BFA web banner
Ben Franklin Academy NewsletterVol. 4, Iss. 12
April 2014
In This Issue
:: State Geo Bee Tomorrow | Jump Rope for Heart Update | Landsharks | Talent Show | Student Appreciation
:: EVERYTHING About the BENefit Bash | Board of Directors Elections | PTO Noms | SAC Noms | MCO Knows
:: Grant Team Needs You | Street Smarts | Stay Curious | Restaurant Night | PTO Ladies Night Out | Calendar
tardy

Dear Parents,

 

39-27-21-28-17-25-31-18. These are not the next winning power ball numbers and will not make you rich; however, they are numbers that we would like to see close to zero. The numbers represent the amount of tardies Ben Franklin Academy (BFA) has seen recently. Reducing these numbers to zero will help your child become rich with education. The high frequency of tardies is an alarming trend that must be corrected.

 

Tardiness to school is a failure to appear on time in the first class of the day and is considered a form of absence. All tardies are recorded daily, and chronic tardiness to school will result in a warning letter and, eventually, a parent/guardian meeting with administration.

 

The front doors of the school are locked at 8:10 a.m., and students are tardy if they are not in the building. After 8:10 a.m., students are required to enter through the front office where they will receive a tardy slip. Students will also be considered tardy if they are not in their classroom, settled in and ready to learn by 8:15 a.m.  Too many cars are arriving on school property after 8:05 a.m., making it nearly impossible for students to get to their classrooms in time. Please make the necessary adjustments to your drive times to arrive on campus no later than 8 a.m. 

 

Mother Nature loves to throw us a curveball now and then. When inclement weather makes driving conditions poor, we will extend the tardy window accordingly. I am much more concerned about your safety on those days.  Also, if the buses are late to school, students will not be marked tardy, as this is something clearly beyond their control.

 

The consequences of tardies are significant. Students arriving late to class cause a learning disruption as they come into class and need to get settled. The student who is tardy misses valuable learning time, and students who are in class on time must deal with the distraction of kids coming into class late. 

 

Thank you for paying attention to this matter and your commitment to your child's education.
Geographic Bee State Geographic Bee Tourney Tomorrow

Best of luck to BFA's
Matthew Moflino in tomorrow's Colorado State Geographic Bee!

Only students with the top 100 scores in Colorado qualified. The state competition will be held tomorrow, Friday, April 4, at the University of Denver's Sturm Hall.
Landsharks Spring Track Program Landsharks

Registration is now open for the Landsharks Spring Track Program.
  • Practices are from 3:30-4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at BFA.
  • Meets are from 5:30-7 p.m. on Mondays (starting April 28 through mid-May) at Cresthill Middle School.  
To register, click here. If you are interested in assistant coaching, please contact Nina McVicker at (720) 938-1578.
BFA Talent Showtalentshow
 

BFA will be hosting two talent shows (one for K-3 grades, one for 4-8 grades) on Friday, May 23, the last day of school. The K-3 assembly will be from
8:45-9:45 a.m.
, and the 4-8 assembly will be from 10-11 a.m.  

 

Auditions will be Tuesday, April 29, and Thursday, May 1. Unfortunately, there probably will not be enough time for everyone who auditions to be in the talent show. If your student is interested, please read the guidelines carefully (see below).


Click here for talent show guidelines, information regarding performing in the talent show and to sign up to audition. Once audition slots are full, there will be no more audition times available. In addition, you must turn in the permission form to Ms. Johnson by
Monday, April 28
Board of Directors Elections  Vote Button
 
The BFA Board of Directors (Board) election ballots are now available via the BFA website. You have until noon, Monday, April 7, to cast your vote.

When you vote, please check the box next to the name of the two candidates for whom you wish to vote. You may only choose two candidates. If more than two names are checked, the submission will be discarded. The two candidates with the most votes will take seats five and six on the Board. Each family/employee is allowed one vote. If multiple submissions are made with the same family/ employee number, both will be discarded.  
  • To view the candidates' nomination forms, click here.
  • To cast your vote, click here.    
  • For the entire Board of Directors Election Policy, click here.  
Results of the election will be announced and appointments made at the regularly scheduled Board meeting at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 8, 2014, in the library. 
 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Staci Ferguson, Board Secretary.       

PTO Nominations voting_people.jpg
 
Are you or someone you know interested in holding a position with the BFA Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)? Information about the BFA PTO nomination/election process and job descriptions can be found by clicking here. To nominate yourself or someone you know for a PTO position for the 2014-15 school year, please click here.
 

Nominations must be submitted by Monday, April 7. After the nomination process, elections will be completed online from Monday, April 21, to Friday, May 2, for all open officer and committee chair positions. The offices of vice president, secretary and social coordinator are up for vote by the school community. Each of the preceding positions are two-year terms and run from 2014-16 (school years). All committee chair positions are up for election, and all coordinator positions are up for appointment. If you are interested in a coordinator position, submit a small paragraph on why you would be a good candidate to Nicole Eubanks by Wednesday, April 9.      

