BB 05-08-25

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 40

MAY 8, 2025

 

FROM THE OFFICE

FOR ALL: 
  • IMMUNIZATIONS:  REQUIREMENT – All students in rising Kindergarten, 7th grade and 12th grade are required to receive and submit updated immunizations.  These must be on file with the school prior to the first day of the 25/26 school year.  Please schedule appointments and submit the records via TADS.  
LOWER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:
  • 4th Graders:  Band Mtg on Tues, 5/20 at 5:45 pm – Please reply to the survey Mrs. Mitchell sent this week.  
HOT LUNCH on Thursdays: 
  • The weekly menu locks at midnight on Sunday night – so be sure to place your orders and check out in time. Once your account is set up, it should be easy for the rest of the year! ORDER HERE  
FROM MRS. MITCHELL:  

We always enjoy hosting the upper school students at our campus for the Bradford Games. Lower school students take a “field trip” to see what activities they will get to participate in when they reach 7th-12th grades. In addition, they can cheer on their house during the afternoon events.  There is plenty of house competition, but at the end of the day, we are ALL Archers!

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:
  • Wed, 5/14:  Spring Soccer Club (4th – 5th grades)
  • Fri, 5/16: 
    • 12:30 – 2:30 – Career Afternoon
    • 6:00 – 8:00 pm – 7th – 12th grades – Bonfire at lower school campus
UPCOMING:
  •  Tues, 5/20:  
    • 5:45 – Band meeting for Rising 5th grade students – lower school 
    • NEW 6:00 – Class of 2026 Senior Trip Meeting #1 – lower school auditorium
    • 7:00 – Sports Award Ceremony – lower school pavilion
  • Thurs, 5/22:  
    • TK last day of school:  Parents please arrive at 11:00 to celebrate with your student!  All TK dismissed at 11:45.  NO Mom’s Helper!
    • 7:00 – Spring Fine Arts Program:  Upper school at Mebane Presbyterian Church
  • Mon, 5/26:  Memorial Day – no school
  • Wed, 5/28:
    • K – 4th grades:  Verse Bee   
      • K – 1st:  9:00 
      • 2nd – 3rd:  10:00
      • 4th: 11:00
    • 4:45p – 11th – 12th grades:  Gala at the White House on Washington
  • Thurs, 5/29:
    • 10:00 – Baccalaureate (upper school)
  • Fri, 5/30:  Last day of school!
    • 6:45 – Seniors breakfast with Mr. Johnston at Hursey’s
    • 8:30 – Kindergarten certificate ceremony – Parents are invited to attend!
    • ALL students dismissed at 12:00 pm (No Bradford Plus)
    • Graduation, 7pm

 

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

        TK students enjoyed a great week! Students prepared for Mother’s Day by making a gift for each mom, listening to themed books, and completing a journal about their mom. Students also were able to listen to some classic children’s stories this week. We are close to wrapping up our math and writing lessons. In math this week students drew and graphed their favorite pets, practiced counting forward and backward on a number line, and played Bingo with numbers up to 30. Students completed lowercase letters p and q as well as the capital partners. Next week we will wrap up the alphabet and finish our writing lessons. A few of our centers this week included: playing war in a small group, identifying target letters in books, and isolating word families. Students also enjoyed reading buddies with the 2nd grade students. Next week, 1st grade will read to the TK students. We are close to finishing the Jesus Storybook Bible as well. We read this week about Saul and his conversion. Ask your child what Saul’s name changed to (Answer: Paul). Next week we will read the final story, A Dream of Heaven. 

 Our final theme week will be dinosaur week! This is always an exciting week in TK. Students will have a dinosaur themed show & tell on Thursday. We will also have several dinosaur themed activities and will get to make dino dirt cups. This will be our last kitchen activity for the year. 

I plan to send a 24/25 TK contact list with each student on the last day of school. This can be helpful for planning birthday parties, summer playdates, etc….Please let me know if you do NOT want to be included, otherwise I will include each family. I plan to send detailed plans for the final week of school next week. As a reminder, Thursday, May 22nd is the last day of TK. All students will be dismissed at 11:45 am. Mom’s helper nor Bradford plus are offered on the last day of TK. Please join us at 11 am on 5/22 at the shelter to celebrate the end of TK! 

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th
  •  Students were able to play a game of their choice in PE this week. Students have grown so much this year in the areas of following instructions,  team work, responsibility, accountability, and integrity. 

