BB 04-17-25

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 37

APR 17, 2025

 

FROM THE OFFICE

FOR ALL: 
  • Two opportunities for parents on Thursday, May 1st:
    • 8:00 – Coffee and Conversation with Mr. Johnston at Traveling Addiction
    • 11:30 –   National Day of Prayer service at Mebane Presbyterian Church on 5th Street.  Our upper school’s Bradford Chorale will be singing.  Parents are invited to come (even if your child is not participating).    
  • IMMUNIZATIONS:  REQUIREMENT – All students in rising Kindergarten, 7th grade and 12th grade are required to receive and submit updated immunizations.  These must be on file with the school prior to the first day of the 25/26 school year.  Please schedule appointments and submit the records via TADS.  
LOWER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:
  • SPECIAL EVENT:  Thurs, 4/24, 6:30pm – Bradford Night 2.0 – 3rd and 4th graders are working hard to showcase for you all of the things they have been learning this year!  It will be an exciting evening and we hope you will join us.
  • 4th Graders:  Band Mtg on Tues, 5/20 at 5:45 pm – Please reply to the survey Mrs. Mitchell sent last week.  
HOT LUNCH on Thursdays: 
  • The weekly menu locks at midnight on Sunday night – so be sure to place your orders and check out in time. Once your account is set up, it should be easy for the rest of the year! ORDER HERE  
FROM MRS. MITCHELL:  

Show and Tell.  History and science project presentations.  Bradford Nights. Paideia discussions.  Band and chorus concerts. Logic classes. Literature plays.  Writing assignments.  Art  history mock trial.  Systematic Theology.  Apologetics.  These are just a few of the stops along the roadmap to a Bradford education that ends with the capstone senior thesis.  I had the distinct pleasure of sitting in on all ten of the presentations this year and I learned a good deal from our seniors, who are poised, articulate, logical, and deeply, thoughtfully, biblically minded young men and women.  We are excited to send them well-prepared into the next chapter of their lives.  I can tell you as a parent, a teacher, and an administrator that it is well-worth the daily challenges that lead to the hard-earned victories.  Soli Deo Gloria!

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:
  • Mon, 4/21:  Easter Monday – no school
  • Tues, 4/22:  Varsity Girls Soccer – at Statesville Christian, 4pm
  • Thurs, 4/24:  
    • TK:  Dress up day!  See details in TK notes below
    • NEW Art Field Trip to Reynolda House 11/12th Elective
    • 6:30 pm – 3rd – 4th, Bradford Night 2.0
  • Fri, 4/25:  
    • 5th Grade Field trip to Monticello
    • 4:00 – Varsity Boys Tennis vs Burlington Christian Academy
    • 4:30 – Varsity Girls Soccer game vs Burlington Christian Academy, at Springwood Park
  • Sun, 4/27:  2:30 – Burlington Writers Club Awards Ceremony, at ACC auditorium

 

UPCOMING:
  • Tues, 4/29: Varsity Girls Soccer HOME game vs Cristo Rey Research (MACC, 3:30pm) = Senior Night
  • Thurs, 5/1:  
    • 8:00 Coffee and Conversation with Mr. Johnston
    • NEW  –  11:30AM – National Day of Prayer Service at Mebane Presbyterian Church
    • Varsity Girls Soccer Conference Tournament semi-final
  • Fri, 5/2:  Teacher Appreciation Day
    • Varsity Girls Soccer Conference Tournament championship game
  • Mon, 5/5:
    • 3rd -7th grade CLT – standardized testing
  • Tues, 5/6:
    • 3rd – 6th grade CLT – standardized testing
    • 8th grade CLT – standardized testing
  • Thurs, 5/8:  Bradford Games (for upper school students)
  • Fri, 5/9:  Teacher workday
  • NEW Fri, 5/16: Career Afternoon. 12:30-2:30 PM 
  • NEW  Tues, 5/20:  
    • 5:45 – Band meeting for Rising 5th grade students – lower school auditorium
    • 7:00 – Sports Award Ceremony – lower school pavilion
  • Thurs, 5/22:  
    • TK last day of school
    • 7:00 – Spring Fine Arts Program:  Upper school
  • Mon, 5/26:  Memorial Day – no school
  • Wed, 5/28:
    • K – 4th grades:  Verse Bee – times TBA
    • 11th – 12th grades:  Gala at the White House on Washington
  • Thurs, 5/29:
    • 10:00 – Baccalaureate (upper school)
  • Fri, 5/30:  Last day of school!
    • Kindergarten certificate ceremony
    • All students dismissed at 12:00 pm
    • Graduation, 7pm

