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Ben Franklin Academy Newsletter | Vol. 4, Iss. 18 May 2014 | |
| Kent Barwind, BFA Board Member
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Dear Parents,
The following message is from BFA's newest Board member, Kent Barwind.
My name is Kent Barwind, and I am excited to start serving on the BFA Board of Directors. I am a stay-at-home father of four children, all at BFA. Currently, my youngest daughter is in preschool, my two boys are in first and third grades, and my oldest daughter is in sixth grade. Prior to staying at home, I previously enjoyed a career in finance and accounting at several major consumer goods companies.
We have been with BFA from the very beginning and truly enjoy the school. I have served for the past three years on both the School Accountability Committee (SAC) and Finance Committee, and you have likely seen me volunteering in car pool and elsewhere around the school. I am looking forward to becoming more involved by serving on the Board and meeting many more families and staff in the BFA community.
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Spirit Day
Spirit Day is tomorrow, Friday, May 16. Students are allowed to wear a spirit wear T-shirt (includes former Field Day T-shirts) along with their uniform bottoms of choice. If your child chooses not to wear a spirit wear T-shirt, s/he must be in full uniform.
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Fun in the Sun Field Day
Please tell your children to stop doing the snow dance - we are not going to have a snow day! - and start doing a sun dance!
BFA's Fun in the Sun Field Day starts tomorrow, Friday, May 16. The schedule is as follows:
- Kindergarten and First Grade: 8:30 a.m. - noon, Friday, May 16, BFA
- Middle School: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Monday, May 19, at Redstone Park, Field No. 4
- Second and Third Grades: 8:30 a.m. - noon, Tuesday, May 20, BFA
- Fourth and Fifth Grades: 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 21, BFA
The 2014 Field Day T-shirt (designed by sixth grader Janette Hoffman) will be coming home today. Thank you to the following organizations for their generous donations to BFA, which allowed us to provide each student with a Field Day T-shirt free of charge: BFA PTO, Sound Relief Hearing Center, Kids DDS, Beaber Orthodontics, Firehouse Subs, Otto's Fly Fishing, Max the Official PTO Mascot and Out of the Blue Screen Printing.
Each student also will also be receiving a BFA Field Day water bottle provided by First Option Lending and Rusty Porterfield. Please write your child's name on his/her water bottle and send it back filled with water on their Field Day. On your child's Field Day, please send your child in his/her Field Day T-shirt, athletic shorts (they do not have to be uniform bottoms) and athletic shoes. Please put sunscreen on your child before s/he comes to school.
In addition, a few volunteer spots remain open. If you are interested in volunteering, click here to sign up.
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Library Update
The BFA library is currently closed for inventory of its book collection (that started this week). If you have a lost book, and it is found during this time, we will correct your student's account. If the book is not found, we will notify you of the replacement cost.
Summer Book Fair
Help your children avoid the summer brain drain, and keep them reading over the summer! The BFA Summer Reading Scholastic Book Fair will be from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 21, through Friday, May 23, in the library. (Note: Parents must enter the school by 3 p.m. to shop until 3:30 p.m.)
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Health Room News
You will be receiving a letter in the mail this week with instructions regarding picking up your student's medications at school. Please be advised that all medications remaining at school will be disposed of at the end of the last day of school, Friday, May 23, per district policy.
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Uniform Sale
The PTO will be hosting a Uniform Sale from 9-11 a.m., Saturday, May 31, in the Middle School Commons. If you would like to sell items, please read the instructions and fill out the inventory form. You can also find this information on the BFA website by clicking here.
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Where's Ben? Winner
Congratulations to the Haufschild Family for winning the Where's Ben? Spring Break Stay Curious contest with their picture next to Ben Franklin!
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MCO Board for 2014-15
The Marketing and Community Outreach (MCO) Committee is happy to announce the 2014-15 MCO Board and Representatives. They are as follows:
- Julia Porterfield, Chair
- Janell Swan, Vice Chair and Treasurer
- Rebecca Griggs, Secretary
- Lynsey Humphries, Community Outreach Officer
- Amy Taylor, Policy Officer
- Dave Fischer, Ben's Brigade Officer
- Nathan Bobbin, Gabriela Cerny, Shannon Hinrichsen, Julie Roper, Heather Smith and Jennifer Torres, Parent and Marketing Representatives
Thank you to Tom Devlin, Kathleen MacKinnon, Susie McCoy, Solie Swan and Jody Wolf for your service to the MCO this past school year.
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Room Parents Wanted
The Room Parents Committee is looking for moms and dads interested in becoming room parents for the 2014-15 school year. This is a FUN and rewarding way to earn your volunteer hours! If you are interested, please email Room Parents with your name, child(ren)'s grade(s) and that you are interested in room parenting.
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Mark Your Calendars for Summer Fun!
As a way of saying thank you to our families who have met their volunteer requirements, the PTO is sponsoring free events over the summer.
Pirates Cove: From 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, June 20, Pirates Cove will be running over with BFA families enjoying this fun water park. For families who have not met their volunteer requirements, admission will be $5 per person. Pirates Cove is located at 1225 West Belleview Ave., Littleton, 80120.
More information about additional events will be forthcoming.