 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th 
  •  Students worked hard on the hymn, “And Can It Be” in music this week. 

 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week
  • Our kindergarten scholars have had a short, but full week! In math, we learned how to subtract a number from ten, how to identify a dozen and a half dozen, how to estimate and measure distances using feet, and how to add nine to a number. In phonics, we introduced our final reader, “Runs From Guns,” and a new ten word spelling list. In history, we discussed how America declared its independence, and honed in on our first president, George Washington. In art and science, we continued to work on our human body project by coloring various body parts. We are proud of how far our students have come and we hope to see them finish their kindergarten year well. Enjoy the long weekend!
Memory Work:   
  •  Psalm 18:28 and review all verses for our upcoming Bible Bee!

1st Grade (Mrs. Cantaffa & Mrs. Smith)

This Week
  • This week in first grade, our learning was full of creativity, curiosity, and joyful moments—each day reminding us of God’s goodness and the beauty of discovery. In Math, we practiced subtracting 5 and explored geometry by covering designs using tangram pieces. It was a wonderful opportunity to see how God created order and patterns in the world around us, even in shapes! In Reading, we delighted in Frog and Toad: Ice Cream. The students laughed and learned as we discussed friendship and imagination. Inspired by the story, we practiced our own imaginative writing, using the creative gifts God has given us. In History, we finished our book on Benjamin Franklin. The students reflected on how God gives each of us unique talents—like Franklin’s curiosity and inventiveness—and how we can use them to serve others. In Art, our hearts turned toward honoring family as the students joyfully created special cards for their beloved mothers. Their thoughtful work was filled with love, and it was a sweet reminder of the commandment: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). In Science, we were excited to begin learning about our new Bird of the Month—the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. We marveled at how God intricately designed even the smallest of creatures, reminding us of Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap… and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” 

 

2nd Grade (Mrs. Hedgecock & Mrs. Eng)

This Week
  •   Now that May is here, the end is in sight!  We are enjoying these last weeks of learning and review.  We are now on the last two verses of Hebrews 11!  WOW!  Please set aside ten minutes a few times a week to allow your child to recite the entire chapter to you!  All the verses are in their black folders so you can prompt them if they forget a word here and there.  We are also finishing our Bible studies with King Solomon.  Another fun activity at home would be for the students to sing for you the entire history song.  The students used their knowledge and creativity to create a descriptive paragraph and personality poem for their moms.  They decorated the front of the card with a famous painting by Mary Cassatt, our artist of the quarter.  It has been a labor of love for the students and a delight for the teachers to learn about the unique mom God gave to each of them.  Have a wonderful Mothers’ Day Weekend and know that you are much appreciated.  

 

3rd Grade (Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Meredith)

This Week
  • Students worked hard and completed the Classical Learning Test (CLT). After testing, we enjoyed painting with watercolors and writing poetry. In history, we learned about the life and influence of Constantine the Great. Shortly after the reign of Diocletian, Constantine rose to power and ended the persecution of Christians with the Edict of Milan. We read aloud the English translation of this document, which helped shed light on the possible motive for writing it. After having  a vision of a flaming cross in the sky, Constantine went to war against his rival, Maxentius, at the battle of Milvian Bridge and defeated his opposition to the throne.  As he recalled his vision on the night before the battle, he remembered that he and his troops had seen a cross of light in the sky bearing the command ‘In this sign, you will conquer’.  He felt that granting the followers of this God the freedom to openly practice their belief would further gain him the benevolence of this deity. This written act allowed Christians to regain possession of seized property and prevented any further persecution. In math, we found  the area of composite shapes by decomposing them into rectangular parts to find the area of each rectangle. We also learned how to apply the Distributive Property to break apart figures into separate rectangles to find the area. In literature, we continued our  journey alongside Odysseus, and his struggle to return home and reclaim his throne after twenty long years at war and at sea. We have enjoyed reading The Odyssey, which provides a window into ancient Greek culture, mythology, and literary traditions. The students have worked hard this week and can see the finish line in sight! 

