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Ben Franklin Academy Newsletter | Vol. 6, Iss. 13 April 2016 | |
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Fifth Grader Competes at Colorado Geo Bee
On April 1st, Lincoln McVicker was invited to the State Geography Bee held at the University of Denver with 103 other students from across the state. Lincoln was one of the youngest competitors to be part of the geography bee, which ranged from 5th grade to 8th grade. Ben Franklin Academy is proud of Lincoln and his efforts competing in the State Geography Bee.
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NJHS Active in the Community
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BFA Facility Expansion
Please join us on Wednesday, April 20, at 6:00 p.m. in the gym for a presentation and Q&A session about BFA's plans to improve our existing building in completion of the original vision for the property. BFA's National Junior Honor Society members will provide childcare for BFA students during the meeting. We are excited to begin this new chapter at BFA with even more positive learning opportunities for our students! Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and community.
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BFA Summer Camp 2016
BFA is offering an exciting Summer Camp program again this year. The initial registration is NOW open! Click here to register.
***NEW***Summer Camp calendars have been added to the BFA website. We are working on setting up the daily registrations, so stay tuned for those! For now, check-out the calendars by clicking on the links below, get excited for all the fun activities, and get your students registered!
Whatever your situation - if you need full-time day care for the summer; looking to get a break from your children a few days; or if you're kids want to connect with other BFA kids and enjoy fun, summer social time - our Summer Camp program is sure to keep your kids safe and entertained. Our camp is staffed by people you know and trust.
Program Details
- Hours: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Dates: June 1 - Aug. 12 (Closed July 4-8)
- Days: Monday through Friday
- Summer Camp is open to any currently enrolled BFA student 5 years old and above and in kindergarten.
- Registration Cost: $35 per child/one-time registration fee (all registered campers will receive a camp T-shirt and day pack)
- Daily Tuition Cost: $35 per day per child for non-field trip days; $50 per day per child for field trip days
Any questions, please email Summer Camp.
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Elementary Science Fair Volunteers Needed
It's that time of year again...time for the Elementary Science Fair (April 12-13), and we need you! Don't miss out on the opportunity to participate and be part of this exciting time for our students. No science experience or science background? NO PROBLEM! Click here to sign up to support our students and talk with them about their amazing projects.
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Don't Miss this Year's Mother/Son Event
Grab your son(s), don't be late, sneak like a ninja, let's celebrate! Join us for the Fifth Annual Mother/Son Event at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16, at Xtreme Challenge Arena (located at 82 Inverness Dr. East, Englewood, 80112).
Tickets for a mother/son pair is $40; each additional son is $10. Tickets are on sale NOW through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, April 10. Don't wait! Purchase your tickets TODAY at the online BFA store by clicking here. A liability waiver must be completed (please follow instructions on the BFA Store ticket website). Questions? Contact Amber Clendening or Mindy Pooler via email.
Calling all BFA Fathers and Mother's with Daughters! We need YOUR help! The Mother/Son Event needs approximately 35-40 volunteers. Volunteer Hours are on
Saturday, April 16th from 5-8pm and we will FEED YOU dinner! :) If you are looking for a way to help your family complete their hours prior to the end of the school year, this is a great cause. Please Sign Up today!
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Want to Make a Difference at BFA? PTO Nominations Open!
The PTO is an integral part of Ben Franklin Academy. Since it began serving BFA, the PTO has raised funds to provide all sorts of items needed by the school-everything from tables and chairs to playground equipment, library books, a climbing wall and LEXIA licensing as well as tools and resources needed by the teachers, staff and administration. In addition, we organize social events to bring together the entire BFA Community. When you join the PTO, you make a real, meaningful difference at BFA and you build lasting friendships with other BFA parents. There are all sorts of positions available next school year on the PTO, including many positions that can be done from home. Nomination forms and detailed job descriptions are available on the PTO page found here. Nominations must be submitted by Monday, April 11. Please consider becoming a member of the PTO team!
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SAC Volunteer Opportunity
The Student Accountability Committee (SAC) is looking for volunteers to join the SAC next school year. The SAC is a state-mandated committee composed of parents, community members and school personnel who are responsible for reviewing school progress and policies, making recommendations to the BFA Board of Directors, and conducting parent and student satisfaction surveys. The SAC meets monthly. If you are interested in learning more about the SAC, please attend our next meeting scheduled at 4:15 p.m., Thursday, April 21, in the conference room. This is a great way to stay involved with BFA and get volunteer hours!
