Committee News February 11

SAVE THE DATE

March 5 - STEM Family Night

March 8 - BENefit Bash

Important Committee Events

February 12 - PTO Meeting (Virtual Only)

February 13 - PTO Used Uniform Sale

February 18 - Board of Directors Meeting

February 20 - STEM Committee Meeting

February 20 - Ben's Brigade Meeting

February 21 - Desserts with Dad

Bookmark Our Calendar Now!

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!

Please join us on Wednesday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. for our virtual PTO monthly meeting. Please visit the PTO webpage for Agendas and Minutes.

👕👚Used Uniform Sale👕👚

PTO is having their Used Uniform Sale on February 13. Look for signs when arriving for parent teacher conferences. It is a great opportunity to get the next size for your students.

PTO 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.

K-5 Valentine’s Day Classroom Parties will take place from 1:45 – 2:45 p.m., on Thursday, February

13. Party volunteers will be limited to a max of four adults per classroom, and can arrive at 1:30

p.m. to set up. All volunteers should have their Driver’s License for check-in and should not bring

younger siblings. Also, volunteers should bring their own supplies.

Please keep in mind carpool scanning begins promptly at 3 p.m. each day, so do not block carpool

lanes if you are volunteering.

If you have any questions about the elementary party coordination, please reach out to Amy Marks,

PTO room parent coordinator.

It is February, which means we are one more month closer to the warmer days of spring. This month our students will be learning the virtue Industry.

The BFA interpretation of this virtue is:

Industry- Keep on task.

There is a time for work and a time for play – do both with a good attitude.

What a great lesson for our students to learn at a young age, and there is no better place to learn the balance of fun and work than at school! Every day our students are learning to balance the fun that they can have with their friends while also staying focused on their studies. The hardest part of this virtue is the last part, balancing work and play with a good attitude. We as parents can model this for them by maintaining a positive attitude about school activities and homework assignments.

May your February be full of positive thoughts and lots of love!

The BENefit Bash is the PTO’s primary fundraiser this year. This longstanding BFA tradition is the event parents look forward to, so we hope you’ll PURCHASE your tickets TODAY! The Bash will be held Saturday, March 8 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 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!

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!

The SAC Fall Survey provided valuable feedback from the BFA community, offering insights that will help guide future improvements and initiatives.

Some highlights are:

• Teachers are praised for warmth, patience, and creating positive environments.
• Clear and timely communication with parents is highly appreciated.
• Creative, hands-on teaching methods keep students engaged.
• Teachers provide individualized support and encourage self-paced learning.

Take a moment to look through the full Fall Survey Results by clicking on the attachment below.

The Spring Survey is coming soon! Unlike the Fall Survey, which focuses on classroom-specific topics like culture and safety, the Spring Survey takes a broader, school-wide approach (i.e. culture, safety, etc). We encourage all families to participate, as your feedback is essential in shaping the future of BFA.

To make it even more exciting, we’re offering some great incentives:

• If 80% of the school participates, students will enjoy a school-wide Dress of Choice day!
• Parents earn 2 volunteer hours just for completing the survey.
• Five lucky families will be entered into a special spirit wear drawing—stay tuned for details!
  
  

Keep an eye on our newsletters, electronic sign, and carline signs for more information. Let’s work together to reach our goal!

Please join us on today, Tuesday, March 4 at 4:30 p.m. for our SAC monthly meeting. Join us online. Zoom information is on the top of every agenda. Please visit the SAC webpage for Agendas and Minutes.

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.

Please join us on Thursday, February 20 at 5:30 p.m. for our STEM monthly meeting. Join us online. Zoom information is on the top of every agenda. Please visit the STEM webpage for Agendas and Minutes.

Save the Date: Our next STEM Family Night is Wednesday, March 5. More information, including how to sign up, will be coming soon.

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.

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.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 18 at 5:30 p.m. 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.

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.

A critical element to the success of any charter school is its ability to advocate for its educational philosophy, successfully fulfill legal requirements and carry out its mission and vision. Serving on the BFA Board is an opportunity for you to ensure that BFA is and remains “The Core Knowledge STEAM School of Choice.” Board directors use their backgrounds, experience and skills to focus on oversight and matters of strategic importance which can help improve BFA’s educational programs. In addition to helping teachers, staff and administrators lay a solid foundation in education for future generations and instill a love of learning in BFA students. The Board provides individuals a chance to grow personally and professionally, further develop skills, gain unique experience and make lasting connections with a team of other passionate and motivated individuals.

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.

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.