4th Grade (Mrs. McDorman and Mrs. Rankin) 

This Week
  • This week 4th grade was filled with  joyful moments as we move closer to the end of the school year.  In history, we studied the Council of Trent, a major event of the 16th century that was the Catholic Church’s response to the challenges raised by the Protestant Reformation. From the Protestant perspective, the Council of Trent marked a clear division, as the Church reaffirmed many of the doctrines Protestants had questioned—such as the authority of Scripture, and the role of faith and works in salvation. In math, we explored ways of calculating elapsed time, compared Celsius and Fahrenheit as ways to measure temperature, and began our unit in geometry, including lines, angles, and shapes. We also wrapped up our biography projects, and students did a wonderful job reading their reports aloud to the class, showing confidence and strong presentation skills. We are currently reviewing our Bible verses in preparation for the upcoming Bradford Bible Bee, and students are rising to the challenge with enthusiasm. We also took time this week for end-of-year testing, reflecting on everything we’ve learned this year. To end the week, we joined the whole school in cheering on our Houses at the Upper School’s Bradford Games—a great celebration of teamwork, school spirit, and fun!
Upcoming:  
  • Bradford Bible Bee (Please review all verses)

 

LOGIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Bennington

5th-10th Band
  • Students are making massive strides on preparing their music for the concert! I am so proud of all of the Band students! We have reached a point in all classes where we are able to go beyond notes and rhythms and really start growing in the areas of interpretation and expression.  

Mrs. Johnston

5th – 8th Chorus, Bradford Chorale

The theme of the week was memorization. Each ensemble was focused on testing memory and working to solidify shaky parts. The music is really coming together and we were encouraged this week to find we knew pieces better than we thought! Keep up the practice at home!

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Miss Johnston) 

This Week
  •  The students diligently took end of year testing at the beginning of the week. They also started the next chapter in Latin and began studying the lengthy vocab and chart. Because of the size of the vocab and chart and because the week is so short they will have two weeks for this chapter. We continue our journey through Treasure Island. The story is exciting and moves at a quick pace which makes it so intriguing for the students. We have good discussions about leadership and how our narrator has grown and changed throughout his adventures. 

 

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature
  • We are continuing to work our way through Around the World in 80 Days. Fogg, Passepartout, and Aouda are currently in Japan. 
6th Grammar and Writing
  • Students submitted the final draft of their compare/contrast essay this week! I am very much looking forward to reading what they have come up with over the past couple of months.
6th Bible
  • Due to CLT testing, Bradford Games, and it being a short week, we did not do Bible this week.
6th History
  •  Due to CLT testing, Bradford Games, and it being a short week, we just briefly watched part of a documentary series on the Cold War. 
6th Science
  • This week in Science we learned about the non-Mendelian traits of incomplete dominance, codominance, polygenic traits, and epistasis. 
6th Logic
  • We finished up The Fallacy Detective this week by discussing the opposite fallacies of Appeal to Tradition and Appeal to High-Tech. Students will take the final Logic test on the propaganda fallacies on Wednesday, May 14. 
6th Latin
  •   Students took the Chapter 8 vocabulary quiz this week in Latin. 

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math
  • Students worked in groups outside under the pavilion each day to conquer chapter 13–quantitative relationships and graphing.

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • Sadly we did not have art class this week due to Bradford games and teacher workday! 

Dr. Wright

7th Composition 
  •   Students continue to build vocabulary with terms drawn from our reading. 
7th Omnibus – Literature, History, Bible
  •  Students have begun their summative reflections, which engage all the books we have read this year.  
7th Logic
  •   We did spend more time in Logic this week, with focused discussions of Red Herring fallacies. 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • This week, students put finishing touches on their Astronomy presentations. They also practiced presenting to one another. This process of practicing involved timing themselves and determining the best way to use reference notes during the act of presenting. They will continue to work on these skills over the next five years as they prepare for the capstone assignment of their education: senior thesis!
7th Pre-Algebra
  • The CLT, Bradford Games, and a teacher workday shortened our week. We did have time to review the concepts of polygon congruency and transformation. We also practiced calculating the area of parallelograms and trapezoids.

Mrs. Palmer 

7th Art
  •   Sadly, we did not have art class this week due to Bradford games and teacher workday! 

Miss Johnston

7th Latin
  •   We took a chapter test and then spent some time doing translations and reviews of previous chapters.

 

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus 
  • History:     Students have submitted their biographical research paper drafts, and are receiving them back with my comments.  
  • Literature:      We continue to read Tolkien’s Return of the King, discussing plot and themes. 
  • Composition:   Students continue to build their vocabulary with terms from the reading.  

