Ben Franklin Academy offers field trips and activities to enhance and support our rigorous curriculum – bringing to life and providing hands-on reinforcement of classroom instruction. These are “grade-level traditions” that staff, teachers, and, especially, students look forward to and get excited about year after year. BFA students eagerly anticipate participating in these field trips and activities in future grade levels as they progress through their school career while at BFA. By keeping the love of learning strong and building a solid educational foundation for each student, we know that BFA graduates will be prepared for long-term success. We also have worked hard to establish a strong community where parents and students of all grades can come together, feel welcome, and can be an integral part of the school. Below are some of BFA’s traditions.

Preschool Traditions
Visit from the Fire Department for Fire Safety Month
Nature Walks
Thanksgiving Feast
Winter Wonderland Musical Performance
Western Week
Visit from the Tooth Fairy
Butterfly and ladybugs join our classrooms for children to watch metamorphosis in action
Gardening in the classroom
Mother’s Day Tea (tea and performance)
Preschool Graduation/Tribute to Dads

Kindergarten Traditions
Littleton Historical Museum and Farm
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Zoo
Science Fair
Children’s Museum
Tagawa Gardens
Gingerbread Hunt
Field Day
Holidays Around the World
100th Day Celebration
End-of-the-Year Program

First Grade Traditions
Fly’n B Park
Denver Aquarium
Planetarium at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Geology Museum at the School of Mines
Denver Zoo
Science Fair
Egyptian Day/Day on the Nile
Thanksgiving Feast
Flat Stanley’s World Travels
Field Day
Scientist of the Week
Grade-Level Musical

Second Grade Traditions
Denver Art Museum
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Igniting Imaginations Westward Expansion Visit
Carson Nature Center
Science Fair
Poetry Night
Olympic Opening Ceremony for Greek Studies
Ellis Island Fair
Theater Performance (i.e., Bodyology, Charlotte’s Web)
Field Day
Littleton Historic Museum and Farm
Fly’n B Park
Grade-Level Musical

Third Grade Traditions
Science Fair
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Planetarium at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings
Fly’n B Park
Field Day
Cow Eyeball Dissection
Colonial Day
Hat Parade
Learn to Play Recorders
Grade-Level Musical

Fourth Grade Traditions
Science Fair
Field Day
Colorado History Museum
Mountain Man guest speaker
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Georgetown Loop Railroad
Revolutionary War Reenactment (this event occurs every other year)
“Day of Science”
Mother’s Day Tea
Guest speaker for heart/lung unit
Heart/Lung Dissection
Guest speaker for Medieval Times
Grade-Level Musical

Fifth Grade Traditions
Science Fair
Field Day
Young AmeriTowne
Civil War Reenactment (this event occurs every other year)
Golfing/Sporting Event
Learn to Play Ukuleles
Changing Bodies
Grade-Level Musical

Middle School-Wide Traditions
Lockers
Electives
Honors Classes
Advisory Period
Annual Dance
Pi Day
National Junior Honor Society (must qualify)

Sixth Grade Traditions
Science Fair
Field Day
Outdoor Education at Covenant Heights/Estes Park (4 days/3 nights)
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Heart and Lung Dissection
Pi Day
Earth Day Park Clean Up

Seventh Grade Traditions
Science Fair
Field Day
Outdoor Education at Keystone Science Center (3 days/2 nights)
World War II Aviation Museum

Eighth Grade Traditions
Science Fair
Field Day
American Civics Education in Washington DC/Philadelphia (1 week)
Career Connect Expo
Physics Day at Elitch Gardens
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
Graduation!

Community/School-Wide Traditions
Back to School Picnic
Harvest Festival
STEM Expo
Veteran’s Day
Ben Franklin’s Birthday
Fun Run/BENefit Bash
Father-Daughter Event
Mother-Son Event
Grandparent-Grandchild Goodies
Donuts with Dad
Muffins with Mom
Hour of Code
Halloween, winter, Valentine’s and End-of-Year Parties
Broncos Day
Red Ribbon Day
Cancer Awareness