BB 01-19-24

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 23

Jan 19, 2024

 

FROM THE OFFICE

IMPORTANT NOTES:  

  • House Day:  Mon, 1/29 – Students who have a new house t-shirt (purchased this year or last year) may wear them to school with black athletic pants.  While not every student purchased a shirt, all students have been given a house scarf.  Wear them to school for house points!
  • NC Opportunity Scholarship:  Mark your calendars to fill out the application as soon as they open on February 1st.  Information can be found here.  We will be sending more details as we get them over the next couple of weeks so please watch for emails and take time to read them carefully.
  • Financial Aid:  Please refer to Mr. Johnston’s email on 12/19 for details.

 

LOWER SCHOOL:
  • FROM MRS. MITCHELL:  A trifecta is a bet or an achievement in which the first, second, and third horses in a race are selected in the right order.  Though not a betting person, I have commandeered the use of this word to refer to the balance of effort put forth on the part of the student, teacher, and parents/guardians for a “winning” learning process.  At any given time in any given subject, one of the above should feel like they are giving the maximum amount of effort, with the others falling rightly into 2nd & 3rd place with the goal of producing an independent student who loves learning.  These places alternate as new content and skills are learned.  During the 3rd quarter we hope to see increasing student responsibility and independence as more time can be available to spend on sharpening skills during the cold winter months.

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:  

  • Tues, 1/23:  Varsity Basketball games – AWAY
  • Thurs, 1/25:  100th Day Rodeo Round Up (K – 2nd)
  • Fri, 1/26:
    • Spelling Bee:  4th – 8th grades at upper school campus
    • Varsity Basketball games – AWAY

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Mon, 1/29: 
    • HOUSE DAY!  (See notes in email)  
    • Senior Night Varsity Basketball games at the MACC
      • Varsity Girls (3pm)
      • Varsity Boys (4pm)
      • Senior Night Recognition immediately following the games
  • Thurs, 2/1:  Application for NC Opportunity Scholarship opens
  • Tues, 2/5:  CLT10 (Standardized Test) for 9th grade
  • Thurs, 2/15:  
    • CLT (Standardized Test) for 11th grade
    • Deadline to notify the office in writing for students who will not return for 2024/2025 school year.  (Contract opt-out fee will be applied for notifications that come in after this date.)
  • Fri, 2/16:  Teacher workday (no school)
  • Mon, 2/19:  Presidents Day (no school)
  • Tues, 2/20:  Senior Thesis Pre-panels begin
  • Thurs, 2/29:  3rd – 4th grade, Bradford Night 2.0, 7pm
  • Fri, 3/1 – Sat, 3/2:  PARENTING CONFERENCE – at lower school campus – Save the date!
  • Fri, 3/8: End of 3rd quarter – NOON DISMISSAL
  • Week of 3/11:  SPRING BREAK
  • Wed, 3/13 – Wed, 3/20:  SENIOR TRIP to Grand Canyon

 

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

This Week
  • TK enjoyed this short week with lots of time inside thanks to the frigid temperatures. It was such a delight to watch their imaginations at work while they played during indoor recess. Our letters this week were D and P. We focused on their sounds and writing these letters in our green books. This week we introduced final sounds by stretching out words to hear the very last sound they make. We also continued with beginning sounds by changing each student’s beginning sound in their name to the student of the day’s beginning sound. It makes for a very silly morning meeting! In math this week, we practiced making ABB patterns, naming shape pieces and playing the missing shape game, as well as an introduction to geoboards. A few of our centers included filling in rhyming words, letter hunts, an introduction to nouns, and creating stories. We enjoyed a fun science experiment where we predicted whether items would sink or float and then tested them in a bucket of water. Students also made signs to remind us to wash our hands! In our Bible time, we talked about Jesus and his time in the desert and also Jesus calling his disciples. 

 

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th
  • Students did a great job in P.E. this week. Students got a chance to complete various team building activities and directional games. We also learned several line dances. 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-3rd
  • Students worked on our first hymn for the third quarter, “How Great Thou Art.”  Students also reviewed  the song, “The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock”. We talked about the importance of building our lives on a firm foundation with God at the center so that we can weather any storm that comes our way.
4th
  • Fourth grade students worked on identifying pitches on the staff. They also worked on identifying notes that stay the same, that are a  step apart, and that skip. We worked on several songs on page 10-11 to review our ability to correctly read pitches. Students also worked on “How Great Thou Art”  and “All Praise to Thee”.  

