Weekly Newsletter Apr 9
A Message From Principal Simpson
Dear parents-
Next week, we are kicking off our 15th year celebration! I can’t believe it's been 15 years since BFA opened its doors. What started as a dream of a small group of parents who wanted something different from a traditional public school has become a legacy of learning and community that feels more like a family than a school. I am so grateful to our founders for investing their time and talents to make their dream a reality. It has been my privilege to have been a part of the BFA adventure from day one.
We will be celebrating all things BFA over the next couple of weeks. This week, I’d like to highlight the other staff members who have been here since we opened our doors. It is exciting but somewhat risky to be on the team at a brand-new school. Their dedication and drive have helped our school grow and thrive!
Michelle Bynum
Nicole Harms
Sarah Harrell
Ali Hinkle
Kevin Knudsen
Beth Konesky
Craig Macias
Kayla Murray
Katie Murphy
Shannon Olson
Leigh Savoy
Laura Tickle
Kelly Whelan
We will kick off our celebration with a couple of assemblies next Wednesday, and then the big celebration will happen throughout the day on April 23rd. We are so proud to be BFA! Every day is a great day to be a BOLT!
Mrs. Simpson
VOTE IN THE BFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION
The voting period for the BFA Board of Directors will remain open through April 15th. If you haven’t voted already, now is the time to vote in this important election. There are three (3) open seats on the Board this year. Two (2) seats will be elected by the BFA community, so you will select two candidates when you cast your vote.
Please visit the Board Elections webpage to learn more about all of the candidates.
The election results will be revealed at the April 21 Board meeting, wherein the Board will also appoint one member.
Trent Ongert and Justin Mayhall
Board of Directors – Succession Committee
Important Upcoming Dates
Events:
April 1 to 15 - Board of Directors Elections
April 6 to 16 - CMAS Testing (Grades 3 - 8)
April 10 - CEC Daybreak with Dads
April 15 - PTO Skate City Spirit Night
April 17 - Middle School Dance
April 18 - PTO Used Uniform Sale
April 23 to 30 - PTO Elections
April 23 - PTO 15 Year Celebration
April 24 - NO SCHOOL (Plan Day)
April 25 - PTO Mother & Son Nerf Battle
April 27 - School is Open: Regular Schedule
May 1 - STEAM EXPO
Uniforms/Special Days:
April 10 - Colorado Rockies, BFA Spirit Wear & Crazy Sock Day
April 17 - Dress of Choice/BFA Spirit Wear & Crazy Sock Day
April 23 - 15 Year Strong T-shirt Day (all students to wear their shirts)
Click below to view our calendar. You can even click on each calendar item for more information.
Mr. Peterson's Newsletter (Grades K - 4)
Mr. Zaccaria's Newsletter (Grades 5 - 8)
Mrs. Hafner's Newsletter (Pre-K 3s and 4s)
B Zone Lane May be Closed Friday Morning, April 10
Not going to the event?
- K–8 students should be dropped off in the regular morning carpool. The B Zone may be used for extended parking during the event.
- Preschool students will be dropped off as usual.
Thank you for your flexibility.
Mother-Son Colorado Battle Zones Event Tickets on Sale Now!
The PTO’s Mother-Son event is coming up on Saturday, April 25 at Colorado Battle Zones (Nerf war), from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. Attendees will choose from a 2-hour time slot.
Tickets are on sale NOW through Sunday, April 19 on MySchoolBucks. Tickets are $35 per couple and $17.50 for each additional participant. Ticket price includes a Nerf battle, pizza, and soda for each person.
Please contact PTO Spring Social Committee Manager, Emily Swanson, with any questions.
Skate City PTO Spirit Night on April 15
Our next PTO Spirit Night will be at Skate City on April 15 from 4-6 p.m. Come skate the night away and earn money for the PTO! Skate City will donate $3-4 (depending on total attendance) per paid skater to the BFA PTO. Staff members can come skate for free and also count toward our totals!
Every paid skater gets a FREE ICEE!!
Mark your calendars and invite your friends! We hope to see you there!
Happy Birthday, BFA — 15 Years Strong! Online Auction Live Now!
Ben Franklin Academy is turning 15 Years Strong, and we’re excited to celebrate this milestone with our entire community on Thursday, April 23! Students will wear their 15-Year/Field Day Shirt.
Throughout the day, students will enjoy a special anniversary celebration honoring BFA’s foundation of character, academic excellence, and community. Families are welcome to join during their child’s scheduled time (included in the volunteer signup), and we would love your help to make the day run smoothly.
As part of the celebration, the PTO will also host a 15-Day Silent Auction leading up to the event. This will include some of our most popular items – such as reserved parking and front row event seating – along with opportunities to support BFA through direct donations.
