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Oct. 26, 2023

Weekly Update

A Message from Board President Haley Maglieri

2023 Haley

BFA Board of Director Meeting Summary - Oct. 2023


In partnership with Principal Simpson, the BFA Board of Directors is proud to work for the students, parents and patrons of BFA in promoting the mission and vision of the school. The following summarizes action taken during our October Board meeting.


Thank you to our student tech support for this month’s meeting: JD Kim (5th grade) who is pictured below!


BOD Updates:

2024-25 School Calendar

Three options were presented for the 2024-25 school year calendar. We asked our staff and parent community to vote on their preferred calendar option. Option A (most similar to our current school calendar) was most preferred. Proposed Calendar Option A was approved. 


Fall Parent Survey

In an effort to reduce the length of our annual parent survey and to better assist our teaching staff with more usable feedback/data, the SAC has proposed a fall parent survey focused specifically on the classroom(s). This will allow our teachers an opportunity to review feedback and address concerns earlier in the school year. It is anticipated that this survey will be provided to families in December 2023.


Charter Renewal

We are in the process of renewing our charter school contract. As part of that process, an outside reviewer performs a site visit and evaluates (among other things) BFA’s financial health, governance and operations. Principal Simpson shared that we obtained a perfect score! Congratulations to our administration, staff and students! We will continue to share information on this important process.


Financial Oversight:

Treasurer Sarah Nisbet provided the financial focus during the meeting. September financials were reviewed in detail and approved. Thank you to Sarah Nisbet, the finance committee members and Halsley Hoff for their diligence with regard to BFA’s finances. 


In addition to the Board’s monthly financial review, each year, we have an audit performed by a third-party organization. The Board reviewed and approved the 2022-23 financial audit during the meeting. A copy of this audit will be made available on the Board Transparency page of the BFA website on or before Friday, Nov. 10.  


Policy Governance:

The Board reviewed the following policies and took the following action during our October meeting:


Complaint Form

This complaint form provides an avenue for parents to file a complaint/grievance against a BFA staff member as detailed within the Conflict Resolution Policy. Pursuant to the Conflict Resolution Policy, after unsuccessfully attempting to resolve a dispute with the staff member, a parent/guardian can utilize this form to lodge a formal complaint, in writing. 


Changes to the form were minimal and focused on aligning the language within the form to the language within the applicable policy. We also updated the form to be a fill form for ease of the user. The updated form will be available on the website on or before Wednesday, Nov. 1, and linked within the Conflict Resolution Policy.


The Board will not review any policies in November. 


Board BOLTS:

The Board and Principal Simpson recognize that there are BFA students who go above and beyond and achieve excellence in academics, character, effort and/or service. We are proud of each and every one of these students. Our Board BOLTS for October are:


  • Cater Trauth (1st grade)
  • Paige Hooley (2nd grade)
  • Trey Tucker (4th grade)
  • Genevieve Ryan (6th grade)
  • Grayson Murry (8th grade)
  • Liliana Molieri (8th grade)


If you would like to nominate a student to be recognized as one of our Board BOLTS in November, please use this nomination form.


November Board Meeting:

The next BFA Board of Director meeting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 14, in the Middle School Commons.

JD

JD Kim, Fifth Grade, Board Technical Support

Get to Know our Sponsors

We're Grateful to these GOLD BFA PTO Sponsors!

In the upcoming Principal Newsletters, the PTO plans to recognize all of our 2023-24 BFA PTO Sponsors. We are incredibly grateful for their support and excited to give each one a spotlight.

 

This week, we’re highlighting the first group of our sponsors in the GOLD category; we’re very thankful for their exceptional support and hope you’ll take a few minutes out of your day to learn about these businesses.   

 

COMPASS, Joe Dawson 

At Compass, Joe Dawson leverages nearly a decade of Real Estate experience to help Denver Metro area families find their dream homes. He spends time getting to know and understand each client on a personal level, identifying their wants, needs, and budget, and ensuring that each client is treated like family. He is an active member of the National Association of Realtors and is in the top 10 percent of South Metro Denver Realtors. He has a proven track record of success, and has won several diamond awards.