Lower School Art (Mrs. Palmer)

3rd
  • Students began a one point perspective drawing this week in which we talked about how to use the horizon line and vantage point to create depth.  We will continue on with these drawings next week. 
4th
  • Students began watercolor landscape paintings inspired by Thomas Cole.  We talked about translucency, color mixing and how to use the right amount of paint to water.  We will continue these next week. 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week: 
  • Our kindergartners have had a busy four days here at school, after having Monday off in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In math, we learned how to add two-digit numbers without regrouping using dimes and pennies, and how to estimate and measure an area using nonstandard units. In phonics, we started a new reader, “Pepin the Not-Big,” which is about the historical figure “Pepin the Short,” who was the King of the Franks. In art, we continued our drawings on perspective, and in science, we finished our unit on measurement by working on Mr. Gallon Man. 
Memory Work: 
  • Romans 11:33-36 and review

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

This Week: 
  • This week in math we took our first 100 math fact assessment that was completed in 5 minutes or less. The students learned they could do hard things well with this exercise. We practiced adding two digit numbers with regrouping. We enjoyed using geoboard to identify and create congruent shapes and designs and we also created a venn diagram. We can now subtract by 0’s and 1’s. This week we read a hilarious story about Toad and Frog playing in the snow. In grammar we are working on sentence structure identifying nouns, verbs and pronouns. We had a picture narration with “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by George-Pierre Seurat. Students were amazed to realize this painting was seven feet tall and ten feet wide and was made using thousands of tiny dots of color. In history we are continuing with the Pilgrim Stories and we have made it to the new world! In Science we are learning about the States of Matter and have a song that goes with it. 
Memory Work:  
  • Review week.
Upcoming:      
  • Rodeo Round Up (100 Days In School)- Thursday, January 25
  • House Shirt Day- Monday, January 29
  • Durham Museum Field Trip- Thursday, February 15

 

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

This Week: 
  • We have survived another week of cold weather with mostly all indoor recesses.  It is a joy to see how well the students get along and enjoy playing together.  To go along with the cold weather, we have finished a 2-point paragraph with the title “A Snowy Day” and we still hope to get some snow this winter.  In grammar we have worked to learn the difference in numerous homonyms.  Our language is full of words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings.  Latin is a favorite for many of the students and we enjoy discovering the many derivatives from one Latin word.  From pes (foot) we get pedestrian, pedal, pedestal, centipede and impede.  In science we continue to study the classification of all living things and will focus on the animal kingdom this quarter.  We will focus on the five categories of vertebrates (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians) and two of the invertebrate categories (insects and arachnids).  Later in the year we hope to go on a field trip to reinforce what we have learned about the animal kingdom.  
Memory Work:  Proverbs 25:14-15

 

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

This Week
  • Through the story of Nehemiah and  his return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, we learned how you can accomplish anything when you align yourself with the will and plan of God. Only God can do the impossible. God allowed Nehemiah to not only win the favor of King Artaxerxes, but he financed his entire journey.  In math, students were challenged to write equivalent fractions using halves, fourths, eights, and sixteenths, but they were reminded that their perseverance will pay off in the end.  In Latin, we continued working with the imperfect tense, and they are gradually getting more proficient at parsing those verbs and nouns in order to translate. In grammar, we focused on action and linking verbs, and discussed the difference between an action and a state of being, another challenging concept.  Although we often face difficult challenges, we can learn from Nehemiah the importance of focusing on God who is our hope and strength. It is only then that we can rest as we take refuge in His unchanging love. 
Memory Work:
  • Psalm 19: 5-6
Upcoming:
  • Lunar Calendar Begins Thursday, 2/1 
  • House Shirt Day- Monday, January 29

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Burtram and Miss Abrahamsen) 

This Week

Writing stories for the Burlington Writers’ Club contest took up a good portion of the fourth graders’ energy this week; we can’t wait to read their completed stories! The kids have also been preparing for the Spelling Bee- our in class Bee will be next Tuesday afternoon with next Friday, January 26, being the 4th-8th grade Spelling Bee at the Upper Campus. Four fourth graders will be chosen through our Bee on Tuesday to compete on Friday (but we all will be attending the Bee on Friday). History this week focused on St. Francis of Assissi, while in science, we began a study of Physics. Decimals are starting to become prominent in math, and we are becoming acquainted with many different ways we can use them.

