Committee News February 25

Important Committee Events

February 27 - Ben's Brigade Meeting (rescheduled)

March 3 - Spirit Wear Store Opens

March 4 - SAC Meeting

March 5 - STEM Family Night

March 5 - CEC Meeting

March 8 - BENefit Bash

March 9 - PTO Nominations Begin

March 12 - PTO Meeting

March 16 - Spirit Wear Store Closes

March 23 - PTO Nominations Begin

March 25 - Board of Directors Meeting (please note the later date due to Spring Break)

March 27 - STEM Committee Meeting

March 27 - Ben's Brigade Meeting

Bookmark Our Calendar Now!

If you plan to attend, RSVP by Sunday, March 2nd so they can plan accordingly.

We had a fun-filled Desserts with Dads event! Thank you to all who volunteered to help make it a success. We would also like to thank Old Chicago, Urban Air Adventure, Gelato & Co., Desert Donuts and Canes for donating prizes! If you would like to share your photos with us, please email the yearbook committee.

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.

Their February meeting will be this Thursday, February 27, 8 p.m. at Max Taps Highlands Ranch (2680 E. County Line Road), and they would love to have more dads get involved!

Contact Curtis Anderson and Justin Mayhall, Ben’s Brigade Co-Committee Managers to learn more.

Are You Interested in Making a Difference, Meeting New People, and Having Fun?

Then the PTO is the place for you! The PTO is looking to fill volunteer positions for the 2025-26 school year, and they would love for you to join their team!

They have a variety of volunteer positions that can be done from home or school, and that fit any schedule--days, nights or weekends. The PTO offers behind-the-scenes volunteer opportunities, as well as those that put you front and center. You name it, they’ve got it!

PTO nominations will take place from March 9 - 23. Please nominate yourself or a friend. PTO elections will be held April 20-27. For more information on the PTO, including job descriptions of the volunteer positions, please visit their webpage, and click on PTO Elections.

The PTO’s online spirit wear store (in partnership with locally owned and operated Denver Athletic) will be open from March 3 - 16, and there are lots of terrific items for warmer weather and spring sports. You can place your order and pay online through the Denver Athletic website. Pay special attention to the notes about items that are approved for the classroom. All orders need to be in by Sunday, March 16, when the store will close so items can be processed. No orders will be accepted after March 16. Merchandise will be delivered to your student’s classroom in April.

Not only do we have classroom-approved sweatshirts and spirit day shirts (remember, every Friday

is a spirit wear day!), there are additional tops, shorts, hats, and more! Show off your school spirit

and support the PTO by placing an order today. Don’t wait – this is the last time that the spirit wear

store will be open this school year!

If you have any questions, please email Gen Townsend, PTO spirit wear committee manager.

We are looking for volunteers to help make this year’s Bash the most successful fundraiser yet! From set-up and clean-up to the wine pull and silent auction, there are all types of volunteer opportunities throughout the day. All of the volunteering will be done onsite at Cielo Castle Pines (485 W Happy Canyon Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80108). Feel free to sign up for as many slots as you would like.

Even if you only have an hour or two to spare, we hope you'll consider volunteering! Volunteers can come to help at the event without a ticket, however, if you plan on staying to enjoy dinner and event activities, a ticket is required.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Erin Wiley, PTO Fundraising Coordinator.

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 Spring Survey opens THIS WEEK!

We encourage all families to participate—your feedback is essential in shaping the future of BFA.

The purpose of the Spring survey is to give staff a snapshot of you and your family's experiences at BFA so modifications can be made as needed over the coming months. Unlike the Fall Survey, which focuses on classroom-specific topics such as culture and safety, the Spring Survey takes a broader, school-wide approach. The Board of Directors and Administration use results for evaluation. Your participation is very appreciated and contributes to the success of the school. Only one survey per family household will be accepted.

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

• If 80% of the school participates, EVERY student 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 drawing to win a $30 Gift Certificate to use at our Spirit Wear Store!
  
  

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.

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, March 27 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.

The spring STEM Family Night is Wednesday, March 5.

Get your creative juices flowing and let's engineer some new twist on a beloved game, Ping Pong. Participants will work in teams to design and build homemade launchers. Some light snacks will be provided and prizes will be awarded in multiple categories.

Sign up today to launch into some fun at our free family engineering event on March 5!

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, March 25 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.