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We finished our discussion of the six metal groups on the periodic table. Ask your student why the metals in Groups 1 & 2 are extremely reactive, while the transition metals (such as gold, silver, and copper), are much less reactive.
8th Algebra I
  • We finished a short unit on simplifying radical expressions and took a mini test. One more unit of Algebra is left this year: up next – The Quadratic Equation!

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  •  Sadly we did not have art class this week due to Bradford games and teacher workday! 

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We had a short week but managed to squeeze in a lesson on immediate inferences

RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th: 

  • 12th Grade AP (advanced placement) Calculus students–4 brave seniors–will take the AP Calc test next week at BCA.
  • Career Day is Friday, May 16 at the Upper School.  We will hear from a variety of careers including graphic design, education, aeronautics, accounting, nursing, occupational therapy, and public safety.
  • COLLEGE HIGHLIGHT: New Aberdeen College is brand new and passionate about bringing every square inch of the Academy under the Lordship of Jesus Christ by pursuing truth, beauty, and goodness through the classical Christian liberal arts.  The mission of New Aberdeen College is to form mature disciples in the traditions of classical learning and the Reformed faith.  

 

Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • Students have spent time this week reviewing past verbs and grammar.  We also worked on writing and spent time preparing for an upcoming project. 

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • Our last topic of study for the year is circles. This week we learned several theorems related to tangents, chords, and arcs. The students quickly realized how important their trigonometry skills are for solving circle problems. Even though there initially doesn’t seem to be a close connection between triangles and circles, many of our triangle calculation skills have helped us solve for unknown circle measurements this week.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic
  • We have studied arguments in the Scriptures, particularly those found in Pauline Epistles and the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Dr. and Mrs. James

9th Biology
  •  This is a short week due to Bradford Games.  We continued our study of God as Creator.  
  • Next week we will examine some of the Hebrew terms used in Gen 1 and 2, and we will discuss some of the views that have been held by the church over the years.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • This week we met once due to the Bradford Games falling on one of our two class days.  Students turned in essay rough drafts about topics found in To Kill a Mockingbird.  Then they quietly read a good deal of The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway.

Dr. Byrd 

9th Bible 
  • We are about to finish the Prison Epistles having just finished Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. 
  • No Bible Memory verse this week. 

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week we continued our study  of acids and bases, and the students measured the pH of items they brought to class. 
  • Next week we will continue our study of acids, bases, salts, and the ways that pH is measured.

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • Students have spent time this week reviewing past verbs and grammar.  We also worked on writing and spent time preparing for an upcoming project. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • We’ve spent the week learning how to perform various operations using matrices.  Next week we will learn how to find the inverse of a matrix and also how to use a matrix to encrypt and decrypt a code.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • Students turned in rough drafts of essays.  They will next begin learning about The Republic.  Also, for creative writing, they will research the history of the “yellow house,” survey rising 10th and 11th graders about elective interests, and recount spring sports seasons all compiled in a newspaper.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I
  •       Students had the opportunity to work on their Teeny Tiny Theses in class. These are due on May 14th. 

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology
  • Students continue reading and discussing Christianity and Liberalism. This week we discussed Machen’s chapters on the Bible and Christ.  Students also memorized Ephesians 2:13-16. 

Mrs. Palmer

11th Spanish III
  • We spent time this week reviewing past grammar and verb tenses.  Students also prepared for their upcoming Spanish final by reviewing all the perfect tenses.   

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • The main topic for this week was sequences and series.  We learned some new notation, how to find various missing terms and partial/infinite sums by applying various formulas.  Our next topic will be a brief look at various conic sections.
11th Physics
  • We’ve been considering current electricity this week.  We’ve learned how current, voltage, resistance, and power relate.  We set up some simple circuits and learned how circuit breakers and fuses work.  We also began considering how current behaves in series and parallel circuits and how this affects resistance.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  •   Students continued Romeo and Juliet. They have thesis proposals due Monday night. 

Dr. Smith

11th NT Greek
  • Students began translating 1John, as well as learning more vocabulary and the different forms of various participles.

Mrs. Fairchild

11/12 Art History Elective
  • We are moving from the Renaissance into a new era and discussing the impact that John Locke and Emmanuel Kant made on the art world. As we have looked at  the Age of Reason the students have been able to identify the shift in worldview as they observe the content and composition of the artists.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature
  •    Students continued with 1984. 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  •  The Lord has blessed our studies this year.  Next Monday students will be taking their AP/final exam for this course.