Upcoming: 
  • Matt 5:6-9 due Friday, 1/26
  • Spelling Bee at Upper Campus- Friday, 1/26

 

LOGIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Bennington

5th-6th Band
  • This week students learned what a key signature is and how to apply it to their music, several new notes, and how to read and  play loud and soft dynamics. Our  second practice record for the third quarter will be due this
  • Tuesday 1/23. Students will have their next test on Thursday 1/23 on 2.9 in which they will demonstrate how to appropriately play soft and loud dynamics. 
7th-9th Band 
  • This week students worked hard on expanding their range. We spent a lot of time on our Concert Bb and Eb scales. Students did very well on their scale tests. We also reviewed how to appropriately articulate slurs in our music.  Our second practice record for the third quarter will be due thisTuesday 1/23. 

Mrs. Campbell

5th-8th Chorus
  • Chorus students worked on blending, ear training, and other vocal exercises in addition to beginning a couple new songs. The second practice record for third quarter is due next Thursday, 1/25.

Miss Stevenson

5th-8th Girls’ PE
  • Middle school girls did not have PE this week due to MLK Day and cold weather.

 

5th Grade (Mrs. Owens) 

This Week
  • This week the students have continued to work on their second draft of their creative writing story.  Their stories are each unique and very interesting.  In math this week we worked on adding and subtracting mixed numbers as well as changing mixed numbers to improper fractions.  We have come to the end of Witch of Blackbird Pond and next week we will begin our next novel, Duel in the Wilderness.  In history the students studied different taxes imposed by the British such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Tea Act.  After studying the French and Indian War and taking a look at how Parliament had begun to act unjustly, the students are now seeing the beginnings of unrest between the colonies and England.  
Memory Work:
  • Philippians 2:1-2 (this week)
  • Philippians 2:3-4 (next week)

Mrs. Palmer

5th Art
  • Students worked on oil pastel landscape drawings inspired by Thomas Cole.  We talked about blending, color mixing and how to create texture.  We will continue these drawings next week. 
Mrs. Kromhout
5th Latin
  • 5th grade Latin students this week worked on translations, reviewed for our test, learned about colors in Latin, and barely started our new vocabulary list! 

 

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature
  • We are continuing to read through Something Greater Than Gold, a biography about Eric Liddell.
6th Grammar and Writing
  • This week we dug a little deeper into the elements of a fictional story. Rough drafts of the fictional stories for the Burlington Writers Club are due Wednesday, January 24.
6th Bible
  • We finished up the gospel of Luke this week. We will start on John next week.
6th History
  • In History, we are talking about the Reconstruction of the South that never really happened after the Civil War. We are also working our way through a documentary about the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
6th Science
  • This week in Science was quite heavy on notes about hierarchical organization of living things. Next week we will jump into rather dense notes on cell organelles.
6th Logic
  • We finished up the Making Assumptions section of our Logic book this week. There will be a test over this section next Friday.

Mr. Hunter

6th Latin
  • This week the students learned about Juvenal, Roman satire, and third-declension adjectives. They also continued practicing for the NLE. 

Mrs. Frueh

6th Math
  • This week, we practiced classifying quadrilaterals according to their definitions. The students learned how important it is to pay attention to the details of a geometric definition. While this concept is foundational to geometry, we also discussed how important it is to define our terms in any subject. Words have meaning and the definition of a word should mean something. Otherwise truth becomes relative. Do you want to challenge your child? Ask him or her to explain this statement: “Every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square.”

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • Students worked on a watercolor painting of a well-known American landscape inspired by our American landscape artist, Thomas Cole.  We have been working on accuracy, using translucency, color mixing and creating realism through watercolor.

Mrs. Crotts

7th Omnibus
  • Literature: We read more of Virgil’s Aeneid.  The students wrote an in-class essay comparing and contrasting the view of marriage and commitment presented in the Aeneid, the Bible and our present-day culture.
  • Grammar:  We concluded the week with a classroom spelling bee for which they studied and practiced for throughout the week.
  • History: For history we took an artistic angle and learned about how the Roman artists sprung from and also differed from Greek artists keeping in mind the different  eras–Hellenic, Greek Classical, Roman Classical and Hellenistic.
  • Bible/Theology: The students took a quiz reviewing the three Biblical covenants that we have or will be covering this year: Noaic, Abrahamic, and Mosaic.  We began studying the New Testament epistles.

Mr. Johnston

7th Logic
  • Our young scholars have been back at it this week.  Our newest fallacy falls under the category of Presuppositions.  We drilled down on the problem of “Begging the Question.” This common fallacy happens when an argument assumes as true the very thing it is attempting to prove.  Be sure to ask your child about circular reasoning.