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Yearbook Signing and Ice Cream Social
Thank you to everyone who helped at this week's Yearbook Signing/Ice Cream Social and to Theroux Orthodontics for their ice cream donation. The kids had a great time!
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Lunch Survey
We would love your feedback! Parents, please take a moment and fill out our lunch survey. You can find the survey by clicking here. One survey per family please. Tomorrow, Friday, May 16, is the last day to complete the survey.
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BFF Parent Seminar
Keeping Kids Engaged In Learning Over the Summer
Please join us from 6:30- 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 20, in the Middle School Commons for our first BFF Parent Seminar: Keeping Kids Engaged in Learning Over the Summer.
To accompany this seminar, we'll be compiling a list of summer learning resources. Do you have favorite ways to keep your kids engaged in learning over the summer - tablet apps, websites, places to visit and/or summer programs (free or paid)? If so, please share them with us by clicking here.
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Red Ribbon Assembly
To support efforts and a common goal of building a safe, healthy and drug-free community, Buckley Air Force Base will host a student assembly and fly in a helicopter for BFA students to view on Wednesday, May 21!
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Box Tops
Wednesday, May 21, is the final collection date for Box Tops this school year. There are a lot of Box Tops expiring in June, so everyone is encouraged to turn in their Box Tops on Wednesday. We cannot submit expired Box Tops.
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Lost and Found
Don't forget to check the Lost and Found, as it continues to grow. As we near the end of the year, it would be nice to see all of the items find its rightful owner. All remaining items will be donated to a local charity on the last day of school, Friday, May 23.
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Online Auction
The online portion of BFA's Silent Auction closes in the next few days. It operates similar to eBay, and there are still lots of great items, including gift cards, yearbooks, classes for the kids, family fun, getaways and more! To view and bid on the items, click here.
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Run Colorado Fundraiser
Get the whole family outside to run, get fit and raise funds for BFA! Shop now through Saturday, May 17, at Run Colorado, tell them you are from BFA, and the store will donate 15 percent of its sales back to the school. Run Colorado is a local, independent running store; it is located at 8505 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village, 80112.
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Join the PTO
The PTO is still seeking candidates for the following positions:
- Student Appreciations Chair
- Middle School Fundraising Coordinator
- Father/Daughter Dance Coordinator
- Mother/Son Event Coordinator
If you are interested in any of the preceding positions, please email Nicole Eubanks.
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BFA and Fourth of July
The MCO will be organizing BFA families for participation at this year's HRCA Fourth of July celebration. If you and/or your family is interested in any of the following opportunities, email the MCO:
- Run/walkers (adults and students) interested in the 5K as the BFA Team Run - starts at 8 a.m.
- Individuals and families wanting to cheer on the BFA Team along the course
- Families interested in participating under the BFA banner for the Bike Parade - starts at 8:45 a.m.
- Families interested in walking in the Community Parade behind the BFA banner - starts at 9 a.m.
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Register for BFA Summer Camp
Registration is open for Summer Camp 2014! If you need daily care for your child/children, or just a day or two a week, we are the day camp for you.
We offer a wide variety of activities, both in-house and field trips. Your child/children will learn and have fun at the same time. Since we only take current BFA students, your child/children will already have friends to play with. Current BFA employees are qualified to watch your child/children, so we are familiar with the children we are watching. Please consider using BFA Summer Camp this summer.
For more information about registering and/or summer camp activity calendars, click here. For questions, email Summer Camp. To register, click here.
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Important Dates / Calendar of Events
- Spirit Wear Day: Friday, May 16
- Lunch Survey Due: Friday, May 16
- Field Day (Grades K-1): 8:30 a.m. - noon, Friday, May 16, BFA
- Who's Who of the Eighth Grade Crew? Winners Announced: Friday, May 16
- Run Colorado Fundraiser: From now through May 17, Run Colorado (located at 8505 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village, 80112)
- Field Day (Middle School): 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Monday, May 19, Redstone Park, Field No. 4
- Field Day (Grades 2-3): 8:30 a.m. - noon, Tuesday, May 20, BFA
- BFF Parent Seminar: 6:30-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 20, Middle School Commons
- Field Day (Grades 4-5): 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 21, BFA
- Box Tops Collection: Wednesday, May 21
- Red Ribbon Assembly: Wednesday, May 21
- Summer Scholastic Book Fair: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., May 21-23, Library
- Kindie End-of-Year Program (Half-Day): 10 a.m., Thursday, May 22, Gym
- Kindie End-of-Year Program (Full Day): 2 p.m., Thursday, May 22, Gym
- Eighth Grade Graduation: 7 p.m., Thursday, May 22
- Last Day of School: Friday, May 23
- Dress of Choice Day: Friday, May 23
- Talent Show: 8:45-9:45 a.m. (K-3), 10-11 a.m. (4-8), Friday, May 23, Gym
- Lost and Found Items Donated: Friday, May 23
- Report Cards and Student Class Placement Electronically Released: Wednesday, May 28
- Items Due for Uniform Sale: Wednesday, May 28
- Uniform Sale: 9-11 a.m., Saturday, May 31, Middle School Commons
- BFA Summer Fun at Pirates Cove: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, June 20, Pirates Cove (located at 1225 West Belleview Ave., Littleton, 80120)
- BFA Participation in HRCA Fourth of July Celebration: Varying start times, Friday, July 4
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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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