BB 02-20-26

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVIII, ISSUE 29

Feb 20, 2026

 

FROM THE OFFICE

 

LOWER SCHOOL IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • FROM MRS. MITCHELL:  1st – 6th grade parents:  We hope many of you can join us for the annual Soccer House Tournament.  This event, formerly scheduled in the fall, will be held the last Wednesday of the quarter, March 11 from 11:45AM – 2:30PM at the MACC soccer fields just down the street from the school.  This year we are including 5th & 6th grades.  If you are can volunteer, please check the details and sign up here:  Soccer Tournament Volunteer SignUpGenius

 

UPPER SCHOOL IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • FROM DR. SMITH: It is hard to believe but spring is right around the corner. The sports season is changing with the weather and the spring calendar is full, so be sure and stay alert to what is coming up. 
  • Performing Arts Night:  Bradford High School Advanced Band, the Bradford Chorale, and the Shakespearean elective are pleased to present the Bradford Performing Arts Night on March 12, 2026. We look forward to performing a variety of excerpts from movies, musicals, and plays, featuring tales from the high seas to Nordic folklore. The concert will be at First Baptist Church of Mebane at 7PM. Doors open at 6:45PM.  
  • SPRING ATHLETICS: Mark your calendars for the important start dates of upcoming Spring Athletic teams and an important shopping discount weekend!
    • Feb 20-23: Dick’s Sporting Goods partners with our state association, and this weekend they are offering a 20% sale on in-store purchases state-wide (show this coupon at checkout).
    • February 23, 24, 26 & 27: first tryouts and practices of the Varsity Girls Soccer team (7th-12th students may join, 5th-6th students may ask to train with the team). The regular rhythm for the Girls Soccer team will be to practice or play every weekday afternoon except Wednesdays (M/T/Th/F from 3-5pm at the MACC grass fields, 633 Corregidor St. Mebane, NC). If you have any questions about potentially joining the team, please reach out to Nathaniel Johnston (nathanieljohnston@bradfordacademy.org).
    • March 3: first tryout practices of the Varsity Boys Tennis team (7th-12th students may join, 5th-6th students may ask to train with the team).  The regular rhythm for the Boys Tennis team will be to practice every Tuesday/Thursday from 3-4:15pm at the Mebane Tennis Courts (406 S Second St. Mebane, NC). If you have any questions about potentially joining the team, please reach out to Ken James (kjames@bradfordacademy.org).

 

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

  • Thurs 2/26:  Upper School Career Day

 

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Thurs 3/5:  Coffee and Conversation
  • Fri 3/6:  1:00 –  5th Grade Wax Museum
  • Mon 3/9 – Thurs 3/19:  SENIOR TRIP TO ROME 
  • Wed 3/11:  Soccer Tournament lower school
  • Thurs, 3/12:  
    • 7 pm – Upper School Performing Arts Night 
  • Fri, 3/13: 
    • Last day of Q3.  
    • 4th grade Field trip to Old Salem
  • Week of 3/16:  SPRING BREAK
  • Wed 3/25:  2nd grade field trip to Animal Park
  • Fri 3/27:  Quo Vadis?  Event for 4th grade students and their parents to visit the Upper School
  • Fri 4/3 – Mon, 4/6:  Easter break, no school
  • Week of April 13:  Senior Thesis Adjudication begins
  • Mon 4/20 – Tues 4/21:  11th grade trip to Colonial Williamsburg
  • Thurs 4/23:  Bradford Night for K – 1st grades

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

 

TK students enjoyed going back into the kitchen to make and decorate heart shaped cookies this week. Our math lessons this week included: using the balance to weigh items and order them from lightest to heaviest, comparing numbers by determining greater and fewer, & rolling 2 dot cubes and then finding the sum by counting on. Next week we will practice identifying and ordering numbers 0-20. Our letters of the week were V and W. We only have 3 capital letters of the week remaining! Kindergarten screenings are complete. Thank you for your patience while these have been completed over the last several weeks. A few of our centers this week included: building compound words, matching capital and lowercase letters, building letters with play dough, identifying beginning sounds, and building words with word families. We also discussed dental health this week with new vocabulary words and a fun book about the dentist as this month is dental health month. In the Bible, we read about Zaccheus and the love that Jesus showed to him. Students also learned a song about Zaccheus to help them remember the story. Next week we will read about the prodigal son. 

