Weekly Newsletter

BFA Board of Director Meeting Summary - December 2024

As we approach the end of the year, the Board wants to take a moment to express gratitude to our stakeholders. Your continued support and dedication make BFA a place of growth and opportunity for all of our students. Wishing you all a joyful, restful winter break filled with peace, happiness, and quality time with loved ones. We look forward to all that 2025 has in store!

The following summarizes action taken during our December Board meeting.

BOD Updates:

Board Succession

Board elections will take place in April 2025. Two seats will be open: one seat will be elected and one seat will be appointed by the Board. Additional information will be included in future newsletters and emails. If you are interested in learning more about what the Board does or have questions, please feel free to reach out to any current Board members.

Open Enrollment

With enrollment dropping across the District, we are happy to report that our enrollment at BFA is trending strong and demand is similar to previous years. This is a testament to our community as a whole.

SAC Fall Survey

Please join us for our January Board meeting wherein the SAC will present the fall survey results.

iReady Testing

We’ve seen great growth in reading across all of our grade levels. For our students who have participated in our Lexia program in the mornings, they showed exceptional growth - a 40% increase on average!

Financial Oversight:

We remain focused on our financial health, including appropriate spending and quality investments. Treasurer Sarah Nisbet provided the financial focus during the meeting. November financials were reviewed and recommended for approval by our Finance Committee. We also reviewed and approved the 2024/25 revised budget. Financial documents are made available on the Financial Transparency page of the BFA website.

Policy Governance:

The Board did not review any policies during the December meeting.

January Board Meeting:

The next BFA Board of Directors meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 21, in the Middle School Commons.

The Board and Principal Simpson recognize that there are BFA students who go above and beyond and achieve excellence in academics, character, effort, and/or service both at BFA and within our greater Community. We are proud of these students and the characteristics they exemplify:

• Eva Glaze (3rd)
• Reagan McFall (6th)

If you would like to nominate a student to be considered as one of our Board BOLTS in January, please use this nomination form.

Our Board of Directors consists of seven dedicated individuals who volunteer their time and energy to support our school, shape policies, and contribute to its overall success. Their commitment plays a vital role in making BFA the top charter school in Colorado.

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.

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

Important Upcoming Dates

👕December 16 - 20 - Holiday Spirit Week

👕December 20 - Dress of Choice

🎉 December 20 - K - 5 Winter Parties

⛄December 23 to January 3 - Winter Break

🏫 January 6 - First Day Back from Winter Break

👕 January 8 - Formal Uniform Day

We love staying connected with our alumni and celebrating the incredible paths they take after leaving our school. Your continued interest and support mean the world to us!

However, as we prepare for the busy holiday season, we want to ensure a safe and structured environment for our current students and staff. With this in mind, we will not be allowing high school students and former alumni to visit campus on December 20.

Thank you for understanding as we work to maintain a focused and secure environment for everyone. We look forward to welcoming you back at a future date and continuing to hear about your amazing accomplishments.

We welcome visitors throughout the day, whether you're here for volunteering or meetings. All visitors must check in at the front office to obtain a badge, which should be worn at all times while on campus.

1. Have your ID ready. It can be a state issued license or ID, passport, or military ID. We also accept the MyColorado App ID. Current students without IDs can bring student ID or copy of school schedule.
2. Please wear the badge at all times whether it is the BFA printed badge or sticker badge.
3. Even if you are here to watch a performance, Field Day or other outdoor activities, you need to check and get a badge.

Our lost and found will be cleared out on December 20.

The last day to look through the items is TODAY.

Please pop in and take a look before it is all donated.

Any uniforms items will be donated to our PTO.

All clothing or non-valuable items are donated to

local students in need at elementary schools in Denver Public Schools.

Any valuables such as jewelry, glasses, watches, or any other item that are small and expensive will be taken to the office.

As the Holiday party approaches, we wanted to remind our BFA community of a few important guidelines. These rules are in place to ensure fairness and allow as many of our BFA families to participate in the celebrations throughout our school year.

Policy for Room Parents and Party Volunteers:

1. Room Parent Attendance: Each room parent is eligible to attend only one party per year.
2. Party Leads: Each party lead may plan only one party per classroom per year, even if co-leading with someone else.
3. Family Volunteer Limit: Each household has only one volunteer opportunity per classroom, per year. For example, if a mom volunteers at the Halloween party, then a grandparent would not be able to volunteer at this or another party for the same class.
4. No-Show Policy: If you do not attend the party you signed up for, that still counts as your party volunteer opportunity for the year. If you know ahead of time that you or a family member will not be able to attend, email the room parent as soon as possible. (You may reassign your volunteer spot to another household member only. Unfortunately, you will not be able to switch or ask a non-household member to come on your behalf.)
5. One Party Per Day: Volunteers may only participate in one party per day. We do not allow split time between multiple parties/classrooms. We also ask volunteers to stay in the party room the entire time and not visit additional rooms.
6. No Additional Children: We kindly ask that only adult volunteers attend our classroom parties. To ensure a focused and enjoyable experience for everyone, please refrain from bringing additional siblings or children.
7. Signing students out at end of party: Parents are welcome to sign their student(s) out after the party. A sign-out form will be available in advance, or you may notify the front office upon arrival. After the party, students will be called to the front office for dismissal. To minimize disruptions, we kindly ask that you avoid visiting other classrooms to pick up additional children.
   
   

Thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in these special events. If you have any questions or concerns, email Amy Marks, our 24/25 Room Parent Coordinator (K-5).

