Weekly Newsletter
February 13, 2025
Dear Parents,
With a long weekend ahead, many of our students will spend significant time on social media. Social media is a big part of our kids' lives, but it comes with risks we can't ignore. While it offers fun ways to connect, it also exposes children to potential dangers like inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and privacy concerns. Here's what you need to know and how to help your child stay safe.
1. Inappropriate Content
Even with age restrictions, kids can still come across content that's too mature for them. It's essential to monitor what they're exposed to online. We have filters here at school to block content, but we also use "Securely" to notify us of any questionable searches. You can set up a parent account through Securly to monitor your child's online activity while they are using school devices. Please contact Mrs. Konesky if you are interested.
2. Cyberbullying
Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can follow kids everywhere. Ensure your child feels comfortable talking to you about any online issues.
3. Mental Health Concerns
Social media can create unrealistic comparisons, affecting self-esteem and mental health. Please encourage your child to focus on real-life connections and balance their online time. There are other health concerns as well. Social Media has been shown to alter brain development in young children and adolescents.
4. Privacy Risks
Kids often overshare personal information online. Teach them about privacy settings and the importance of protecting their details.
5. Excessive Screen Time
Too much screen time can interfere with homework, sleep, and family time. Set limits and encourage offline activities. Many internet providers have ways to set time limits and downtime hours. Contact your provider to see how you can set these limits. A great way to do this is not to allow them to have their phones in their rooms overnight. Bring their phone to your room one night; you might be surprised by how many notifications and texts they get at all hours!
How You Can Help:
- Set clear rules for social media use and screen time.
- Keep the conversation open about their online experiences.
- Use privacy settings and monitor their activity.
- Be a role model for healthy digital habits.
I hope you celebrate a low-tech Valentine's Day tomorrow and have a wonderful weekend.
Mrs. Simpson
Bookmark Our Events Calendar Now!
Please visit to get the most updated events or other activities going on.
Important Upcoming Dates
🏫 February 14 - No School (Comp Day)
🏫 February 17 - No School (President's Day)
🏫 February 18 - Board of Directors Meeting
🏫 February 20 - STEM Committee Meeting
🏫 February 20 - Ben's Brigade Meeting
🦣 February 21 - Colorado Mammoth Spirit Wear Day
🥮 February 21 - Desserts with Dad
📆 February 26 - End of 2nd Trimester
👕 February 28 - AR Dress of Choice (K - 5 Only)
🎭🎶 February 28 & March 1 - Mary Poppins Musical
SAVE THE DATE
March 5 - STEM Family Night
March 8 - BENefit Bash
Our 2025 School-wide Level UP! Challenge #3
Level UP Challenge: Supporting the Kid’s Heart Challenge! We are OVER 1/2 way there!
- Grades Pre-K – 5 had a great start with the Kids Heart Challenge. 🙌❤️ We have raised over $4,500 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!
Mrs. Crowe's Class is in the lead with $533 and 3rd Grade has raised $1,139!
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! ❤️🏆
Charity Spirit Week and T-shirt Sales
Charity Spirit Week
To celebrate current and past charity weeks, we are having a Charity Spirit Week.
Monday, March 10: Wear the 2025 Charity T-Shirt! Regular uniform bottoms & socks apply!
Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 12: Wear ANY BFA charity t-shirt. Regular uniform bottoms & socks apply!
Thursday, March 13: Color Out for a Cause. Wear ANY charity t-shirt or color t-shirt AND socks that represents a cause. Regular uniform bottoms apply!
Friday, March 14: Dress of Choice.
Charity T-Shirt Sales
It's time to get your 2025 Charity T-shirt!
This year's charity shirt is a red shirt with white writing to honor the American Heart Association and all the Heart Heroes in the Ben Franklin Academy Community!
Sales start today and go through Thursday, February 20. Go to MySchoolBucks to purchase a shirt for your student today! Parents can also purchase shirts; order yours under your student's myschoolbucks account. For only $20, all the proceeds will go to AHA and our goal to raise $7,500!
You ONLY have 1 week to purchase this shirt, so don't delay!
This t-shirt was designed by Harlene Villareal and Molly Murphy. We have some talented students!
Ms. Losasso
Ms. Losasso is our dedicated Special Education Paraprofessional. With her boundless energy and passion for helping students succeed, she provides invaluable support to our special education team. She works closely with students, focusing on their strengths and encouraging perseverance in both academics and personal growth. Her enthusiasm, patience, and commitment makes her an essential part of the BFA community.
Ms. Losasso, a Colorado native, earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Northern Colorado. Before transitioning to education, she spent nearly 20 years as a Program Manager, supporting adults with intellectual and physical challenges in a community setting. She has worked in the Douglas County School District since 2005 and transitioned to BFA in 2011. She is married and lives in Highlands Ranch. Her son and daughter also reside in Colorado, along with her five grandchildren.
She cherishes the school’s strong sense of community. Her greatest fulfillment comes from watching students grow and thrive. Her personal motto: "Seek peace and pursue it."
Click here to view her favorites.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
Information on Spring Sport tryouts will be posted soon. Please visit our Athletics Page and Social Media for the most update information.
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.