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Ben Franklin Academy Newsletter | Vol. 3, Iss. 18 May 2013 | |
Dear Parents,
It's been awhile since I've included a "cute quote of the week," and I wanted to share the following:
Teacher: "Are you excited about the weekend?"
Student: "No, I will miss you and our class too much!"
School Marshal Program
I am very excited to discuss the new school marshal program that the Douglas County School District and Douglas County Sheriff's office has made available to charter schools for the 2013-14 school year.
As a reminder, after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, the sheriff's department partnered with the school district and had officers visit every Douglas County School at least once a day. That will end at the end of the current school year. The new program, called the School Marshal Program, will begin in the 2013-14 school year. The plan includes having a Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy visit each school at least twice per day and remain and patrol the school for at least 30 minutes. The officers will be uniformed and armed. There is a cost associated with this invaluable service - $11,000 per charter school. The Ben Franklin Academy Board of Directors accepted my recommendation to move forward and participate in this program. To help offset this cost, we are increasing student fees by $6 for the 2013-14 school year.
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Severe Weather and Car Pool
'Tis the season for our lovely spring thunder and lightning storms. It is amazing how the storms love to hit precisely during car pool. During a storm, we have various Ben Franklin Academy personnel who act as lightning spotters and help gauge just how close the lightning is. We take the safety of your kids and everyone at the school seriously and will put car pool on hold when lightning is in the immediate vicinity. This will result in car pool taking longer to complete. Please be patient as we wait until the lightning moves away from the area.
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STEM Committee Open Positions
There are five positions open on the STEM Committee, which is the organization responsible for bringing the STEM Expo to life; hosting the elementary and middle school science fairs; and coordinating Destination ImagiNation, StarLabs and the Green Team. If you are interested, fill out the form here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via email. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m., tomorrow, Friday, May 17.
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Tutoring List Summer 2013
As a service to our parents, we are providing a list of teachers who are willing to provide private tutoring over the summer. All teachers will be charging a rate of $45 per hour. Contact information for each teacher is listed here. Please contact the teacher directly to schedule your tutoring sessions. All fees will be paid directly to the teacher.
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Middle School Athletics
Informational Meeting
There will be a middle school athletics informational meeting for parents and students at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, in the Middle School Commons Area. We will provide all of the information you will need about middle school athletics next year and how to register. All of registration will be online for next school year. You also will have an opportunity to ask questions at this meeting. We hope to see you there!
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Car Wash Fundraiser
The PTO is hosting a Car Wash fundraiser from now until 7:30 p.m., today, Thursday, May 16, at Sunaharas' Car Wash, located at 9151 Commerce Center Circle (Santa Fe and Town Center Drive). Simply wash your car, and the school will receive 25 percent of the sales. Tell your friends and family - any cars washed during this time will be included in the fundraiser!
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BENefit Bash
Online Auction
The BENefit Bash is still going on! There are many items still available through our online auction that will close Tuesday, May 21. Restaurant gift cards, grocery gift cards, family activities, sports, salon items, and many more fun things for the whole family. You may bid on items (it operates similar to eBay) and have them delivered to you. This is a great option for friends and family who do not live locally to support Ben Franklin Academy. Click here to browse the catalog.
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BENefit Bash Survey
We are conducting a survey about the BENefit Bash. We value your feedback and want to look for areas of improvement. This survey is open to ALL parents and staff, not just those who attended the event. Click here to complete the survey.
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Uniform Sale
The PTO is holding a uniform sale from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, June 6, at the school. Look for details in the coming weeks for additional information and how to sell your uniforms.
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Middle School Newsletter
If you are a parent of a Ben Franklin Academy student in middle school, you can get more in-depth information by clicking on the link or icon below.
| Click here for the Middle School Newsletter |
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Lost and Found
If you have noticed a few items missing, you may want to check the Lost and Found. All remaining items will be donated to a local charity. Remind your students to check frequent and often.
