BB 04-12-24

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 33

APR 12, 2024

 

FROM THE OFFICE

IMPORTANT NOTES:  

  • Yearbook orders:  Have you ordered your yearbook? ORDERS ARE DUE BY MONDAY!
  • IMPORTANT DEADLINE:  Accept or decline NC Opportunity Scholarship award by 4/19!
  • Tissues needed! If you missed the opportunity to donate supplies when it was assigned to your house, it would be helpful to have a donation of tissues to get us through the end of the year.  The demand from the allergy season has used up our supply.

 

FROM MRS. MITCHELL:  Faces lit up and hands shot into the air when 4th graders were asked what they enjoyed about being at the upper school last week.  Highlights included:  clubs, new classes (such as Apologetics &  Logic, Band), being the youngest again (with older friends),  the lunch time tutoring lab, and finally…more freedom (which meant no longer having to walk with hands behind your back).  This year has flown by and these students have grown up so much!  We know they will rise to the challenges and the joys of moving to the other campus.

 

UPCOMING

 

NEXT WEEK:

  • Tues, 4/16:  
    • Senior Thesis defenses begin!
    • CLT10 – 10th graders
    • 2:45 – Running club
    • 3:30 – HOME Varsity Girls Soccer game
  • Wed, 4/17:  
    • 1st grade – Cane Creek Reservoir field trip
    • 3:00 – Soccer club
  • Thurs, 4/18:  
    • 9th grade:  NC Museum of Art field trip
    • confirmed Uniform sale
    • 2:45 – Running club
  • Fri, 4/19:
    • 3:30 – Tennis – HOME match
    • 4:30 – Girls Soccer – AWAY

 

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Wed, 4/24:  CLT – 12th graders
  • Thurs, 04/25:  4th field trip to Old Salem in Winston-Salem
  • Wed, 5/1:  Teacher Appreciation Day
  • Thurs, 5/2:  
    • National Day of Prayer Service – 4th grade – Mebane Presbyterian Church
    • Bradford Games (upper school competition)
  • Fri, 5/3:  Teacher workday (no school)
  • Mon, 5/6 – Tues, 5/7:  Standardized testing for 3rd – 5th grades
  • Wed, 5/8:  Standardized testing for 6th – 8th grades
  • Tues, 5/14: – 9th grade – Advanced Art Mock Trial
  • Fri, 5/17:  Career Day – upper school
  • Tues, 5/21:
    • 5:45 pm – Info Meeting for Band (rising 5th grade and new students) – at lower school campus
    • 7:00 pm – Sports Award Ceremony (at lower school campus)
  • Thurs, 5/23:  
    • TK Last day of school and celebration
    • Band Concert and Patriotic Program
  • Mon, 5/27:  Memorial Day (no school)
  • Wed, 5/29:
    • Verse Bee (lower school) – Parents welcome.  (Details regarding times to be announced.)
    • Junior/Senior Gala 
  • Thurs, 5/30:  10:00 – Baccalaureate 
  • Fri, 5/31:  
    • Last Day of school – Noon dismissal
    • 7pm – Graduation

 

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

This Week
  • TK students enjoyed our long awaited pizza week! The highlight of the week was being in the kitchen making pizzas of our very own and then eating them at our TK pizzeria. Students were able to learn the sequence of making a pizza, read pizza themed books and even got to practice paying for the pizza with dimes. It was a wonderful week! In math this week our focus was on making ABC patterns using pattern blocks, measuring items using linking cubes, and learning to count by 5’s as well as an introduction to nickels. We learned lowercase letters l, f, and h as well as their capital partners. In Bible we discussed Pentecost and how many believed. Next week we will learn about Saul and the wonderful way God transformed his heart and used him. We will also begin learning our last Bible verse of the year, John 3:16. 

 

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th
  • Students did a great job completing several team building activities and brain games  in P.E. this week. 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-3rd
  • Students did a great job in music learning several new songs.
 4th 
  • Fourth grade students did a great job playing new songs from the book.  Students  were able to keep a steady beat while playing each piece. Note recognition has improved greatly.  

Lower School Art (Mrs. Palmer)

3rd
  • Students continued to work on their Van Gogh inspired “Starry Night” colored pencil drawings.  We are working on short “brushstrokes” and creating bold colors.  These are coming along nicely!
4th
  • Students continued to work on their Van Gogh inspired “Starry Night” pen and ink drawings.  Our focus for this project has been on using hatching, cross hatching and stippling.  These are coming along nicely!

