September 12
BFA's 13 Virtues
Ben Franklin's 13 Virtues are the backbone of our character education program here at BFA. We emphasize all thirteen virtues but like to highlight one or two each month. September's virtues are:
Justice – Be respectful. Give everyone a chance to work or play. Give others a chance to express themselves. Share. Remember that others are counting on you, so live up to your duty.
Silence – There is a time and place to speak up and a time to listen. You learn more by listening than speaking.
Our students have been diligently practicing the virtues of Silence and Justice. They have been walking quietly in the hallways, showing respect to each other and adults. They have also demonstrated fairness by letting everyone have a turn and being equitable in their words and play. We are proud of their efforts and the progress they are making in their character development.
I'm excited to point you to our newly updated Virtues page on our website, where you can find information on our virtues. Also, on this page, you will see our new 13 Virtues logo. The logo embodies how our character education is incorporated into the classroom and school. Look below to see what each part of the logo represents. Thank you to Kelley Marie Paulson, our Communications Director, for this design. It is beautiful.
Next Friday, September 20, is a professional development day for our teachers. There is no school for students. The teachers will use this time to do additional safety training and data analysis from our beginning-of-the-year testing.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Diana Simpson
What does our new 13 Virtues Logo mean?
The Mountains represent the great heights our students reach.
The Laurel Leaves represent the triumphs our students achieve.
The Banner with Stars is a representation of how our students are recognized when they succeed.
The Circle of Virtues shows the unbreakable bond of our 13 virtues.
Perfect Attendance Gets Your Student into a Rapids Game
We have partnered with the Colorado Rapids to reward and incentivize attendance here at Ben Franklin Academy by giving students with perfect attendance in the month of September, a complimentary ticket to a Rapids match with the purchase of an adult ticket.
The Rapids boast one of the most family-friendly and fun game day experiences in town. From celebrating the goals together, to the roar of the stadium crowd, to the hot dogs at halftime, Colorado Rapids games are where memories can be made. Students who qualify will receive a ticket link voucher to redeem their complimentary ticket with purchase of additional discounted tickets. Vouchers will be redeemable for Rapids home games on 10/2 & 10/5.
Did you know we are updating our Calendar almost everyday?
Bookmark Our Events Calendar Now!
We are so fortunate to have an active community. We hope to see you all very soon at one of these events.
Ms. Barbara Laines
Ms. Barbara, as the students call her, has been at BFA for 2 years. She helps clean our school, ALL our accidents and does it with a HUGE smile. Barbara wears a BFA shirt every day to show her school spirit. Ms. Barbara will drop everything to help a teacher or student. Whether you visit the cafeteria, hallway, classroom or bathroom, you can see how clean our school is because of her. Thank you for being amazing, Barbara.
Please join us in thanking her when you see her around the school.
Picture Retakes!
Our picture retakes for PreK to 5th, 7th & 8th Grades will be October 9th.
6th Grade students will have their picture retakes on October 24th during advisory.
Students who have yet to get their pictures taken will be called down individually. Order forms will be sent to parents after the pictures are taken.
Missed Ordering Pictures?
If you missed ordering pictures for your student, you can contact MJ Thomas to still order.
Lost/Damage Book Replacements:
Due to the special binding, Lost/Damaged books may not be replaced by students from any other source. We have to order our books through the vendor to make sure they have the correct binding. Amazon's library bound books do not qualify.
Please do not send cash/check/charge cards with your student. The charge is in your student's MSB account and should be paid for using MSB.
Unpaid fines after a 6 week period mean that your student may not be able to check out books.
Fall break is just around the corner. If you would like for your child(ren) to attend our week long camp on Oct 14-18, please register them through your MSB account.
Registration Is NOW OPEN. Check our Grade Level newsletters for more information!
BFA BOD Monthly Meeting - Sept 17
The Ben Franklin Academy (BFA) Board of Directors (Board) generally holds its regular meetings at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at BFA. Board meetings are open to the public and are conducted in compliance with Colorado Open Meetings Requirements. All are welcome to attend. The time and location of all Board meetings are posted on the school website calendar. If you would like to be proactively notified about all regular and special board meetings, please email BFA’s Board Secretary to be added to our “sunshine” distribution list.
Agendas are posted below 24 hours prior to a meeting. If you would like to appear before the Board, please email the Board President. We’d love to see you at these meetings.
Visit our Board of Directors page for information on agendas and minutes from the meetings.
Our Parent Teacher Organization looks forward to an amazing year full of events, fundraisers and sponsorships.
September’s Volunteers of the Month
For the month of September, Noah and Jen Borstad have been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteers of the Month.
They were nominated by Principal Simpson and the front office staff and are being recognized for the time they have spent helping with Ben's Brigade, in their children's classrooms, and in the lunchroom. They have set themselves apart and set an excellent example of outstanding volunteerism! For all of their efforts, we'd like to say thank you and recognize Noah and Jen.
Noah and Jen have 3 children: Soren (8th), Elin (5th) and Hamilton (K), and are in their fourth year at BFA. Noah works in cybersecurity for Verizon and Jen has a background in pediatric nursing.
When asked what they love about BFA, they said: “We love the curriculum at BFA and especially love all the emphasis on science and hands-on learning. Our kids are not only challenged academically but have found great friends at BFA and we love being able to volunteer in a variety of ways to support this community.”
Congratulations, again, Noah and Jen. And, thank you for all you do for BFA!
If you know someone who should be considered for volunteer of the month for outstanding volunteerism, please email Janelle Nichols, PTO President.
Get Your Tickets for the Colorado Rapids Soccer Spirit Night!
