BB 04-24-26

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVIII, ISSUE 37

April 24, 2026

 

FROM THE OFFICE

IMPORTANT NOTES:   

  • This Thursday, April 30th:  Upper school students – TWO Events, TWO LOCATIONS 
  • Austerfield….we’re running out of tissues and handsoap!  Please send in your items next week if you haven’t yet!  3 boxes of tissues, 3 bottles of handsoap, 3 clorox wipes per student.
  •  NEW:  Uniform option for upper school girls:  Shorts from Schoolbelles.  Enter school code S2715.

 

LOWER SCHOOL IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • FROM MRS. MITCHELL:  It is always a joy to see a group of students working together to fine tune their presentation skills.  We have spent many hard working and happy hours bringing the theme of “God’s Providence: Past, Present, and Future” to life through our Bradford Night practices and presentation.  If you were unable to attend and would like to enjoy it, you can visit our Archer Youtube site BradfordArchersNC.  It is a powerful message of God’s sovereignty and His love for us.  Please note that you will need to search for the starting point at the 11:00 minute mark, as the live stream records the time that the audience gathers.

 

UPPER SCHOOL IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • FROM DR. SMITH: One of the great joys of teaching and coaching young people is watching them grow. The change that takes place as they develop the abilities God gave them and employ them in a way that honors God is a cause for great gratitude to the Lord. But such growth is always filled with rough places, chiefly because of our sin. The pathway is never totally smooth. To see the growth, parents, teachers and coaches have to exercise patience and prayer, not merely with the young person, but themselves. It is a lengthy process. It is easy to get discouraged in any one day or even many weeks. Be reminded that the Lord calls the Christian to perseverance and provides the power for it (Heb. 12:1-2).

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

UPDATED!!  Burlington Writer’s Club – Alamance County competition for all schools…

Elementary: Poetry

  • 1st place:  Casey Jurado (5th)
  • 2nd place:  Alexander Naymon (3rd)

Elementary: Fiction

  • 1st place:  Maddie Drane (5th)
  • 2nd place:  Waylan Phillips (4th)
  • 3rd place:  Duncan Scott (4th)
  • HM:  Eliezer Ngeh (4th)

Middle school: Fiction

  • 2nd: Max Miller (6th)
  • 3rd: Haley Nelson (6th)
  • HM:  Davis Mullinax (6th)

High school: Fiction

  • 1st:  Kemuel Farrish (10th)
  • 2nd:  Elise Palmer (9th)
  • 3rd:  Annabelle Wright (9th) 
  • HM:  Sawyer Fairchild (9th)

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

  • Tues, 4/28: Varsity girls soccer AWAY vs Hawbridge School at 3:30p (Mebane Turf)
  • Thurs, 4/30:  Deadline to complete re-enrollment packets!
    • Midland Games (5th – 6th) Watch for emails with details. 
    • Bradford Games (7th – 12th) Watch for emails with details.  
  • Fri, 5/1:  Teacher work day – no school
    • Varsity girls soccer vs Community Christian at 3:30p (MACC)

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Tues, 5/5: 7th CLT testing
  • Wed, 5/6:  8th CLT testing
  • Thurs, 5/7:  
    • 6th grade:  Field trip to NC Transportation Museum
    • 12:00 – National Day of Prayer (chorale and choir students will participate) – all parents are welcome to join us at Mebane Presbyterian Church
  • Fri, 5/8:  
    • Teacher appreciation day
    • Student Council Presidential Elections
  • Tues, 5/12:  Student Council Elections
  • Tues – Wed, 5/12 – 5/13:  3rd – 6th CLT testing
  • Tues, 5/19:
    • 5:45 – Rising 5th and new student:  Band meeting – at lower school
    • 7:00 – Sports Award Ceremony (Varsity sports) – at lower school pavilion
  • Thurs, 5/21:  
    • Last day of TK
    • 5:30 – 6:30  – Upper school Art display at upper school campus
    • 6:45 – Doors open at Mebane Presbyterian Church for the concert
    • 7:00 – Patriotic Program (5th – 12th) at Mebane Presbyterian
  • Mon, 5/25:  Memorial Day – no school
  • Wed, 5/27:  
    • Lower school Verse Bee 
      • K – 1st:  9:00 
      • 2nd – 3rd:  10:00
      • 4th: 11:00
    • 11th – 12th Gala
  • Thurs, 5/28:  10:00 Baccalaureate
  • Fri, 5/29:  LAST day of school  
    • Noon dismissal
    • 7pm – Graduation

