BB 08-16-2024

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 7

Aug 16, 2024

 

FROM THE OFFICE

 

IMPORTANT NOTES:  

  • Car tags:  Two car tags were provided for each family.  Anyone picking up your child should have a car tag.  Please let me know if you need extras and I will send them home.
  • TK Scarf Ceremony:  
    • Thursday, 09/12/24
    • 8:00 am
    • Students will be inducted into their Bradford House and receive their scarf.
    • Parents welcome to join us!
  • K – 4th grade:  Students who arrive at school between 7:40-7:55 get to enjoy up to 15 minutes of playtime with their friends before school!  We strongly encourage physical activity to awaken the mind and start the day.  Important review happens as soon as the school day begins, and sometimes even before they enter the building!  
  • Library books:  Please send in any books your child checked out during the summer.  If you receive an email that your books are overdue, but you turned them in already, please forward the email to me.  I will take care of it!
  • 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! This Thursday we are looking forward to food from Moe’s. ORDER HERE  

 

FROM MRS. MITCHELL:  “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”  Psalm 62:8  We enjoyed our first parent prayer time this morning with a large group of parents and it was very encouraging.  Come join us at the Lower School at 7:50AM on Thursdays if you are available.  Please join us from home, work or during your commute if you can’t be here in person.  God is so faithful to hear and answer our prayers!

 

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

  • Tues, 8/20 HOME Varsity soccer and volleyball games vs. Friendship Christian
    • Boys Soccer (3:30 @ the MACC grass fields)
    • Girls Volleyball (3:30 @ the MACC gym)
  • Wed, 8/21 AWAY Varsity Boys & Girls Cross Country meet
  • Thurs, 8/22 HOME Varsity Girls Volleyball game vs. Cape Fear Christian (3:30 @ the MACC gym)
  • Fri, 8/23 AWAY Varsity soccer and volleyball games vs. Lee Christian
    • Boys Soccer (5:00pm)
    • Girls Volleyball (5:00pm)

 

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Mon, 9/2:  Labor day, NO SCHOOL
  • Thurs, 9/12:  8;00am – TK Scarf Ceremony:  TK students will find out which house they are in!  Parents are welcome!
  • Thurs , 9/19:  SCHOOL PICTURES:  Lower school
  • Fri, 9/20:  SCHOOL PICTURES:  Upper school
  • Fri, 9/27:  END of 1st QUARTER
  • Mon, 9/30 – Fri, 10/4:  FALL BREAK

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

This Week
  • TK students had a great first week here at school. We practiced being students in the classroom and began learning systems and routines here at school. Students learned to skywrite numbers 1-4 this week and were introduced to teddy bear counters and pattern blocks this week in math. We played games to learn each other’s names and to help with listening and obeying. We discussed classroom rules and what it means to obey all the way, right away, and with a happy heart as well as loving one another. TK students also began learning their very first Bible verse for the year, Ecclesiastes 9:10.  A highlight was taking a walk in the forest. We are looking forward to a great year filled with many adventures and much learning!

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th
  • Students did a great job in PE this week listening to instructions and following directions. Students learned about the “Whistle Blows” that we will use in class and practiced their meanings. Students also got a chance to compete in several relay races. I was very impressed with how kind students were to one another! 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-3rd
  • Students did a great job in music this week demonstrating that they can follow music room rules and procedures. Students worked on “Non Nobis” and “Trust and Obey”. Students also began learning about our first Composer of the quarter, Henry Purcell. 
4th 
  • Students did a great job in music this week demonstrating that they can follow music room rules and procedures. Students worked on “Non Nobis” and “Trust and Obey”. Students also began learning about our first Composer of the quarter, Henry Purcell. 

Lower School Art (Mrs. Fairchild)

3rd and 4th Art 
  • Our students began studying our Artist of the Quarter, Michelangelo. They are learning about the city of Florence, Italy during the Renaissance and major events that occurred during Michelangelo’s life.  

