Committee News Oct 7
Important Committee/Board Events
October 7 - SAC Meeting
October 20 to 31 - CEC Pie Drive
October 21 - Board Meeting
October 22 - PTO Meeting
October 23 - STEM Meeting
October 23 - Pints with Principals hosted by Ben's Brigade
October 31 - Trunk or Treat
October 31 - K - 5 Halloween Parties
Did you know we are updating our Calendar almost everyday? Bookmark Our Calendar Now!
CEC Meeting Information
In lieu of our Veterans Day event, November meeting is canceled. We invite everyone to get involved! We have a great need for volunteers with shifts available on the weekend, in the evenings, and during the event day. It's a wonderful chance to serve. Please look for information on how to volunteer coming soon.
CEC will meet in December at Landsdowne Arms.
Please check out our CEC webpage and all the wonderful events we host as well as how to volunteer.
Veterans Day Celebration
Our Veterans Day celebration will be here before you know it. This event is always popular and important to BFA as we are proud to honor our veterans and current service members.
We have a Dedicated Informational Newsletter to help guide you through important deadlines and RSVP information.
Upcoming Deadlines for Submissions & RSVP
October 10 Deadline
November 1 Deadline
Give Blood-Save a Life! 🚐🩸
The Community Events Committee (CEC), along with Vitalant Blood Donation Center is organizing BFA's 5th Annual Blood Drive.
Donate Blood and Earn 2 volunteer hours! (Come with a full stomach)
When: November 7, 8:00 a.m. - Noon
Where: BFA Upper Parking Lot
Use the QR code to pre-register
Availability is Updated Daily, so if full, check back at a later time.
Thank you In Advance!
Give Thanks - With Pie
The Community Events Committee (CEC) is holding their annual Pie Appreciation Event October 20 - 31. This has become a delicious tradition to thank our BFA teachers, administrators and staff for their care and commitment to our students. We hope you will join us by contributing a pie for their Thanksgiving table.
Each staff member will select a pie of their choice and the CEC will purchase the pies; however we can't do it without your help! We are requesting $15 donations to cover the cost of each pie. A link to purchase (donate) a pie will be in MySchoolBucks starting October 20.
We thank you in advance for your generosity!
PTO Meeting Wednesday, October 22
Join us for our monthly PTO meetings to find out more about what’s going on at BFA and get connected with other parents. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month, and begin at 6:30 p.m. Our October meeting will be Wednesday, October 22 in the Middle School Commons, due to Conferences and Fall Break.
All BFA community members are welcome! Attendance at meetings counts toward your family’s recommended volunteer hours. We look forward to seeing you there!
Want to learn more about the BFA PTO? Please visit the PTO webpage.
October’s Volunteer of the Month
For the month of October, Ashley Bohn has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteer of the Month. She was nominated by Principal Simpson and the front office staff because she has set herself apart and set an excellent example of outstanding volunteerism! For all of her efforts, we'd like to say thank you and recognize Ashley.
The Bohns have a third grader, Adeline, in Mrs. Hooley’s class and a kindergartener, Hudson, with Mrs. Bauer and Mrs. Swanson. This is their family’s sixth year at BFA (including preschool) and they’ve loved every moment of it!
When asked what they love about BFA, they said: “We’re so grateful for the amazing teachers and staff, as well as the opportunity to volunteer and be actively involved in the school community.”
Congratulations, again, Ashley. And, thank you for all you do for BFA!
If you know someone who should be considered for volunteer of the month for outstanding volunteerism, please email Christiana Sparks, PTO President.
Trunk or Treat!
BFA’s annual Trunk or Treat is taking place on Friday, October 31! It's going to be a fun day for all preschool through eighth grade BFA students! Throughout the day, classes will be invited to step outside with their class and participate in Trunk or Treat where volunteers will be distributing candy, popcorn and/or fruit snacks from the trunk of their own vehicle parked in an assigned spot. ALL parents are invited to come and watch your children at Trunk or Treat! A schedule will be passed out as we get closer to the date.
We need donations for the individually wrapped snacks and candy to have almost 1,000 kids visit 25 cars. We're requesting bulk items (200+ pieces) as well as standard sized bags (50+ pieces). All donations can be dropped off in the BFA front office. Please see the Signup Genius and consider supporting this event by donating treats for our students!
New this year – Anyone who donates candy will be entered into a raffle to win one of two prize baskets – a fun Halloween-themed basket and a Lazy Dog Restaurant gift basket. Please bring the candy, labeled with your name, to the front office before 10/9 to be entered to win!
All of our volunteer spots are currently full for hosting a car at Trunk or Treat.
Thank you all who donate and help to make this a fun event for all! If you have any questions, please reach out to Abby Jensen, PTO Trunk or Treat Committee Manager.
Halloween- Themed Gift Basket
Lazy Dog Gift Basket
Ben’s Brigade Pints with the Principals
Ben’s Brigade’s Pints with the Principals event will be on Thursday, October 23 at Max Taps in Highlands Ranch. This event is a fun, relaxed way to spend some time with the BFA principals outside of school. Please note that Pints with Principals will start at 6:30 p.m., but you are welcome to come late if you’re not able to be there right at 6:30 p.m.
They would love to have as many people attend as possible, so if you haven’t been to a Ben’s Brigade meeting this year, or ever, then make this your first one! If you’ve come to our meetings and events before, then bring a friend to Pints with the Principals! Ben’s Brigade will provide food.
Franklin Fest Wrap Up- THANK YOU!