 

 

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

       TK students enjoyed a lovely week with beautiful weather. Our focus this week was Easter! Each of our Bible stories have been leading us up to the stories for this week. Students learned about Jesus’s death and resurrection this week. These stories initiated several classroom discussions about how Jesus stood in our place and provided salvation to us. Other Easter activities included: listening to the Berenstain Bears Easter Story and answering questions, an Easter scavenger hunt using items to help tell the story, and an Easter art project using chalk and blending techniques. A highlight of the week was making resurrection rolls and enjoying them. We used our ingredients to help tell the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection. In math this week, we focused on nickels and counting by 5’s as well as paying for items using nickels and learning what a cylinder is. Students learned to write lowercase letters k, i, and u as well as reviewed the capital match. Students reviewed writing letters outside using sidewalk chalk. 

      Next week is community helpers week where we talk about jobs in the community. We will be joined by a few parent volunteers who will share about their job. Students may also dress up on Thursday, April 24th as something he/she would like to be when they grow up. This will take the place of our show & tell on that day. The following week will be teddy bear week in TK! Students may bring a teddy bear to school on Thursday, May 1st for show & tell. Next week I will send details regarding the last day of TK! Have a wonderful Easter break! 

 

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th
  •  Students did a great job this week working on Hand-Eye Coordination drills. Several classes worked so hard that they even  got a chance  to play a game of their choice at the end of PE. 

 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th 
  • Students did a great job this week reviewing all four verses of “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”. Third and Fourth grade students continued to work  on polishing  their Bradford Night pieces.  Please encourage your fourth grade student to practice their recorder music in preparation for Bradford Night next week on Thursday April 24th. 

 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week
  • Our kindergarten scholars were excited to learn about Easter and what it  represents. We discussed that the holiday is a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice for us and that three days later, he rose again! The students also had the opportunity to complete a fun Easter craft. Academically, we spent some time  learning a few new things. In math, we learned how to count by 100s, how to identify a missing addend, and we introduced the sums of ten addition facts. In phonics, we started our new reader, “In a Camel’s Eye,” and we introduced a new ten word spelling list. In history, we discussed Christopher Columbus, who was an Italian explorer and navigator. He is best known for paving the way for European exploration of the Americas.  In the 15th century, he was hired by Spain to lead several sea expeditions with the purpose of discovering a direct trade route to Asia. Instead, Columbus found the Americas! In art, we colored a picture of Christopher Columbus and one of his ships. In science, we continued our section on the human body by introducing the skeletal system. We learned more about how our skeleton helps support and protect our bodies. We hope that you all have a restful long weekend!
Memory Work:   
  •  Ephesians 6:1-3 and review all verses for our upcoming Bible Bee

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

This Week
  • In Math, students worked on subtracting 3, identifying the place value of digits in three-digit numbers, and writing three-digit numbers based on models using unit cubes, tens rods, and hundreds flats. In Reading, we enjoyed Frog and Toad Together: The Garden. Inspired by the story, we visited our very own first grade garden! The students planted a variety of seeds, then lovingly read, sang, and recited a poem to the garden as we learned how care and attention help things grow. In Writing, students continued crafting their biographies, practicing how to share someone’s life story with thoughtful detail. In celebration of the season, we read Easter stories and reflected on the joy and meaning of the resurrection. Finally, we wrapped up the week with a wonderful field trip to Cane Creek, where students had the chance to explore, learn, and enjoy God’s beautiful creation together!

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

This Week
  • Much of the focus in second grade has been on the events of Holy Week.  We have had many good discussions as we read through our Easter booklet and read verses from the Gospels.  We pray that each family has a wonderful time focusing on God’s love for us in that he sent His only Son for us!  We continue to memorize Hebrews 11 and were in verses 32-35 this week.  This is a long passage, but the students have done great memorizing it thanks to being able to sing it!  Have your child sing it to you often to solidify the words.  We also packed a lot of other learning into this week.  We started reading Little House in the Big Woods and worked hard to turn cream into butter!  In our rock lab the students had the opportunity to identify the different types of rocks, which was a challenge.  In preparation for our Ancient Egypt Week, we learned about the process of mummification, which involved an apple, salt and baking soda.  The apple represents a dead body which we will wrap and put in a sarcophagus (coffin) later in May.   As you can imagine it has been a very exciting week in second grade and the students have done a great job participating in all of the activities.    

