Monte Brook, our Facilities Manger, wants to give a special shout out to Keri and Jason Street for all the volunteer work they did this summer. The stairway railings throughout the building were chipping paint and constantly looked dirty because of the way they were originally manufactured. The solution to this problem was time consuming and very costly, but Keri and Jason Street offered to take it on! Jason Street brought in a team to take off the stair rails, hauled them to Commerce City, powder coated all the railings, then he and his crew welded them back into place. They look fantastic, and more importantly, they’ll be durable and keep our students and teachers safe for a long time to come!

The school paid for the powder coating, but the Street family volunteered considerable time and labor (including the team of helpers), which resulted in cost savings for our school. Keri and Jason already volunteer quite a bit as a family, and we’re extremely grateful for their continued support of our students and our school. THANK YOU!

Tomorrow, Aug. 18, is Fun Sock Friday! Students can wear fun (but appropriate) socks with their regular uniform.

Please remember your driver's license when you come to the school to pick up your student early, volunteer or attend a meeting at school. For safety reasons, every person who enters the school needs to have their Driver's License available to be scanned. Please keep in mind, this is also a requirement for any other family members who would like to enter the school. Thanks for helping us keep our kids safe!

Absences and late arrivals must be reported by 8:30 a.m. via one of the following methods:

• Email attendance@bfacademy.org
• Submit attendance form on the BFA app
• Leave a message on the attendance phone line (720.432.9239).

Please be sure to include the following information in your message:

• Student’s name
• Teacher’s name
• Reason for the absence/tardy
• The name of the person reporting the absence/tardy

Additional information regarding the Student Attendance Policy can be found on the policy webpage.

School pictures are now available for parents to view and order online. Our event code is FE269323. Be sure to order your's today!

Please note, this year pictures will be delivered directly to your home.

Picture retake day and class pictures are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 4.

Ben's Brigade is a PTO group open to all BFA dads that provides a place for dads to get to know each other, as well as opportunities for unique ways to give back to the school and earn volunteer hours. Ben’s Brigade handles work projects around the school, provides volunteers for school functions, and hosts a number of social events throughout the year--some just for dads and some with kids as well.

Their first meeting of the school year is at 8 p.m. next Thursday, Aug. 24, at Max Taps Highlands Ranch (2680 E. County Line Road), and they would love to have more dads get involved!

Contact Curtis Anderson and Justin Mayhall, Ben’s Brigade co-committee managers to learn more.

The Highlands Ranch Library is now accepting applications for their fall term of Reading Buddies. This program pairs a trained teen volunteer with a current first through third grade child who is having challenges with reading. 

Sessions take place weekly Tuesday OR Thursday from 4:15-5:15 p.m. beginning Oct. 3 and going through Dec. 7.

Parents may click here to find more information and fill out an application for the program. Applications are due Friday, Sept. 1.

For questions, please email, call 303-791-READ, or stop by a branch and talk to any of the friendly Douglas County Libraries staff members!

Sing with us! Join after school choir. Students will learn the basics of singing, public speaking and performing as they prepare the to sing some classic holiday music. Students will also take a caroling field trip to Wind Crest and sing for their community.

Meets: Tuesdays: 3:30-4:15 p.m.

Starts: Tuesday, Sept. 12

The 2023-24 yearbooks are on sale now. Be sure to order yours early for the best pricing! Right now, yearbooks cost $40 per book. (The price will go up to $50 after Winter Break.) And, as an extra incentive to order early, if you order by Sept. 15 you will get free icons (graphics) when you personalize the cover!  

You may also order a yearbook dedication (parent tribute ad) for your student. Dedications are $35 for 1/8 of page if you order by November 13. After that, the price for dedications will go up to $38 (if ordered by 12/31) and then to $40 (from 1/1 until the last day to order, 1/31). These ads are a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!

This year, we will be using a new company, Jostens, for our yearbooks. You can order and pay for your 2023-24 yearbook here, and your dedication here! See the flier for details.

The new school year means another opportunity to promote your business while supporting BFA. Each year, sponsorships allow BFA to continue to grow and to meet the needs of our school, as well as our teachers, staff and students. Sponsorships are on sale NOW through Wednesday, Sept. 6! They are limited in quantity, and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. For details on the various sponsorship options and pricing, see the flier. If you have questions, please contact Cassie Roberts, sponsor committee manager. 

If you’re interested in volunteering in the Library, please see this link for detailed instructions and to sign up!

We kicked off the first week of school with two great events, the Back-to-School picnic and the BooHoo Yahoo event for kindergarten parents. The Community Events Committee (CEC) would like to give a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped make these events successful. We appreciate you all! A special shout out to Nikki Busto for organizing the food trucks for the picnic and Sara Hawkins for co-leading BooHoo Yahoo.

If you are a King Soopers shopper, you can help earn money for BFA by signing up for King Soopers Community Rewards. Here's how:

To sign up for King Soopers Community Rewards:

1. Sign in to your digital account at King Soopers Community Rewards. If you haven't already set up an account, set up your account and link your King Soopers card or phone number to your account.
2. Click on Community Rewards, Enroll Now and search for Ben Franklin Parent Teacher Organization, or enter our code XN773. Click Save.
3. Next time you check out at King Soopers or City Market, scan your card (or enter your alternate ID), and BFA will get money back from your purchase.

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

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

The Spirit Rock is an opportunity to share exciting events with our school community by painting your own message. Parents, students and staff may rent the rock to recognize a student’s birthday, show school spirit, wish a team good luck, thank a teacher, announce an event, etc. It is a great way to spread positive messages and increase excitement! The rate to rent the rock is $20 per day. All proceeds directly benefit the Ben Franklin Academy PTO!

Want to rent the Rock? Here’s how:

• First, reserve the date you want by visiting the Rent the Rock sign up. 
• Then, pay for your reservation through MySchoolBucks.

Have questions? Contact Lindsay Bullock, spirit rock committee manager.

Landsharks at BFA offers a non-competitive youth program to introduce running to young athletes in a safe and fun environment. The focus is on self-improvement, being an encouraging teammate, and making new friends. The Fall XC Series is a fun-based program and is open to students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Read their flier for additional details and click here to register.

Students in grades 4-6 have the opportunity to receive beginning and intermediate instruction in band and orchestra through ThunderRidge Elementary Instrumental Music (TREIM). To find out more, visit their website, see this flier or save the date for the Meet the Band/Orchestra Teacher/Rental Event on Sept. 5 at Coyote Creek.