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Summer Hours
Summer hours at Ben Franklin Academy are on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. beginning June 5 through Aug. 7 (closed July 3).
Additional important dates are as follows:
- Express Check-In Opens: Monday, Aug. 5
- Student Fees Due: Wednesday, Aug. 14
- Registration/Meet and Greets: Thursday, Aug. 15, and Friday, Aug. 16
Stay tuned for more details and instructions.
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PAC's Got Your Back
Q: If I need information over the summer, will the office personnel be available to help me?
A. On the home page of the Ben Franklin Academy website (under Important Information, near the bottom of the page), there is a link to BFA's Summer Hours and Important Dates. Click here for the direct link.
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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Summer Reading Book Fair
Mark your calendars! Ben Franklin Academy is hosting a Summer Reading Book Fair
right before school ends. The Book Fair will be held on Friday, May 24, and from Tuesday, May 28, through Friday, May 31. Additional information will follow in the coming weeks.
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Bake Sale
We are excited to have another K-8 bake sale during the lunch hour for our students on Friday, May 17. Our last bake sale proved to be a great fundraiser for our middle school students. We are excited not only to taste some of the great selections available, but also for another great fundraiser. Prices are $0.50 each.
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BFA at Denver Outlaws Lacrosse
The Denver Outlaws are hosting Ben Franklin Academy on Saturday, May 18, for their opening game. Click here to purchase tickets. Enter the promo code "BFA" for the discount. Click here for more details about the game.
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Home Volunteering
Looking to complete a few hours before the end of year? The BENefit Bash Silent Auction committee is looking for volunteers to write thank you cards to the businesses who supported the Bash this year. This is a great option for those looking for volunteer work outside of school. If you are able to volunteer, contact the committee via email.
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Room Parent Positions for 2013-14
If you are interested in being a Room Parent or Room Parent Assistant for the 2013-14 school year, please email your name and contact information to [email protected] with the grade your student(s) will be in next year.
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Summer Fun!
Pirates Cove and Rockies GameMark your calendars for 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, June 7, at Pirates Cove! The PTO has rented Pirates Cove for Ben Franklin Academy families and friends. Free tickets will be given to families who have completed their volunteer commitment.
The PTO also will be providing free tickets to the L.A. Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies game at 6:40 p.m., Tuesday, July 2, at Coors Field. Look for details in the coming weeks.
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- Car Wash Fundraiser: 4-7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 16, Sunaharas' Car Wash
- Middle School Bake Sale: Friday, May 17
- STEM Committee Nominations Due: Now through 5 p.m., Friday, May 17
- Denver Outlaws Lacrosse: 7 p.m., Saturday, May 18, Sports Authority Field and Mile High
- BENefit Bash Online Auction: Now through Tuesday, May 21
- Middle School Athletics Informational Meeting: 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, Middle School Commons Area
- Kindergarten/First Grade Field Day: 8:30 a.m. - noon, Friday, May 24
- Second/Third Grades Field Day: 8:30 a.m. - noon, Tuesday, May 28
- Fourth/Fifth Grades Field Day: 8:30 a.m. - noon, Wednesday, May 29
- Middle School Field Day: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, May 30, Redstone Park
- Summer Reading Book Fair: Friday, May 24, and Tuesday, May 28, through Friday, May 31
- Summer Office Hours: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Wednesdays, June 5 - Aug. 7 (closed July 3)
- Uniform Sale: 5-7 p.m., Thursday, June 6, BFA
- BFA at Pirates Cove: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, June 7
- Dodgers vs. Rockies Game: 6:40 p.m., Tuesday, July 2, Coors Field
- Express Check-In Opens: Monday, Aug. 5
- Student Fees Due: Wednesday, Aug. 14
- Student Registration (2013-14 School Year)/Meet and Greets: Thursday, Aug. 15, and
Friday, Aug. 16
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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