employee benefits, and personal lines, so you have the coverage and support you need.
Monthly Meeting on January 7, 2024
Please join us on January 7 at 4:30 p.m. for our SAC monthly meeting. Join us online. Zoom information is on the top of every agenda. You can find the agenda and minutes on our webpage.
Fall Survey Update
Thank you to everyone who filled out the survey! With 751 responses, we are thrilled to have reached over 85% participation in our survey, with several classes achieving an incredible 100%! As parents ourselves, we understand how important your feedback is in shaping the future of our school. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and help us grow and improve together.
Our SAC Surveys provide an excellent opportunity for families to share their insights with the school. They allow us to celebrate what we’re doing well and identify areas where we can continue to grow and improve. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of our school community! We will reach out again in the spring for our next survey.
Here are the classes who reached our goal of 80% parent participation to have an extra dress of choice. The date will be emailed through their teachers!
Kindergarten Mrs. DePasse
Kindergarten Mrs. Bauer
1st Grade Mrs. Ferguson
1st Grade Mrs. Knight
1st Grade Ms. Lukasiewicz
2nd Grade Mrs. Hinz
2nd Grade Ms. McElroy
2nd Grade Ms. Whelan
3rd Grade Mrs. Loehr
3rd Grade Mrs. McMahon
3rd Grade Mrs. Wilson
4th Grade Mrs. Van Wyk
4th Grade Ms. Barta
4th Grade Mrs. Lukasiewicz
5th Grade Mrs. Calahan
5th Grade Mrs. Dunn
5th Grade Ms. Richardson
5th Grade Mr. Wood
7th Grade - Entire Grade
Join SAC!
We are still looking for parents to join our SAC committee. It is a great way to help and leave a footprint at BFA. Email our SAC Chair, Karen Ramon if you are interested.
STEM Family Night
Hello BFA Students and Family Members 🤓
We want to thank everyone who attended the BFA STEM Committee’s annual Family Fun Engineering Night! November’s event was balloon car-themed. Family teams used engineering principles of thrust and aerodynamics to design balloon-powered cars! Racers competed in multiple heats, finding out whose cars would be the fastest and travel furthest.
Over 28 family teams participated in the design, practice, and competition process! Racers used various recycled materials including plastic bottles and cardboard to construct their balloon-powered vehicles. Teams competed for awards in 1.) Speed 2.) Distance 3.) Engineering Principles and 4.) Creativity. Ribbons were awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for each category.
The Todd family team won the 1st place prize for speed with their car traveling 15’ in under 4 seconds. The Taylor family team took home the 1st place prize for distance with their car traveling a total of 40’ 2”! Congratulations to all our racers, for showing up, thinking like engineers, and developing creative and innovative car designs. We were blown away!
Be on the lookout for another Family Fun Engineering Night in March 2025! We will send out more information from the BFA STEM Committee soon. Put your thinking caps on 🧠!
Warmly,
Ben Franklin Academy STEM Committee
Join the STEM Committee
Excited about creating fun experiments? Love tinkering with technology? Join the BFA Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Committee! We generally meet via Zoom on evenings of the 3rd Thursday of the month. Earn volunteer hours by participating from your phone or computer! Inspire the innovator in you and your child!
Check out the flyer or the STEM webpage for more information.