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

This Week
  • In science, we dove deeper into the periodic table and learned that the unique number of protons distinguishes one element from another. Students drew their own atomic models for the first eight elements and began conducting their own experiments. In math, we continued to develop strategies to calculate elapsed time. In history, we learned about the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. The prophecy spoken by Jesus in the Gospels, “not one stone left upon another,” foresaw the complete dismantling of the temple by the Romans, led by General Titus, who would later become emperor of Rome.  After months of fighting, the city was breached and the Second Temple was burned. Titus carried out this destruction with such thoroughness that the temple was completely reduced to rubble, as foretold by Jesus. This event marked the end of the Jewish revolt and had profound religious and cultural consequences for the Jewish people. Much of the population was massacred and the rest were enslaved or exiled. To celebrate their victory, Titus’s brother, Domition, erected the Arch of Titus, which still stands in the Roman Forum today. The arch depicts the sacred treasures, including the golden menorah,  being carried by the Romans during a triumphal procession. In 130 AD, the Roman emperor, Hardian, rebuilt Jerusalem as a pagan city renaming it Aelia Capitolina, which continued as a pagan city until Constantine the Great granted Christianity legal status in 313 AD. We finished the week looking forward to Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and powerfully demonstrates Jesus’s  victory over sin and death! He is risen, indeed!
Upcoming
  • 4/24 Bradford Night

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

This Week
  • In our study of the Reformation, we explored the life and teachings of Ulrich Zwingli, delving into his role as a Swiss reformer who, though working independently of Martin Luther, arrived at many of the same theological conclusions regarding the Roman Catholic Church. We also examined the rise of the Anabaptists, noting how their emphasis on believer’s baptism and separation from state influence set them apart. Students engaged in thoughtful conversations about how different reformers pursued truth, even when they disagreed on key doctrines. We concluded our reading of Martin Luther, reflecting on his unwavering conviction in the authority of Scripture and the power of grace. We transitioned into a deep dive of the Passion Week, comparing the accounts found in all four Gospels. Students carefully observed the unique details each Gospel writer includes while also identifying the unifying themes across the texts. Our discussions ultimately led us to rest in the profound truth of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, considering how His redemptive work not only fulfilled prophecy but also continues to transform our lives as believers today. In math, we began our unit on customary measurement, starting with a review through our engaging Math Sound Off. One of the highlights of the week was a visit from Mr. Gallon Man, who helped bring measurement conversions to life! Students enjoyed the hands-on approach and are building confidence in their ability to navigate quarts, pints, cups, and more. As we move into the weekend, I hope you enjoy time together as a family celebrating our Risen Savior—the true center of our faith and hope.
Upcoming:  
  • 4/22 Science: Element Projects Due
  • 4/24 Bradford Night

 

LOGIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Bennington

5th-10th Band
  •  Students did a great job working through sections of their concert music this week. We focused on making good sounds, blending, maintaining proper balance, nice attacks and releases, and expression. I am very excited for these students to be able to showcase all of their hard work this semester at the Spring Concert on Thursday May 22nd. 

Mrs. Johnston

5th – 8th Chorus, Bradford Chorale
  • 5th Chorus – this week we focused on repetition to better solidify parts. We will be working towards memorization and expression over the next few weeks.
  • 6th-8th Chorus – we have become much more confident in our parts and are starting to have some fun with our pieces. Mendelssohn continues to be our greatest challenge, but it, too, is beginning to take shape as we discover the multiple themes and take ownership of them.
  • Bradford Chorale – listening has been the overarching theme as we continue to strengthen parts. Pieces are really starting to take shape and the next step will be to add character. Our next performance will be at the National Day of Prayer service on May 1st at Mebane Presbyterian Church.

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Miss Johnston) 

This Week
  • The students did very well with a short week of class! In math we learned about dividing decimals and estimating quotients. We continued further in our reading of Treasure Island and made some fun discoveries about treasure chests and mysterious characters. They also learned about the Louisiana Purchase in history class as well as writing class. In forum we had some good conversations about the reason behind Good Friday, studied our verse and read the crucifixion passage. We hope you all enjoy the long weekend and are able to spend some time thinking about the reason for Easter.
Memory Work:  
  • 2 Samuel 2:7-8

 