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week: 
  • Our kindergarteners had yet another full and engaging week here in the classroom. In math, we learned some new addition facts, how to divide a set of objects by sharing, how to identify geometric solids (cones and spheres), and how to use bills to pay for items up to $20.00. In phonics, we started a new word list and we introduced a new reader, “In a Camel’s Eye.” In history, we discussed an Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, and his discovery of the new world (the Americas). As for art and science, we combined the two and the students constructed a lung model, and we also discussed the respiratory system. 
Memory Work: 
  • Ephesians 6:1-3 and review

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

This Week: 
  • Last week we enjoyed having members from New Hope Audubon come out to our school and present information on local birds. They left us with a few gifts to help encourage and enhance our learning process. In math this week the students learned how to find 1 ⁄ 2 of a set with an odd number of objects, how to estimate a sum, measuring using feet and inches, and subtracting 8 facts. In reading the students read about the black plague and Christians who stepped out in love to show compassion. The students learned that as Christians, God’s perfect love conquers fear and gives us the courage to help others, even when we face grave danger. In history the students continued to learn about Benjamin Franklin and how he was an inventor, diplomat, good citizen, and a wise, witty man. We finished up our Water Cycle unit in science with the students drawing a freehand picture of the water cycle. The students continue to improve their sentence writing skills in grammar, memorizing poems, and differentiating between nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives.
Memory Work:  
  • Psalm 67:1-7
Upcoming:      
  • Wednesday,  April 17 – Field Trip to Cane Creek (Rain Date: Thursday, April 18)

 

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

This Week: 
  • The second grade students continue to delight in learning new information.  Science is a favorite and we are studying Earth Science during the fourth quarter.  Last week we learned about the four layers of the earth and this week we are learning about different landforms. Along with this we did a perspective drawing of a waterfall.  All this information is compiled in their science journals, which will be sent home at the end of the year.  Copying “O Captain! My Captain” by Walt Whitman helped the students appreciate the effort required to write good poetry.  Who knows, maybe there is a poet among us.  Division story problems and continued practice with division facts have been our focus in math.  The “Curse of King Tut’s Mummy” is an exciting book and the students have enjoyed the journey to Egypt as the tomb of King Tut was discovered by Howard Carter. In Bible memorization we are back to Hebrews 11 and will finish that chapter the last few weeks of school.  From time to time have your child quote all of Hebrews 11 to you – just be sure you have plenty of time to listen as it is a long passage.  
Memory Work:  
  • Hebrews 11:30-31

 

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

This Week
  • We are halfway through the last quarter, and students are busily practicing how to use the techniques we have taught them over the last year to better understand the world around them. Our God is a God of order, and we have been looking for consistent patterns in math, nature, language, and literature. Finding the patterns help us to better understand how we should interact with God’s magnificent creation. We discovered the patterns in perfect squares, Latin endings, and sentence syntax. We can also see how God’s people had a pattern of turning from God, facing his wrath, repenting from their sins, and being restored in their relationship with Him. 
Upcoming Memory Work:
  • Matthew 7:14; Review 2nd Quarter Verses
Upcoming:
  • 5/29- Verse Bee

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Burtram and Miss Abrahamsen) 

This Week
  • Fourth grade had an enjoyable week. We continued our journey through The Shakespeare Stealer, and the kids are really enjoying the story; to help enhance our understanding of both the time period and the story, the students also completed writing a short biography of William Shakespeare. In math, we continued to focus on working with fractions learning the term “reciprocals” in the process. Grammar and Latin both have drawn our focus to predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives, and linking verbs! In science, the students continued work on their globes and their study of earth science, while in History, we learned about how Gutenberg’s printing press worked and the significance of this invention for the Reformation.
Upcoming:
  • Field Trip to Old Salem- April 25

 

LOGIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Bennington

5th-6th Band
  • Students did a great job in band this week learning how to play various dynamics. Students will have a chance to demonstrate their ability to play crescendos and decrescendos  on their test on 3.26 this Tuesday 4/16. Students also continued to work on their music for the spring concert. 
7th-9th Band 
  • Students did a great  job in band this week working on slurs, breathing, phrasing, dynamics,  dotted rhythms, and key signatures.  Students will have a chance to showcase  their musical knowledge on their chair test on 4.21  this Tuesday 4/16. Students also did a great job applying all of their musical knowledge to their concert music. 

