November 7

Dear Parents,

I hope all of the students enjoyed the Spirit Week themes this week. We saw some fantastic outfits each day. I was impressed by some of the formal wear coming through the doors yesterday for Dress of Success Day!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the SAC Fall Survey. The survey will provide important feedback for our staff. We use this feedback to drive decision-making and help make any course corrections that might be needed. The SAC Committee is still looking for a Vice Chair. If you are interested in serving in this role, please contact the Committee.

We have an incredible staff that serves our students every day. One way to recognize staff that goes above and beyond is to nominate them for an Apple Award. You can nominate any staff member or even multiple staff members for this award. I'd like to see a record number of nominations of BFA staff this year! For more information and to submit your nominations, please read the information below.

Have a good weekend!

Diana Simpson
Principal

The 2024-2025 Apple Award Nomination link is LIVE on the FoundationDCS.org website.

The 2024-2025 Apple Award Nomination window will be open now through Sunday November 11, 2024. We invite our DCSD students, teachers, staff and community to join us in nominating their favorite teacher(s), principal, classified employee and department employee.

The Nomination window closes next Monday on November 11.

The lunch option for Friday, November 8 will be French Toast Sticks and Cheesy Omelet. The menu has not updated online yet but we wanted you to know.

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.

Please visit to get the most updated events or other activities going on.

Important Upcoming Dates

📥 November 1 to December 1 - Open enrollment for kindergarten families

👕 November 8 - Spirit Wear/Crazy Sock Day

🪩 November 9 - Middle School Dance

🇺🇸 November 11 - Veteran's Day Celebration

🍎 November 11 - Last Day to Nominate for an Apple Award

📷 November 12 - Last Day for Individual Picture Retakes

🏫 November 13 - End of Trimester

👕 November 15 - AR Dress of Choice (1st - 5th Only)/Spirit Wear/Crazy Sock Day

🏫 November 19 - Board of Directors Meeting

👕 November 22- Dress of Choice/Spirit Wear/Crazy Sock Day

🦃 November 25 to 29- Thanksgiving Break

BFA follows the direction of the Douglas County School District (DCSD) regarding school closures/delays due to weather so if DCSD decides to close school for the day, then BFA will be closed as well. The Douglas County School District has been divided into three areas: Highlands Ranch, Parker and Castle Rock. It is possible for the district to close or delay school in only one of the areas. This is rare, but it is possible.

Please remember to give yourself extra time to get here. Unless there is a delayed start, we expect our students to be in their seats and ready to learn at 8:15 a.m.

If a Snow day is announced by DCSD, Ben Franklin Academy will be closed. All activities scheduled for that day will also be canceled, including BASE, athletics and extracurricular activities.

Sometimes, the weather is not severe enough for a closure, but may be significant enough to have a delayed school start. If the district calls for a delayed start, school at BFA will start 90 minutes later than normal.

If it’s been announced that BFA is on a 90-Minute Delayed Start, the following is the schedule:

• BASE: Before school care opens at 8:15 a.m. Please do not drop off your child earlier than 8:15 a.m. for before care, as no one will be at BFA to supervise your child.
• Before School Activities: All activities are canceled.
• Carpool: Carpool on a delayed start day begins at 9:15 a.m.
• School: School starts at 9:45 a.m. Students are expected to be in their seat and ready to learn by 9:45 a.m.
• Half-Day Kindergarten: Morning kindergarten starts at 9:45 a.m. and ends at the normal time. Afternoon kindergarten times do not change – normal start/end times apply.
• Preschool: BFA preschool will open at 9:40 a.m. and dismiss at the normal time. Afternoon times do not change – normal start/end times apply.

DCSD & BFA will always post notifications via email, text, website and Social Media. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram and make sure your information is updated in Infinite Campus.

All school closures can be seen on most of the local TV channels in the morning. You also may call the DCSD weather line at 303-387-SNOW (7669) to hear the latest updates on school closures or delayed starts.

If you see on the TV or hear on the weather line that Douglas County is listed as closed or delayed start that means all of the schools are closed or delayed. If you see or hear that the Parker area is closed or delayed that means that Highlands Ranch and Castle Rock are open.

You always have the option of keeping your child home if you feel that the roads are unsafe even if the school is open. This will be listed as an excused absence.

Just a great reminder that the weather can change fast in Colorado.

Layers and coats should always be sent with students. It is very rare for us to have indoor recess for an entire day and those early morning recesses can get chilly. Don't forget to label items. It can be 25 degrees at 10 a.m. and 55 degrees at 2 p.m.

Please visit our Bi-Monthly Newsletter dated October 31 for Grades K - 4.

Please visit our Bi-Monthly Newsletter dated November 7 for Grades 5 - 8.

Please visit our Bi-Monthly Newsletter dated November 7 for our Pre-K 3s and 4s.

Let’s show our appreciation for all of BFA’s amazing instructional aides with ‘Thank an Aide Day’! We would love to have your students help us shower the aides with thanks by bringing in a small token of appreciation on Friday, November 15 – a card, flower, or one of their favorite things. A list of each aides’ favorite things can be found here. Just click on the 'Instructional Aides" tab for a full list of all our aides.

The First Round of Open Enrollment (OE) for the 2025-26 school year begins tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 1. closes at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, December 2. This process is open to families who live inside and outside of Douglas County, but we want to make sure our BFA families have the info today!

Please use the following OE resources to understand the OE process and answer questions you might have:

• DCSDs Open Enrollment page
• BFAs New K-8 Enrollment page

Many parents have expressed interest in preschool registration for the upcoming 2025-26 school year, and it's incredible how quickly it approaches! Click on our Preschool Enrollment Page for more informaton.

