BB 04-19-2024
BRADFORD BULLETIN
VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 34
APR 19, 2024
FROM THE OFFICE
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- FROM MRS. MITCHELL: A line from a Bible study has stuck with me through the years. The author said, “God is always at work around you and invites you to become involved with him in His work.” Each year we trust that God is moving in the lives of our current and future staff to fit them for the work that He is doing at Bradford Academy. Please join us in praying that the Lord’s call on the staff that we need to add next year will become clear to both them and to us. If you know dedicated Christian teachers who might like to learn about our openings, have them send a resume to either jjohnston@bradfordacademy.org (Upper School openings) or emitchell@bradfordacademy.org (Lower School openings).
UPCOMING
NEXT WEEK:
- Tues, 4/23:
- Running Club (2nd-3rd)
- 3:30 HOME: Girls soccer game
- AWAY: Boys tennis
- Wed, 4/24:
- CLT – 12th graders
- Soccer club
- Thurs, 04/25:
- HOT LUNCH
- 4th field trip to Old Salem in Winston-Salem
- Running Club (2nd-3rd)
- 3:30 HOME: Girls soccer game
- Fri, 04/26
- 3:30 – HOME: Boys tennis
- AWAY: Girls soccer
IN THE NEAR FUTURE:
- 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
- It was bug week in TK and what a wonderful week we had! TK students hunted for bugs: real and pretend, made bug fossils, read bug books, created our own caterpillars and began making a life cycle of a butterfly book. Our classroom caterpillars arrived and we are looking forward to watching them grow, make their chrysalis, and turn into butterflies. Each classroom has 5 caterpillars. In math this week we learned what a cylinder is and practiced paying for items from 5 cents to 25 cents with nickels. We learned lowercase letters k, i, and u as well as their capital partners. In Bible we read the story of Saul and how Jesus transformed his heart and life. Ask your child what his name was by the end of our story after God had transformed his life!
Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)
K – 4th
- Students did a great job in P.E. this week playing various versions of tag, “Capture the Flag”, and/or “Dodge Ball”.
Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)
K-3rd
- Students did a great job learning part of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” this week. Students also worked on the songs “Down In My Heart” and “Rejoice In The Lord Always”.
4th
- Students did a great job this week preparing pieces for the National Day of Prayer in May. Students worked hard to follow the conductor to correctly hold out the lengths of notes, to watch for entrances and cut offs, and to stay together. Students also worked on blending, attacks, and releases when they sing and play their recorders.
Lower School Art (Mrs. Palmer)
3rd
- Students worked towards finishing their Van Gogh inspired colored pencil drawings this week. We have been working on color matching and trying to create a solid replica of a master work.
4th
- Students worked towards finishing their Van Gogh inspired pen and ink drawings this week. We have been working on hatching, cross hatching and some with stippling.
Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)
This Week:
- Our kindergarten scholars have learned about so many new things this week. In math, we discussed how to add three single-digit numbers, how to count dimes, nickels, and pennies together, the identification of certain geometric solids (cones and spheres), and a review of how to use bills to pay for items up to $20.00. In phonics, we started a new word list and we continued to read the book “In A Camel’s Eye.” In history, we continued our discussion on Christopher Columbus and worked on a coloring activity that corresponds with what we are learning about him. Our sections on art and science have been combined as we move through our study of the human body. This week we focused on the digestive system and how it breaks down food and absorbs the nutrients of what we eat.
Memory Work:
- Ephesians 6:1-3 and review
1st Grade (Mrs. Morgan & Mrs. Smith)
This Week:
- The highlight of the week was our field trip to Cane Creek Reservoir. The students had the opportunity to see the pumps, tubes, and water released. They saw Canadian Geese, including a mama on her nest. A large friendly black snake slithered by as well. There was a toad, osprey, and lots of cormorants. The weather was perfect and we are very grateful that Mr. Riley was willing to open the gates and show us around. In math the students are learning to identify, describe, and compare geometric solids, select appropriate tools for measuring length, identify metric units of length, measure and draw line segments using centimeters, multiplying by 1, multiply by 100, and how to find the perimeter. In history we reviewed the Bill of Rights. In science we studied the Brown Pelican. In our reading this week, we are learning about Anne Bradstreet. She was the first poet to be published in the New World. She had some very difficult times in life, but always kept her faith in God.
