BFA Preschool 10/2

Fall has brought us some beautiful, crisp mornings and evenings 🍂, and it’s hard to believe we’ve already completed seven full weeks of school! With fall break right around the corner, it’s been such a joy to watch the remarkable growth your children have made in these first weeks. Soon, your child’s teacher will be sharing their progress with you, along with setting goals for the months ahead.

Since October is Fire Safety Month, our classrooms have been learning all about fire safety. 🔥

🚒 Our dramatic play centers have transformed into fire stations, where the children can dress up like firefighters, explore gear, and “work” in their fire station. After fall break, we’ll welcome a special guest—a firefighter who will visit with all of our preschool classes to talk about fire safety. In addition, both our Pre-K MWF Busy Bees and Pre-K Happy Campers will get an exciting firetruck visit!

Our classrooms have also been full of hands-on exploration:
✨ At the light table, children matched shapes and built patterns.
✨ With Magna-Tiles, they created homes for families. 🏠
✨ Sensory tubs brought fall indoors, filled with dyed rice in autumn colors and festive fall items for sorting. 🍁
✨ We even had a pumpkin washing station, where little ones practiced using droppers and cups—proving that water play is just as fun inside as it is outside! 🎃💦

This week, our social-emotional focus was kindness. 💛

• In our 3’s class, we read I Can Be Kind and The Smartest Giant in Town, sparking conversations about helping others and giving to those in need. We also had fun with a scarf dance, practicing listening and following directions.

• In Pre-K, the children practiced asking for what they need in a kind and respectful voice. Through puppet play, they saw how to solve problems kindly and enjoyed reading about Howard B. Wigglebottom, who learned the importance of teamwork and respect.

We also read Farmer Duck, which led to a thoughtful discussion about how to ask for help in a respectful way. These lessons are helping our children grow into kind communicators and caring teammates. 🌟

Lori Hafner

October 9- Picture Re-take

October 6 through 9- Parent Teacher Conferences

October 10- Comp Day- NO SCHOOL

October 13-17- Fall Break

Our Little Campers went on a special letter Hh hunt this week 🔎 and had so much fun spotting things that start with “H.” We also learned the classic Humpty Dumpty rhyme 🥚 and shared ideas about all the ways our hands can help others 🤝—building both literacy and kindness along the way!

The Happy Campers had great conversations about the basic needs that people have and discovered just how amazing our bodies truly are! 💪 We also explored healthy vs. not-so-healthy choices 🍎🍭, giving the children a chance to think about how to take care of themselves inside and out.

Fall fun was in full swing this week in the Busy Bees room! 🍂 The children explored autumn through rhymes about acorns, created the cutest little scarecrows 🎩, and talked about colorful leaves falling all around us. We also focused on the letter Hh, which gave us the perfect reason to dive into some hands-on fun with lots of hand painting! 🎨

We’ve brewed up a fang-tastic way for you to get involved this Halloween!

You don’t need to have a child in the T/Th classes—everyone is welcome to join the fun.

If you already have a trunk decked out for the school-wide Trunk-or-Treat (or want to conjure up a new one on the day of), we’d love for you to come share it with our preschoolers. Just let us know on the Sign-Up Genius if you’d like us to provide the treats.

Come for the cobwebs, stay for the smiles—our preschoolers make the cutest little trick-or-treaters you’ve ever seen! 🕸️🧡

On October 30th, in addition to the Halloween classroom party, we are looking for volunteers to host a trunk-or-treat! Because the schoolwide truck-or-treat falls on a Friday, all Tues/ Thurs Preschoolers will get their very own trunk-or-treat in the Preschool parking lot. In the past we’ve had as many as 17 trunks represented. You can either provide your own treats or BFA will provide the treats. Please specify in the sign-up if you will be providing treats or using school provided treats.

Trunk or Treat Sign Up

Please keep an eye on these newsletters and visit the school website for updates about both Preschool and Kindergarten registration. We’re here to help guide you through each step of the process!

Many parents have expressed questions in regard to Pre-K and Kindergarten registration for the school upcoming year. We know how quickly the new school year approaches! To help make things easier, here are the key dates and details for Preschool and Kindergarten registration at BFA:

1. Current Preschool Families

• Priority Registration for Preschool 3’s and younger siblings begin November 5 (via a Google Doc) and closes November 14.

• By November 21, you will receive your child’s class placement for the 2026–2027 school year at BFA.

2. Current BFA K–8 Families

• Intent to Enroll for current BFA K–8 families open December 3 at 9:00 a.m.

• Class placement information for the 2026–2027 school year will be sent by December 12.

3. Public Enrollment

• Intent to Enroll for the public opens January 7.

