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Ben Franklin Academy NewsletterVol. 5, Iss. 11
March 2015
In This Issue
:: Dress of Choice Day | Music: Featured Special | Lost and Found | Bake Sale | Spring Break/School Closed
:: Fifth Grader to State Geographic Bee | Battle of the Books Team District Runners-Up | Three DI Teams to State
:: Mother/Son Event Registration | Thank You, Volunteers! | Order Field Day T-Shirts | Parent Volunteer Honored
:: Field Day T-Shirt Sponsorships | Fundraising Funds at Work | BFA on PBS | Calling All Bookworms
:: MCO Elections | PTO Elections | PTO Fundraising Coordinator | Summer Camp | Calendar
Star Awards
Dear Parents,

What an amazing group of students we have here at BFA!

 

This should come as no surprise to anyone. We truly have an amazing group of students that attend Ben Franklin Academy. Many of us hear positive comments from the staff on a daily basis, and there are times when we have the opportunity to formally recognize the amazing students in a more public forum. Tuesday was one of those days, as we held BFA's second trimester recognition ceremony for grades K-5. I want to thank those who were able to attend, as well as those who cold not, but were there in spirit. I am impressed with just how many awards were presented. They are as follows:

 

Grade Level Virtue Awards: Awarded to students who consistently demonstrate the virtue of the month.

Grade Level

Number of Awards Presented

Kindergarten

24

First Grade

9

Second Grade

9

Third Grade

14

Fourth Grade

15

Fifth Grade

13

 

Ben Franklin Award: Awarded to students who consistently demonstrate BFA's 13 virtues on a daily basis.

Grade Level

Number of Awards Presented

First Grade

4

Second Grade

3

Third Grade

5

Fourth Grade

3

Fifth Grade

1

 

Honor Roll: For students (fourth grade and above) with a grade point average of 3.5 to 3.74.

Grade Level

Number of Awards Presented

Fourth Grade

22

Fifth Grade

30

 

High Honor Roll: For students (fourth grade and above) with a grade point average of 3.75 to 4.0.  

Grade Level

Number of Awards Presented

Fourth Grade

50

Fifth Grade

14

 

BFA's middle school (grades 6-8) will be holding its second trimester awards ceremony at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 31, in the gym. Those parents of students who are receiving awards have been/will be notified and specifically invited by their child's teacher to attend the assembly.

 

Virtues in Action

 

Mrs. Gibson's seventh grade advisory students visited the fourth grade to read and discuss a traditional Swedish story tale. They discussed the virtue of purity and how it was represented in the story.

 

Mrs. Sieradski's eighth grade language arts students just finished up Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury and a study of the good and evil theme within the novel. The class did an in-depth analysis of the virtues and corresponding seven deadly sins found in the story. Jordan Lotter was the grand prize winner of our art contest with his depiction of Mr. Dark and pride/humility.

Announcement

Dress of Choice Day    

 

Reminder: The next dress of choice day is tomorrow, Friday, March 20.

Lost and Found
Lost and Found
    
Don't forget to check the Lost and Found, as it continues to grow daily. All items left in the Lost and Found will be donated to a local charity tomorrow, Friday, March 20.

Bake Sale  

 
BFA's middle school is hosting a Bake Sale from 7:30-8:05 a.m. and during lunch on Friday, March 20. There will be tables set up on both levels of the school. Baked goods will range in price from $0.50 to $1. Please buy a baked good, and help support the Washington, D.C., trip!
spring-word-flowers.jpg Spring Break/
School Closed

 

Reminder: Spring Break is the week of March 23-27, and the school will be closed during that time. Enjoy the time off, and we look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, March 30!

Zack Kolbo
Fifth Grader to Compete at Colorado Geo Bee    
 
Congratulations to fifth grade student Zach Kolbo for winning BFA's National Geographic Bee and being accepted to compete in the 2015 Colorado National Geographic State Bee on Friday, March 27.

Zach says his love of geography started with books about animals he had when he was younger; he was more interested in the maps than the animals.  

The Colorado Geographic Bee will be held at the University of Colorado at Denver on the Auraria Campus. We wish Zach well as he goes on to represent BFA at the Bee!
Destination ImagiNationThree BFA DI Teams Progress to State

  

Congratulations to all seven of the BFA teams that competed in the Destination ImagiNation (DI) South Metro tournament last Saturday and to the three BFA teams who are moving forward to the state competition in April! 

