BB 03-13-26

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVIII, ISSUE 32

March 13, 2026

FROM THE OFFICE

IMPORTANT NOTES:

LOWER SCHOOL IMPORTANT NOTES:

FROM MRS. MITCHELL: We have tied a bow on the 3rd quarter and praise God for His faithfulness to direct our ways. This week students enjoyed a taste of the upper school music concert and were delighted to experience what they have to look forward to in the future. We enjoyed seeing so many parents at the soccer tournament for a beautiful day and fun competition. Winners will be announced at Friday’s forum. Many books will be read in the last few hours. What a great finish! Enjoy the break ahead.

UPPER SCHOOL IMPORTANT NOTES:

FROM DR. SMITH: The third quarter has come to an end, and the weather over the last 48 hours has been reflective of the topsy turvy nature of this quarter! But students and teachers adapted, improvised and overcame! By the time you receive this, our Performing Arts concert will have been held and we will all be looking forward to Spring Break. Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement for us as a staff. We look forward to our final quarter of the year. May God give us the grace, wisdom and strength to finish well.

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

SPRING BREAK

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

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:
- Field Trip: Art Foundations to NC Museum of Art
- UPDATED Bradford Night for K – 2nd grades
Thurs, 4/30: Upper School: Bradford Games (7th–12th)
Fri, 5/1: Teacher workday, no school

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

TK students finished the third quarter well! We had a very busy week filled with fun activities and new concepts. This week was a review week in math. Students practiced writing numbers, identified ordinal position, practiced telling time to the hour, practiced counting on with dot cubes and identified bigger and smaller numbers. When we return from spring break, we will introduce new math concepts and continue writing numbers up to 20. Since we have completed capital letters of the week, we began learning lowercase letters this week. Students learned to write a, d, and o as well as reviewed writing the capital version of these letters. We read in the Bible about Jesus being the servant king and washing the feet of his disciples. Students thought of ways to serve others and we wrote those things down on paper feet and then turned the feet into sandals. These are displayed in the halls here at school. A few highlights of the week were watching a snippet of the upper school band and chorus concert, Dr. Seuss Day on Thursday, and Reading Day on Friday.

Lower School Art (Mrs. Knight)

3rd

Third graders viewed more of the magnificent artwork of Winslow Homer. Our project for the week was a painting of an ocean scene in the style of Homer.

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th

Students did a great job showcasing their soccer skills at the soccer tournament this week. I was especially proud of how all of the students participated and worked together with their teams. Fun was had by all.

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th

Students did not have music this week due to reading day. Students did however get an opportunity to hear the High School Band, Choir, and Shakespeare small group perform during Wednesday’s special morning forum. Students enjoyed hearing all the groups perform. We ended our time together with everyone singing, “I Belong to Jesus”. It is my hope that by singing these beautiful hymns all of the students will see how much God loves them and how we each belong to Him.

4th

Fourth graders did not have art this week due to Reading Day.

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week:

Our kindergarten scholars had an exciting week! On Thursday, we celebrated our very anticipated Dr. Seuss Day. The day was filled with laughter, fun activities, green eggs and ham, and a very special reader: The Cat in the Hat! On Friday, we had a day dedicated to reading. The students loved hearing stories read to them, as well as reading books themselves. Academically, we learned several new things. In math, we learned how to take apart a number, how to take away a number from another number, and how to subtract one and two from a number. In phonics, we continued reading “Ben and His Pen,” and introduced a new ten word spelling list. In history, we discussed the Feudal System, which occurred during the medieval period. This system established a social hierarchy where different people held varying titles and roles in society. In art, the students had the opportunity to draw self portraits. Please ask your child to show you their work! We hope that you have a wonderful and restful spring break!