We are half way through our school year and it is time to volunteer sign up for library. The sign up will be coming out in next week's newsletter. We are requesting that ONLY families who have NOT met their 15/30 hours sign up.

The library is one of the best places to volunteer at BFA! It’s a vibrant hub where students discover new worlds through books and develop a lifelong love of reading. Volunteers can help with shelving books, organizing displays, assisting with library events, or even reading with students. Whether you have a few hours a week or just a little time to spare, your support makes a big difference in keeping the library a welcoming and inspiring space for everyone. Join us in fostering a love of learning—become a library volunteer today!

What Do our Volunteers Do?

1. The volunteers only check in and out books. (No shelving, etc)
2. Just come right at the time you signed up. No need to come early.
3. Help students in the library so teacher's can get back to their planning period.
4. Give a quick kiss and hug to your student(s) so you can get back to helping our librarian. No students are allowed behind the desk.
5. Once your library volunteering is over, you can go to the front office to collect your student(s) or volunteer at another opportunity in the building. (Please refrain from going to the classroom from library).

We always are in need of volunteers for recess and lunch volunteers. Volunteering in the lunchroom and at recess is a fantastic way to support our students and staff while getting involved in the BFA community. In the lunchroom, volunteers help ensure a smooth and enjoyable mealtime for all, while outside at recess, they provide extra eyes and encouragement as students play and recharge. With the weather getting colder, recess can be a bit more challenging, but it’s also a time when students truly appreciate the warmth and care of our volunteers. Your time and effort help make these essential parts of the school day run seamlessly, and we’re so grateful for your support!

Plus, there is no need to sign up! Just come around 10:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. to help. Even just one hour can make a difference.

You may have wondered how to get your child(ren) to take home after volunteering. Whether you are volunteering in the building, classroom or even on a field trip, it is very easy to get your child(ren).

If you are volunteering in a classroom, etc.with your child, simply tell the teacher you are taking them with you then come to the Front Office to check them out. If you have additional children or volunteering in a different part of the building/field trip, let them know in the Front Office and they will call them. Please refrain from going to classrooms to gather your students to avoid classroom disruptions.

If you are volunteering in the building after 3:00 p.m., a perk is that you can follow the above process and skip carpool!

Please visit our Bi-Monthly Newsletter dated December 4 for Grades K - 4. (Last one for December).

Please visit our Bi-Monthly Newsletter dated November 22 for Grades 5 - 8 and our Supplement Newsletter on December 5. (Last one for December).

Please visit our Bi-Monthly Newsletter dated December 19 for our Pre-K 3s and 4s.

Parents/Guardians: If you are a parent or guardian, you update your contact information in Infinite Campus. However, we only pull your primary email address for our newsletter. If you wish to have an additional emails added to the newsletter, please email us with this contact information.

Grandparents or additional important adults: We have many families who have grandparents or nannies, etc who are just as involved but do not receive our communications. We now can add additional contacts to our notification system. This includes email addresses and/or mobile phone numbers. If you wish to add any additional important adults to our notifications, please email us with contact information.

Middle School (Grade 6 - 8) is having their winter dance on Friday, January 10, 2025. Parents will need to sign a NEW permission slip in MySchoolBucks and print a ticket.

To help volunteer with donations or help at the dance, please sign up here.

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.

All BFA girls and their fathers or special adult are invited to attend this year's Sweetheart Ball, Hollywood Red Carpet, from 6:30 to 8:30 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 will go on sale starting January 6. Mark your calendars!

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

Due to some confusion in the morning drop-off, we revised our procedures to make it easier for everyone. Starting January 6, we will be using the following procedure for morning drop-off.

1. Students should not be dropped off before 7:45 a.m. unless they have tutoring, extracurriculars, or appointments. We have seen an increase in students being dropped off too early. Please note that we offer BASE in the morning and parents should sign their students up for BASE if they need to drop students off early. If a student is dropped off early, we will begin to charge a fee of $10 for the first offense per student, $15 for the second offense and so on.
   
   
2. Morning drop-off begins once the doors are "propped" AND staff members are in the crosswalk. You can begin to pull around in Zone A or let your students out of the car in Zone B when you see the doors propped open AND a staff member in the crosswalks. DO NOT let your student out of the car or pull around until you see both. Our goal is 7:45 a.m. but weather, traffic and meetings can alter this time. This process will ensure all our students get out of the cars with no cars moving.
   
   
3. This change is now for all Preschool to Grade 8 students and A & B Zones and Preschool. When the doors are closed, your student(s) is late and must be signed in by a parent or guardian. If your student(s) is late, parents please park and walk into the Main Entrance and sign them in with our Front Office staff. Any student who comes in late without a parent to sign them in will receive an unexcused tardy.

We understand that weather and traffic can cause delays in our morning carpool, which is why we believe the doors "propped and not propped" are an easy visual for our community.

We offer many before and after school Fine Arts clubs throughout the year. We update our webpage frequently, so look often.

Arts

Music

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.

Girls Basketball Tryouts are January, 6.

4:00 - 5:30 PM for all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls. We would hold a callback on Tuesday, January 7th only if needed.

The girls should bring a change of athletic clothes, shoes, and water bottle to change into then we will have them come to the big gym at all call.

You MUST register your child in MySchoolBucks to tryout. This is the permission form for students to tryout.

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.

Many who are on social media know that BFA hosted a Secret Staff Spirit Week last week. Full of fun and laughter, our students and staff had a great time.

We also had a school wide Holiday Spirit Week where our students showed up in lots of fun outfits and holiday accessories.

We hope you enjoy the pictures and videos below.

Secret Service/Spy Thursday

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.

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.