November 14

Veterans Day was an excellent way to kick off our week. The assemblies were heartfelt and so well organized. We had terrific attendance, and many veterans visited the assemblies and classrooms. So many of our visitors thanked us for celebrating and recognizing our men and women who currently serve or have served in our Armed Forces. It is truly my favorite celebration of the year. I want to thank CEC, especially Nikki Busto and her volunteers, for organizing this special day for the school and our community.

Our virtues for November are:

Tranquility: Keep yourself from reacting poorly to others. People are not perfect, and the world is not fair. Learn to deal with both despite imperfections. Be patient.

Sincerity: Be kind. Say kind words and treat others as you want to be treated. Encourage each other to succeed.

Please continue to model these virtues as you volunteer in the building, drive through carpool, and interact with each other and staff, whether in person or virtually.

The first trimester ended yesterday, and report cards for the trimester will be released on Gradelink next Thursday. I encourage you to spend some time over the Thanksgiving holiday helping your children set some goals for the second trimester.

Next week's newsletter will be our Board Update, as November's Board meeting is next Tuesday. So, I want to send you all an early wish for a peaceful, relaxing, and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. I am so thankful for my extended family here at BFA, including each of you!

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

Important Upcoming Dates

👕 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

💻 December 3 - No Tech Tuesday

👕 December 4 - Formal Uniform Day

🎼 December 4 - 2nd Grade Musical

🎼 December 5 - 5th Grade Musical

💌 December 6 - Thank An Aide Day (New Date)

🏒 December 6 - Colorado Avalanche Spirit Wear Day

⛄December 23 to January 3 - Winter Break

Please visit our Bi-Monthly Newsletter dated November 14 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 14 for our Pre-K 3s and 4s.

Mrs. Bond is the Elementary School Intervention Specialist for Gifted Education, where she plays a key role in supporting students through various interventions at different levels and ensuring that all students receive the appropriate support to thrive academically. In addition to her work in intervention, Mrs. Bond also teaches the 8th grade Geometry class.

This past week, Mrs. Bond and her team conducted CogAT testing for our elementary students, providing valuable insights into each student’s cognitive abilities. The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) measures reasoning skills in areas such as verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal abilities, which can help identify students' strengths and areas for growth. Mrs. Bond and her team worked hard to create a calm and supportive testing environment, ensuring that students felt comfortable and confident as they completed each section. The results from these assessments will be a helpful tool for teachers in tailoring instruction to better meet each student's needs and encourage their unique learning potential.

We are very lucky to have Mrs. Bond at Ben Franklin Academy! Her dedication and expertise make a tremendous difference in our school community. From organizing important assessments like the CogAT to providing support for students and teachers alike, Mrs. Bond brings both warmth and professionalism to her role. She is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure each student has the resources they need to succeed. Her commitment and care are invaluable, and we are so grateful for all she does to support our students' growth and development.

Outside of her professional life, Mrs. Bond recently achieved a major family milestone by visiting all 50 states over Fall Break. This accomplishment was a longtime goal for her family, and they celebrated by joining the North Dakota "Best for Last Club."

Mrs. Bond is deeply committed to her students, always looking for ways to challenge and support them in their learning journeys. Her role as an Intervention Specialist allows her to make an impact on students' academic growth. She values the opportunity to work closely with students to help them reach their full potential, whether through targeted interventions or high-level coursework.

Click here to see her favorites.

An astounding 315 Lexia Leveling Up certificates were handed out during the first trimester. We love that our BFA students are utilizing this fantastic reading program, paid for by our generous PTO.

Students have worked hard here at school and at home, and we have more than 100 students enrolled in the Level Up Lexia program run by Sarah Harrell, Ellen Cain, Alexis Ferguson, and Erin Atkins before school.

Click here if you need more information about Lexia. Want to do this at home? Ask your student’s teacher for their username and password.

Luke Adams, a trailblazing competitor from The Amazing Race, visited with our Grade 5 - 8 classes to share his inspiring story. As a Deaf individual, Luke faced unique challenges during the competition, but his resilience and determination allowed him to excel, proving that obstacles can be overcome with grit and a positive outlook. During his talk, he encouraged students to embrace their own strengths and persist in the face of adversity. His story resonated deeply, leaving a lasting impression on the students and inspiring them to pursue their dreams no matter what challenges they might encounter along the way.

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

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.

Since 1987, Freedom Service Dogs, relying on charitable donations, has provided hundreds of client-dog teams at no cost to their clients. We have selected Freedom Service Dogs as the beneficiary of this year's Veterans Day donation drive. We are collecting online donations from now - Nov. 15th to benefit FSD in all their efforts. Our goal is 80% school-wide participation. Should we reach this goal, students will receive an extra dress of choice day AND an extra recess. To donate or learn more, please scan the QR codes or read the FSD flyer. We thank you in advance for supporting this life changing organization.

BLUE SKY PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Blue Sky Pediatric Dentistry provides specialized dentistry for children and adolescents in a warm,

caring and child-friendly environment. As a pediatric dentist, Dr. Jennifer Thompson had 2 years of

additional training after dental school to prepare her for the unique dental needs of each child they

serve. They focus on preventive care to help each child grow a healthy smile that will last a lifetime. Their office serves infants, children, teens and children with special health care needs in Highlands Ranch, and the surrounding South Denver communities.

MARKOWITZ GIVING FOUNDATION (BFA Family)

The Markowitz Giving Foundation believes in powering the education of the next generations. If they are not going to do it, who will? Sounds silly, but really where do our children get their education if not from school or parents? Technology. They feel that Ben Franklin and other, similar STEAM schools are going to be the most successful in preparing students for the future of our nation and the world.

PURITY SKIN STUDIO

Purity Skin Studio is the premier local MedSpa of Highlands Ranch specializing in skincare

treatments ranging from facials to chemical peels, laser treatments, Botox and filler and more! Their mission is to empower their clients LOVE their face and put themselves and the health of their skin as a top priority!

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! 🏁🎈🏎️

To help supply the materials for this event, we are requesting a donation of recyclable bottles! Please drop off anytime before the event. There is a bin by the main entrance doors to the school!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.