SUMMER:

  • Week of June 22-26: Bradford Summer Soccer Camps
    • Rising K5-Rising 6th Grade = 8:30a-12:30p at Walker Field and Old Rec gym 
    • Rising 7th-Rising 12th Grade = 6:30p-8:30p at MACC Baseball Fields
    • Same Prices as last year: $35/day, $125/wk
    • Registration coming soon! And other summer sports camps being developed
  • Saturday, July 4th:  City of Mebane Parade and celebration downtown
  • Saturday, July 25th:  7pm – Sockpuppets game – 40% of sales go to Bradford.  Purchase tickets here

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb & Mrs. Weber)

It was an exciting week in TK. The theme for the week in TK was bears. This included many bear books & activities to go along with the books, bear art, and a pretend bear hunt. Our classroom caterpillars also arrived this week which was a highlight. Students learned all about the life cycle of a caterpillar and look forward to watching our caterpillars grow and change into butterflies. In math this week TK students practiced paying for items using nickels up to 50 cents, made ABC patterns using our voices and bodies, and introduced playing cards as we learn the game war next week. A few of our centers included: making Fruit of the Spirit books, reading Corduroy and answering questions, sorting and graphing buttons, Corduroy artwork, making caterpillars, and beginning a life cycle of a caterpillar book. Since we learned about the Holy Spirit last week, we studied the Fruit of the Spirit this week and learned Galatians 5:22-23. Next week is community helpers week in TK and we will learn the story of Paul. 

Lower School Art (Mrs. Knight)

3rd
  • This week third graders completed their tortoise sketches. This was a pretty challenging sketch, but they were diligent and had good attitudes. Next we learned about the life and art of Pierre Auguste Renoir, the artist of the quarter. Our  next project will be to copy one of his works of art. 
4th
  • In art class Thursday, students worked on our Impressionist paintings. 

Lower School P.E.  (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th
  • Students did a great job in PE this week. Kindergarten and first grade  played  a wide variety of tag games. First, second, third, and fourth grade finished their kickball unit. Students are doing much better at taking turns and following instructions so that the games could be fair and fun. 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-4th
  • Kindergarten through second grade students did a great job working on Bradford Night material this week during dress rehearsals. Bradford Night was a great success and I am so proud of all of the kindergarten, first and second grade students for their hardwork. My heart was overjoyed hearing them sing praises to God. Third and fourth grade students continued with recorder songs. Fourth grade also learned about instrument families and listened to recordings of different instruments. All students started our next hymn, “America the Beautiful”. 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week: 

Our kindergarten scholars have worked very hard this week for Thursday’s Bradford Night! We were very thankful for the ability to showcase the many things we’ve learned to family and friends. In math, we learned how to make and break the numbers 14-19.  In phonics, we introduced our new and final reader, “Runs from Guns,” and a ten word spelling list. As we draw closer to the end of the school year, please be practicing all the bible verses with your child. In the last week of school, we have our Bible Bee, where each student will have the opportunity to recite a few verses from throughout the year. Praise God for his faithfulness in bringing thus far!

Memory Work: Ephesians 6:1-3 and review

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

This Week: 

This week in math, we worked through Chapter 13. Students continued developing their understanding of addition and subtraction by working with related facts and fact families. They are learning to see the connection between addition and subtraction and use these relationships to solve problems more efficiently. We will continue practicing these concepts to strengthen both understanding and fluency. During reading time, we enjoyed Frog and Toad: Dragons and Giants. Students practiced listening carefully and engaging with the story, while also discussing its themes and lessons. In science, we had a special hands-on experience as we planted seeds in our first grade garden. We planted sunflowers and mint and talked about how plants grow and what they need to thrive. This also led into a meaningful discussion about planting seeds of Jesus in our own lives. Students did a wonderful job presenting their state projects to our class and to other classes in the school. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing their hard work and creativity, and they should be very proud of their efforts. We also spent time preparing for Bradford Night, and the students worked very hard. Their performance was truly amazing, and it was a joy to watch them shine. We ended the week with a field trip to Cane Creek Reservoir. It was a fun and memorable experience for our class, and the students represented our school well.