 

Lower School Art (Mrs. Knight)

3rd
  • Third graders began coloring their aqueducts using colored pencils. We are working on choosing realistic colors and coloring in such a way that no lines or paper are visible.  

 

4th
  • Fourth graders continue to work in their mosaics. They look amazing!

 

Lower School P.E.  (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th
  • Students worked on soccer skills, drills, and scrimmages in P.E. this week. 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th
  • Students did a great job working on “I Belong to Jesus” and “It is Well With My Soul”. Third and Fourth grade did a great job learning three note songs on their recorder. 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week:
  • Our kindergarten scholars have loved the warm, almost spring weather this week! In math, we learned how to add and put together numbers; specifically adding one and two to a number. In phonics, we introduced a new reader, “The Dog, The Hog, The Rat, The Ram, The Hen, and The Big Big Din,” and a new ten word spelling list. In art, we continued working on our Justinian the Great mosaics. In science, we discussed the eight phases of the moon. The students had fun shading and labeling each phase on a worksheet. We look forward to a full week of academics next week!
  • Memory Work: Isaiah 40:28 and review

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

This Week: 
  • This week in first grade, the students used the “make a 10”, doubles, and doubles plus 1 as strategies to  find sums through 20. They have been practicing the “tricks” to adding 9, 10, and 11 as well as practicing their “Are you my neighbor? Doubles plus one” song. In history, we finished the exciting journey with Sarah Noble and have started learning about young Edward and the Spanish gun. We read about how Frog was a good friend to Toad by sitting with him when he was sad and sitting with him when he was happy. He also did his best to lift his friend’s mood by writing him a letter (delivered very slowly by a snail). This book gave the students the opportunity to practice words with the silent final e and the  “ai” phonogram. The students have learned all their pronouns in grammar and are now very excited to be learning about verbs. In Science, the students finished their precipitation booklets. We are looking forward to a full week next week!
  • Memory Work: Psalm 67:1-7
Upcoming:      
  • Spring Break March 16th-20th

2nd Grade (Miss Verroi & Mrs. Eng)

This Week: 
  • Our week has centered around Moses and how as an adult he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter but rather to suffer with the people of God.  He chose the rewards of God rather than the passing pleasures of sin in this world.  What a great seed has been planted in each of the students that they will choose to live the same way as they grow and mature.  These memorized verses will bear much fruit.   In reading we are enjoying adventures with Winnie-the-Pooh in the 100 Aker Woods.  We have tracked Woozles, trapped Heffalumps and found honey in all sorts of places. This is our last book of the quarter, and the students are working diligently to complete the packet to their ability.  The highlight of the week was the students’ Animal and Habitat Projects.  WOW – they were great!  Not only did the students learn so much about the animal they researched, but they were so creative in making the 3-D models.  These skills will be of great value as they work on projects in the future.  Thanks for all your help and encouragement, it is a delight to partner with you in the education of your child. 

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

This Week
  • We learned about the life of Caesar Augustus, who is best known for establishing peace in Rome (the Pax Romana) and for founding the Roman Empire. Throughout his reign, he developed a civil service system, established a postal system, and reformed the census to create a fairer method of taxation. Luke 2:1 mentions a census that took place during Augustus’s rule, setting the stage for the coming Messiah. Jesus’s earthly father, Joseph, a descendant of King David, traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register in his ancestral hometown. Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem and His lineage through both Mary and Joseph fulfilled Messianic prophecy, including Micah 5:2. God used Caesar Augustus, one of the most powerful rulers in history, to accomplish His purposes. In grammar, we spent the week reviewing concepts learned so far this year. This was especially helpful in Latin, as students practiced identifying and translating direct objects and worked with accusative noun endings and transitive verbs. In math, we compared and ordered fractions with both like and unlike denominators. We finished the week by memorizing the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which reminded us that earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but God’s kingdom alone will endure forever.
Upcoming:
  • Psalm 19:14

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

This Week: The Great Papal Schism
  • Even with the four-day week, things felt back to normal in the classroom and we were able to study our full range of subjects. In math, our students continued working with fractions, applying their understanding of addition and subtraction to mixed numbers and improper fractions. We encountered some challenging vocabulary in our history card as we learned about the Great Papal Schism that led to three separate Popes vying for power in the 14th Century. We continue to ask the question, “Who should rule, and how do we decide?” which was an ongoing problem to settle during the Middle Ages. Our students are honing their editing and revision skills, polishing their paragraphs in writing and learning about verb tenses in grammar. We learned about the brilliant scientist Dmitri Mendeleev, who created the Periodic Table and predicted the existence of elements before they were even discovered! We are delighted by your children’s enthusiasm for the Chemical Element Project, and we thank you for supporting them by helping them do research at home! 