Memory Work:

Matthew 6:9-13 and review

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

This Week:

What an exciting finale to the third quarter! Monday and Tuesday followed our usual schedule. The students learned the meaning of the equal sign and how to determine if an equation is true or false, as well as how to use a number sentence to solve subtraction word problems. The students learned more about Benjamin Franklin, including getting to watch a couple of Liberty Kids episodes about him. The kids also learned about Dr. Seuss during history time and about Saint Patrick. In grammar the students practiced rhyming in honor of Dr. Seuss. The students finished up their science projects with the end of our study on rainbows. Not only do they know that rain bends the light from the sunshine (refraction) to create rainbows, but they know WHO created the rainbow and what it means. God always keeps His promises. They completed their writing for the cursive contest. They all did excellent. We read a Frog & Toad story about finding Spring “just around the corner”. Wednesday was the house soccer tournament. The kids had a blast and were great sports about winning and losing. They also gave it their all. Thursday was Dr. Seuss day. The Cat in the Hat read the book to the students about himself. We had a themed snack and fun Dr. Seuss themed activities. The students and teachers dressed up as their favorite characters. There were many “Things” running around Bradford! We got to read a lot of Dr. Seuss books. There was also a fun packet of word searches, coloring pages, and writing prompts. Friday was Reading Day. In first grade, we tied our reading into our scavenger hunt, where the kids followed the same path as Frog & Toad to find Spring at Bradford! It included a path, hill, rock, worm on a log (and gummy worms to eat), a lizard chasing its tail, and finally Spring around the corner of the building where there were flowers in bloom and birds singing! The students also enjoyed tea and treats just like our favorite amphibians at the Frog and Toad Tea House where servers (Mrs. Cantaffa and Mrs. Smith) served four different teas and dainty treats in special tea cups and matching saucers. Students felt very fancy holding their pinky finger up while sipping. We read a couple of books about Saint Patrick’s Day and watched a video for kids about it. We read several other books and gave the kids time to read. We pray you have a wonderful Spring break!

Memory Work:

Review all verses learned! Bible Bee next quarter.

Upcoming:

Spring Break – Week of March 16th
No school April 3rd & 6th in honor of Passover and Easter.

2nd Grade (Miss Verroi & Mrs. Eng)

This Week:

Every week in second grade is a grand adventure! But this week has surpassed them all. Our second-grade students work very hard and are laying a great foundation for future studies. It is nice to reward them for their hard work with some special activities. Along with the fun activities the students did a great job memorizing the 10 Commandments and Matthew 22:37-39. We also learned the difference between a sentence and a fragment, which will help the students when they write their own original sentences. To conclude our reading of Winnie-the-Pooh we had our annual Pooh Day. The students went on an Expedition, put the tail back on Eeyore, learned to do Kanga jumps and found out how loud the bang was when Piglet fell on his balloon. This was followed by a humorous Winnie-the-Pooh movie. The students enjoyed the upper school’s spring musical and enjoyed singing along with them on I Belong to Jesus. The annual house soccer tournament was great competition for everyone. And to top off all the fun we enjoyed a full day of reading! Congratulations to those who completed the 1,000 page Winter Reading Challenge. Those students were awarded a small prize in recognition of a job well done. We hope all the students will continue to read and go on many more adventures because as Dr. Seuss said “The more you read the more you know. The more you learn the more places you’ll go.”

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

This Week

In math, we continued working with units of measurement in both the metric and customary systems. In Latin, we reviewed the present and imperfect tenses of the verb to be and revisited the last forty vocabulary words from previous chapters. Most importantly, we continued our study comparing the four Gospels, focusing especially on Christ’s ministry. As we explored the meaning of being “poor in spirit,” students began to see more clearly how great our need is for a Savior. While many Jews expected the Messiah to rescue them from Roman occupation, we can look back with a clearer understanding that Christ, the Messiah, came to deliver us from a far greater oppressor, our own sin. We ended the week with Reading Day. Students enjoyed the Third Grade Café as they sipped hot beverages, shared snacks, and spent the day immersed in books. We pray that you have an enjoyable and restful spring break.