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • We continued our study of volcanoes this week with a closer look at the types of ejecta released by volcanoes. We looked at the difference between the lava released by a less explosive volcano like Mauna Loa and the ash and gases released by a more explosive volcano like Mt. Etna.

7th Pre-Algebra

  • This week we tackled the difficult topic of calculating the volume and surface area of right circular cylinders. Calculations like this require the students to be careful in their work, detailed in their labeling, and organized in their thinking. For the first time, the students are being asked to solve problems that require four or five different complex steps. This is a great opportunity for them to stretch and grow in their diligence and perseverance.

Mrs. Palmer 

7th Art
  • Students worked on a watercolor painting of a well-known American landscape inspired by our American landscape artist, Thomas Cole.  We have been working on accuracy, using translucency, color mixing and creating realism through watercolor.

Mr. Hunter

7th Latin
  • This week the students learned about Juvenal, Roman satire, and the passive voice of the perfect system. They also continued practicing for the NLE. 

 

Mrs. Kromhout

8th Omnibus
  • History: We had a short week of history because of MLK day, but we have learned more about the manorial estates of the medieval period. 
  • Literature: In The Two Towers, we have met new characters – Treebeard and the ents – but also Tolkien has revealed more to us about Merry and Pippin’s character and hobbit-like good-natured perseverance. We also had great discussions about Aragorn’s leadership and the qualities of a good leader. 
  • Composition: Students are working on their creative writing short stories! We finished brainstorming and began writing this week!

Mr. Hunter

8th Latin
  • This week the students learned about Juvenal and Roman satire. They also continued working on their translation projects and prepared for the NLE. 

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • It has been a fun week of testing and perfecting self-propelled vehicles. Most students chose to build mousetrap cars, while a few chose to try a balloon car. This project requires the students to employ the engineering design process, including building a prototype, troubleshooting, redesigning, and testing at each step in the process. I have enjoyed seeing their teamwork, diligence, and ingenuity throughout the process. Lab reports for this project will be due next week.
8th Algebra I
  • This week’s lessons were all about square roots and higher order roots. The students learned how to estimate roots without a calculator, as well as solve using the square root function of their calculator. They also learned to simplify larger radicands into simpler form.

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  • Students began working on their cross-curricular Lord of the Rings oil pastel drawings.  Students chose between Rohan, Mordor and the Shire.  They will aim to recreate these settings with detail and accuracy. 

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We wrote arguments consisting of two premises (supporting statements) and a conclusion (valid or invalid).

 

RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th:
  • The CLT (Classic Learning Test) has put together an excellent resource highlighting like minded colleges offering summer programs to high school students!! Many of these programs offer college credit or scholarships, but also would be an amazing opportunity to experience life on campus, take classes from the professors, explore a certain field or area of study, meet like minded students from across the country, and get a taste of college life. I highly recommend checking out the guide to see if there may be a good fit for your student and family! 
Juniors: 
Seniors: 

Seniors should prepare to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)! While it usually comes out in October, the government just redesigned the form and released it on 12/31 as a soft launch. 

  • Who? Most seniors will benefit from filling out the FAFSA
  • When? Seniors should aim to fill out the form by the end of January – some of the money is first come first serve so it is good to fill it out as soon as possible
  • What is it? The FAFSA will offer access to federal grants (free money!), federal loans (to be paid back),  state aid, work study options, and is sometimes also used by the institution to give aid.
    • You do NOT need to have applied to college to fill out the FAFSA; go ahead and do it now, and you can send it to the institutions later (you will need to list the colleges you are interested in, but you can update this later if it changes and you can list up to 20 colleges)
  • What’s new? You can read more about the changes to the new form here 
    • Keep your FSA ID safe! You will use it each year you submit the FAFSA
  • How? Students can complete the form here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa 
  • This guide to conquering the FAFSA isn’t yet updated for the new FAFSA,  but it is a thorough walkthrough and should be updated soon: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/paying-for-college/fafsa/101 

 

Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • This week we reviewed old vocabulary, stem-changing verbs and irregular “yo” verbs.  Students received a study guide for their upcoming chapter 4 test on January 24th. 

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • Students have begun to learn about the start of the market revolution, western expansion in America and the development of regional politics (Northeast, South & West) through key politicians like Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • The students were hard at work this week building balsa wood bridges that will be tested for weight-bearing capacity next week. It has been rewarding to watch them work collaboratively and to listen to them debate the value of isosceles triangles versus equilateral triangles in their truss designs. This has been an opportunity for them to apply hands-on knowledge of angles in a practical way while using the engineering design process. Stay tuned to hear which truss design was strongest!