Upcoming:      
  • 5/1 Teacher Workday

2nd Grade (Miss Verroi & Mrs. Eng)

This Week: 

The students have learned so much during our time together in second grade.  For the remainder of the year, we will concentrate on review, review, review.  We want to be sure the information taught is with them as they progress through school and life.  We just have two more verses in Hebrews 11 to memorize and then the students will have learned the entire chapter!  Quite the accomplishment!  Continue to review all the verses learned this year not only for the Verse Bee, but so they can recall the verses when needed in life.  In math it is important for the students to continue to review all the addition/subtraction facts as well as the multiplication facts.  They need much practice using these facts to solve real world problems. We have traveled back to the 1870s in Wisconsin in our new book, Little House in the Big Woods.  This autobiographical book by Laura Ingalls Wilder helps the students learn what life was like and provides many opportunities to discuss how different our lives are now.  Once we finish this book the rest of the series will be great summer reading!  Our final project of the year is our Ancient Egypt Project. Studying Ancient Egypt is an excellent foundation for future history studies.  We will spend the entire week of May 11 to 15 studying Egypt and solidifying this foundation.  Please continue to review all the information in the student’s black folders during their nightly homework time.  

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

This Week

We have finished another successful week of learning in third grade! In history, we made it to 286 A.D. and the split of the Roman Empire by Diocletian. He had the wisdom to understand that ruling an empire that large required the need for clear communication, and since they lacked that he split the empire into two parts: East and West. However, Diocletian also refused to give God the glory and instead decided to establish himself as a god, requiring everyone to worship him. Since Christians refused to worship anyone but the one true God, this caused some of the worst persecution against them. Shortly after Diocletian, Constantine came to rule and ended the persecution of Christians with the Edict of Milan. In math, students continued working with elapsed time and learned how to read a Venn diagram. The end of the year is quickly approaching, but we are working hard to finish strong! 

Upcoming Memory Work:
  • Review Q1 Verses 
  • Catechism Question 28

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

Week 5 The Act of Supremacy

This past week in 4th grade has been a rich tapestry of learning, creativity, and mastery. In mathematics, we worked with the measurements of time and temperature, and introduced the use of tables and graphs to represent data, a precursor to statistics. In history, we studied King Henry VIII and the pivotal Act of Supremacy. Our students are beginning to grasp how individual choices can ripple through history—and how God’s hand is at work even through complex events. Ask your students about Henry VIII’s sad legacy (and a fun rhyme that helps us remember!) In contrast are the ‘Heroes of the Faith’ that each student is describing in their biography book report. From inventors to reformers, artists to leaders, students are discovering how these men and women used their gifts and convictions to shape the world; we are eager to hear how their stories have inspired our students personally. Through this project, students are  learning how to synthesize and organize information from non-fiction texts, taking  great strides in their writing skills. This week, students were asked to apply their studies to homework assignments that required thought, creativity, and application to their lives. Thank you for your partnership and prayers as we continue to grow together—intellectually, spiritually, and as a community. Soli Deo gloria!

LOGIC SCHOOL

Mrs. Bennington

5th-6th Band
  • Students did a great job this week rehearsing music for the May Concert. Please continue to encourage your student to practice his or her May concert music at home. Just a reminder our Spring Concert will be Thursday May 21, 2026 at 7pm at Mebane Presbyterian. 
7th-8th Band
  • Students had a study hall this week due to Dress Rehearsals for Bradford Night at the lower campus. Please continue to encourage your student to practice his or her May concert music at home. Just a reminder our Spring Concert will be Thursday May 21, 2026 at 7pm at Mebane Presbyterian. 

Mrs. Johnston

5th – 8th Choirs
  • 5th and 6th Choirs finished reading through their final concert pieces. We are now working towards memory – there will be a memory check on all music next week.
  • 7th/8th Choir had study halls this week as Mrs. Bennington and I were at lower campus for Bradford Night rehearsals. We will resume normal rehearsals next Tuesday.