Memory Work:
- Psalm 67:1-7 / Catechism Q#19
Upcoming:
- Friday May 3rd – No School for students / Teacher Workday
2nd Grade (Mrs. Hedgecock & Mrs. Eng)
This Week:
- Second grade has had a busy week of adventures. In history we have traveled with the people of Israel as they wandered in the desert and worshiped in a Tabernacle. Saw the death of Moses and met his successor, Joshua. Crossed the Jordan River. Marched around Jericho and saw the walls fall down. Spent 300 years with the many judges chosen by God to aid the Israelites in times of danger. During these travels we have learned much about how God deals with His children. We have also traveled back to the 1870s in Wisconsin in our new book, Little House in the Big Woods. This is an autobiographical book by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Learning about life in Laura’s days provides many opportunities to discuss how much our lives have changed. In math we have continued using the multiplication facts we have learned to solve word problems and have added multiplying a two-digit number by a one-digit number. In grammar we continue to work with possessives and have added contractions to our grammar knowledge. Our memory verse this week was a challenge, but the students worked diligently and have now memorized Hebrews 11:1-35! Only five more verses and we will have completed Hebrews 11.
Memory Work:
- Hebrews 11:1-35
3rd Grade (Mrs. McDorman and Mrs. Meredith)
This Week
- “The Romans had emperors plenty!” This week led us to have many great discussions about who remains constant, who is unchanging, who is not affected by time but is the author of it, and who truly deserves the praise as King of Kings. Most emperors were lost in the pride of their accomplishments, but the sands of time wore away at their vain attempts to glorify themselves. We discussed how we should continually glorify God with ALL that we do! With that in mind, we dove into the accusative case of Latin prepositions and uncovered the daily life of those who lived in Pompeii. We constructed Roman villas, then built and erupted our own Mt. Vesuvius! It was a full week, filled with joy and new discoveries!
Upcoming Memory Work:
- Review Second Quarter Verses
Upcoming:
- Friday May 3rd – No School/ Teacher Workday
4th Grade (Mrs. Burtram and Miss Abrahamsen)
This Week
- Fourth grade kept busy this week! In math, practice with fractions and decimals again took centerstage. In spelling and grammar, we practiced applying all kinds of different spelling rules. In history, we took a lot of time to discuss the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci seeing how he embodied the true “Renaissance Man”; we marveled at the mind that God gave him to learn, master, retain, and apply so much information and skill!! We are nearing the end of The Shakespeare Stealer, and the kids continue to really enjoy the story. We also had the opportunity to read to the TK students this week!
- Upcoming:
- Field Trip- Old Salem on Thursday, April 25
- Participation in National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2
LOGIC SCHOOL
Mrs. Bennington
5th-6th Band
- Students did a great job demonstrating their ability to play various dynamics this week on their test on 3.26 and in their concert music. .
7th-9th Band
- Students did a great job in band this week working on slurs, breathing, phrasing, dynamics, dotted rhythms, and key signatures. Students did a great job showcasing their musical knowledge on their chair test on 4.21. Students also did a great job applying all of their musical knowledge to their concert music.
5th Grade (Mrs. Owens)
This Week
- This week our students presented their Founding Fathers project. Each student spoke on the founding fathers life and career and then presented a 3D object that represented something significant. In math we focused on measuring angles of triangles and quadrilaterals and we continued to practice writing out fraction, decimal, and percent equivalents. Students have finished up their history poster which will be presented to the Sons of the American Revolution next week. The posters look amazing and I can tell a lot of hard work was put into creating a picture of their chosen Revolutionary War event. Lastly, our students were able to sit in on two of the Senior Thesis’ presentations this week. The topics covered included sabbath rest and the fear of God. Students were encouraged to listen for the call to action in each speech and then we discussed what we learned in class the next day.
Memory Work:
- 1 Samuel 2:7-8 (this week)
- Proverbs 27:17 & 17:17 (next week)
6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)
6th Reading and Literature
- We are continuing to work our way through Around the World in Eighty Days.
6th Grammar and Writing
- This week students completed a Venn diagram to help with research for their upcoming compare/contrast essay. The final draft for that essay is due Thursday, May 2.
