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Ben Franklin Academy Newsletter | Vol. 3, Iss. 15 April 2013 | |
Dear Parents,
Spirit Day is tomorrow, Friday, April 26. Students are allowed to wear a spirit wear T-shirt along with their uniform bottoms of choice.
The following message is from Principal Barber and Preschool Director Goldberg:
Each year, the Highlands Ranch Herald hosts a Best of the Best contest for local businesses and schools. If you feel that Ben Franklin Academy is the BEST school around, take a moment and vote by clicking here. You can vote for Ben Franklin Academy under the "School" category, and you can vote for the Ben Franklin Academy Preschool under the "Nursery/Day Care" category. You also can vote for your favorite teacher! You can vote as many times as you would like - the easiest way to do so is to fill out the voting form and click on "submit." Once you reach the "thank you" screen, click on the back arrow, and re-submit the voting form as many times as you would like. Go BFA!
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Class Pictures and Formal Day
Don't forget: Class pictures will be taken next Wednesday, May 1. It also is formal uniform day. Students are expected to wear their navy blue polos with the Ben Franklin Academy logo and khaki bottoms.
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Field Day Update and T-shirt Sponsors
Dates and Volunteers
A group of middle school students has been working hard to help plan Field Day. This year's theme is "Day At The Movies," and each station will be based on a movie. It should be really fun! Each field day will start at 8:30 a.m. and be finished around noon.
Elementary students will remain at Ben Franklin Academy. Dates and grade levels are as follows:
- Kindergarten and first grade:
Friday, May 24 - Second and third grades:
Tuesday, May 28 - Fourth and fifth grades:
Wednesday May 29
Middle school students will have their Field Day from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, May 30, at Redstone Park. They will walk to the park, hang out and play games and walk back to school.
If you would like to sign up to volunteer for Field Day(s), please click on SignUp Genius.
Field Day T-shirt Sponsors We are currently accepting sponsors for our Field Day (see dates above). It is our hope that through the funds raised, we can cover the cost of the T-shirts so every student will receive one for free. This is a great and low-cost way for your business to support the school while receiving recognition on the student T-shirts. Click here for details.
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Opt-Out RideArrangers/Way to Go
We are pleased to continue our partnership with Schoolpool to assist families who are interested in car pooling, walking or biking to and from school with other families. Schoolpool is sponsored by Way to Go (formerly RideArrangers), a program of the Denver Regional Council of Governments. For more information, click here.
If you do not want your information shared with Way to Go, please complete a short survey by Monday, May 6.
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Library Update
The library will close Friday, May 10, for inventory and the Summer Reading Scholastic Book Fair. All books will need to be returned by then. Students will receive a notice the following week if they still owe the library a book. Students will get their final report cards when their library account has been cleared by either returning the book or paying the replacement cost.
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May 31 Last Day of School
The end of the school year is a busy time of year. For planning purposes, this is a reminder that the last day of school is Friday, May 31. If you need to access the school's calendars via the Ben Franklin Academy website, please click here: 2012-13 Academic Calendar and/or School Calendar.
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PAC Volunteer Position Available
If you are looking for an opportunity to serve Ben Franklin Academy parents and students next year, the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is looking for a responsible and dedicated parent to serve as its Community Outreach Officer.
The PAC was created by the Board of Directors to help parents understand s chool policies, build a sense of community among Ben Franklin Academy families and serve the local community through outreach programs. The Community Outreach Officer is responsible for planning, budgeting and executing the community outreach events sponsored by the committee. A detailed job description for the position is available here.
If you have questions or are interested in serving on the PAC, please email Carrie Keen.
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PTO Elections Update
The PTO would like to thank all of you for your interest in the PTO positions for the upcoming school year. We are very fortunate to have so many wonderful and talented individuals in our school community interested in supporting the goals of Ben Franklin Academy. The election results are in - click here to view the officers and committee chairs for next year. Congratulations!
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PAC's Got Your Back
Q: How can I find out information about the school calendar for 2013-14?
A: This information is available on the Ben Franklin Academy website under the Parents tab. Click here for a direct link to the calendar. The Ben Franklin Academy website is a great way to obtain information about the school.
Each week, the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) will have a Q&A in this newsletter regarding policies or procedures at Ben Franklin Academy. If you have questions you need answered, please feel free to contact the PAC, and we will answer your question via email.
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The BENefit Bash
It's finally here! The BENefit Bash Silent Auction and Dinner will be held from 5:30-11 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at the Denver Marriott Tech Center.
Only a few days left until this fun and important event for our school community:
- Early Bird Special: There will be 100 free drink tickets to those who arrive early to the Bash. First come, first served.
- Ticket sales have ended. Please note: There will be NO tickets available at the door.
- Take a look through the BENefit Bash catalog online here. With more than $100,000 worth of donations, you are sure to find something!