 

LOGIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Bennington

5th-6th Band
  • Fifth grade students did a great job this week learning their Concert Bb scale in thirds.  Students will be tested on this scale on Tuesday 2/24. 
  • Sixth grade students did a great job this week consistently putting together rhythm with beat in their book exercises. Students also did a great job playing songs and rhythms incorporating eighth notes. 
7th-8th Band
  • Seventh and Eighth grade students did a great job reviewing material in their method book this week. They focused on making good sounds, playing together, and playing dynamics. Big improvements are continuing to be made. 

Mrs. Johnston

5th – 8th Choir
  • Choirs this week continued to focus on rhythms and sight-singing. We also discussed the background behind and the meaning within the the hymn Take My Life and Let Me Be.

Miss Pugsley 

5th-8th Girls’ PE
  • This week in PE, the girls ran a mile and played capture the flag.

 

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Miss Johnston) 

This Week
  • The students worked hard to complete their work. We covered a full spelling list, learning two new phonograms. We finished reading Duel in the Wilderness, which covered George Washington’s journey in the French and Indian War. The students enjoyed learning more about young George Washington before the Revolutionary War. In history, we learned about the Battle of Bunker Hill and discussed how, even though the British gained control of the hill, their losses were so great that it was considered a battle lost. We learned about circuits and talked about Benjamin Franklin’s famous lightning rod experiment. We continue to work on our wax museums and the students have begun to master their parts! They look forward to showing you their speeches on March 6th! 

 

Memory Work:
  •  Philippians 2:14-16
Upcoming: 
  • 03/06 – Wax Museum. Note: When you arrive, you will start in the room that corresponds with your last name and work from there. There will be signs with more information when you arrive. 

 

Mrs. Knight

5th Art
  • Fifth grade art students continue working on their SAR posters. We are nearing the end of this project, and their sketching and painting are looking great. The hard work has really paid off. 

 

6th Grade (Mrs. McDorman and Miss Pugsley)

6th Reading and Literature
  • We began reading Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. This is a challenging book, but an excellent one. I am looking forward to deep conversations as we work through this difficult subject from the perspective of these strong Christian characters. 
6th Grammar and Writing
  • We reviewed run-on sentences and how to fix them. The students finished their cards for their research papers (Yay! How exciting!)
6th Bible
  • We continued reading through the gospels as a class.
6th History
  • We discussed the Spanish-American War.
6th Science
  • We learned about Cell Theory and its history. I introduced the students to their Cell Model assignment, which they’ll be working on as partners for the rest of the quarter.
6th Logic
  • This week we had a review quiz.

 

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math
  • This week in 6th grade math students learned about the 4 quadrants on a graph and how to plot points on a graph.  Students made up an imaginary town and plotted 3 places–a school, a restaurant or grocery and a house–on the map.  Students have also been busy cataloguing  math vocabulary–yes, math has vocabulary!  We aim to conclude Chapter 9 next week beginning the week with the chapter review and concluding with the Chapter 9 test.

Mrs. Wright

6th Latin
  • The 6th grade Latin class is focused on learning the indirect object in noun and pronoun form.  Both classes are working to finish translating Capitulum VII.  

Mrs. Palmer

6th Art
  • Students finished their watercolor paintings inspired by Winslow Homer this week. We also began drawing from a sight a still life. Students will use their watercolor knowledge to complete these still life drawings soon.   