 

CRETE JACK, Randy and Ashley Kennedy

Crete Jack is a Denver-based foam leveling company that provides cost-effective solutions for all of your concrete leveling needs. CreteJack is committed to excellence in their work and doing right by their clients. Whether it is a basement floor, patio, sidewalk, or driveway, you can rest easy knowing your concrete leveling or repair is in the right hands with Crete Jack.

 

GREER LAW, Renet Greer

Greer Law works with families to create comprehensive estate plans that focus on protecting what matters most to them. To accomplish this, they take time to get to know their clients, learn about their families, and their concerns for the future. Estate planning is more than just set of legal documents, it is thinking about and planning for the future and creating an orderly strategy for your family to follow, ensuring that your wishes are honored.

Greer Law will donate 10 percent of the cost of any estate planning done for a BFA family back to the school, and offers a 20 percent discount to any school employee as a way of saying thank you!

BFA News

Friendly Reminders

Important Reminders

Friday, Oct. 27: 

  • Freaky Friday - It's the final day of Spirit Week! Come to school dressed as one of our wonderful BFA teachers or staff members.
  • Middle School Dance from 6 - 8 p.m. Volunteers still needed for set up. Be sure to register, and students should bring signed Dance Policy as their ticket.


Tuesday, Oct. 31:

  • Trunk or Treat and Elementary Halloween Parties


Wednesday, Nov. 1:

  • Formal Uniform Day - Students should come to school in their Formal Uniform which is a navy shirt with the BFA logo and tan pants, shorts, skirt or a skort.


Friday, Nov. 3:

  • No School for Students - This is a Professional Day for teachers so there is no school for our students.
Theatre Masks

Congratulations Thespian Troupe Officers!

Congratulations to these members of our middle school Thespian Troupe who were recently elected to serve as officers:



President – Liliana Molieri

Vice President - Elyssia Barwind

Secretary - Lainey Pierce

Treasurer – Zach Pooler

Community Activities/Service Chair – Anya Motazedi

Thespian Student Activities Chair - Brooke Libner

Publicity Chair/Scribe/Historian - Aubrey Leverson

Thank You Matt Taylor!

We wanted to share our appreciation for Matt Taylor, a BFA parent and local firefighter, who visited the preschool classrooms the first week in October. His visit left a lasting impression on our preschoolers. We are truly thankful for his dedication to educating our young learners about fire safety.

 

His engaging presentation not only taught the children valuable lessons about fire safety but also instilled a sense of confidence in them when it comes to understanding and reacting appropriately in emergency situations. His passion and enthusiasm were contagious, and the children were captivated by his informative demonstration and his patience to listen to their own stories.

 

We believe that his visit has made a significant impact on our students, helping them become more aware of the importance of fire safety and how to prevent potential dangers both at school and what to do when they are home. His kindness, patience, and willingness to answer all of their questions were truly appreciated.

 

We thank him for being an everyday hero and for taking the time to educate and inspire our young minds. His dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community does not go unnoticed. We are fortunate to have individuals like Matt who care so deeply about the safety of our children here at BFA. Matt has given his time for several years to the preschool students, even years that his two boys have graduated from our program. Thank you, Matt!

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Parent Survey: Support for BFA's Tech Resources

We'd appreciate parents and community members filling out a very short survey regarding the technology tools we use at BFA, and any support we may be able to provide to make these tools more user-friendly. Click here to get started.


If you have any questions, please contact Kyle Nolting, BFA's STEM coordinator.

Thanks for Supporting the Book Fair!

book

Thanks to our community for making the Book Fair a huge success! We exceeded our sales from the last Book Fair by a couple of thousand dollars, bringing in nearly $22,000. We’re thrilled about all the new books in our students’ hands (along with their new posters, pens, squishy balls and other ‘essential’ items!). 

 

Thanks to your patronage, Ms. Williams, our librarian, will be able to spend nearly $6,000 on new books for our students. 

 

Ms. Williams would like to thank all the volunteers for helping with set-up, tear down and everything in-between--you were all amazing.

 

She would especially like to thank Randi McFall and Mary Arboleda who worked every single day of the Fair. Randi trained the other volunteers, hung posters, and helped display books; and Mary helped the kids figure out how much money they had to spend, restocked and straightened the tables, and even brought lunch. Every year these two ladies go above and beyond in assisting with the Book Fair.