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week: 
  • Our kindergarten scholars had an awesome first full week here at Bradford! We continued reviewing the classroom expectations and school protocols, as well as our line order. We introduced our math meeting, which discusses the date, the days of the week, the months of the year, and how many days we’ve been in school. We also practiced counting on our hundred number chart and writing out the numbers 1-5. In science/history, we discussed the Creation story in Genesis and about how God created the universe in seven days. The students were also able to spend some time coloring their phonics books and history books as well. 
Memory Work: 
  • Proverbs 1:7

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

This Week: 
  • We had a great first week of school! This is a hard working bunch of kids! We started working on telling time, counting and writing from 1 – 100, graphing, understanding a calendar, and telling the temperature. We read a small booklet and even though it was a challenge for some, everyone had a great attitude about reading! Next week we will have another small booklet and then we will start using our readers. In history we learned about the Statue of Liberty, Bald Eagle, and American Flag. We are still reviewing all the lowercase cursive letters and single letter phonograms. The students learned about the Northern Cardinal in science. In art, the students learned about the dot family and line family. In grammar, we have started learning about common nouns and proper nouns. Ask you students to tell you the caterpillar poem and “ Elements of Shape” song.
Memory Work:   
  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

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

This Week: 
  • We have had a very busy and productive week in second grade.  Our history study has started with Creation and will weave the Bible with ancient Egyptian history and conclude with Egypt falling to the Roman Empire.  Each week the students will get a card with information to learn and we will add a new part to our Creation Song.  We started our Science Journals with Psalm 139:14 and fingerprint art.  Throughout the year we will add to our Journals as we learn about parts of God’s amazing creation.  A highlight of the week was the start of our Latin study.  The students enjoyed learning to say hello, good bye, student and teacher.  Be sure to use the CD to help the students become familiar with the Latin words.  There is so much more we learned; but we will share that in the next Bradford Bulletin.  We are so delighted to partner with you in helping your precious children grow in wisdom and virtue.  We continue to pray for the students as well as their families. 
Memory Work: 
  • New Verse:  Proverbs 1:7 and review I Corinthians 13:4-8a 

 

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

This Week
  • Third grade had a busy, but exciting first full week of school! In history, students took their first steps into the world of ancient Greece starting with the Minoan Civilization in 2200 B.C., distinguished between myths and legends, and even learned about the Minotaur, a monster from Greek mythology. Ask your student to tell you the myth of the Minotaur! In math, we plotted points on a number line, wrote in expanded form, and compared ordered numbers. Students were excited to begin Latin this week. They learned their very first Latin sentence, conjugated Latin verbs, and added to their Latin vocabulary. We finished the week with science and learned about taxonomy and its roots in ancient Greece, which served as the basis for our more complex system today. Students applied their knowledge of taxonomy and classified several living things. 
Upcoming Memory Work:
  • 1 Corinthians 10:31

 

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

This Week
  • In our first full week in fourth grade, students dove into the Middle Ages by reading about one of the greatest theologians in history, St. Augustine. His works, The City of God and Confessions, have been influential throughout the ages. We were able to unpack Augtine’s dramatic conversion by discussing and memorizing our first catechism question, “What is faith in Jesus Christ?”, and then compared both to the poetic reading of Anne Bradstreet’s “By Night When Others Soundly Slept.”  We reviewed how to write Key Word Outlines and discovered why Latin is important in science, particularly taxonomy.  As the oldest students in the building this year, we are working to set the right example for the younger archers by demonstrating how we behave and also by helping with various tasks that need to be done in the school building throughout the week. Our year is off to a great start! Please continue to pray that God would be glorified as we seek to fulfill our chief end. If you are unsure what that is, ask your student!
Upcoming Memory Work:
  • Philippians 4: 4- 7
  • Catechism 86

 

LOGIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Bennington

5th Band
  • Students did a great job this week learning/practicing the rules and procedures for Band. Students will need to bring their instruments and books to class this Tuesday 8/20/24. 
6th-8th Band
  • Students did a great job this week reviewing/practicing the rules and procedures for Band. Students completed a “Back To School Playing Boot Camp” to get them back on track with their playing post summer break! We also spent time getting students caught up that switched instruments over the summer. 
9th – 10th Band
  • Students did a great job this week reviewing/practicing the rules and procedures for Band. Students completed a “Back To School Playing Boot Camp” to get them back on track with their playing post summer break! Students also started working on their two octave Concert F scale. 