6th Bible
- We just passed the half-way point in the book of Acts.
6th History
- This week we looked at the Great Depression in America.
6th Science
- This week in Science we reviewed concepts and terminology regarding DNA and the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
6th Logic
- We took a break from Logic this week so that we could attend a few senior theses.
Mr. Hunter
6th Latin
- This week we continued studying Roman imperial history (stopping just before Diocletian), and we reviewed the relative and personal pronouns and the possessive adjective.
Mrs. Frueh
6th Math
- This week we practiced using our knowledge of proportions to solve for unknown lengths of similar triangles. We then applied these skills to solving practical problems, like finding the height of a tall tree by comparing its shadow length with the shadow length of an object with a known height. We finished the week by applying these same skills to calculating scale factor for scale models of objects that are either very small or very large in reality.
Mrs. Palmer
6th Art
- This week we began a new project based on our artist of the quarter, Vincent Van Gogh. We will be doing a mixed media project in which we focus on trying to imitate the master.
Mrs. Crotts
7th Grammar and Writing
- Students reviewed Essay 1-4 summaries and studied vocabulary for upcoming quizzes on The Lost Tools of Writing.
7th Omnibus
- Literature: Students turned in rough drafts of The Last Battle essay.
- History/Bible: We viewed a video of new discoveries from Pompeii–3 walls of a dining room with frescos on the walls. Students studied maps of Paul’s missionary journeys and discussed how Paul was an older man and faced many trials and continued to travel and share the Gospel.
Mrs. Frueh
7th Science
- We continued our study of the moon this week by learning why the phases of the moon occur and how often a full set of phases repeats itself. After keeping a moon log for a full month, your student should be adept at identifying the moon phases throughout the month. Next time you spot the moon, ask your student if it’s a crescent phase or gibbous phase, and is it a waxing phase or waning phase. Take note of weather you’re seeing the moon in the daytime sky or the nighttime sky and ask if your student can explain why certain phases are always visible at midday, but others are only visible at night.
7th Pre-Algebra
- We had a lot of fun this week continuing our discussion of financial math. The students now have a solid understanding of the difference between simple interest and compound interest, how to calculate markups and markdowns, and the difference between commission and profit. We also learned how to calculate probability for both independent and dependent events.
Mrs. Palmer
7th Art
- Students began a new project this week. We will be focusing on creating a still life in graphite. Our aim for this project will be to aim for a wide range of value and accuracy in detail.
Mr. Hunter
7th Latin
- This week we continued studying Roman imperial history, and we reviewed the relative and personal pronouns and the possessive adjective.
Mrs. Kromhout
8th Omnibus
- History: Students researched and presented about a medieval craftsmen/artisan of their choice! They did a fantastic job finding reliable sources, reading the information, and telling the class about their findings! Ask your student about their character.
- Literature: We continued reading the prologue of the Canterbury Tales, meeting the rest of Chaucer’s colorful set of characters.
- Composition: We are fully beginning our research essay! The essay will be due on May 17th, and the students have steps to complete along the way. As I mentioned in the email, they will need at least three books along with reliable internet sources for their research. Their key research questions range from ‘How did Eleanor of Aquitaine become so influential?’ to ‘What were the most effective medieval castle defense mechanisms?’ I am excited for these papers!
Mr. Hunter
8th Latin
- This week we continued studying Roman imperial history, and we reviewed the relative, personal, and reflexive pronouns and the possessive adjective.
Mrs. Frueh
8th Science
- We did not meet for science class this week, but instead attended a few of the senior thesis presentations. The students were able to listen to the research and arguments presented by our seniors after a long year of hard work. Afterward, we had the opportunity to engage in discussion about what we heard. We’re very proud of our seniors’ hard work and look forward to more thesis presentations next week.
8th Algebra I
- This week’s lessons were all about rational expressions and rational equations. We learned how to simplify rational expressions by finding a common denominator, even if one of the denominators is a variable or a binomial. Then we learned how to solve for an unknown variable in a rational equation.
Mrs. Palmer
8th Art
- This week we continued to work on our realistic still life drawings. These are coming along wonderfully and even though it is a challenging project, they are rising to the occasion!