  

The three teams advancing are as follows:

  • Brand-Aid (Challenge); Elementary (Level); Third Place (District); Fudger Nutter Coconutters (Team Name): Sophia Bettis, Kaitlyn Blum, Mary Kodenkandath, Sahithi Mathukumilli, Sreehitha Sajja and Emma Thiessen. Team Manager: Sarah Bettis
  • Improv Games (Challenge); Middle (Level); Third Place (District); 3rd Place (District); The Redhead, Blonde, Brunette and Sasha (Team Name): Taylor Eubanks, Linnea Plumb, Sasha Salvi and Madison Smith. Team Manager: Michelle Smith 
  • Creature Feature* (Challenge); Elementary (Level); Sixth Place (District); Gold Fluffy Mocking Jays (Team Name): Alex Feifarek, Terry Hanson, Seamus McNally, Tuhin Sur and Suraj Swamynathan. Team Managers: Sarika Syamala and Christy McNally 
This is the first time - and a school record - that BFA is sending three teams to the DI State Competition, which will be held on Saturday, April 25, at Metropolitan State University of Denver on the Auraria campus. Congratulations, good luck and thank you to all participants and volunteers!

*The Gold Fluffy Mocking Jays team is attending the State tournament in place of the fifth place finisher.  

motherson
Mother/Son Event

The Mother/Son Amazing Race Event is Saturday, April 18. Tickets are available NOW through 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 3. Cost is $25 for a two-person team, $5 for each additional teammate. Click here to buy tickets.  

 

***Reminder: NO tickets will be sold past Friday, April 3, so hurry to register your team!*** 

  • Race Start: 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at Civic Green Park Amphitheater (9370 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands Ranch)
  • Post Race Party:  6 p.m., Lil' Ricci's (located at 44 W. Centennial, Highlands Ranch
We are also looking for volunteers to help make this event a huge success. It is a great way to get volunteer hours (and it's on a Saturday). To sign up, click here. Hope to see you there!
Field day

Order Your Field Day T-Shirts NOW      

 

BFA's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), along with our wonderful sponsors, are providing each BFA student and staff member with a free, specially designed T-shirt for Field Day 2015.

To order your child's shirt, please go to the BFA School Store/Academy Spirit Wear by clicking here. Scroll until you see the selection of Field Day T-shirts, which will have the name "Field Day 2015" in it and select your student's grade. Click on the link, choose your child's size, add to cart and fill out any additional pertinent information. Field Day T-shirts will be delivered to your child's classroom in May before Field Day.

BFA Teachers/Staff: Please order your Field Day T-shirts through the same link listed above. Click on "Field Day 2015-Teachers Staff." (You also can do so directly by clicking here.) Choose your size, click add to cart and fill out any additional pertinent information. 
Field day shirt

Field Day T-Shirt Sponsorships    

   

What do Santa Fe Suds/ Sunaharas' Car Wash, Moody Insurance, Amber Simonis Realtor, Sound Relief Hearing Center and Max the Dog have in common? They are proud sponsors of BFA's Field Day T-shirts.   

 

If you own your own business and would like to have your business logo on BFA's Field Day T-shirts, please fill out the enclosed form by clicking here and email it to Tiffani Titus, PTO Fundraising Coordinator. (Sponsorships are first-come, first-served.)

  

Field Day T-shirts will be distributed to each student and staff member to wear during BFA's Field Day events. Students also are allowed to wear Field Day T-shirts on Spirit Days throughout the school year.

 

Thank you to our current sponsors. We couldn't do this without you!

PBS Super School News

BFA on PBS Update 

   

As you know, students from Ms. Goldin's newscasting elective filmed their Super News broadcast at Rocky Mountain PBS, and their show is being aired at additional times at the end of March. If you haven't seen it yet, their show will air at the following times and dates on PBS: 

  • 10:55 a.m., Tuesday, March 24
  • 2:55 p.m., Thursday, March 26
  • 10:55 a.m., Saturday, March 28

In addition, you can access and watch the video online by clicking here.

Vote
MCO Elections

  

Do you believe passionately in community connection at BFA? Are you dedicated and organized? The Marketing and Community Outreach Committee (MCO) needs YOU! 

 

The MCO is looking for parents who want to play a part in the school's marketing, community outreach and community service events for the upcoming 2014-15 school year. If your passion is in these areas, please consider joining the MCO team. The committee offers positions for parents working both inside and outside of the home. This year's open positions include secretary, marketing officer, community outreach officer, Ben's Brigade Officer, community service representative and social representative. If you are interested or for more information, email the MCO or share your interest by filling out an online form by clicking here

 

The preceding MCO positions are fulfilled through unanimous vote by the MCO Board. The submission deadline for those positions is Wednesday, April 8, and candidates are asked to attend the MCO meeting on Tuesday, April 14. All positions begin their terms on July 1.  
The PTO Needs You!
 
The PTO needs someone who is:  
  • Energetic 
  • Organized
  • Creative
  • Leader
  • Good at rallying friends to help
  • Able to throw a party like no other
The BENefit Bash is set for the fall, but we need a Fundraising Coordinator to make the Bash a reality. If you have ever dreamed of being a party planner, this is your chance! 