This year’s Franklin Fest was a great success with over 700 people attending the event! This event was a great example of the BFA community coming together to create an amazing afternoon for our families. There were incredible cakes at the cakewalk, several inflatables, a DJ, a dunk tank, face painting, and balloon artists!
A big shout out to Sara Dawson, Abby Jensen and Vanessa Wilson who spent countless hours planning and organizing this event to ensure it was enjoyable and fun for all. Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers for helping to set up, clean up, and run stations during the event! We couldn't have done it without you!
And, a big thank you to the brave people who did the Dunk Tank: Mrs Simpson, Kelley Marie Paulson, Trent Ongert, Melody Matthews, Joe Dawson, Leigh Savoy and Jason Strong! You brought a lot of laughter and smiles to the day!
Lastly, a huge thank you to our Franklin Fest sponsors: Balloons by Emma, Elegant Elevations Events, Venture Martial Arts, and Legacy Martial Arts. Thank you for all you do for BFA!
Get Your 2025-2026 Yearbook Today – Prices Go Up After 10/14
The 2025-2026 yearbooks are on sale now! Be sure to order yours early for the best pricing. Right now, yearbooks cost $40 per book. Don’t wait, as prices will go up to $45 after October 14! You may also order a yearbook dedication (parent tribute ad) for your student. Dedications start at $40, and are a fun way to help commemorate a great school year!
This year, we will again be using Jostens for our yearbooks. You can order and pay for your 2025 - 2026 yearbook and dedication here!
Main Event Digital PTO Fundraiser Now through Friday, October 10!
Our October PTO “Spirit Night” event is a digital fundraiser with Main Event!
Through October 10, purchase a $20 game card (loaded with 100 gaming credits) using this link and $10 from each card sold will be donated to the BFA PTO!
Get your cards, gather up a group of friends, and enjoy a night out at Main Event!
New Spirit Rock Payment Policy
To keep the Spirit Rock Fundraiser fair and fun for everyone, here’s how we’re handling payments this year and moving forward:
All Spirit Rock reservations — no matter the month reserved — must be paid by October 31st.
Any reservations not paid by that date will be removed and released for other families to book.
This helps prevent late cancellations and unpaid spots so families who truly want a turn don’t miss out.
Please note: No refunds will be issued once payment is made.
To keep your spot reserved, please send your payment of $20 per reservation via MySchoolBucks. You can find the payment link on the Spirit Rock SignUpGenius, or by clicking here.
Thank you for helping us keep the Spirit Rock tradition strong while supporting our PTO and school community!
Have questions? Contact Jamie Kroese, Spirit Rock Committee Manager.
K-5 Halloween Classroom Parties
K-5 Halloween Classroom Parties will take place on Friday, October 31, from 1:45–2:45 p.m. (with 15 minutes before and after the parties for set-up and clean-up).
- Each classroom party will have up to five volunteers (this includes the party lead and room parents), up from four last year. In most classrooms, volunteers have already been selected by the room parents, and additional details are being shared directly via email.
- While we love welcoming families into the school, we kindly ask that no additional siblings attend if you are volunteering in a classroom.
- After party clean-up, volunteers may pick up their students through the PikMyKid App. Additional details about this process will be shared via email.
All families are invited to join us at the school-wide Trunk or Treat, which will be held in the BFA lower parking lot.
We look forward to celebrating this fun tradition with our students and families!
If you have any questions about the elementary party coordination, please reach out to Alyssa Gale Freund, PTO Room Parent Coordinator.
SAC Monthly Meeting
Please join us today, Tuesday, October 7 at 4:30 p.m. for our SAC monthly meeting. Join us in person or online. Zoom information is on the top of every agenda. Please visit the SAC webpage for Agendas and Minutes.
Join a Subcommittee!
The SAC (School Accountability Committee) is establishing some subcommittees. Participation is flexible, and most tasks can be completed independently from home. Even if you're unable to attend meetings, you're still welcome to contribute through a subcommittee. Volunteering for the SAC is an excellent way to earn volunteer hours on your own schedule. Please use this form to sign up.
STEM In Person Monthly Meeting - October 23
Please join us on for our In-Person monthly meeting on October 23 at Max Taps. Our meeting will be before the Pints with Principals, hosted by Ben's Brigade.
Please visit the STEM webpage for Agendas and Minutes.
Join the STEM Committee
The Ben Franklin Academy STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) Committee calling all interested volunteers!
Click Here (http://eepurl.com/hHMGSH) to join the mailing list if you are interested in;
Becoming a member of the STEM Committee
Participating in our monthly Zoom meetings
Upcoming volunteer opportunities and events
Contributing ideas for future STEM projects
Becoming a STEM speaker for classrooms
We look forward to your contributions, ideas and participation!
Check out the STEM webpage for more information.
Next Board Meeting - October 21
The Ben Franklin Academy (BFA) Board of Directors (Board) generally holds its regular meetings at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at BFA. Board meetings are open to the public and are conducted in compliance with Colorado Open Meetings Requirements. All are welcome to attend. The time and location of all Board meetings are posted on the school website calendar. If you would like to be proactively notified about all regular and special board meetings, please email BFA’s Board Secretary to be added to our “sunshine” distribution list.
Our next meeting will be on October 21 at 5:30 p.m.; please note this is the 4th week due to Fall Break. Agendas are posted below 24 hours prior to a meeting. If you would like to appear before the Board, please email the Board President. Registering to provide an open comment can be submitted on the Board Transparency webpage, until noon on the day of the meeting.
Visit our Board of Directors page for information on agendas and minutes from the meetings.