 

The e-Wallet program was a big success as well, with almost $8,000 going into e-Wallet accounts for the students and teachers. 

Many Ways to Participate in the Veterans Day Celebration

veterans day celebration

Our Veterans Day celebration will be here before you know it. This event is always a popular one at BFA and we are proud to honor our Veterans and current service members.

 

Veteran Guests and Brunch Attendees - RSVP by Nov. 1

If you have a special Veteran or service member you would like to invite to the celebration, please read the invitation for more information and RSVP TODAY!

 

Veterans Day Donations - Week of Nov. 6-10

The CEC will be supporting our veterans by collecting items for the VA hospital again this year. They will be collecting kitchen items for homeless veterans moving into their new apartments; for example, please donate can openers, kitchen towels, cooking utensils, sponges, mops, dish soap, dish rack, coffee makers, etc. as well as hygiene items such as shampoo, body wash, tooth brushes, tooth paste, lotion, socks, winter gloves/hats. Donations will be collected the week of Veterans Day (Nov. 6-10). Please tell your student to drop their donation(s) in the designated bins in the main school entrance.


Veterans Day Celebration - Friday, Nov. 10

Parents, we would love to have you participate in this celebration with us. Please help us show our students how important it is to honor our veterans and service members by attending one of the assemblies. This year the CEC will host two ceremonies:

  • 10:20 - 11:30 a.m. - traditional ceremony including grades 4-8
  • 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. - smaller ceremony including grades K-3

 

Veterans Day Setup/Decoration/Event - Sign Up TODAY!

Calling all volunteers! Looking for a way to get involved in a community event? Need volunteer hours? Are you only available on the weekends? We have a variety of options! We need all hands on deck to decorate, photograph, set up, take down, and host the Veterans for this celebration. Please see the sign-up for available opportunities.

STEM Family Fun Night

STEM Logo

The BFA STEM Committee is excited to announce our upcoming series of family friendly competition nights for the 2023-24 academic year!


Last year, the BFA STEM committee hosted their first ever Family Fun Night Engineering Night. This year, they'll be hosting not one, but two STEM-themed family events!


The first will be an Engineering Night - Paper Airplane Competition and will be held from 5 - 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at BFA. This event will be FREE and will include an informational presentation on aerodynamics, time for families and students to work together in teams to construct the most aerodynamic paper planes, and flight tests! Light snacks will be provided and prizes will be awarded in multiple categories.


Don’t miss out! Sign up to participate in this free, fun, STEM-tastic evening of friendly competition at BFA. Bring your thinking caps, teamwork, and a little ingenuity for this fun and brain-tingling night. The next event will be held in March, 2024.

Important Changes to User Name for EngagED Parent Portal

DCSD Logo

We have been notified by the school district that the login process for parents to access the EngagED Parent portal has changed. The EngagED Parent Portal is the tool BFA families use to access Express Check-In each summer. NOTE FOR EIGHTH GRADE FAMILIES: You'll need this new login to Open Enroll to a DCSD high school other than your child's address-assigned "feeder."


Beginning now, parents will need to add “@p.dcsdk12.org” to their current user names when logging into EngagED. For example, when you log into EngagED, if your current user name is absmith, that will be changed to absmith@p.dcsdk12.org. Your password will remain the same. 


You should practice logging in NOW with the new user name. If you need to change your password or manage your account, you can do so on the DCSD website here. If you run into difficulty logging in to EngagED after the login process changes, don’t hesitate to reach out to the DCSD IT by clicking here, or calling 303-387-0001.

 

We realize this adds another step to the login process, but it's important to continuously enhance security. DCSD IT thanks you for your patience and understanding.

CEC Blood Drive Follow Up

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the CEC blood drive this week! They appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to contribute. The gift of your donation is the gift of life to someone else.


PTO

BFA Directory Now Available

The 2023-24 BFA online directory, DirectorySpot is ready! To access the directory, you will need to download the free DirectorySpot app available through the App Store and Google Play. You should have received an email from DirectorySpot with your one-time password, which will allow you to log-on.


If you have questions, please contact Alissa Motazedi, PTO vice-president.