This week, we were honored to receive two certificates from the Sons of the American Revolution in recognition of our commitment to flying the American flag daily and supporting their mission. These certificates symbolize our dedication to honoring our nation’s history and the values it represents. By proudly displaying the flag each day, we not only show our patriotism but also help foster a sense of unity and respect for those who fought for our country’s independence. We are grateful to the Sons of the American Revolution for this recognition and look forward to continuing our tradition of honoring our nation and supporting their important work in preserving American heritage.

We were also honored with a donation that we will use to ensure our American flag continues to fly each day. To learn more about the National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, Castle Rock Chapter, visit their webpage.

Please see all the wonderful things our School Committees are doing in this week's Committee Newsletter. This includes, Community Events Committee (CEC), Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), School Accountability Committee (SAC) and STEM Committee.

Thank you all who filled out the survey.

If you filled out the survey, don't forget to log in your 2 hours volunteer time Incentive!

We hope to see you NEXT week at our Veterans Day celebration. We will host two ceremonies:

• 10:15 - 11:15 a.m. - traditional ceremony including grades 4-8
• 11:45 - 12:30 p.m. - smaller ceremony including grades K-3
  
  

Seating will take place 15 minutes prior to each assembly start. We are excited to host our honored guests, and we believe kids and adults alike will enjoy our speakers and presentations.

We ask Veterans and their guests to please allow enough time to park and check-in prior to the start of the event. Don't forget, the front office will need to scan the Driver's License of our guests in the front office.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up to help with the event. We are still in need of a few volunteers for setup Sunday, Nov. 10th as well as a few positions (lunch setup and cleanup) Monday, Nov. 11th. Please visit the sign-up if you are able to help.

If you purchased a Veteran's Day Spirit Wear item, you CAN wear it on Monday. Everyone else will wear normal uniform.

This year our Veteran Day donation drive will benefit Freedom Service Dogs (FSD). Freedom Service Dogs is a Denver-based nonprofit that transforms lives by partnering people with custom-trained assistance dogs. Their clients include veterans and active-duty military with PTSD, children and teens with autism, and people with physical disabilities. Since 1987, FSD has graduated hundreds of client-dog teams at no cost to their clients. We will be collecting online donations to benefit Freedom Service Dogs in all their efforts. To donate or learn more about FSD, please scan the QR codes below and check out our FSD flyer. One of our assembly speakers will be a FSD client, Chris, who will be accompanied by his assistance dog, Noodle.

BFA SPECIAL: Free inspections and estimates & 10% off repairs

Your roof is a shield against the elements, providing your home with comfort and security. From major leaks to minor repairs, Bone Dry Roofing has the largest fleet and most experienced crews to provide customers with prompt service and complete satisfaction. Our roofs come with a lifetime guarantee*, and we commit to revisiting your home in five years to inspect our work and resolve any issues at no cost. We also offer dedicated commercial roofing services, ensuring that your commercial properties receive the same level of attention and quality workmanship.

Our first STEM Family Night of the Year
is November 21, 2024.

We are so excited to announce our upcoming Family Friendly Engineering Night hosted by the BFA STEM Committee! Get ready to put your engineering skills to the test at our Balloon-Powered Car Competition! 🏁🎈🏎️

For more information, visit our webpage or our Committee Newsletter.

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your help and time with making carpool more efficient. We are grateful to all the parents who thank our staff when they are out there during morning drop off and afternoon pick up, especially when it is cold and snowy or hot and raining.

Thank you to everyone who...

1. Announce when you arrive on property.
2. Have your cartag up to make it easy to read your last name.
3. Pull forward as far as possible to get everyone on property.
   
   

Afternoon Carpool has been flowing fast and steady. We even finish before 4 p.,m. on most days.

1st: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA8A62FABF5C52-50895521-1stgrade

2nd: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA8A62FABF5C52-50895550-2ndgrade

3rd: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA8A62FABF5C52-50895574-3rdgrade

4th: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA8A62FABF5C52-50895605-4thgrade

The bulletin board: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA8A62FABF5C52-51041711-science

Our Health Room is requesting used uniforms in our smaller sizes. If you have size 3 - 4 pants or skorts, please deliver them to the Health Room.

Join DCSD and DCHD for our annual Vaccination Clinic! See attached flyers.

Tuesday, November 19th

Douglas County Health Department

410 S Wilcox St, Castle Rock, CO 80104

Tuesday, December 3rd

Bear Canyon Elementary School

9660 Salford Ln, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

We offer many before and after school Fine Arts clubs throughout the year. We update our webpage frequently, so look often.

Arts

Music

Our Kindergarten to 5th grade students created amazing artwork. The Original Works is a wonderful opportunity for parents to support their child’s school while celebrating their creativity!

Order now through November 14, 2024 to ensure delivery for the Holidays. You can still order later for home delivery.

Ben Franklin Academy Access Code is on the cover page of each artwork. However, you can look up your student's artwork here.

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.

Boys Basketball schedule is now available. We hope to see you there!

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.

Check out the DCSD Foundation Newsletter!

Upcoming Discounted Community Events include:

- Denver Nuggets - 11/2/24, 12/28/24, 1/1/25

- Colorado Avalanche - 11/5/24

- Air Force Falcons - 11/16/24

- CU Buffs - 11/16/24 and 11/29/24

- A Christmas Carol/DCPA - 11/22 - 12/29/24

- Mannheim Steamroller/DCPA - 12/8/24

- National Western Stock Show - 1/11 - 1/26/25

- Back to the Future/DCPA - 2/7/25 2/9/25

- Mean Girls/DCPA - 2/28/25, 3/2/25

- The Wiz/DCPA - 4/25/25, 4/26/25

General link to purchase tickets or for more information is on the DCSD Foundation website.

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.