Click here to find out more information about becoming the Fundraising Coordinator and information about other PTO positions that are available.
classical_illustration.jpg
Music: Featured BFA Special of the Week  
 
Each week in this newsletter, we highlight one of BFA's Specials and what each grade in the school is learning in that particular Special.  This week, we are focusing on MUSIC.

Kindergarten: Students performed their musical last week! They are watching the performance on video and evaluating the group. After that, they will be continuing beat recognition by playing the game Bernie Bee. They also are also learning to play the triangle, wind chimes, cabasa and vibraslap.

 
First Grade: Students are learning about the musical scale and high and low notes. They are playing boomwhackers and xylophones while learning that as the instrument or bar gets smaller, the note gets higher.
 
Third Grade: This is third grade's last week on recorder. Students are playing through all of the songs they've learned on the recorder.

Fourth Grade: In honor of St Patrick's Day, students learned a folk dance to an Irish jig. They also are starting a unit on African drumming, playing dejembes, tubanos and shekeres.

Fifth Grade: Students just auditioned for the main parts in their show, At the Bandstand. They are now working on learning their lines and dance moves. Their performance will be at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, in the gym.
 
Electives: In Choir, students are working on music they will perform at a music festival at Elitch Gardens and at eighth grade graduation. They also are learning solfege (Do, Re, Mi, etc.). This skill eventually transfers into reading music. In Rock Band, students play guitar, piano and sing. They are playing the songs Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Pretty Woman
Battle of the Books Team Wins Branch Final; Places Second in District   

It has been quite a week for BFA's third/fourth grade Battle of the Books team. Last Friday night, the BFA team (Highlands Ranch Branch AFC champion) battled Cougar Run (Highlands Ranch Branch NFC champion), and
both teams were fierce competitors. BFA and Cougar Run each had a perfect score at the end of the 20-question regular round and went into "overtime" with tiebreakers. After 17 additional questions, the library branch manager awarded BFA the Highlands Ranch branch trophy! BFA beat 17 teams to attend the Battle of the Books District Finals against the winners of the Castle Rock and Parker library branch winners.

On Wednesday night, BFA watched the battle between DCS Montessori and Parker Core Knowledge and felt great that the questions the teams missed, they knew. DCS Montessori won the first battle and were scheduled to battle BFA next. BFA and DCS Montessori were neck-and-neck the entire battle until the 14th question, when BFA missed the question and DCS Montessori had an opportunity to steal it. DCS won the steal, and by the end of the last question, BFA knew there was no other way to recover. BFA lost the battle and the District Championship, which was very difficult for all of the students who had worked so hard this season. Even so, the BFA students were a powerful force in this competition - as well as taking second place in the entire district - and for representing BFA as the Highlands Ranch Branch champions. This team proved it was THEIR TIME TO BE GREAT, and we are very proud!

The Highlands Ranch Branch trophy and District Finals certificate is currently on display in BFA's front office.
Battle of the Books District Finals
District Finalists: BFA Third/Fourth Grade Battle of the Books team: (from left, seated) Vinisha TripathiAaditya Bahl, Sreehitha Sajja, Jason Richard, Tyler Sunahara; (from left, standing) coach Mrs. Nicole Poleschook, Olivia Velasco, Abby Hurd and assistant coach Shatu Tripathi. The referees are Highlands Ranch Library Battle of the Books moderators Cindy and Sue.
Thank You, Volunteers!
    

Congratulations to the volunteers who have dedicated 50 or more hours of their time to helping our school! There are more than 60 families who have reached this threshold. We sincerely appreciate their dedication to BFA, and as a small token of our appreciation, these volunteers will be given a BFA logo microfiber cloth. These handy microfiber cloths can be used to clean your cell phone and/or tablet screen(s), as well as other electronic devices. Distribution of these gifts will begin this week. Thanks again to all of our volunteers! 

Parent Recognized for Volunteerism
 
Abhi Sur, father of third grader Tuhin Sur, was recently recognized by his employer, Salesforce, for his volunteer efforts at BFA and other international education institutions. Salesforce allows every employee to dedicate 1 percent of his/her time to volunteer for non-profits. He also was awarded a Champion Grant for $1,000 to be given to a registered charity/school of his choice, and his choice was BFA!  Abhi volunteers for the
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM) Committee; helps coordinate Destination ImagiNation (DI); and works with the Junior Achievement program. Abhi, thanks for your time and your donation. You truly make a difference at BFA!
thanks
Fundraising Funds at Work

  

Thanks to the generosity of the BFA community, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) wants to share how your money is being spent in your school.

  

Last year during the BENefit Bash, there was a special paddle raise during the live auction. The money that was raised allocated each full-time teacher $300 to spend in their classrooms. To date, the PTO has spent $5,501.50 from that paddle raise. In addition, the PTO has spent $12,554.72 to date on teacher requests.  