Our September PTO Spirit Night will be a Colorado Rapids soccer game on Saturday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. AND there is an exclusive drone show after the game!!!!!
The Rapids play at Dick's Sporting Goods Park (6000 Victory Way, Commerce City) and are playing the Portland Timbers that night. BFA families and friends will receive special discounted pricing, and $5 from each ticket sold will be donated to the BFA PTO when purchased through our ticketing link. Tickets are available for the Spirit Night in Section 120. We hope to see you there! It will be a great night to cheer on the Rapids with fellow BFA families!
Lights, Camera, Smile!! Get Your 2024-2025 Yearbook!
The 2024-2025 yearbooks are on sale now! Be sure to order yours early for the best pricing. Right
now, yearbooks cost $40 per book. Don’t wait, as prices will go up after October 14! You may also
order a yearbook dedication (parent tribute ad) for your student. Dedications start at $40, and 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!
DirectorySpot - BFA's Online Directory
Now that school is underway, it is time to update and add new families to the BFA directory! Again, this year, BFA will be using DirectorySpot for our online school directory. It's an incredibly handy resource, that contains each family's class roster(s) and contact information, as well as the entire BFA directory.
DirectorySpot is an app-based online directory. The free app is available for download through the App Store and Google Play, simply search for: "DirectorySpot". Once this year’s directory is ready, you will receive an email from DirectorySpot with your one-time password. If you would like to update your family's information for the directory or opt out, you need to act today!
You have until Saturday, September 28, to do the following:
1. If your child goes by a nickname or shortened name, contact our PTO Vice President.
2. If you have recently moved or changed an email address or cell number, you can update your information in Infinite Campus AND email the school registrar.
3. If you DO NOT want any or all of your personal information listed in the directory, contact ptovp@bfacademy.org. You may OPT OUT completely, or partially. If you take no action, your information will be included in the BFA Directory.
If you have questions, please contact Andreya Flanigan, PTO Vice-President.
Calling all Dads: You’re Invited to the Ben's Brigade Meeting
The next Ben’s Brigade meeting is coming up on Thursday, September 26, 8 p.m. at Max Taps Highlands Ranch (2680 E. County Line Road), and they would love to have more dads get involved!
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.
Contact Curtis Anderson and Trent Ongert, Ben’s Brigade Co-Committee Managers to learn more.
Get ready BFA, the annual FranklinFest is back!
This time-honored event is a great way to connect with the whole Ben Franklin community! We hope you'll join us for activities, food, and fun on Saturday, September 28 from 3 - 7 p.m. at BFA. There will be games, bounce houses, obstacle courses, lawn games, face painting, balloon artists, cotton candy, and the always popular CAKE WALK!!!! Hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, and sides will be served between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. All families are welcome!
Tickets are on sale NOW through September 21 on MySchoolBucks.
Ticket prices are:
Family of 3- $40,
Family of 4- $50,
Family of 5- $60,
Family of 6- $70
Additional individuals are $15 each
Families who have completed and logged their family’s recommended volunteer hours (30 hours per family or 15 hours per single parent household) for the current school year in Help Counter by
midnight Saturday, September 21, will be given free admission to the event! We will have a list at
the door of the families that have completed their hours for free entry. These families don’t need to
purchase tickets and can simply check in at the door.
And, families that volunteer at least 2 hours at FranklinFest will get half off their admission ticket
price to the event! To get the discount, you must purchase regular priced tickets through
MySchoolBucks. Then, after completing your FranklinFest volunteer hours, send an email to
ptosocial@bfacademy.org by October 1 with your name, mailing address, and a copy of your ticket
purchase receipt. A refund check will be mailed to you.
We can't make this event happen without our volunteers! Volunteers spend a little time helping with
setup and tear down, inflatables, food, and check-in, and can spend the rest of the afternoon
enjoying the event with their family! We hope you’ll consider volunteering to help staff the event, or donating a cake for the cake walk! These are great, and FUN, hours that count towards those family totals!
Please contact Ewelina Chrzanowski, PTO social coordinator if you have any questions.
Blood Drive - Oct. 25
Veteran's Day - Nov. 11
Fathers Event - Feb. 21 (Ex: Donuts with Dads, Daybreak with Dads)
Mothers Event - April 4th (Ex: A Morning with Mom, Magical Night with Mom)
Monthly Meeting on October 1, 2024
Please join us on October 1 at 4:30 p.m. for our SAC monthly meeting. Join in person or online. Zoom information is on the top of every agenda. You can find the agenda and minutes on their webpage.
At Home Projects
Do you like to volunteer doing At-Home Projects? Email Volunteer to get on the list. Throughout the year, we receive many projects from teachers that require a volunteer to take home and bring back finished.
We even have projects ready so email today!
Mile Run Volunteers for Grades 4 - 5
The 4th and 5th graders will be doing fitness assessments for their next unit in P.E.
We will be starting with the mile run/walk as part of this, and Ms. Nichols would love some help to keep the children safe as they run around the school. We will meet in the big gym (thunder gym), and I will give you some instructions before we head out to the outdoor classroom to get started. Thank you in advance for your help!
Fall Sports were in full swing this week. Our game schedules will be up on Events Calendar for Girls Volleyball, Boys Soccer, Co-Ed Cross Country and Landsharks.
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.
Get to know your local law enforcement while enjoying a morning of fishing!
Join Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Highlands Ranch Metro District park rangers to learn the basics or advance your angling skills. Colorado Parks and Wildlife will provide fishing rods for each participant to use and take home. This is a catch and release event.
Saturday, Sept. 28
8-11 a.m.
Fly’n B Park
$15 ($18 for nonresidents)
Discounted group rate available for registrations of 3 or more.