• Any remaining seats after BFA families register will be offered at this time.

• The official statewide dates for UPK registration for the 2026–2027 school year have not yet been announced.

• Based on previous years, applications typically open in December of the year before (for example, 2025–2026 registration opened December 17, 2024).

• We’ll notify you as soon as the state releases the 2026–2027 dates and will provide a direct link to BFA Pre-K UPK application.
  
  

Important reminders:

• UPK eligibility is for one year only—the year your child turns 4 by October 1 of that school year.

• When the application opens, families will apply through the official state portal: upk.colorado.gov.

To learn more about UPK now, please visit the state website: https://upk.colorado.gov.

• Colleen Bobbin, the school's registrar, and Mrs. Hafner are planning a Zoom session to walk families through the process and answer questions. We’ll share the date once it’s scheduled.

• This session will help you prepare for Open Enrollment, which begins November 3, 2025 for the first round.

Douglas County K–8 Open Enrollment Dates:

• Round 1: Opens Monday, November 3, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. and closes Monday, December 1, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.

• Where to apply: Douglas County School District’s EngagED Parent Portal.

Enrollment offers: Will be visible in the portal on or after December 11, 2025 and must be accepted by December 18, 2025.

It’s conference time — a valuable opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, gain insights into their preschool experience, and set goals for continued growth this school year.

📝 Conference Sign-Up

• Conference times are available through SignUpGenius.

• The sign-up will close on Thursday, October 2nd so teachers have time to prepare for each meeting.

• If you do not sign up for a conference, your child’s teacher will send home your child’s report.

• If you have any questions after receiving the report, you’re welcome to contact your child’s teacher for clarification.

💻 In-Person or Virtual Options

To accommodate your schedules, we are offering both in-person and Google Meet conference options.

• When selecting your conference time, please specify your preference (in-person or virtual).

• Google Meet calls: a meeting link will be sent to you the day before your conference.

• In-person meetings: please arrive at the preschool playground doors where staff will escort you to and from the conference room.

• Please do not go to the main office; staff will guide you through the preschool doors to your conference.

⏳ Attending Your Conference

• Please make every effort to attend your scheduled time.

• If you’re unable to attend in person, we encourage you to join virtually so all conferences can be completed during this week without extensive make-ups.

• Select a time that works best for both parents when signing up and select only one slot per child.

❤️ Our Appreciation

Your child’s teacher is eager to meet with you during your scheduled conference. Thank you for your active participation in your child’s educational journey!

Sign up below for your child’s classroom:

Busy Bee Classroom

Pre-K Happy Campers

Preschool 3's Little Campers

Photo Retakes:

• Scheduled for Thursday, October 9th.

• This is the final opportunity to have your child’s school picture taken if they missed the initial photo day or need a retake.

👶 For Preschool T/TH Students

• We will coordinate the photo session during their regular school hours.

• Staff will take children to have their pictures taken — no additional action is needed from parents.

🗓️ For Preschool MWF Students

• Please bring your child to school anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on October 9th.

• Check in at the office first (Driver’s License required for identification).

• Our staff will guide you to the designated photo area.

📝 If You’re Unable to Attend

• If your child can’t be brought in during this time or is absent on October 9th, a staff member will take a yearbook photo on a later date when your child is present.

🛒 Ordering Photos

• After Picture Day, parents can order from MJ Thomas. https://www.mjthomasphoto.com/
  **YOUR SCHOOL'S ONLINE ORDERING CODE** is C657

• You can also visit:If you have any questions or concerns about pictures, please call MJ Thomas Photo at 1-800-219-0199.

Due to the overwhelming support from our amazing BFA community - Franklin Fest is bigger than ever! To make sure everyone can join in on the fun, tickets will be available at the door for $10 per person (payable by Venmo to the PTO).

We still need volunteers!! Please consider volunteering for a short shift while you enjoy the event. Sign up to volunteer here.

October brings Fire Safety month, which for preschool SEM time means learning fire safety and the science behind fires. We explored the fire triangle and discovered that to make a fire you need three things: oxygen, heat, and fuel. Using a birthday candle, we experimented with removing each part of the triangle to see what would happen.

We explored the concepts of hot and cold by experimenting with warm water, cold water, and ice. The children enjoyed making predictions and observing how hot and cold can affect different objects.

Try This At Home: Keep the fire safety conversation going!

We will start posting our Monthly Classroom Newsletters beginning September. Until then, please visit our Preschool Webpage for lot of information. Please email the teacher for the password to the webpages.

Humility – Be mindful of others before yourself. Treat them as you want to be treated. Think about how you can help others before being asked. Let others speak when it is their turn.

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.