Committee News January 21

SAVE THE DATE

February 21 - Desserts with Dad

March 5 - STEM Family Night

March 8 - BENefit Bash

Important Committee Events

January 21 - Board of Directors Meeting

January 23 - STEM Committee Meeting (Virtual Only)

January 23 - Ben's Brigade Meeting

January 29 - Spirit Day/Night Fundraiser at High Society Pizza from 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m

February 1 - Sweetheart Dance

February 4 - School Accountability Committee Meeting

February 5 - Community Events Committee Meeting

February 12 - PTO Meeting (Virtual Only)

Bookmark Our Calendar Now!

Our CEC meets the First Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Black Haus in Littleton, CO. The next meeting will be February 5.

Please visit the CEC webpage for Agendas and Minutes.

Mark your calendars and save the date. The CEC will host Desserts with Dad (or your special person) on Friday, February 21. The event will be held in the evening this year from 6:30 - 8:00p.m. Get ready for an evening of sweet treats and fun! Stay tuned for further details.

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

All BFA girls and their fathers or special adult are invited to attend this year's Sweetheart Ball, Hollywood Red Carpet, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday February 1, at BFA. Suggested dress for the event is formal attire, and be ready to strike a pose for the photographers on the red carpet! Dessert and drinks will be served.

Tickets are on sale now through this Friday, January 24, and can be purchased online through MySchoolBucks. Tickets are $35 per couple, and $15 for each additional student.

Get yours today, as tickets will not be sold at the dance!

The PTO needs your help to make this event a success. If you are interested in volunteering to help at the event (decorating, crafts, games, etc.), you can sign up here. If you’d like to donate desserts for the ball, sign up here.

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Graham, Sweetheart Ball committee manager.

The last day to order 2024-2025 yearbook dedications (parent tribute ads) is Sunday, January 26. The ads cost $45 and are a are a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!

Also, yearbook prices will increase from the current price of $50 to $55 on January 26.

Order your yearbook today for the best pricing! The deadline to order yearbooks is March 31.

You can order and pay for your 2024 - 2025 yearbook here, and your dedication here!

Our January PTO Spirit Day/Night fundraiser is January 29 at High Society Pizza (2229 W. Wildcat Reserve Pkwy Unit A1, Highlands Ranch). From 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., High Society will donate 15% back on orders placed to the BFA PTO!

Please tell the cashier that you are there for the BFA fundraiser in order for the PTO to receive credit for your order. Please spread the word and hope to see you there!

Ben’s Brigade Guys’ Night Out This Thursday, Please RSVP

Ben's Brigade will be hosting a Guys’ Night Out at Main Event in Highlands Ranch on Thursday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m. Come enjoy billiards, laser tag, bowling, arcade games, and food. And, hang out with other BFA guys! Space is limited, so please RSVP to let us know if you plan to attend.

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

To start the year, students have been focusing on this month’s virtues, Moderation and Order. What better way to kick off a new year?

The BFA interpretations of these virtues are:

Moderation- Keep yourself in balance. Focus both on accomplishing things in which you excel and those you do not. Try new things.

Order- All things have their place. Keep your work area in order; keep your day in order.

After the holidays is always a good time to refresh and clean out clutter that has been collecting, giving our homes and spaces a fresh start for the new year. But what about the rest of our lives? This idea of clearing out the old and making space for the new can also be applied to other areas of life. For example, when thinking about our students, we can strategize how to help them keep their spaces, rooms, and backpacks, tidy and less cluttered. And, we can also help them to think about how to better manage their time. It might be discussing the feeling of being overbooked and how we can help our students to say “no” to some things so that they can say “yes” to something else, maybe a new sport or club have they been wanting to try.

Cleaning up life’s “clutter” might help us all start the year off feeling more balanced.

If you are a King Soopers shopper, you can help earn money for BFA by signing up for King Soopers Community Rewards. For details on how to sign up for King Soopers Community Rewards visit their webpage or click here for instructions.

Please contact Erin Wiley, PTO Fundraising Coordinator with any questions. Thank you, again, for your support of BFA and the PTO!

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 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Cielo in Castle Pines.

Early bird pricing is available through January 31.

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!

In the upcoming newsletters, we are going to recognize all of our 2024-25 BFA PTO Sponsors. We are incredibly grateful for their support and excited to give each one a spotlight.

This week, we’re highlighting the first group of our sponsors in the BRONZE category, our sixth highest level of sponsorship. We’re very thankful for their exceptional support and hope you’ll take a few minutes out of your day to learn about their businesses.

Visit our PTO Sponsors webpage to learn more about our sponsors.

Please join us on February 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 January 23 at 5:30 p.m. for our SAC 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 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.

Board Meeting Tonight, January 21. 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.

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.