Mrs. Campbell

5th-8th Chorus

  • The students are working on three different selections for the Patriotic Program in May. It is a joy to see them take ownership of their progress, working together and spurring one another on!

Miss Stevenson

5th-8th Girls’ PE
  • Girls played volleyball again this week.

 

5th Grade (Mrs. Owens) 

This Week
  •  Another week has flown by and the students have continued to persevere.  This week we took a little extra time after our math test to continue to solidify the concepts.  In history we began to look at a few of our founding fathers.  Each student was given a founding father to research and presentations will begin next week.  In grammar the students learned how to write a business letter and learned the four different types of letters.  Parents, check your mail soon as you might see something from your student.  
Memory Work:
  • 1 Samuel 2:5-6 (this week)
  • 1 Samuel 2:7-8

Mrs. Palmer

5th Art
  • Students spent time working on their historical posters again this week.  These are really coming along nicely.  Next week we will begin a new project. 
Mrs. Kromhout
5th Latin
  • Fifth graders began a new review chapter this week, which also gives us a little more time for translating sentences and stories! 

 

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature
  • This week we started reading Around the World in Eighty Days. We had a whist tournament to prepare us for getting into Phileas Fogg’s head during his trip around the world. 
6th Grammar and Writing
  • We began working on Venn diagrams for the compare/contrast essay this week. Essays are due Thursday, May 2.
6th Bible
  • We are continuing to work through the book of Acts.
6th History
  • This week we finished discussing WW1 and started talking about the Roaring 20s.
6th Science
  • This week we updated our Mendelian terminology. For the rest of the quarter we will be digging deeper into the basics of genetics.
6th Logic
  • Due to the amount of time spent discussing WW1, 6th grade took a break from Logic this week. 

Mr. Hunter

6th Latin
  • This week the students took a quiz on the relative pronoun. We discussed more Roman imperial history, and the students learned more about the personal pronoun. 

Mrs. Frueh

6th Math
  • This week we practiced solving percent of change problems. These are especially useful when calculating taxes, sale prices, discounts, retail mark-ups, or population growth. We also learned how to reverse the order of operations in order to solve two-step algebraic equations.

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • Students spent time wrapping up a small scale still life drawing this week.  Students could either choose between colored pencil or graphite for this project.  Our end goal was hyperrealism and students worked hard to achieve this!

Mrs. Crotts

7th Grammar and Writing
  • We worked hard to review vocabulary presented in The Lost Tools of Writing.  In lieu of a scheduled quiz we reviewed further with a game and will divide the 60 words into 3 quizzes in the weeks to come (the week of April 22).
7th Omnibus
  • Literature:  Students worked more on rough drafts with an emphasis on labeling the TLW terms.
  • History/Bible: We paused to learn about the Ancient’s response to eclipses.  Mesopotamian kings switched with a convicted criminal to avoid the “curses” that they believed  such an occurrence possibly brought!

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • What a blessing it was to witness the rare and beautiful solar eclipse that occurred this week! After studying both solar and lunar eclipses last week, it was humbling to witness the phenomenon in person. As Psalm 19 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” The fact that solar eclipses are even visible here on Earth at all is evidence of the unfathomable fine-tuning of the cosmos. As far as we know, planet Earth is the only place in our solar system that such a phenomenon is visible. This is not an accident, but a potent reminder of God’s infinite wisdom and glory. The fact that such beauty exists in the universe and is visible to the only beings who are capable of recognizing and appreciating it should drive us to worship the Creator of such indescribable beauty.
  7th Pre-Algebra
  • We had a lot of fun this week discussing financial math. The students now have a solid understanding of the difference between simple interest and compound interest. Next week we will learn how to calculate markups and markdowns, and we’ll discuss the difference between commission and profit.

Mr. Hunter

7th Latin
  • This week the student took a quiz on the relative and personal pronouns and the secondary verbal endings. We also continued discussing Roman imperial history, and the students began learning about reflexive pronouns. 

Mr. Johnston

7th Logic
  • Seventh grade continued discussing the False Cause fallacy and the four ways it shows up in common dialogue. We also began considering the fallacy of Fake Precision.