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature
  • This week we started reading Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. This book is a nice, light way to end the school year after a few heavily themed books that we have been working through. 
6th Grammar and Writing
  • In preparation for the first draft of our Compare/Contrast Essay (due Wednesday, April 23), we discussed how to cite the Bible in MLA format. We also talked about how to use a Venn diagram to help organize  information before starting the writing process. 
6th Bible
  • This week we finished reading the Revelation. Next week we will jump into Galatians. 
6th History
  •  We spent the first of our two-week unit on World War Two this week. The test for this card will be on Friday, April 25. 
6th Science
  • This week in Science we looked at Mendel’s groundbreaking work on genetics. We then looked at some updated terminology that is used by modern geneticists. 
6th Logic
  • This week in Logic we looked at the logical fallacy of exigency. 
6th Latin
  •   Students reviewed for and took the Chapter 7 test in Latin Alive! this week.

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math
  • 6th Graders concluded Chapter 10 this week with review and a test. 

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • Students continued to work on their complementary color oil pastel drawings this week.  We have been working on using our medium effectively.  We also have been focused on smooth blending, color matching and aiming to achieve accuracy.  

Dr. Wright

7th Composition 
  • Students wrote responses to the senior thesis presentations, and continue to build their vocabulary using terms from our reading – currently Shakespearean terms from Midsummer Night’s Dream. 
7th Omnibus – Literature, History, Bible
  • We are finishing our time in Midsummer Night’s Dream.  This week we have focused on the events of the final week of Christ’s earthly ministry.  
7th Logic
  •   We continue through the informal logical fallacies.  

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • We continued our study of the moon with lessons on solar and lunar eclipses, as well as ocean tides on Earth. Ask your student how tides on Earth are related to the phase of the moon. 
  • The students continue to work hard on their astronomy projects. These will be presented in the first few weeks of May.
7th Pre-Algebra
  • We have been working on some higher level algebra concepts, including evaluating exponents with negative bases and finding the cubic roots of negative numbers. We also practiced using Roman numerals and discussed the advances in math that could occur after the switch to the Hindu-Arabic numeral system we use today.

Mrs. Palmer 

7th Art
  • Students continued to work on their colored pencil botanical drawings this week. These are coming along nicely. Our focus has been on smooth blending, matching colors accurately and aiming for hyperrealism. 

Miss Johnston

7th Latin
  • This week we went to the last senior thesis! We also continued reviewing our chapter and practiced our vocab. 

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus 
  • History:     Black Death Week 2025 has struck our student population hard, with over 75% of the 8th graders class suffering death at random points during the week’s classes.  (“Dead” students lose some privileges while gaining others).  Many funerals were held – some hastily – , and with a general resurrection scheduled for Thursday, all students should again be restored to life before they are home for Easter.  The social impact of such widespread death gives us key insights into the social impacts felt in Europe in the late 1300s, with its attending theological and political obsessions.  
  • Literature:      Students, living and dead, began Tolkien’s Return of the King.  
  • Composition:   Students are building their vocabulary with terms from the Tolkien reading, and are preparing for their final major paper of the year.  

Miss Johnston

8th Latin
  •  This week we continued working on our chapter. We practiced the different uses of the genitive case as well as practiced our vocab. 

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We concluded our study of the classification of matter and atomic theory with a unit test. We’ll move onto an in-depth study of the periodic table next week.
8th Algebra I
  • This week we combined all that we learned about factoring with all that we learned about solving polynomials in order to solve for the roots of quadratic equations. The students were able to solve both graphically and algebraically in order to see the connection between the “zeroes” of a quadratic function and the x-intercepts of a graphed parabola.

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  • Students continued to work on their watercolor landscapes this week. We have been working on obtaining the correct water to paint ratio and aiming for accuracy. 

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We attended senior thesis presentations this week.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th: 

  • 9th-12th graders completed the CLT-Classical Learning Test.  Teachers are working on focusing students on having a balance of working hard and learning not so much for a high test score but striving for God’s glory.
  • 10th and 11th Graders filled out surveys for electives; students taking classes through Alamance Community College have signed up for classes next fall.
  • Career Day is Friday, May 16 at the Upper School.  We will hear from a variety of careers including graphic design, education, aeronautics, accounting, nursing, occupational therapy, and public safety.

 

Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • This week students reviewed for and took a chapter test.  We continued to review past vocabulary as well as past grammar.  

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • We are reviewing a subject that the students are very familiar with from past math classes: surface area of polyhedrons, cylinders, pyramids, and cones. While this is a challenging concept, the students are approaching it with great confidence as they’ve practiced it at a more basic level for several years.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic
  • We attended senior thesis presentations this week and concluded our study of digital logic.