SAC Nominations Vote

BFA's School Accountability Committee (SAC) has two open voting positions that will be elected by the BFA parent community May 1-5. Each position has a two-year term. We are accepting nominations for the ballot now through Tuesday, April 15. Please email the SAC to nominate yourself or someone you know.

 

SAC is an advisory committee that evaluates and provides advice to BFA's principal and Board of Directors to ensure that BFA is providing its students with a challenging, appropriate curriculum that emphasizes math, science and literacy, as well as promotes the arts, sports, nature and character.   

 

SAC is a state-mandated committee that is responsible for providing input for the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) and recommending spending priorities to the principal. In addition, the SAC is responsible for the parent and student satisfaction surveys and providing annual reviews of BFA policies.

Grant Team Needs You
Help Wanted
 
BFA's Grant Writing Committee is looking for volunteers! The committee works collaboratively with the Board of Directors, administrators, teachers, staff, parents, Foundation and Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) on the submission of grant applications for projects aligned with the mission and vision of BFA. Volunteers are needed for research, writing and editing projects. No prior experience is necessary. The committee meets via phone conference on alternating Mondays at 9 p.m.  For more information, please contact the Grant Committee via email.
Stay Curious

Did you Stay Curious on Spring Break? Don't forget to upload your photo(s) with Ben to the BFA website by clicking here along with an explanation of where you were. 

Restaurant Night

Don't feel like cooking? Join us for Restaurant Night from
4-8 p.m., Thursday, April 10, at Freddy's in the Highlands Ranch Town Center
. Bring in the enclosed flyer, and Freddy's will donate 15 percent of its sales back to BFA. You can also show the flyer via smart phone. Click here for the flyer.
 
PTO LogoPTO Ladies Night Out  
 
Mark your calendars for an evening of fun with other BFA moms on Thursday, April 17. Details in the coming weeks!
PE Teacher of the Day
From the Heart: Second grader Alex Feiferak raised the most money at BFA for Jump Rope for Heart.
Jump Rope for Heart
BFA Raises Thousands;
Gifts On Their Way 

This year, BFA
 raised $11,351 for the American Heart Association by participating in
Jump Rope for Heart. This is anincrease of $5,367 from last year. Way to go! 

Before Spring Break, Mrs.
Walton's kindergarten class had Jamba Juice for being the class with the highest percentage of participants raising money for the Amer
S-t-r-e-t-c-h: Feiferak leads a PE class in stretching exercises as
PE Teacher for the Day.
ican Heart Association. In addition, second grader Alex Feiferak was PE Teacher or the Day for raising the most money for the American Heart Association. He did a great job planning classes, leading stretches and setting up for games.  

Lastly, Jump Rope for Heart thank you gifts have arrived. They will be coming home with students this week. BFA students are so amazing with their fundraising for Jump Rope for Heart, so there are a lot of gifts to deliver, and it won't happen all in one day. Delivery of two of the gifts - Trophy Duck and Quacktastic - has been delayed. If your child(ren) earned those two awards, Mrs. Bauer will deliver them as soon as they arrive.
Student Appreciation
Student Appreciation 
 

Student Appreciation will be held on Friday, April 11, in BFA's main hallway. This will be the last day to redeem Ben Bucks for this school year.

EVERYTHING You Need to Know About the BENefit Bash!     
BENefit Bash 2014    
The BENefit Bash (BFA's premier fundraising and social event) is at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26, at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center (200 Inverness Drive, Engelewood).
 
You won't want to miss this fun, end-of-the-year event as we celebrate our year together with parents, teachers and staff. Never been to the Bash? Click here for FAQs about the event. 
 
*NEW* Kids Night Out 
Adrenaline Gymnastics will offer a Kids Night Out during the silent auction, which will run from 5:30-10:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per child and includes food, drinks and activities. For families who have more than 100 volunteer hours as of April 2, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) will cover the cost of one child. Look for more details next week.

*NEW* Tickets 
Tickets to the BENefit Bash silent auction and dinner are $50 each. Tickets will NOT be available at the door - ALL tickets must be purchased in advance.

You've seen The Nacho Men performing around town right? Now is your chance to boogie with them and your fellow BFA friends! That's right, The Nacho Men will be our entertainment at this year's BENefit Bash. Just another reason to attend this great night helping raise funds for our school and having fun at the same time! 


Lynette, a grandmother of a BFA preschooler is our first drawing winner. We will have more drawings as individuals purchase tickets (non-staff, as they get free tickets courtesy of the PTO). If a teacher purchases a ticket for his/her spouse/guest, s/he will be entered in the drawing.

Click here to purchase your tickets today!
 
Art Contest
A big thank you for all of the art submissions for the BENefit Bash catalog. Look for the winner in the auction catalog that will be distributed in April. ALL art submitted for the contest will be printed in the catalog.  
 
Display Team Needs You
The Display Team needs volunteers to help with constructing and organizing baskets/items, as well as setting up the day of the BENefit Bash. If you are creative, organized and want to spend some fun time in April, join the Display Team by contacting Kimberly Kent.  

The Display Team still needs decorative baskets, boxes, cellophane paper, basket filler and ribbon. Please look around your home or use Michaels/ JoAnn's coupons and donate. These items may be dropped off in the front office.  