Mrs. Johnston

5th – 8th Chorus
  • 5th Grade Chorus learned the fundamentals of reading music this week. We practiced writing music, naming the notes, and recognizing the different kinds of notes.
  • 6th-8th Chorus reviewed the fundamentals of reading music this week and started to apply solfeggio to sight-singing. We began labeling the solfeggio notes in Doxology to help us learn our parts.

Miss Stevenson and Mrs. Bennington

5th-8th Girls’ PE
  • 5th/6th girls did a great job running the mile this week. We completed a base-line assessment for how long it took each girl to run the mile. I was very impressed with how hard each girl worked this week and am looking forward to watching their progress this year!
  • 7th/8th girls played ultimate frisbee this week. We specifically practiced tracking long throws during a game. We also did a base-line assessment for how long it takes them to run a mile and how many pushups and situps they can do in a minute. 

 

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Mrs. Kromhout) 

This Week
  •  This week, we have been studying Prince Henry the Navigator, new concepts in math (expanded form, powers of 10, and addition properties) and we have finished the first chapter of the Hobbit! The students had their first science class this week as well with Miss Stevenson! We have enjoyed our first full week with them!
Memory Work:
  • “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2
Upcoming:
  • Math Ch.1 test: Thursday, August 22nd
  • Latin Ch. 1 test, Grammar section: Friday, August 23rd

Mrs. Palmer

5th Art
  • We spent this past week learning about our artist of the quarter, Michelangelo.  Students were able to participate in an exercise where they completed art while coloring on a surface other than their flat desk (much like Michelangelo would have while painting the Sistine Chapel).  Ask your student a question about Michelangelo and see what they can tell you about our artist of the quarter. 

 

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature
  • We are continuing to work on Sign of the Beaver.
6th Grammar and Writing
  • I introduced the first major essay of the year this week. Students submitted topic proposals for a narrative essay this week, and the important dates for this paper are as follows: Rough Draft due Friday, August 23 (at least one page completed), Final Draft due Friday, August 30 (handwritten or typed, at least 2 pages).
6th Bible
  • We discussed the different authors of the New Testament books and started reading the gospel of Matthew this week.
6th History
  • This week we learned about the building of the Erie Canal.
6th Science
  • In Science this week we reviewed how to set up Cornell notes and started our section on the Nature of Science.
6th Logic
  • This week I did a brief introduction to our Logic book, The Fallacy Detectives. We discussed what it means to have an inquiring mind and the importance of listening  and looking at issues from multiple perspectives.
6th Latin
  • In Latin this week we reviewed Latin vowel and consonant sounds.

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math
  • Students whizzed through initial lessons.  This class, overall, participates well in answering questions and also asking pertinent questions.  We plan to conclude chapter 1 and test next week.

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • This week we were finally able to meet together as an art class!  We talked about our classroom expectations.  We also talked about contour and blind contour drawings and students were able to complete one of each. 

Dr. Wright

7th Grammar and Writing 
  • The essay written in class today (8/15) has given me a sense of each student’s grasp of basic essay structure.  Those were returned to students today with my marks; some students must resubmit revisions.  In general, those essays were exceptionally well written.  Students are now working on a compare and contrast essay engaging Gilgamesh and Scripture.  Rough drafts (handwritten or typed) are due Tuesday 8/19.  Final drafts (typed) are due Friday of next week.  Homework will reflect this. 
7th Omnibus
  • Literature and Bible/Theology:  We have worked our way through Gilgamesh, as well as some corresponding passages from Genesis 1-9.  Homework involves comparing and contrasting either the Creation or the Flood passages of those works, in preparation for the compare and contrast essay. 
  • History:  We have overviewed Ancient Sumer and Tigris-Euphrates history and maps in light of Gilgamesh. 
7th Logic
  • We have begun the basic outline of informal logical fallacies.  There will be no homework here. 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • This week we reviewed the scientific method and started planning for our upcoming bean plant experiment. This will provide an opportunity to apply the principles of the scientific method in a practical application.
7th Pre-Algebra
  • We spent time this week reviewing basic arithmetic skills, as well as principles of place value. While it can feel mundane to practice arithmetic, algebra calculation can’t happen without a solid foundation of arithmetic.

Mrs. Palmer 

7th Art
  • This week we spent time talking about our artist of the quarter, Michelangelo.  We learned about Michelangelo’s life and looked at some of his art.  Ask your student to share a fact about Michelangelo!