Dr. and Mrs. James

9th Biology
  •  This week we continued our introduction to the tenets and landmark experiments in the study of evolution.  
  • Next week we will finish our introduction to evolutionary thought and study.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • 9th Graders wrote an impromptu creative writing story about moving a house!  The piece had to include instructions as well as background history on the house and where it is being moved and why.
  • They also began reading Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.  Reading concludes May 1.  Additionally, they were assigned an essay.  The rough draft is due May 1 and the final draft is due May 13.  They may choose from one of two topics: 1) Compare and contrast racial tensions in the 1930’s and the 1960’s in the (Southern) United States; 2) Write about 2-3 elements of symbolism Harper Lee expresses in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Dr. Byrd 

9th Bible 
  • We have completed our study through Acts and through Romans.
  • No Memory verse for this week.  

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • Students continued to learn more about the technology with its new capabilities but frustrating inefficiencies and were challenged to consider the ethics of bombing rival nations. We’ve begun to hear and learn from some of the famous stories of major participants at the general officer level from both Axis and Allied sides. Next week we will focus on some of the specific major battles and briefly consider the crucial role of support from home. Our test on World War 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30th.

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students took the CLT on Tuesday but continued to read The Jewish War, and in class on Thursday we worked through a lecture and discussion on Rome’s First Triumvirate (Crassus, Pompey and Caesar). Next week we will consider the two men who opposed him (Cato the Younger and Cicero) and I look forward to seeing the students learn from those men.

Coach Johnston

9/10th PE
  • Students enjoyed the final kickball games of this unit. God has been kind to provide absolutely beautiful weather this week for us to enjoy outdoor games!

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week we continued our introduction to reaction kinetics.
  • Next week we will discuss the connection between reaction kinetics and equilibria.

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  •  This week students reviewed for and took a chapter test.  We continued to review past vocabulary as well as past grammar. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • We wrapped up our study of Rational Functions.  We are starting to consider various types of Conic Sections.  After the Easter holiday we will begin studying equations and graphs of ellipses.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • 10th Graders began reading Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.  Reading concludes May 2.  Additionally, they were assigned an essay.  The rough draft is due May 2 and the final draft is due May 12.  We discussed the authors lean towards deism; they will write the essay contrasting deism and the Biblical view of God.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I
  •       Students discussed the final senior theses and worked on their rough drafts. 

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology
  • We are reading J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism and will be the rest of the quarter. This book serves as a window to the primary theological issue growing out of the Protestant Reformation, which was the attempt to affirm Christianity but by redefining it so that human reason was relied upon as the supreme authority in knowledge claims rather than God’s written revelation.  Machen wrote it in 1923, but it serves to summarize the debate that had begun three hundred years preceding his treatment of the topic.   

Mrs. Palmer

11th Spanish III
  • Students spent this week reviewing all perfect tenses.  We also spent time listening in the target language.  Students then wrote a page in the target language using descriptive adjectives, correct tenses and focused on writing grammatically correct sentences. 

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • This week we learned an algorithm to multiply matrices.  We also learned various ways to find the inverse of a matrix and some applications of inverse matrices.
11th Physics
  • We’re learning about static charges – specifically the electrostatic force between charges and the electric field surrounding an isolated charge.  We learned how lightning forms and strikes in order to neutralize massive collections of static charges.  We also did a few simple labs to observe charging by conduction and induction and how to charge an object by adding or removing electrons.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  •   Students finished Much Ado About Nothing and took a test over it. Next up, Romeo and Juliet! 

Dr. Smith

11th NT Greek
  • Students have been working on learning about different forms and uses of the Aorist and Future Passive verbs as well as increasing their vocabulary.  

Mrs. Fairchild

11/12 Art History Elective

We are diving into the Renaissance and loving all of the color and architecture. Specifically, we are studying the influence of the reformation and the difference between the northern and southern regions of Europe.

Coach Johnston

12th History
  •  Students are more than halfway through our unit on World War 2. Students will read and prepare a brief presentation on some of the major battles next week before finalizing the unit and taking a test at the end of April.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature
  •    Students finished As I Lay Dying this week. They have their projects due Wednesday the 23rd. 
12th Rhetoric II
  •  Theses are completed! Seniors finished up one final reflection assignment and then they are finished with this class for the year! 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  •  We had a test on Applications of Integration and are continuing in our comprehensive review of what we have learned this year.