Weekly Newsletter
February 6, 2025
I hope everyone has been enjoying the warmer weather this week. It's supposed to get colder again next week, so make sure your children check lost and found for any missing winter weather items.
At the beginning of the school year, we had seen a steady increase in tardies. One day in December, we had over 100 in a single day! After the holiday break, we instituted our new tardy procedure. When the front doors are shut, this signals that your children are tardy, and you will need to come in and sign them in at the Front Office, regardless of the car lane.
This system may seem like a hassle; however, we have seen a slow drop in tardies. During the week of 1/21-1/25, we had 229 tardies in total. Last week, we had 191. This week, we have had significantly less so far. We had no cars in sight on Monday and Tuesday when we closed the doors. Keep up the good work, BFA! We still have a few families that are consistently late each day. I will be reaching out to those families next week to see if there is anything they need assistance with.
I hope to see everyone next week at parent-teacher conferences. Have a good weekend!
Diana Simpson
Bookmark Our Events Calendar Now!
Please visit to get the most updated events or other activities going on.
Important Upcoming Dates
👑 February 7 - Kindergarten King 🤴 & Queen 👸 Ball
👕 February 7 - National Wear ❤️ Red Day ❤️
👕 February 7 - BFA Spirit Wear & Crazy Sock Day
🏫 February 11 and 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences
👕 February 11 and 13 - Used Uniform Sale at P/T Conferences
🏫 February 12 - PTO Virtual Meeting
🏫 February 13 - K - 5 Valentine's Day Parties
🏫 February 14 - No School (Comp Day)
🏫 February 17 - No School (President's Day)
🏫 February 18 - Board of Directors Meeting
🥮 February 21 - Desserts with Dad
SAVE THE DATE
March 5 - STEM Family Night
March 8 - BENefit Bash
Our 2025 Schoolwide Level UP! Challenge #3
Level UP Challenge: Supporting the Kid’s Heart Challenge!
Our next school-wide Level UP Challenge isn’t just about getting our heart rates up—it’s about giving back! Our goal is to raise $7,500 for the Kid’s Heart Challenge.
- Grades Pre-K – 5 had a great start with the Kids Heart Challenge. 🙌❤️ We have raised over $2,400 through donations from our families and friends. ❤️🙌
- Grades 6 – 8 will help raise funds by selling charity t-shirts and joining a Dodgeball team to support the cause. Stay tuned for more information on how to get your shirt!
If we reach our $7,500 goal, every classroom will earn an extra recess
during the week of March 24 – 28!
❤️💪Let’s Level UP and make a difference! 💪❤️
Middle School Kick Off - February 28
Middle School Charity Week: Kicking Off the Kid’s Heart Challenge!
Our 6th–8th grade students will launch their Kid’s Heart Challenge as part of Charity Week! They’ll start by designing and selling charity t-shirts, then wrap up the week with an exciting Dodgeball for Dollars event. We’ll be announcing soon when the charity t-shirts go on sale—stay tuned! 👕🎉
Let's get ready for a heart-thumping, crowd-cheering good time! ❤️🏆
Ms. Savoy
Ms. Savoy is the Director of the B.A.S.E. and Summer Camp programs at Ben Franklin Academy. She has been a part of the BFA community since 2011, starting in the Preschool program before transitioning to B.A.S.E., where she earned her Director's Certification. She especially loves running the Summer Camp program, working alongside an incredible staff, and creating a fun experience for both students and team members. Her role also gives her the flexibility to assist in other areas of the school whenever possible.
After years of military moves, Ms. Savoy and her husband, Frank, are thrilled to call Colorado home. They have three adult children—Justin, Zach, and Erin. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, home projects, and spending time outdoors with her family.
Ms. Savoy is passionate about fostering an enriching environment for all children. She loves being part of the BFA family and community and cherishes the opportunity to connect with both students and parents.
Click here to view her favorites.
Volunteering? Please keep future BFA students at home.
We love when you come and volunteer with us! It’s a great way to get involved, meet new people, and make a positive impact. However, to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, we ask that siblings, aka Future BFA students, stay at home for the day. This allows us to keep the focus on the activities and ensures that we can give everyone the attention they deserve.
We appreciate your understanding and look forward to having you join us for a fun and meaningful time!
Want to earn hours while helping at home? We have lots of projects you can help while in the comfort of your home. Contact us to get on our email list. We have many opportunities throughout the year.