BFA Middle School

Middle School Dance

The middle school dance is from 6 - 8 p.m. TOMORROW, Oct. 27, at BFA. This year, we'll offer light snacks, Halloween desserts, water, and soda (not pizza). The dance is free, but parents must register through MySchoolBucks and bring the signed Dance Policy as their ticket to the dance.


We need LOTS of help with the dance--especially setting up. Click here to help. And, thanks to those of you who have already volunteered!


Please note that students will not be allowed into the dance without the signed policy form/ticket. There is a NO CELL PHONE rule this year at the dance that is outlined in the policy.


The dance is Halloween themed and costumes are allowed (but students must follow school costume rules).

Celebrate Halloween at Trunk or Treat!

Trunk

BFA’s third annual Trunk or Treat is taking place on Tuesday, Oct. 31! It's going to be a FANTASTIC day for ALL preschool through eighth grade BFA students. Thank you to everyone who has signed up to volunteer and donate treats. We are still in need of treat donations to make sure all of the students get treats at each trunk. Please see the sign-up and consider donating some treats. All donations can be dropped off in the BFA front office through tomorrow, Oct. 27.  


Throughout the day, classes will be invited to step outside and participate in the Trunk or Treat. ALL parents are invited to come and watch your children at Trunk or Treat! Please see the schedule for when your child's class will be participating.


All of our volunteer spots for decorated cars/candy distribution are currently full, but please keep checking back HERE for openings as there is always some turnover. If you have any questions, please reach out to Erin Wiley.

Elementary Halloween Parties

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Elementary (K-5) Halloween classroom parties will take place from 1:45-2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Party volunteers will be limited to a max of four per classroom (three volunteers, plus the party planner). 


As much as we love welcoming our families into the school, we also ask that no additional siblings come with you if you are volunteering in one of our classroom parties. Instead, please make plans to attend the Trunk or Treat if you would like to participate in our Halloween festivities.


If you have any questions about the elementary party coordination, please reach out to 

Amy Marks, PTO room parent coordinator.

CEC

CEC November Meeting - CANCELLED

Due to our Veterans Day celebration, we have cancelled the monthly CEC meeting previously scheduled on Nov. 7. Instead, we invite you to join us this month by volunteering for the Veterans Day event.


Please see the sign-up for opportunities to get involved.

Original works

Almost Time for Original Works

If you’re looking for unique, personalized gifts for the upcoming holiday season, we have the answer for you—Original Works! Original Works puts your student’s artwork on fun (and oftentimes useful) items for you or a loved one. Purchasing Original Works gifts is a win-win, you get a one-of-a-kind item featuring your child's art, and 33 percent of each order goes back to BFA's art program! More details to follow soon, but if you want to see the products offered this November by Original Works, check out their website.

Support BFA

King Soopers Rewards Adds Up!

If you are a King Soopers shopper, you can help earn money for BFA by signing up for King Soopers Community Rewards. For details on how to sign up for King Soopers Community Rewards visit their webpage or click here for instructions.

 

It's CRAZY how quickly this program adds up and how much our school can earn. From Jan. - June of 2023, the BFA PTO earned $5,013 from this program!

 

Please contact Andreya Flanigan, PTO fundraising coordinator with any questions. Thank you for your support of BFA and the PTO!

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Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS

See what's happening this month.

BE SURE TO CALENDAR

Trunk or Treat/Halloween Parties - Oct. 31

Formal Uniform Day - Nov. 1


NO SCHOOL

Professional Development Day - Nov. 3 Thanksgiving Break - Nov. 20-24



Apple Awards

Nominate Someone Today!

The Foundation for Douglas County Schools is proud to honor exceptional educators and staff who are inspiring a love of learning in students and are trailblazing extraordinary innovation in our schools through their Apple Awards Program. It is truly an honor for our staff to be nominated. 

Please consider nominating a teacher or staff member before Nov. 12!

BFA's Guiding Principles
Mission:
Our mission is to create 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, the arts, 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 social emotional development, character, sports, and nature.

13 Virtues:
Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.

Ben Franklin Academy

2270 Plaza Drive

Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

www.bfacademy.org

Main Office Phone: 720-383-4519

Email: info@bfacademy.org

Attendance Phone: 720-432-9239

Email: attendance@bfacademy.org

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