- Click here for details on the event.
- For Frequently Asked Questions about the event, click here.
- For a list of available volunteer positions, click here, or sign up directly here. Please email [email protected] with any questions.
- The next planning meeting is at 6:30 p.m., today, Thursday, April 25, at Shelly Dana's house.
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Bash Benefits
One of the best BENefits of attending the Bash is the opportunity to bid on teacher experiences, classroom baskets and school benefits that are only available at the auction.
The Reserved Parking Spaces are one of our hottest items! This year, we will be adding a monthly rotating parking space, so you can bid on a month you plan on being at school more often. An added bonus to these parking spaces is you can reduce your car pool time by parking in your spot and getting your child(ren) from the building at the end of the day (after 3:30 p.m.). A great BENefit!
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Mmm...Doughnuts
Thanks to all of your generous support, we sold more than 260 tickets to the BENefit Bash. As promised, Principal Barber will be buying the school doughnuts tomorrow, Friday, April 26. (There also will be a gluten free option for students with allergies.)
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Need a Babysitter for the Bash?
The PTO has arranged a Parents Night Out from 5:30-10:30 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at Peak Athletics. Kids will play games and eat pizza with their friends.
You may register and pay over the phone by calling Peak Athletics directly at (303) 797-8082. Parents will need to sign a waiver when they drop off their child(ren). You may print out the waiver here and bring it in with you.
The fee for one student is $25; each additional sibling is $5 off ($45 for two siblings, $60 for three siblings, etc.). If you are unable to pay over the phone before the BENefit Bash, you may pay by cash or check at the door. No credit or debit cards will be accepted at the door.
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Can't Make the BENefit Bash?
You still can contribute by participating in our online auction from now through Saturday, May 18. Anyone can participate in the online auction - it operates similar to eBay - including family and friends from out of town. Items will be mailed to the winning bidder. Click here to view our catalog of online items.
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BENefit Bash Proceeds
Wondering where the funds raised from the BENefit Bash are going? We have earmarked some great projects for our school. A few highlights: Expansion of the sound and security system for the entire school (including a new PA system for events in the gym), level and curriculum books for the development of a Professional Resource library for our teachers, books for the library and a rock climbing wall for our gym. Great reasons to support this wonderful event!
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Ladies Night Out
The PTO hosted a Ladies Night Out last Thursday. Check out our Harlem Shake video here! Join us next time we have an event.
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DCSD Wins Sustainability Award
The Douglas County School District (DCSD) recently won the Green Ribbon Sustainability Award, provided by the U.S. Department of Education. This is the first-ever district award.
"(The) honorees are modeling a comprehensive approach to being green...demonstrating ways schools can simultaneously cut costs; improve health, performance and equity; and provide an education geared toward the jobs of the future," said Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education. "In fact, the selected districts are saving millions of dollars as a result of their greening efforts. And the great thing is that the resources these honorees are using are available for free to all schools."
DCSD has saved more than $14 million in the past six years. The Sustainability Program is led by students, and it has grown from 11 students to more than 3,000 across 60 schools in our district. Congratulations! A synopsis of the nationwide honorees is available here. Colorado is listed on page 28.
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Preschool Newsletter
If you are a parent of a Ben Franklin Academy student in preschool, you can get more in-depth information by clicking on the link or icon below.
| Click here for the Preschool Newsletter |
Important Dates
- Spirit Day: Tomorrow, Friday, April 26
- Principal Barber Buys Doughnuts for BFA: Friday, April 26
- BENefit Bash Silent Auction and Dinner: 5:30-11 p.m., Saturday, April 27, Denver Marriott Tech Center
- Board of Directors Elections: April 29 - May 3
- Formal Uniform Day: Wednesday, May 1
- Class Pictures: Wednesday, May 1
- BFF Social: 8:30-10 a.m., Thursday, May 2, Redstone Park
- Library Closes for Inventory/Book Fair: Friday, May 10
- Board of Directors Elections Results Announced: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 14
- BENefit Bash Online Auction: Now through Saturday, May 18
Upcoming Meetings
- BENefit Bash Volunteers: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 25, Shelly Dana's house
- STEM Committee: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 1, Library
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PTO: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 2, Library
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SAC: 7 p.m., Thursday, May 2, Conference Room
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Marketing Committee: 6 p.m., Monday, May 6, Conference Room
- Grant Committee: 9 p.m, Monday, May 6, Teleconference
- Green Team: 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, May 8, Room 224
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Finance Committee: 5 p.m., Thursday, May 9, Conference Room
- PAC: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 9, Middle School Commons Area
- Board of Directors: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, Library
Ben Franklin Academy Calendars
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Sincerely,
Bob Barber Principal Ben Franklin Academy |
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Contact Us!
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Mission: Our mission is to develop 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, 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 the arts, sports, nature, and character.
13 Virtues: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.
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