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

This Week

As we wrapped up the third quarter, students learned about the invention of the Gutenberg Printing Press and the profound impact it had on the world. We discussed how this innovation transformed communication in the 15th century and, most importantly, how it helped spread the gospel. With the ability to print the Bible in the language of the people, Scripture became accessible to ordinary men and women for the first time. This played a significant role in the growth of the Reformation and the wider teaching of God’s Word.
In math, we practiced converting tenths to hundredths and hundredths to tenths. These exercises are laying an important foundation as we prepare to introduce decimals.
Students also presented their science projects this week. They did a wonderful job sharing what they learned about their chosen elements. Well done to all for the effort put into researching and preparing these projects.
Wednesday was a full and exciting day. Along with the Soccer Tournament, we were also treated to a special performance from the Upper School band and choir. The students really enjoyed it.
Thursday was our much-anticipated Reading Day. Students spent the day relaxing and getting lost in all kinds of books. We then finished the week with a wonderful field trip to Old Salem Museum, where students were able to experience a bit of history firsthand.
Enjoy the break as we prepare to enter the final quarter of fourth grade!

Upcoming:

Quo Vadis – 03/27

LOGIC SCHOOL

Mrs. Bennington

5th-6th Band

Fifth grade students did a great job this week on songs in Unit 2. Students are doing very well adding in new notes, rhythms, and dynamics to their playing.
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. Students are being encouraged to be responsible for their own parts and accountable to the group so that we can be an effective team.

Mrs. Johnston

5th – 8th Choirs

We wrapped up sight-singing and rhythm studies and began our first piece for the May 21st Patriotic Concert.

Miss Pugsley

5th-8th Girls’ PE

This week we played capture the flag, soccer, and ran a mile!

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Miss Johnston)

This Week

What a wonderful week in 5th grade! We are wrapping up Quarter 3, and it is hard to believe we only have one more quarter together before summer break. This week we finished Chapter 10 in math, where students worked on adding decimals. We also celebrated the completion of our Wax Museum project, where the students truly excelled in their presentations. Their hard work and enthusiasm made the event a great success! On Wednesday, we participated in the Bradford Annual Soccer Tournament and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon of fun and friendly competition. On Thursday, students completed their cumulative science test and we finished reading Johnny Tremain together. Tomorrow we are looking forward to a relaxing and cozy day in the classroom. Students will help build a classroom fort where we will spend the morning reading together. In the afternoon, we will enjoy watching the movie adaptation of Johnny Tremain. Thank you for a wonderful quarter. I hope you all have a restful and joyful Spring Break!

Upcoming:

Monticello Field Trip: April 24th (Be on the lookout for permission slips soon!)

Mrs. Knight

5th Art

Fifth graders finally were able to spend a day learning about the life of American artist Winslow Homer, the artist of the quarter. We learned about his early career as an illustrator for a magazine on the front lines of the Civil War. Later he lived in a fishing village in Britain and then on the coast of Maine. He spent much of his life endeavoring to paint the magnificent sea. On Thursday, students used a sketching tutorial to paint a calm sea (unlike Homer’s wild seas). They finished the day by playing Name That Artist where students had to identify the artist who painted the painting.

6th Grade (Mrs. McDorman and Miss Pugsley)

6th Reading and Literature

We continued reading through The Hiding Place, discussing Corrie ten Boom’s courage, faith, and the historical context surrounding her family’s efforts to protect Jewish families during World War II.

6th Grammar and Writing

Students reviewed pronoun cases and strengthened their understanding of how pronouns function correctly within sentences. They also completed rough draft outlines for their research papers and continued developing the study and organizational skills necessary for the writing process.

6th Bible

Students are learning how to take effective notes as we continue our study of the four Gospels. Our focus has been identifying the themes, purposes, and audiences of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

6th History

This week we discussed immigration and the many ways families have come to the United States seeking opportunity and freedom. Mr. Johnston visited the 6th classes to shared about his own family’s immigration story, giving students a personal and meaningful connection to the historical themes we are studying.

6th Logic

Students studied the fallacy of Whole to Part, learning how faulty reasoning can occur when someone assumes that what is true of a whole must automatically be true of every individual part.

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math

6th graders in Ms. Pugsley’s class paused midway through Chapter 10 after taking the vocabulary quiz, to work through math games and puzzles.

Mrs. Wright

6th Latin

The 6th grade Latin classes are working in capitulum viii. This week’s focus is the relative pronoun chart.

Mrs. Palmer

6th Art

Students have been working on a detailed still life drawing of an object they select out of a bag. This assignment encourages attention to detail and teaches perspective and proportions. After spring break we will begin our new artist of the quarter – Renoir!