We are incredibly grateful for our volunteers and the positive impact you have on our students!
👕👚Used Uniform Sale👕👚
PTO is having their Used Uniform Sale on February 11 & 13. They need volunteers to help set up, sell and pack up clothes.
Check out the Sign Up and see how you can help!
There are 30 min. opportunities also! Great for busy families.
Do You Love Baking?🥘🥖🧁
The Baking Committee can use your help!
You can help provide dinner 🥖🥣🍜 for our staff on February 13. Spring Conference dinner on 2/13
Colorado Rapids Attendance Celebration! ⚽
We have partnered with the Colorado Rapids to reward and incentivize attendance here at Ben Franklin Academy by giving students who have not missed more than 2 days, from January 20 - February 21, a complimentary ticket to a Colorado Rapids match with the purchase of an adult ticket.
Students who qualify will receive a ticket link voucher via email to redeem their complimentary ticket with purchase of additional discounted tickets. Vouchers will be redeemable for qualifying Spring 2025 games.
B.A.S.E. Summer Camp
The initial summer camp registration of $35 per child will open on Monday February 24, 2025.
Weekly registrations for the 2025 Summer Camp program will open Monday March 24, 2025, in MySchoolBucks.
Prior to registering for the weeks needed, you must first pay the initial registration fee of $35 per child. As a reminder, this registration fee includes one summer camp t-shirt and one day pack.
After you complete the initial registration for each student, you will be able to sign up for the weeks you need. The cost is $250 per week, per child. We do not offer drop-in care or partial week registrations.
If you would like a copy of the activity calendars (available after spring break) or have any questions, please email Leigh Savoy.
News from the Health Room
Dear families of students attending Colorado kindergarten through 12th grade schools for the 2025-26 school year. Please take a look at the letter below which includes important information about Colorado’s school vaccine requirements, as well as other resources. There’s nothing more important than making sure your child or children stay healthy and learning all year long. Getting vaccinated gives children and adolescents the best chance of staying healthy and in school.
Damaged or Lost Books
Library Book Replacement & Fines
Due to special library binding, lost or damaged books must be replaced through the district-approved vendor to ensure compatibility. Parents cannot order from the vendor directly—replacements must go through the school. Books purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other retailers (even library-bound editions) do not qualify.
Important Guidelines:
- Do not send a purchased book as a replacement; it cannot be entered into our system.
- Do not send cash, checks, or charge cards with your student. Fines will be added to their MSB account and should be paid via MSB.
- If a lost book is returned in good condition within 90 days and has not yet been replaced, the fee will be removed from the student’s account.
Some students may not realize the impact of losing or damaging a book, especially if we have multiple copies. However, popular books are in high demand, and we work hard to maintain our collection. We always attempt to repair books before assessing a fine, but some damage is beyond repair. On average, over 20 books per week need repairs, and we make every effort to avoid charging students.
Unpaid fines for damaged books after six weeks may result in your student being unable to check out books.
If a book is mistakenly returned to Douglas County Library (DCL), it will be sent back to BFA within 2–3 weeks. If you suspect this has happened, please email Ms. Williams , and she will note your student’s account so they can continue checking out books.
Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our library collection in great shape!
Lost and Found
Our lost and found will be cleared out on February 14.
The last day to look through the items is February 13.
Please pop in and take a look before it is all donated.
Any uniforms items will be donated to our PTO.
All clothing or non-valuable items are donated to
local students in need at elementary schools in Denver Public Schools.
Any valuables such as jewelry, glasses, watches, or any other item that are small and expensive will be taken to the office.
Middle School Dodgeball 4 Dollars
This year there are a few changes that we will go over with students during advisory. Students will be able to access all instructions and rules in Google Classroom.
- Team Registration: Students may sign up for 2 teams and the cost is $7 a team; only the team captain fills out the form. Teams have until February 28th to sign up their team.
- All middle schoolers need to bring their own lunch. NO DCSD HOT LUNCH or FOOD DELIVERIES for this day. (No Grub Hub, Uber Eats, OR parent delivered hot lunches.)
- No Visitors this day. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate visitors, including parents or alumni.
- Payment: Parents will be invoiced through MySchoolBucks for each student. The maximum cost is $14 as they can only choose to be on 2 teams.
- No regular scheduled classes happen March 14.