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Sign Up for BFA Home Depot Building Event
Dads, bring your kiddo(s) to Home Depot on Saturday, April 16 at noon for the Home Depot Build Class. This is a great opportunity to spend time with your son or daughter while working on a project together. If you would like to attend, please click here to sign up.
Dads-Mark your Calendars for these Ben's Brigade Events!
The next Ben's Brigade meeting will be held on Thursday, April 21 at the Target Starbucks in Town Center at 8pm. All BFA Dads are welcome to attend!
Ben's Brigade hosts a Spring Clean-up for our school every year. All BFA Dads are welcome and encouraged to participate in the clean up on Saturday, April 30, from 8am until noon.
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Beverages with Bob (AKA Principal Barber)
Ben's Brigade is hosting a Dad's Night Out on Thursday, April 28, from 6-8pm with special guest, Principal Barber! The event will be held at Living the Dream Brewery. All BFA Dads, Grandpas, favorite Uncles, etc. are welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!
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BFA Sponsors
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Board Elections 2016
BFA Parent Voting Group: The Ben Franklin Board of Directors election ballots were distributed by email on April 4 and currently are available on the BFA website. Click here to access the ballot. The deadline to cast your vote for the Seat 3 Class B director is FRIDAY, April 8, at 11:59 p.m. (MDT).
Please check the box on the electronic ballot next to the name of the candidate for whom you wish to vote. The candidate with the most votes will serve a three-year term as the Seat 3 Class B director on the BFA Board. Each family/employee is allowed one vote. If multiple submissions are made with the same family/employee number, both will be discarded. If you do not know your family number (see your carpool tag) or employee number, please contact the office.
Results of the election for the Seat 3 Class B director will be announced and the appointment for the Seat 4 Class B director will be made on Tuesday, April 12, at the regularly scheduled Board meeting.
For the entire Board of Directors Election Policy, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Bill Castor, Board secretary, via email [email protected].
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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. (You can always find information about BFA's Specials by clicking here.)
Kindie is working on steady beat. They are demonstrating that they can sing, play and hear a steady beat. They are learning a song "Burnie Bee" and are taking turns be the conductor and choosing the tempo/beat for their class to sing. They are also listening to the song "German Dance" by Beethoven and picking different motions to do to the beat.
1st grade is learning a new solfege pitch: "la." They can now read songs using the pitches do, mi, so and la. We are reviewing recognizing high and low notes. We are also composing rhythm patterns using ta, titi and rest.
2nd grade just performed their musical Let's Eat! This show was all about hungry kids and LOTS of food!
3rd grade is playing the always beautiful sounding recorder. They have learned the notes B, A, G, C and D.
4th grade just created their own folk dance to an Israeli song. This week they are playing an accompaniment on xylophones to the song "I love the Mountains."
5th grade is rehearsing their musical "Summer Camp." It tells the story of a bunch of technology loving kids who get sent reluctantly to summer camp by their parents. Their performance is April 27th.
Middle School Choir is really impressing Ms. Johnson. They are learning very difficult 2 and 3-part choral music so quickly. They are also learning to sight-read music.
Middle School Theatre is rehearsing for the musical, The Grunch about a middle schooler who hates the theatre group at his school and joins the musical so he can ruin the play. (Think the Grinch!)
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Support BFA at Upcoming DI State Competition
Congratulations to the three BFA teams who are competing at the Destination ImagiNation (DI) State Competition! Join the teams and show your support this Saturday, April 9, at the Auraria Higher Education Center Campus (located at 777 Lawrence St., Denver, 80204). For more information, click here.