Mrs. Kromhout

8th Omnibus 
  • History: Eighth graders are learning about the growth of trade and cities throughout the medieval world; we also focused in on medieval craftsmen, and each student chose a craftsmen to research and present to the class. 
  • Literature: We started Canterbury Tales this week! We have been having fun reading about and getting to know his diverse set of characters making the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral! 
  • Composition: Students are finishing the second draft of their essays, which is due on Tuesday. After that, we will launch more fully into their history research essays! Students may be asking soon to get a library card if they don’t have one and to visit a library to get some books. I am also hoping to take students to the library to get books in a couple weeks. 

Mr. Hunter

8th Latin
  • This week the students took a quiz on the relative and personal pronoun and the secondary verbal endings. We also continued discussing Roman imperial history, and the students began learning about the reflexive pronoun and possessive adjectives.

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We are getting close to wrapping up our study of the periodic table. Our focus this week was the non-metals. We discussed how the properties of non-metals are different from the properties of metals. Next week, we will take a closer look at the halogens and the noble gases.
8th Algebra I
  • This week, we continued to practice solving various types of distance problems. The ultimate challenge this week was solving problems with two moving objects that began at different starting points and moved at different rates, but coincided at a single moment. It was fitting to be solving these problems this week as this exact phenomenon occurred with the movements of the sun and moon. We talked about the application of distance problems to aeronautics, space travel, and naval operations.

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  • We continued to work on colored pencil still life drawings this week. This project is a challenging one since its focus is on realism and detail.  This means we are also incorporating color mixing, perspective and the use of positive/negative space. 

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We are learning to translate everyday arguments into formal or precise language so that they can be analyzed more easily.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

Sophomores:
  • Sophomores will take the CLT10 this coming Tuesday! The CLT10 is the equivalent of the PSAT for the CLT; many colleges offer scholarships specifically for the CLT10.
  • I also met with the sophomores on Thursday to discuss preparing for college applications; we discussed the components of the application, what colleges value in an applicant, and what they can be doing now to make themselves a strong applicant for wherever they want to go
    • I encouraged the students to be thoughtful and intentional about how they use their summers, and to perhaps consider attending a college summer program. They are a variety of prices and can offer great experience in a potential major or career field. There are many opportunities out there, but here are a few from CLT partner colleges: CLT Summer Program Guide  
Sophomores and Juniors: 
  • I met with sophomores and juniors this week to discuss elective opportunities for next year! 
  • Parents, you should have received my email with more information about which electives we are offering, general information about the elective process, and how to find options at ACC or online through a university. Take some time to talk with your students about which electives would be a good fit for them and their goals. 
  • If students want to take a class through ACC or online through a university, they should begin that process sooner than later; it usually takes ACC a couple weeks to process applications and “meet” (usually over the phone) with students to sign them up for classes
  • I am happy to meet individually with students if they would like further assistance or answer any questions you all may have! 
  • The deadline for elective decisions is Monday, May 13th
Seniors: 
  • Seniors will take the CLT on Wednesday, April 24th 

Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • This week we spent reviewing for and taking our chapter 6 test on demonstrative adjectives, preterite tense and vocabulary.  We also added new vocabulary and worked on pronunciation. 

Mrs. Fairchild

9th Advanced Art
  • We spent one class practicing presenting evidence for the mock trial to classmates.  We are getting closer to refining the argument and making sure it will stand up to cross examination. We paused our work on the mock trial in our class on Thursday to return to studying a  fascinating time period, the French Revolution.  We began by observing Jacques Louis-David’s painting of the Death of Marat. We followed the history of this event through paintings and various artists over the next 150 years and thought about how artists viewed the event differently.  

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • Students studied a quick overview of World War 1 during class this week. We will take a test next week on Wednesday (4/17) while jumping ahead to the various great depressions that hit Europe and then America along with political changes during the 1920s and 30s.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic
  • We have completed four units of study and now enter the fifth, final & fun unit on digital logic.
  • We will see that logic is used in all sorts of gadgets & electronics in our cars, homes, tablets, and more.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Biology
  • Students completed and presented the class zoo!  Each student researched a specific animal—phylum, class—and then also worked to create an economic plan and design for a unique zoo.  They also received a study guide to prepare for a test on Kingdom Animalia on April 18.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • Students read The Old Man and the Sea and made an artistic representation depicting symbolism in the work.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • We wrapped up our study of the area of polygons and circles with a unit exam. Next week, we will start our penultimate unit of the year: Surface Area and Volume of geometric solids!