  

Due to the overwhelming success of this year's Fun Run, the PTO recently approved Principal Barber's request of the following:

  • Three Promethean boards (interactive whiteboards) for $13,625
  • 28 Chromebooks and one charging cart for $11,673.72
  • 12 tables for each grade level for $905.22
  • Macbook upgrade to 4GB and operating system increase to 10.10 (three carts) for $3,645
  • Retrofitting two water fountains (main and second levels) for $2,000 plus plumber costs
  • Increasing lights in staff parking lot for $3,000

The total of Principal Barber's requests equal $34,848.94 (plus plumber costs). 

 

Thank you for your support on all PTO events to raise funds! The PTO is happy to help outfit the school with needs above and beyond the budget.

library worm

Calling All Bookworms 

 

Douglas County Libraries are hosting their Spring Reading Program from now through Tuesday, March 31. All ages (child, teen and adult) are encouraged to participate. The prize for reading 12 hours is a free book (while supplies last). There is one book to choose from for adults, three for young adults and eight for the elementary level. We thought this would be a great way to get some new (and free!) books for the BFA library. If you are interested in completing the program and donating your book(s) to the library, please email Mrs. Gilmour, BFA librarian, for a reading log so you can get started.

Vote ButtonPTO Elections
  
Nominations for PTO elections for the 2015-16 school year are NOW available online. Nominate someone or yourself, as we are always looking for new volunteers to help make BFA a better place. Click here for the nomination form.  

 

For any questions, please contact Halsley Hoff, PTO secretary, via email. For additional information on the BFA PTO election process and job descriptions, click here.   

BFA Summer Camp
Lightning Bolts Summer Camp
    

Do you need full-time day care for the summer? Perhaps you are looking to get a break from your children a few days during the summer? Maybe your kids would like to connect with other BFA kids and enjoy fun, summer social time? Whatever your situation, BFA's Lightning Bolts Summer Camp program is sure to keep your kids safe and entertained. The camp is staffed by people you know and trust.


Program details are as follows:
  • Hours: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • Days: Monday through Friday
  • Dates: June 1 through Aug. 14
  • Additional Requirements: BFA Summer Camp is open to any BFA student 5 years old and above.  
  • Registration Fee: $35 per child one-time registration fee (all registered campers receive a camp T-shirt and day pack)
  • Daily Tuition (Non-Field Trip Days): $35 per child per day
  • Daily Tuition (Field Trip Days): $50 per child per day

We will communicate when the detailed daily Summer Camp activity schedule is finalized. There is no sibling discount. 

Important Dates / Calendar of EventsCalendar Clip Art
  • Dress of Choice Day: Friday, March 20
  • Bake Sale: Friday, March 20
  • Lost and Found Items Donated to Charity: Friday, March 20
  • Spring Break/School Closed: March 23-27
  • Lightning Fast News Team Airs Super School News on Rocky Mountain PBS: 
    • 10:55 a.m., Tuesday, March 24
    • 2:55 p.m., Thursday, March 26
    • 10:55 a.m., Saturday, March 28
  • Colorado National Geographic Bee: Friday, March 27, University of Colorado at Denver, Auraria Campus
  • Character Award/Honor Roll Middle School (Grades 6-8) Assembly: 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 31, Gym
  • Douglas County Libraries' Spring Reading Program: Now through Tuesday, March 31
  • Formal Uniform Day: Wednesday, April 1
  • Mother/Son Event Tickets Purchase Deadline: 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 3
  • BFA Board Elections: April 6-10
  • MCO Positions Submission Deadline: Wednesday, April 8
  • Mother/Son Event:
    • Race Start: 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at Civic Green Park Amphitheater (9370 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands Ranch)
    • Post Race Party:  6 p.m., Lil' Ricci's (located at 44 W. Centennial, Highlands Ranch)
  • Destination ImagiNation State Competition: All Day, Saturday, April 25, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Auraria Campus
  • BFF Social: Tuesday, April 28
  • At the Bandstand (Fifth Grade Musical): 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, Gym
  • Lightning Bolts Summer Camp: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, June 1 - Aug. 14

Upcoming Meetings

  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Committee: 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, Sanders Science Lab (room 145)
  • School Accountability Committee (SAC): 4 p.m., Thursday, April 2, Conference Room
  • Grant Committee: 9 p.m., Monday, April 6, Teleconference
  • Marketing and Community Outreach (MCO) Committee: 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 7, Library 
  • Finance Committee: 5 p.m., Monday, April 13, Library
  • Board of Directors: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, Library
    • Find the latest BFA Board of Directors minutes by clicking here.
  • Parent Teacher Organization (PTO): 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 20, Library
     

Ben Franklin Academy Calendars 

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.