Dr. Wright

7th Omnibus
  • This past week, seventh grade has been studying Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, examining how each philosopher asks and answers life’s most important questions. Students explored Socrates’ method of examining life, Plato’s theory of forms and the allegory of the cave, and Aristotle’s emphasis on logic, virtue, and observation of the natural world. Through discussion and comparison, we have seen how these three thinkers together shape significantly the intellectual framework of Western civilization.  We will continue to engage how Scripture addresses each of these philosophers’ ideas. 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • As we wrapped up our study of earthquakes & volcanoes, we spent time this week reviewing all that we learned in preparation for a cumulative unit exam that will take place next Tuesday, February 24th.
7th Pre-Algebra
  • We spent time in math this week writing and solving analogies (such as Petal :  Flower : : Leaf : Tree or Fame : Obscurity : : Sorrow : Joy). This may seem like a strange exercise for math class. However, writing proportions in math is very similar to solving linguistic analogies. Both are exercises in logic and finding relationships. After solving the linguistic analogies, the students easily transitioned to writing and solving mathematical proportions.

Mrs. Palmer 

7th Art
  • Students finished their watercolor paintings inspired by Winslow Homer this week. We will soon begin a new medium and a new project. We continue to review all of our artists of the quarter. 

Mrs. Wright

7th Latin
  • The 7th grade Latin class is focused on learning the indirect object in noun and pronoun form.  They have finished translating the entirety of Capitulum VII and are working through all the exercises.
7th Logic
  • The 7th grade Logic class is working on the last of the presupposition fallacies.  This week they learned the fallacy of composition and the fallacy of division.  Next week we will move into a week of reviewing all fallacies of presupposition.  

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus 
  • We continue in The Two Towers, continuing our study of Tolkien’s epic narrative while sharpening analytical skills. Students have weekly new vocabulary, strengthening precision in language and comprehension. In history, the class has explored Charlemagne, the influence of Alcuin, the Carolingian Renaissance, and the development and symbolism of medieval heraldry. 

Mrs. Wright

8th Latin
  • The 8th grade Latin class is focused on learning the indirect object in noun and pronoun form.  They have translated a little more than half of Capitulum VII.  

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We prepared for our upcoming chemistry unit by watching a documentary series called The Mystery of Matter. The students were introduced to the groundbreaking work of Harry Moseley, JJ Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, and Glenn Seaborg. Ask your student what they learned about the historical study of chemistry this week!
8th Algebra I
  • After learning how to solve systems of linear equations using graphing, substitution, and elimination, we learned about some special cases this week, including inconsistent equations, which produce parallel lines with no solution and equivalent equations, which produce concurrent lines with infinite solutions. We also practiced solving coin problems using systems of equations.

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  • With The Lord of the Rings as our inspiration, we continued on in our oil pastel drawings. Students are using the medium to draw their choice of the Shire, Rohan or Mordor. 

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We have learned that the standard-form categorical syllogism is a deductive argument consisting of exactly three categorical propositions (two premises, one conclusion) and three terms (major, minor, middle), where each term appears twice and follows this order: Major Premise (contains predicate of conclusion), Minor Premise (subject of conclusion), then Conclusion.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th:  Career Day is coming up!  
  • Career Day is planned for Thursday, February 26, 2026, from 12:30 PM-2:30 PM in the sanctuary and in select upper school classrooms.
  • 9th-12th grade students have the opportunity to hear from parents and friends of Bradford in various careers including science and medicine, first responders, technology, higher education (college and graduate schools), elementary education, banking and ministry.
Seniors
  • 12th graders took the CLT (Classic Learning Test) this week.
  • Seniors will continue to meet briefly to discuss what their plans are following high school and determine if there is any assistance we can offer in their pursuits.
Juniors 
  • 11th graders concluded The College Match Mini Class.  They were inquisitive!  
  • We discussed what career interests they had when they were younger and also what colleges in which they were interested and why.  It was humorous to hear what some wanted to be and fitting to hear from others given their specific talents.  
  • We also discussed the elective opportunities available next year and how to use those to aid in learning about a subject outside of their comfort zone or to help earn college credit while in high school.  
  • We discussed the value of internships and summer jobs to give insight into various careers.
  • 11th graders took the CLT (Classic Learning Test) this week.
Sophomores
  • 10th graders had the opportunity to view the CLT10 results from February 4.
Freshmen
  • 9th graders had the opportunity to view the CLT10 results from February 4.

Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • We spent this week reviewing for and taking a test on irregular stem-changing verbs and verbs with irregular “yo” forms.

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • Students took their test on the American Antebellum Era. We briefly covered major people and events overviewing the American Civil War and Reconstruction. We will cover these topics in greater detail their senior year.

Ms. Oldham

9th Rhetoric I
  •  The students are working on author’s intent this week. 