The celebration starts today! Our 15-Day Silent Auction is now live (April 9–23).
Be sure to check it out for some of our most popular items—like reserved parking and front row event seating—or support BFA through our direct donation opportunities. Click here or scan the QR code below to visit the auction site. This year’s theme, 15 Years Strong, celebrates the students, staff, and families who have built BFA into the incredible community it is today—and helps us invest in the next 15 years.
Middle School Disney Choir
During the 2026-2027 school year BFA is proud to offer a middle school choir elective that will be performing at Disneyland. These students will commit to a year-long elective to learn choral and sight-reading techniques.
In April 2027, we will travel to Disneyland to perform and to take a workshop with Disney performers. We are only able to offer 40 spots, first come , first served. Please see "Instructions to Register" below.
New procedure for "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" Books starting THIS Year
Due to the Increased popularity in the Oh, the Places You'll Go! books, if you would like teachers to sign the book, we need to do this annually starting in April. Please submit your books by April 30, as no submissions will be accepted after that date.
New Steps to Follow:
- Email the teacher to let them know the book is coming.
- When dropping off your book, please include the student’s name and a list of teachers who need to sign.
- Email the teacher to let them know the book is with the student or at the front office.
- The teacher will communicate with you when it is ready at the front office or will send it home with the student.
- Books that will be picked up at the front office can be picked up between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. when school is in session.
We appreciate your help with this special tradition for your student.
📚 Library Update: Lost & Damaged Books
As we approach the final weeks of the school year, we wanted to share an important update from our library.
Over the next few weeks, families may begin to see lost book fines appearing more frequently in MySchoolBucks. Students have received multiple reminders and notices to return any outstanding library books, and this is a final step to help ensure all materials are accounted for before the end of the year. We appreciate your support in helping your child check for and return any missing books as soon as possible.
We have also noticed an increase in damaged books, including several new titles that were recently added to our collection. To help us preserve our library resources for all students, please review the following with your child:
- If a book becomes wet or damaged, please do not place it in the book return bin, as it can damage other books.
- Instead, have your child bring the book directly to the library so we can assess and possibly repair it.
- Please do not attempt to dry books at home (for example, using a hair dryer), as this often causes additional damage.
Our goal is always to keep books in great condition and available for all students to enjoy. Thank you for your partnership and support in caring for our library! 📖
Consider Joining SAC for 26/27 School Year!
The SAC (School Accountability Committee) has many great positions open for next school year. Volunteering for the SAC is an excellent way to earn volunteer hours on your own schedule.
Open Positions:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- DAC Liaison
- Parent at Large
- Survey Testing Lead
- Analytics Lead
To learn more about each position, please visit the webpage>Committee Members/Volunteer.
👗 Fashion Camp Clothing Donations Needed! ♻️
We’re excited to share that our Fashion Camp will be returning again this summer!
To help make this experience possible, we are currently collecting clothing donations for camp projects.
What can be donated:
- Clothing of any size (children or adult)
- Items for any gender
- Gently used or even well-worn pieces (many items will be cut and repurposed)
If you are doing any spring cleaning, please consider setting aside unwanted clothing to donate. All items can be sent to school, where they will be stored and used for camp activities.
Thank you so much for your support in helping bring creativity and sustainability to life for our students! Questions? Email Ms. McElroy.
Summer is almost HERE! In addition to our summer B.A.S.E. program, each year, BFA teachers offer different enrichment camps throughout the summer. We have such a wide variety of camps this year that we created a catalog of choices. There are camps for all interests and age groups.
Keep checking back for more summer camps as we update this list weekly.
The Foundation for Douglas County Schools
Monthly Calendar
Please visit our Monthly Calendar to get the most updated events or other activities going on.
BFA Academic Calendar
Access our Academic Calendars.
Athletics
Sports game schedules are posted in our Monthly Calendar for all our upcoming sports. Visit our Athletics Page for more information about our Athletics Programs at BFA. Hope to see you at the games!
Home Games Parking: Please remember to park in Athletic spots ONLY. When attending after school athletic games, as a courtesy, please do not park in the 6 clearly marked parking spots for the BASE parents during the hours of 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Weather Protocols
BFA follows the direction of the Douglas County School District (DCSD) regarding school closures/delays due to weather so if DCSD decides to close/delay school for the day, then BFA will be closed/delayed as well.
Click here to get familiar with our protocols.
Newsletter Archives
Take a moment to read past newsletters.
Lunch Menu
Our delicious lunch is provided by DCSD. Check out the menu and select the current month. If a student has a specific dietary restriction or allergy, parents must contact DCSD Nutrition Services to arrange an allergy/restriction lunch section. BFA does not provide breakfast at this time.