Miss Johnston

7th Latin
  • This week we started our first real chapter which happens to be chapter two in the Latin textbook. We learned about present tense verb endings! We practiced our charts, endings and lots of vocabulary. 

 

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus 
  • History:  I collected students’ notes on the Roman Empire from Julius Caesar to Constantine today and met one-on-one with each student to give my feedback and return those notes to them.  A few students are required to revise and resubmit their notes for a higher grade.  All students look forward to a history test on Tuesday, 8/20 covering both this material and the corresponding material from Eusebius.  
  • Literature: Assigned pages (about 112) from Eusebius’s Church History, formerly due by 8/16 for a quiz, are now due to be quizzed on 8/19.  
  • Composition:  The essay written in class yesterday (8/14) has given me a sense of each student’s grasp of basic essay structure.  I may wait until the students’ next spontaneous in-class essay to return the 8/14’s, due to some variance among the students’ understanding of the assignment.  

I plan to have Educate updated with attendance and grades by the end of next week.  Students have been working very hard, and doing great work. We look forward to a lighter day 8/16, when we will dramatically reenact the martyrdom of Polycarp.  

Miss Johnston
8th Latin
  • This week we continued reviewing and building back our Latin knowledge. Specifically we worked on 1st declension feminine, masculine and neuter noun endings. We also worked on vocab review and played some review games!

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We started the week with a broad overview of matter and energy. We discussed the difference between physical and chemical changes in matter and the sources of energy that allow for these changes to happen. Next week, we’ll perform our first lab experiment to see physical and chemical changes in action.
8th Algebra I
  • This week we learned the difference between algebraic expressions and algebraic equations. We practiced writing expressions, equations, and inequalities and ended the week by looking at how algebraic equations and inequalities can also be classified as functions. The students practiced identifying functions, as well as naming the domain and range of the functions.

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  • This week we were finally able to meet together as an art class!  We talked about our classroom expectations.  We also talked about contour and blind contour drawings and students were able to complete one of each. 

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We had our first class after the storms of last week delayed us. We got to know each other and had a fun time seeing what they know about logic from past classes.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

Juniors: 

  • Be on the lookout for a save the date for our annual Junior College Info Night! This evening is for students and parents to take a look ahead at junior and senior year and what the students should be doing this year to be fully prepared to apply for colleges in the fall of senior year! 

Seniors: 

Upcoming for seniors:

  • Thursday, August 29, 5-6 pm: Senior College Info Night
    •  Seniors and their parents are invited to learn more about the nitty gritty of the pieces of college applications, how to use Common App, important dates and deadlines for financial aid applications, and more. 
  • Thursday, September 5, 1:30-2:45pm and Friday, September 13, 12:30-1:45pm: Interviewing and Resumes with Dr. Meredith
    • Seniors will meet with Dr. Meredith to learn how to write a resume and how to interview effectively. Dr. Meredith is also willing to meet with seniors individually to help them edit and revise their own resumes. 
  • Individual meetings: I have begun meeting with seniors individually to help them with college applications; we will meet at least once a month over the next few months, and more often as needed. Parents, if you have questions or would like to meet, also feel free to reach out!

 Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • It was an exciting week in Spanish 1! We began by talking about nouns and articles.  We also worked on introductory vocabulary and daily dialogue questions.  We set up some of our routines and students will have their first vocabulary quiz next Friday, August 23rd. 

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • Our first geometry unit is in full swing. This week, we explored our first four postulates (or axioms) regarding lines, points, planes, and space. The students also learned to distinguish between the words equal and congruent. We added two new formulas to our Geometry Resource Books: The Midpoint Formula and The Distance Formula. 

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • Students have been learning about Europe’s Age of Exploration and considering the factors that launched these discoveries at this time. On Friday, students completed their first geography quiz.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic
  • We have reviewed the definitions of logic and reasoning, considered reasoning or being reasonable in the Scriptures, and looked at three laws of thought – Law of Excluded Middle, Law of Identity, and Law of Noncontradiction.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • This week we learned about the author John Bunyan and the political and religious turmoil surrounding him and influencing his faith and writing.  Students will conclude reading the work next week (8/22).  Upcoming assignments include a plot map and an essay.