Dr. Wright

7th Omnibus

7th graders finished up reading Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, discussing themes of romantic love, foolishness, and dream vs. reality. We placed our Greek philosophers in hypothetical conversations with characters from the play – ask your student! They will continue to read through 2 Samuel over Spring Break.

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science

We wrapped up our discussion of the history of the Geocentric and Heliocentric models by watching a documentary on the life and work of Galileo Galilei. This historic controversy can teach us much about the relationship between faith and science. A close reading of history reveals that Galileo was a man of deep faith who recognized Almighty God as the Creator of both the heavens and the Earth. Galileo recognized that science was the means by which we can study God’s creation, and theology is the means by which we can study God’s special revelation in Scripture. Faith and science are indeed compatible because they are both seeking after the only Truth – God’s Truth.

7th Pre-Algebra

We ended the quarter with plenty of food and fun by celebrating Pi Day (3.14) one day early. By measuring the circumference and diameter of pies, cookies, cakes, fruits and vegetables, we were able to use Archimedes’ method to approximate the value of Pi (𝜋). Many students were able to get quite close even with practical measurement, arriving at values such as 3.14088, very close to the approximate value of 3.14159.

Mrs. Palmer

7th Art

This week we began pen and ink animal drawings. Students have focused on using hatching, cross hatching and stippling for this project. These are coming along nicely!

Mrs. Wright

7th Latin

The 7th grade Latin classes are working in capitulum viii. This week’s focus is the relative pronoun chart.

7th Logic

This week the 7th grade Logic students were introduced to the fallacies of induction.

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus

8th graders had their assessments on medieval manor houses and the basic structures of European feudalism. We have also finished Tolkien’s The Two Towers, and analyzed many of its themes. Students will be reading Shakespeare’s Henry V over Spring Break.

Mrs. Wright

8th Latin

The 8th grade Latin classes are working in capitulum viii. This week’s focus is the relative pronoun chart.

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science

After studying the structure of atoms, we spent time this week looking at the formation of ions and isotopes. Ask your student why some elements are more likely to form ions, while others are more likely to remain neutral. The students also practiced reading atomic symbols this week in order to determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a particular atom or ion.

8th Algebra I

We ended the quarter with plenty of food and fun by celebrating Pi Day (3.14) one day early. By measuring the circumference and diameter of pies, cookies, cakes, fruits and vegetables, we were able to use Archimedes’ method to approximate the value of Pi (𝜋). Many students were able to get quite close even with practical measurement, arriving at values such as 3.14088, very close to the approximate value of 3.14159.

Mrs. Palmer

8th Art

We finished up our Lord of the Rings oil pastels this week. Students also began working on a hyperrealistic detailed eye drawing in colored pencil.

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic

We are learning how to test arguments for validity using various rules and techniques.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th:

Do you have spring break plans? Consider adding a college visit to your time off!

Did you know that Bradford Academy Alumni have been accepted to or have attended these colleges and universities and more?

Alamance Community College
Anderson University
Appalachian State University
Bob Jones University
Boyce College
Campbell University
Cedarville University
Covenant College (& study abroad at Oxford University)
Durham Tech
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
Elon University
Embry-Riddle University
Grove City College
Guilford College
Guilford Tech
Judson College at Southeastern
Liberty University
NC State University
Salem College
UNC Chapel Hill (& study abroad in Spain)
UNC Wilmington
Virginia Tech
Western Carolina University

Contact me with questions about how to pursue scholarships and college admission. mcrotts@bradfordacademy.org

Mrs. Palmer

9th Spanish

We reviewed past vocabulary and grammar this week. Students continued to practice with irregular verbs and distinguishing between the verbs “ser” and “estar.” Students also created a conversation solely in the target language.

Coach Johnston

9th History

We completed our survey on the Gilded Age, Progressive Era and briefly considered some stories and lessons from the Roaring 20s! At the beginning of fourth quarter, we’ll briefly cover some key inventions from that time period, learn more about WW1 and complete a reenactment before moving on to more modern history.