Dr. Byrd 

9th Bible Survey 
  • Students took their test on Isaiah – Ezekiel and are working on their book report. We finished the book of Daniel. 

Mrs. Frueh

9th Biology
  • When do cells divide? How do cells divide? What happens when cells divide too frequently or in an uncontrolled manner? These were some questions that the students wrestled with this week as we embarked on our study of the cell cycle and mitosis.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • We completed our study of trigonometry by learning how to use the inverse of sine, cosine, and tangent in order to solve for an unknown angle of a triangle. 
  • Unit Test 7 on the Pythagorean Theorem and Trigonometry: next Wednesday, February 25th.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • 9th graders dove into The Great Gatsby Newspaper Project.  They are tasked with learning about the culture and world events encircling the time period in which Fitzgerald’s work is set.  Also due with this project is a brief definitive summary of the book’s layered symbolism. 

Mrs. Fairchild 

9th – 11th Art Foundations
  • We have finally arrived at the point of the year where the students are beginning their first oil painting. We have discussed the chemistry and physics related to the painting medium and we have done a few tests and experiments with various mediums and solvents. They are ready to tackle their first impressionist painting next week.

Mrs. Bennington

9th-11th Band 
  • Students did a great job this week working on music for our concert in March. 

Mrs. Johnston

Bradford Chorale
  • We continue to work on repertoire for the March 12 concert. On Tuesday, Rusty Martin, a seasoned actor, came in and worked with the kids to develop character and stage presence.

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week we finished our discussions of the gas laws, and the students took their second test of Q3. 
  • Next week we will begin a segment focusing on properties of solids, liquids, and solutions.

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • We spent this week reviewing for and taking a test on irregular verbs in several tenses as well as on formal commands. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • We are at the end of our units on Radical Functions.  Next we will be learning about exponential and logarithmic functions.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • 10th graders concluded the reading and summaries of Ovid’s Metamorphoses.  They were to also link the later works that derived from this work such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which came from Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric II
  • Students gave Tribute Speeches this week. They were well done and I would encourage you to talk with your students about them. 

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students continued to read Livy’s account of the Second Punic War. This week we particularly focused on Rome’s third disaster (Cannae), and how Rome responded in that time of emergency. We have also begun to study the Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic which will tie extremely well into our study of the Second Punic War.

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology 
  • Students are continuing to learn how the medieval time period in Europe became the point at which men began to lose sight of the organic union between faith and reason and the relationship of the church to the state, or the civil governing authorities. They are learning that this idea that human faith and reason were not already united by God led scholars and church leaders to think that they had to decide how to configure the relationship. This was, in many respects, the beginning of the godless ideology that now has a lock grip on the West today.   

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • We’ve started looking at some topics in analytical trigonometry.  This week we learned to use the fundamental trig identities to simplify expressions, to verify trig identities, and to solve trig equations.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  • Students began our unit on Arthurian Legends. They are also looking forward to our Medieval Day!

Mrs. Wright

11th NT Greek
  • NT Greek students have corrected and reviewed their test from chapters 15-17.  This week they also finished all exercises and translations for chapter 18 using the Present Middle/ Passive Indicative Verb. 

Mr. Webster

11th History
  • This week we discussed the problem of heresy in the High Middle Ages and how it was dealt with by the Roman Catholic church. We also discussed some of the key features of Roman Catholicism at this time, such as the seven sacraments, relics, pilgrimage, etc. 

Dr. Smith

11th-12th Apologetics
  • Students finished watching a debate between Rev. Douglas Wilson and the well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens. Students observed how Hitchens consistently avoided Wilson’s challenge to give a rational account of morality. 

Coach Johnston

12th History
  • We have begun a brief overview of Western Expansion following the American Civil War and how the people who did not move West tended to move into cities, which would fuel the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.

Ms. Oldham

12th Literature
  • We began reading the memoir Night. They also turned in their quarter 3 independent book essays this week. 
12th Rhetoric III
  • Seniors are working on polishing their final drafts before they fly off to Rome! I have sent an email asking for filming permission. If you did not receive it, please let me know. 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  • We are midway through a unit on differential equations.  We’ve learned how slope fields can help us visualize various solutions to differential equations.  We’ve also learned how to separate variables as a basic technique to solve differential equations.