Dr. Byrd 

9th and 10th Bible Survey 
  • This week we have continued our study through the gospels. We have finished the Gospels of Luke and John. We have seen that Jesus is the Son of Man and the Son of God. There are so many great truths  in each of these books!
  • Memory Verse: John 20:21

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week the students were introduced to kinetics, particularly how it is distinguished from thermodynamics. 
  • Next week we will discuss multistep reactions and reactions rates.

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • This week we spent reviewing for and taking a test on the use of por/para, affirmative and negative commands and vocabulary.  We also added new vocabulary and worked on pronunciation. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • Students have been working on solving systems of equations in the context of various  applications as well as learning to solve simple log and exponential equations.  We had a “log war” tournament to practice evaluating simple log expressions without a calculator.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • The students worked on essay rough drafts and then turned them in.  Also, they took a quiz that showed what they remembered from The Lost Tools of Writing—a writing resource most students completed in 6th and 7th grade.  It was a good refresher!  We will begin reading Frankenstein next week, since this class did not read this in 9th grade.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I
  •  This week students turned in their proposals for their Teeny Tiny Theses. I will review them and then the students and I will meet one on one to talk through their ideas. 

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students have continued to read Josephus’ Jewish War. We have read about the subjugation of Galilee and have learned that Vespasian uses this to springboard himself to the throne as Emperor of Rome. We will next turn to his son Titus’ invasion of Jerusalem itself. Meanwhile, we’ve been looking back in Roman history to the Rise & Fall of the Roman Republic, particularly focusing on the major event which transformed Rome into an empire (the Second Punic War) and the changes that that success threatened Rome with (standing armies, landless citizens, insufficient soldiers, wealth & corruption), and along with Cato the Elder we’ve asked ourselves “What will happen to Rome if Romans enjoy the blessings of Roman strength and wealth without preserving the foundations of Roman character and institutions?” This is a particularly relevant question in this season of American luxury and ease.
10th PE
  • Students slipped and slid their way through two days of ultimate frisbee. Their skills, competitiveness, joys and willingness to tackle the challenging elements (wet field, windy conditions) were a joy for me to observe during their play.

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • We’re launching into using matrices to solve systems of equations.  We’ve trying to master the basics of row reduction in order to get a matrix into reduced row echelon form.
11th Physics
  • This week we completed our optics unit and began studying static charges and electric fields.  This gives us an opportunity to understand how charges behave and how we can use them.  We did a couple of fun labs using balloons and an electroscope.  We saw how objects could be charged by conduction and induction.  

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  • Students began their journey in The Pilgrim’s Progress. It has been a refreshing time to hear their thoughts and ideas on this spiritual allegory. 

Mr. Hunter

11th NT Greek
  • This week the students learned about present active and middle-passive participles and continued reading through 1 John. 

Mrs. Palmer

11th-12th Elective: Color Theory/Design
  • Students continued working on their poster assignment for a “client” this week. They have been working on putting together information, font, color schemes all in a visually appealing manner using both principles and elements of design/art. 

Dr. Smith

11th-12th Apologetics & Philosophy
  • This week we have concluded our reading of James Sire’s The Universe Next Door, reviewed for our test on Friday, analyzed how every participation in or practice of one of the physical sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) presupposes a worldview, and began reading Carl Trueman’s book Strange New World.

Coach Johnston

12th History
  • Students finished WW1 this week and spent a day receiving the fire-hydrant version of the major American events (and a sprinkling of European connections) that would define the 1920s. This included: unusual supply & demand curves, extraordinary wealth, political and economic corruptions (Harding, Teapot Dome, borrowing on the margins, banking risks without insurance, etc), political leaders (Harding, Coolidge and Hoover) and decisions (Hawley-Smoot Tariff) which all contributed to and culminated in the Black Tuesday stock market crash. I’m sure they remember everything so ask them. 🙂

Miss Oldham

12th Literature
  •  Students are wrapping up To Kill a Mockingbird. 
12th Rhetoric II
  • Senior thesis defenses begin on Tuesday! Please keep the seniors in prayer as they prepare for their panels. This is a tense time and a time where the students can forget that the Lord has them in hand. 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  • We officially completed our topics for the year and began a formal review.  Over the next month, students should practice as many AP problems as possible.  We will be taking another practice exam in class.