Mr. Crotts
8th Logic
- We are learning how to fill in missing statements from arguments made in everyday life.
- By using the statements given, we can discover missing premises or conclusions by assuming the argument to be valid and supplying (by logical form) the absent piece.
RHETORIC SCHOOL
From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:
Sophomores and Juniors:
- As I mentioned last week, I recently met with sophomores and juniors 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
- We have spent this week working on reviewing past concepts and vocabulary. We also added new vocabulary as well as worked on reflexive verbs (a new grammar concept).
Coach Johnston
9th History
- 9th grade students took a World War 1 test this week and then we began a quick overview of the economic depressions that would hit Europe and then America following the first World War. Next week we will complete a very quick overview of World War 2.
Mrs. Frueh
9th Geometry
- We are reviewing a subject that the students are very familiar with from past math classes: surface area of polyhedrons and cylinders. While this is a challenging concept, the students are approaching it with great confidence as they’ve practiced it for several years.
Mr. Crotts
9th Logic
- We are learning binary (two number) math in order to see how digital logic works in electronics. Ask your students what a “1” does as well as a “0” in digital logic.
Mrs. Crotts
9th Literature
- We concluded our study of The Old Man and the Sea by watching the movie. Also, students received To Kill a Mockingbird and were given assignment dates: conclude reading of the book by May 7; write an essay by May 14.
Dr. James
10th Chemistry
- This week the students learned how reaction kinetics can lead to understanding of reaction mechanism and chemical equilibria.
- Next week we will continue with equilibria, and the students will take their second test of Q4.
Mrs. Palmer
10th Spanish
- We spent most of this past week working on two pillars of language learning: listening and writing. We have also reviewed past vocabulary as well as added new vocabulary.
Mrs. Byrd
10th Algebra II
- Topics covered this week include solving exponential and log equations, finding simple permutations, calculating basic probabilities, and learning the three basic rules of logarithms.
Mrs. Crotts
10th Literature
- 10th Graders turned in rough drafts to the essay about Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea: A Biblical Response to Captain Nemo’s Grief. They received Frankenstein and learned about the author’s background.
Miss Oldham
10th Rhetoric I
- Students did not have class on Tuesday due to the CLT exam. On Thursday we met one on one about their teeny tiny thesis topics.
Coach Johnston
10th History
- Students continue to read Josephus’ Jewish War, and are now reading about various robber factions within Jerusalem and the great Roman general Titus’ siege of Jerusalem.
10th PE
- Students competed in two days of kickball games this week and listened to Vince’s senior thesis presentation on the fear of the Lord. Students learned more about the rules and positioning of baseball/softball through their gameplay this week.
Mrs. Byrd
11th Precalculus
- We’ve been working on simplifying/solving matrices using row reduction operations. We also covered operations with matrices including the algorithm for multiplying two matrices.
11th Physics
- We wrapped up a unit on Coulomb’s Law and the Electric Field this week. Our next topic will be to learn the basics of current electricity.
Miss Oldham
11th Literature
- Students are continuing their study of The Pilgrim’s Progress and received their final project assignment.
Mr. Hunter
11th NT Greek
- This week we continued studying participles, and the students took a test on all the vocabulary they have learned to this point.
Mrs. Palmer
11th-12th Elective: Color Theory/Design
- Students spent this week working on a small bookmark design project. We also introduced our final design project which will be an interior design project.
Dr. Smith
11th-12th Apologetics & Philosophy
- We have begun reading Strange New World by Carl Trueman. This is a shorter summary version of his larger work The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.
12th Calculus
- We’ve begun our review of the units covered this year. Students are also working their way through another practice AP exam.
Coach Johnston
12th History
- We have spent the week discussing the six major nations that contributed to both the beginning and fighting of World War 2. The three Axis Power nations each had elements of resentment and a desire to get even/get ahead. The future Big Three nations of the Allied Powers sent mixed signals that the Axis Powers mis-read/misunderstood. These wrong signals can be summarized by the acronym C-I-A: Russian collusion, American isolationism and British (and French) appeasement.
Mrs. James
12th Anatomy
- This week we’ve started talking about the lymphatic system and all that it does in conjunction with other organ systems in the body.