The BFA teams are as follows:
Performance Time: 12:57 p.m. Performance Location: PE/Event Center Team Name: Awesome is Our Middle Name
Challenge: Musical Mashup, Elementary Level
Team Members: Sophia Bettis, Kaitlyn Blum, Mary Kodenkandath, Sahithi Mathukumilli, Sreehitha Sajja and Emma Thiessen
Team Manager: Sarah Bettis
Performance Time: 12:39 p.m. Performance Location: Arts Center
Team Name: Connect the Dots
Challenge: In Plain Sight, Middle Level
Team Members: Shrey Seth, Austin Singleton, Arya Shinde and Shreya Sundaresh
Team Manager: Nandini Sundaresh
Performance Time: 3:03 p.m. Performance Location: King Center Team Name: BFA Believers
Challenge: Get A Clue, Elementary Level
Team Members: Jackie Fustich, Evan McDermott, Mina Poleschook, Tyler Sunahara, Siva Sundaresh, Anson Washeck and Brynna West
Team Managers: Amy Sunahara and Missy Washeck
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Summer Robotics Camp
Our Technology teacher and First Lego League Robotics coach is offering a robotics camp in June! Click here for details!
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Keep clipping! Box top collection day is next Wednesday, April 20.
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Birthday Bags
Celebrating birthdays at BFA just got more fun! For $10, your child will receive the following:
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A bag full of goodies, such as erasers, pencils, bouncy balls, etc. (no food or candy will be in the bags) delivered to their classroom by eighth graders
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A birthday certificate for a free bake sale item at the next bake sale
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A personalized note from you (if requested)
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Eighth graders singing happy birthday to your child in his/her classroom while delivering the bag
Did your student already celebrate his/her birthday? Is his/her birthday in the summer? We also will deliver "unbirthday bags" for students who have already celebrated their birthday or "half-birthday bags" for summer birthdays.
Thank you for supporting the eighth graders' trip to Washington, D.C.!
To order your birthday bags, click here. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Simpson.
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BFA to Participate in Ultramarathon
BFA is one of 10 schools chosen to participate in the Douglas County School District's ( DCSD) Healthy Schools Move Ultramarathon. BFA is challenging its students, parents and staff members to each accumulate 100 miles of movement between now and May. To sign up , click here. For more information and to register, please click here.
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2016-17 School Year Registration Dates
Save the date for 2016-17 registration days in August for New AND Existing Families:
- FAMILIES with LAST NAMES A through L: Wednesday, Aug. 10; office hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closed for lunch from 1-2 p.m.)
- FAMILIES with LAST NAMES M through Z: Thursday, Aug. 11; office hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closed for lunch from 1-2 p.m.)
- BRAND NEW FAMILIES ONLY: Friday, Aug. 12; office hours: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
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Important Dates / Calendar of Events
- Parent Voting for BFA Board of Director Seat: Now through Friday, April 8
- State Destination Imagination (DI) Competition: Saturday, April 9, at Metropolitan State University of Denver on the Auraria campus
- Mother/Son Event Tickets Available: Through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, April 10
- Elementary School Science Fair: Tuesday, April 12, and Wednesday, April 13
- EXTRA Dress of Choice Day: Friday, April 15
- Ben's Building Event: Noon, Saturday, April 16, The Home Depot (1200 Mayberry Dr., Highlands Ranch, 80129)
- Mother/Son Event: 5:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16, at Xtreme Challenge Arena (82 Inverness Dr. East, Englewood, 80112)
- BFA Facility Expansion Presentation: 6:00p.m.,Wednesday, April 20, BFA Gym
- Box Tops Collection: Wednesday, April 20
- 2016-17 Registration Day for Families with Last Names A through L: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closed for lunch from 1-2 p.m.), Wednesday, Aug. 10
- 2016-17 Registration Day for Families with Last Names M through Z: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closed for lunch from 1-2 p.m.), Thursday, Aug. 11
- 2016-17 Registration Day for Brand New Families ONLY: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Friday, Aug. 12
- Middle School Blog: Updated every Monday; click here for the latest edition
Upcoming Meetings
- Finance Committee: 5 p.m., Monday, April 11, Conference Room
- Board of Directors: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, Library; click here for the latest minutes
- Parent Teacher Organization (PTO): 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, Library
- School Accountability Committee (SAC): 4:15 p.m., Thursday, April 21, Sanders Science Lab
- Community Events Committee (CEC): 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, Library
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Committee: 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 4, Sanders Science Lab
Middle School Sports (Click here for website.)
- 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, at Platte River Academy
- 4:30 p.m., Thursday, April 14, at SkyView Academy
- 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 19, at Aspen View Academy
- 4:30 p.m., Thursday, April 21, at Platte River Academy
Ben Franklin Academy Calendars
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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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