    

Volunteering for the Bash

We need a ton of volunteers to make this event successful.  It's a great way to get your volunteer hours done and meet other parents!
  • To help organize the baskets, please contact Kimberly Kent
  • To help set up the day of the event, click here.
  • To help with the Check-In/Check-Out Team, please click here.   
MCO Knows
Question mark
  
Q: I have a younger child who is not in school and also a BFA student. Is my younger child given priority for enrollment?
 
A: BFA has an Enrollment Policy that includes the priority for admission into the school. Here are the groups that have priority enrollment:
  1. Currently enrolled students
  2. Siblings of currently enrolled students
  3. Children in the household of Founding Families
  4. Children of full-time teachers
  5. Preschool priority students identified through the Preschool Lottery
Each week, the Marketing and Community Outreach (MCO) Committee will have a Q&A in this newsletter regarding policies or procedures at BFA. If you have questions you need answered related to BFA policies or procedures, please email the MCO. Your question will be answered via email and possibly used in a future Q&A.  
Street Smarts at SouthGlenn Street Smarts at SouthGlenn

BFA is one of 20 schools in the metro area that gets to participate in the Street Smarts for Southglenn program. If BFA ends up being the school with the most points, we can earn $2,500 for the school.

 
Wednesday, April 30, is the last day to turn in your receipts. If you don't need your receipts returned, you can turn them into a box in the front office (near the name badges/window). Copies of receipts are not accepted by the program. Your receipts can date back to August 2013. If you received an email receipt, you may click here to submit your receipt.

 

Earn Triple Points

BFA can earn triple points from the following Streets at SouthGlenn stores by logging your receipts in April: Apricot Lane, Bath & Body Works, Chico's, Engineering for Kids, H&M, LOFT, Sur la Table, Victoria's Secret, White House | Black Market and Z Gallerie. 

 

Earn Double Points

BFA can earn double points from the following Streets at SouthGlenn restaurants by logging your receipts in April: 5 Star Burgers, Bar Louie, Caf� Rio, Chick Fil-A, Corner Bakery Cafe, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Diego Zhang's, Hodson Bar and Grill, Ivy at the Glenn, Mellow Mushroom, Noodles & Company, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Pho 95, Qdoba, Saj Mediterranean Grill, Skybox Bar & Grill, Smokin Joe's Barbecue, Snooze, Tokyo Joe's and Tropical Smoothie.

Important Dates / Calendar of EventsCalendar Clip Art
  • State Geographic Bee: Friday, April 4, University of Denver
  • Board of Directors Elections: Now through Monday, April 7 
    PTO Nominations Due: Monday, April 7
  • Board of Directors Election Results and Appointments: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 8, Library  
  • Restaurant Night: 4-8 p.m., Thursday, April 10, Freddy's in the Highlands Ranch Town Center  
  • Student Appreciation (Redemption of Ben Bucks): Friday, April 11, Main Hallway   
  • Destination ImagiNation Colorado Affiliate Tournament: Saturday, April 12, Auraria Higher Education Center   
  • SAC Nominations Due: Tuesday, April 15
  • Dress of Choice Day: Thursday, April 17
  • No School for Students (Teacher Work Day): Friday, April 18     
  • PTO Ladies Night Out: Thursday, April 17    
  • PTO Elections: April 21 - May 2
  • BENefit Bash Silent Auction: 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26, Inverness Hotel and Conference Center (200 Inverness Drive, Englewood)   
  • Talent Show Permission Forms Due: Monday, April 28 
  • Talent Show Auditions: Tuesday, April 29, and Thursday, May 1 
  • SAC Elections: May 1-5    
  • Talent Show: 8:45-9:45 a.m. (K-3), 10-11 a.m. (4-8), Friday, May 23, Gym 
Upcoming Meetings        
  • Grant Committee: 9 p.m., Monday, April 14, Teleconference
  • Marketing and Community Outreach (MCO) Committee: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 6, Library
  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Committee: Wednesday, May 7, Sanders Science Lab (room 145)
  • School Accountability Committee (SAC): 4 p.m., Thursday, May 1, Conference Room 
  • Finance Committee: 5 p.m., Monday, April 7, Library
  • Board of Directors: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 8, Library
    • Find the latest BFA Board of Directors minutes by clicking here.  
  • Green Team Committee: 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, April 9   
  • Parent Teacher Organization (PTO): 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 10, Library  
  • Grant Committee: 9 p.m., Monday, April 14, Teleconference
  • School Accountability Committee (SAC): 4 p.m., Thursday, May 1, Conference Room
  • Marketing and Community Outreach (MCO) Committee: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 6, Library
  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Committee: Wednesday, May 7, Sanders Science Lab (room 145)
Sincerely,
 
Bob Barber
Principal
Ben Franklin Academy
Contact Us!
Ben Franklin Academy

2270 Plaza Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Main Office: (720) 383-4519 or [email protected]

Attendance: (720) 432-9239 or [email protected]

Web: http://www.bfacademy.org/

Fax:  (303) 974-1738  

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.