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic
  • We have reviewed first semester’s keywords and concepts.

Mrs. Fairchild

9th Advanced Art
  • We were excited to begin our research on the Major Mock Trial this past week.  The students began studying Hans Holbein’s painting, The Ambassadors and are already wrestling through questions and wondering how Jacques Lefèvre d’Etaples relates to the painting.  Lots of names, dates and locations are playing into this project.  It will be important for the students to look at the painting from an artistic standpoint and also make sure they are studying what is happening in history during this time. Other areas of study during our research phase will include music, translating Latin, working a few Algebraic equations,  understanding geography, astronomy and theology from the 1500’s.  There are so many hidden messages and secret symbolism embedded into this painting.  Hans Holbein was truly a master at painting and a man of mystery. 

 

Mrs. Hicks

9th Biology
  • This week we started studying Molecular Biology and Genetics! We will be completing lots of fun activities in the coming weeks for these concepts.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • Students received a copy of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.  They learned about the author and the influence of her father’s transcendentalist acquaintances.  We also discussed how, though she loved to write, she also was spurred  to write for income to support her family.  Students are to read through Book I this week and next.  (They will work on a presentation in the near future.)

Dr. Byrd

9th-10th Bible Survey
  • This week we finished the Wisdom Literature and began the book of Isaiah.
  • Memory Verse for next Wed: Romans 12:1-2
  • Book Analysis Project due at the end of the quarter. Students are finalizing their book choices. 

 

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week the students learned how to convert between grams and molecules via the mole.  They also learned about percent composition.
  • Next week the students will learn about stoichiometry and percent yield. 

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • Students reviewed past vocabulary and irregular verbs in present tense.  We added new vocabulary this week and learned a new approach for remembering it.  We also began working with the imperfect tense. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • Topics for the week include radical denominators, solving systems of equations, more uniform motion problems, and solving radical equations.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • Students received a copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology.  This is an excellent resource that summarizes the famous and impactful mythologies of various cultures.  On February 14, 10th graders will share a presentation on an aspect of the work with the 7th grade as they are studying the same ancient time period.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I
  • Students got their deadlines for the quarter! We’re hitting the ground running. 

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students have begun a summary overview of how democracy in Athens developed while also reading portions of Thucydides Peloponnesian War. This week our focus in the reading has been on Pericles’ Funeral Oration and this weekend students are assigned to compare and contrast it with Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, another famous military funeral memorial speech.
10th PE
  • Students were introduced to a new sport, handball, and have grown in their skills and game play while enjoying access to the gym across the street this week.

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • We’re returning to our study of basic trig.  This week we’ve learned to find linear and angular speed and also began to consider the cyclical nature of trig ratios and how we can express this in terms of a function.  The unit circle can help us visualize the repetitive nature of some common trig ratios.
11th Physics
  • Momentum is our current topic.  We’ve considered the factors that influence momentum, how changes in momentum create a greater or lesser impulse force, how airbags work, and conservation of momentum.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  • Students got their research project for the quarter (I am very excited about these!). We also began C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. 

Mr. Hunter

11th NT Greek
  • This week the students were introduced to Plotinus, as well as the genre of the ancient romance novel. We reviewed the third declension and first and second person personal pronouns, and we began discussing the uses of αὐτός. 

Mrs. Palmer

11th-12th Elective: Color Theory/Design
  • We began with talking through various colorways/schemes within color theory such as analogous, monochromatic and tetradic.  We started talking about the science behind color and how color drives marketing. Students were introduced to a very beginning design project in which they will use various principles and elements of design as well as color theory. 

 

Dr. Smith

11th-12th Apologetics & Philosophy
  • We begin this semester reading and discussing James Sire’s book The Universe Next Door. Wednesday was our first day to meet for the Spring semester, so our discussion begins Friday.

Coach Johnston

12th History
  • Students reviewed the last bit of material from last semester (The Missouri Compromise) before looking at the Market Revolution and Monroe Doctrine.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature
  • Students began their exploration of Yoknapatawpha County with William Faulkner. This is one of my favorite units, so I hope the seniors have as much fun as I do! 
12th Rhetoric II
  • Seniors turned in their theses! They’re in and they’re done! Please pray for them as they look towards prepanels in February and final defenses in April. 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  • This week we’ve learned how to integrate simple functions and how to integrate more complex functions using u-substitution.

Mrs. Hicks

12th Anatomy
  • This week we started learning about the Cardiac System! This is a fun unit.