- This is a Dress of Choice day. Please remember even Dodgeball Team shirts need to follow our Uniform Policies. Students that have two uniform violations between February 18 and March 13 will not have dress of choice for Dodgeball…even if they’re playing.
Tickets still available for the 2025 BENefit Bash!
The BENefit Bash, on March 8, is the PTO’s primary fundraiser this year. It’s a BFA tradition parents look forward to, so we hope you’ll PURCHASE your tickets TODAY! The Bash will be held from 5 – 10 p.m. at Cielo in Castle Pines.
We are still in need of silent and live auction items! We are looking for a variety of things: sports items, timeshares, lodging, gift basket items etc. Please consider how you can help!
If you have something you would like to donate, or if you’d like to volunteer, please reach out to Erin Wiley, PTO Fundraising Coordinator.
Desserts with Dad
The CEC is excited to host Desserts with Dads, Friday, February 21. The event will be held in the evening from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at BFA. This will be a fun time for students and their fathers, or other special adult. Get ready for a fun-filled evening with plenty of sweet treats, laser tag and bingo! No RSVP needed.
Volunteer Opportunities Available
We are looking for volunteers to help make this event a success. Please see the sign up for available opportunities. We would love to have you be a part of this fun event!
Two Seats Open on the BFA Board of Directors in Spring 2025
The Ben Franklin Academy (BFA) community is seeking leaders who are passionate about and committed to BFA’s mission and vision to serve on the BFA Board of Directors (Board). In the spring of 2025, the BFA community will elect (or re-elect) one (1) director and the BFA Board will appoint one (1) director in accordance with the Board of Directors Election Policy to serve on the volunteer, seven-director BFA Board. We hope to receive a record number of nominations with a desire of having a diverse, talented and dedicated pool of candidates to draw from for BFA’s Board.
The Board encourages all individuals with a passion to serve the BFA community to get involved in the nomination and election process this spring. More details on the election/appointment process, director qualifications and Board needs will be communicated in early 2025.
If you have any questions please reach out to Adam Lucero or Justin Mayhall.
Mary Poppins Save the Date - Feb. 28 and March 1
Each year, our Middle School proudly presents a musical, and this year’s production will be Mary Poppins! Two electives—acting and design—work together to bring the show to life. The acting elective focuses on rehearsing songs, perfecting choreography, and developing stage presence, while the design elective handles the technical aspects, including set construction, lighting, and costume design. This collaborative effort allows students to showcase their talents both on stage and behind the scenes, making the production a truly magical experience.
This is free for all our families. There will be 2 shows on February 28 and March 1.
Harper Arts - Private/Semi-Private Lessons at BFA
Did you know that your students can participate in private or semi-private music lessons during the school day? Music lessons help students develop a myriad of skills including confidence, patience, discipline, perseverance, collaboration, creativity and social skills! Not to mention, students who study music develop critical thinking skills!
We have several openings during the school day and we are ready for your students to join us today!
Click here for more information or go directly to the website to sign up now! We can’t wait to play music with you!
Winter Sports are gearing up. Our game schedules will be posted in our Monthly Calendar for all our upcoming sports. Visit our Athletics Page for more information about our Athletics Programs at BFA.Hope to see you at the games!
Girls Basketball Game Schedule is available.
Home Games Parking: Please remember to park in Athletic spots ONLY. When attending after school athletic games, as a courtesy, please do not park in the 6 clearly marked parking spots for the BASE parents during the hours of 4pm-6pm.
Reserved Parking Spots (24/7)
Please be mindful that the "Reserved" parking spots in front of the school and along the fence near the preschool parking lot are designated for specific individuals. These spots are assigned for staff, auction winners, or other authorized personnel, ensuring they have access when needed. The spots are reserved 24/7 and should not be used for general parking.
Parking in these reserved spaces without permission can cause disruptions and inconvenience to those who rely on them. We kindly ask all families to respect these designations and use the appropriate general parking areas. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our parking system running smoothly!
2025 Douglas County Outstanding Youth Awards ~ Nominations are Open
Hosted by the Douglas County Youth Initiative
The Outstanding Youth Awards recognizes teenagers between 13 and 19 who have overcome personal adversity and created positive change in their lives. The Youth Awards focus on teenagers who have triumphed over great odds and serve as inspirations and role models. If you know young people who would be good candidates, please submit nominations by March 4.
Our delicious lunch is provided by DCSD. Check out the menu and select the current month.
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.