Dr. Byrd 

9th Bible 
  • We have had a good week as we have begun our survey of the Bible. This week we finished an introduction to Bible survey, a brief study on the Holy Spirit, and Genesis.
  • Students also received their prayer journals to write down prayer requests for this year that we will watch to see God answer. 
  • Bible Memory: Hebrews 12:1

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • We set up our classroom expectations and goals this week.  We began with reviewing past vocabulary and verb conjugations to set us on the right track for learning new concepts soon!  Students will have their first vocabulary quiz on Friday, August 23rd. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • We’ve spent this week reviewing how to evaluate and simplify expressions, how to simplify and graph compound inequalities, and how to solve absolute value equations.  Our first test is planned for next Friday.  Students also had their first HW assignment on our online platform Delta Math.  We will use this platform occasionally for HW as an alternative to  our typical pencil and paper assignments.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • Students concluded reading selections of Aesop’s Fables as an introduction to wisdom literature.  They defended their choices of favorites and disliked fables.  Students also wrote a fable.  Next we will learn about one of the Bible’s examples of this genre–the book of Proverbs.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I
  •  Students delivered their first speeches this week. We have hit the ground running with notes and Declamation discussions. I am looking forward to seeing where the Lord takes us this year. 

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students began their study of ancient history by considering the beginning of history. Students read, analyzed, compared and contrasted the Biblical account of creation along with five other origin stories. Both days this week were filled with discussion regarding observations from the texts and the lessons that we could draw from them.
10th PE
  • Students completed a “card deck” workout on Tuesday and then enjoyed the first full opportunity this year to get outside and play Thursday. Thanks to better weather, we began our ultimate frisbee unit and will continue that next week.

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology
  • This week we read chapter one in An Introduction to Christian Theology and discussed how every historian’s writing of history, and especially regarding the history of Christian theology, by necessity involves making moral claims so that historians are automatically engaging in theology. Students also memorized Hebrews 1:1-4.

Mrs. Palmer

11th Spanish III
  • This week we worked on reviewing past grammar and vocabulary.  We also began the conversation part of our class and students were challenged to use as much Spanish as possible.  

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • Topics for this week include writing and sketching equations of lines, identifying and writing equations for sets of parallel and perpendicular lines, learning characteristics of functions and testing whether a relation is a function or not.  We’re also learning interval notation that we will use to express the domain and range of a function.  Students have also had a couple of assignments on our new HW platform Web Assign.
11th Physics
  • Students have been learning about one dimensional motion.  We’ve introduced the concept of vectors (vs scalars) and are developing our understanding of displacement, velocity and acceleration.  We’ve done a couple of simple labs to measure average velocity and acceleration.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  • We began our year with The City of God by Augustine. 

Dr. Smith

11th NT Greek
  • Students learned some of the basic rules of Greek grammar and 19 vocabulary words.  

Mr. Webster

11th-12th Systematic Theology
  • This week we covered the introduction to systematic theology and chapter 2 of Grudem, which covers the nature of the word of God. 
11th History
  • This week I introduced Medieval history and gave some of the background history of where we will be picking up, which is about 310 AD. The students also took their first quiz on the nature of church history. 

Mrs. Fairchild

12th Art Portfolio
  • Our students went to downtown Mebane this week and took pictures of some interesting cityscapes.  After settling on their favorite section of the downtown area we took our project back to the Upper Campus.  We divided up our project into 14 different sections and each student selected two that they will complete. It will be important for the students to work closely with their classmates to ensure that when sections are aligned we have a cohesive picture in lines, shading, texture, etc.

Coach Johnston

12th History
  • We have begun the year by discussing the themes of European exploration and discovery. Students took their first geography quiz on Friday and began reading about several of the significant battles of Spanish conquest in the new world.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature
  • We began our discussions of Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost. It’s been a fun beginning to our exploration of modern Literature!
12th Rhetoric II
  • Seniors are nailing down topics and mentors. Please be in prayer for them as they begin this process. It is long and arduous, but the Lord will sustain them! 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  • We’ve begun our study of limits – the theoretical basis for both the derivative and the integral.  We’ve learned limit notation, estimated limit values from graphs and tables, and begun learning to determine limits using algebraic properties.