Ms. Oldham

9th Rhetoric I

The students had a debate over the death penalty. They did very well and handled the tough subject with maturity.

Dr. Byrd

9th Bible Survey

This week we have finished the books of Ezra and Esther. We have begun the book of Nehemiah.
We did not have a verse quiz this week.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Biology

We wrapped up the third quarter with a unit exam on protein synthesis and cellular reproduction. We then spent some time looking ahead at the unit we’ll start after spring break: Genetics.

9th Geometry

We ended the quarter with plenty of food and fun by celebrating Pi Day (3.14) one day early. By measuring the circumference and diameter of pies, cookies, cakes, fruits and vegetables, we were able to use Archimedes’ method to approximate the value of Pi (𝜋). Many students were able to get quite close even with practical measurement, arriving at values such as 3.14088, very close to the approximate value of 3.14159.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature

9th graders concluded the 3rd quarter by presenting character sketches from George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Mrs. Fairchild

9th – 11th Art Foundations

After completing their first oil painting, we spent some further time studying Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcy and discussing the fact/value dichotomy and the assault on objective truth. Additionally, the students continued working on their argument for the upcoming mock trial that will be held in May.

Mrs. Bennington

9th-11th Band

Students did a great job this week preparing for our concert! I am so proud of how hard these students have worked and how they have finally truly grasped the concepts of personal responsibility and group accountability. This group of students is truly working well together and you can hear the difference in their playing. It has been a pleasure to go beyond the basics and truly start to appropriately express and interpret the music that we are playing. These students did a phenomenal job at their performance at the lower school and at our concert. Great job paving the way for future ensembles. Well done! Please enjoy a restful, relaxing, and fun break. Looking forward to a great fourth quarter.

Mrs. Johnston

Bradford Chorale

We enjoyed giving the lower campus a mini performance Wednesday morning. It was fun to share our music with the kids and inspire them. Thursday evening also proved to be a wonderful performance! What a joy it was to see all your hard work come to fruition. Enjoy the break – you’ve earned it!

Dr. James

10th Chemistry

This week the students took their final test of Q3, which addressed properties of solids, liquids, and solutions.
The next quarter will include introductions to thermodynamics, kinetics, and acid-base chemistry.

Mrs. Palmer

10th Spanish

Students continued to work on the subjunctive mood. We reviewed past grammar and vocabulary as well. Students also created a conversation using vocabulary solely in the target language.

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II

We began studying logarithms this week. Topics included graphs of converting between logs & exponents, graphs of logs, and log properties. We played “Log War”, a simple card game to practice finding the value of log expressions. We ended the week with a Pi Day celebration (one day early).

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature

10th graders wrapped up the 3rd quarter this week by working through SAT and CLT practice activities as well as playing “Phrase Out.” This is a game that encourages students to edit and replace mundane phrases with robust, descriptive, strong phrases to enhance their writing.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric II

Students turned in their proposals for teeny tiny thesis topics, as well as watched a movie relating to judicial rhetoric: 12 Angry Men.

Coach Johnston

10th History

Students completed Livy’s War with Hannibal, and took a geography quiz that highlighted key aspects of the Roman Empire. Enjoy your spring break!

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology

Students are working on wrapping up their study of the Reformation time period, although this will all be concluded shortly after the fourth quarter begins. We have tackled some very important and substantive theological ideas and beliefs, and we will continue to do so next quarter.

Lori Byrd

11th Precalculus

This week students put the finishing touches on their trig function roller coasters. We also learned to find missing values of non right triangles using the Law of Sines and Law of Cosines. We ended the week by observing Pi Day (one day early).

Miss Oldham

11th Literature

Students continued reading Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene.

Mrs. Wright

11th NT Greek

The Greek students spent a day in review before taking a cumulative exam on Wednesday. Friday they celebrated by observing reading day with the rest of the school!

Mr. Webster

11th History

This week the students received back their test grades and helped out in the Bradford soccer games.

Dr. Smith

11th-12th Apologetics

Students concluded this quarter with a quiz on postmodernism and Islam, as we near the end of James Sire’s book The Universe Next Door. We will complete the book shortly after the fourth quarter begins and then begin Carl Trueman’s Strange New World.