Miss Pugsley 

5th-8th Girls’ PE
  • This week we ran a mile and played kickball. The fifth and sixth graders were hoping to have at least one upper body strength contest, as last week we did lower body competitions. We timed how long they could dead hang, and the winner got a prize!

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Miss Johnston) 

This Week
  • We had a great week as we looked forward to our Monticello trip! We continued our journey through Treasure Island and discussed how our narrator, Jim, has begun to change. We finished our chapter in decimals and multiplication, and took our test on Wednesday. In grammar, we reviewed our  sentence patterns and learned about the different parts of a book. In history, we learned about our first President as well as reviewing some facts about Thomas Jefferson in preparation for our trip! 
Memory Work: 

Review of our Patriotic Program Recitation 

Upcoming: 

04/30- Midland Games

Mrs. Knight
5th Art
  • This week fifth graders completed their Renoir paintings using acrylics. We went on to prepare for our next project: another Renoir but this time using oil pastels. 

6th Grade (Mrs. McDorman and Miss Pugsley)

6th Reading and Literature
  • This week we have started reading Around the World In 80 Days, Jules Verne’s science fiction novel about the adventures of an English gentleman named Phileas Fogg. Verne’s works were inspired by the great advancements in technology made at the turn of the 20th century, and he is famous for predicting some of the technologies that would be developed in the future.
6th Grammar and Writing
  • We are wrapping up the student’s research papers. The students have learned how to research, outline, edit, and cite their resources properly! We are studying Appositives in our grammar curriculum this week.
6th Bible
  • We are continuing our comparative study of the gospels. The students are taking notes from the Rose Guide to the Gospels. Soon, we’ll be beginning their comparative papers.
6th History
  • This week we studied the Cold War, the Korean War, and Vietnam. We discussed communism, and why the United States wanted to oppose its spread overseas. 
6th Science
  • The students took their first genetics quiz this week. We’ve begun discussing Mendelian genetics and exploring how parents pass traits to their offspring. We worked together on a Punnett Square, and will be practicing them next week! 
6th Logic
  • This week, we discussed the potential pitfalls of making an argument from analogy!

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math
  • Math students concluded Chapter 11 by completing the chapter review and chapter test.  They ventured into Chapter 12 by week’s end.

Mrs. Wright

6th Latin
  • The 6th grade Latin classes studied Capitulum IX and third declension nouns.

Mrs. Palmer

6th Art
  • This week we reviewed our artists of the quarter. Students finished up their oil pastel still life drawings. We also introduced our next project: pen and ink nature drawings.   

Dr. Wright

7th Omnibus
  • 7th graders have finished our time in Virgil’s Aenied, and have begun Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.  We continue to have vocabulary learning each week, and are incorporating new terms into our exercises of making  concise sentences.  

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • We spent this week compiling individual research for astronomy projects and preparing for a unit test on the structure of our solar system, which took place on Thursday.  Students should spend the next few weeks gathering research notes for their astronomy projects and constructing their visual aid, which can be a posterboard, model, or slideshow.
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
  • We reviewed all of our artists of the quarter this week. Students were also introduced to their next project: grayscale graphite drawings. We reviewed various techniques for the use of graphite. 

Mrs. Wright

7th Latin
  •   The 7th grade Latin classes studied Capitulum IX and third declension nouns.
7th Logic
  •   The 7th grade Logic students took at test and then moved into the final chapter of the year on Fallacies of Clarity.

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus 
  • 8th graders have begun Return of the King, as well as their final biographical research projects.  Ask your student what famous person from the late medieval or Reformation period they have chosen to research.    

Mrs. Wright

8th Latin
  • The 8th grade Latin classes studied Capitulum IX and third declension nouns.

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We continued our discussion of the six metal groups on the periodic table. Ask your student why the metals in Groups 1 & 2 are extremely reactive, while the transition metals (such as gold, silver, and copper), are much less reactive.
8th Algebra I
  • We wrapped up our long study of factoring polynomial expressions and solving polynomial equations with a cumulative unit test. Next week, we’ll move on to radical expressions.

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  • We reviewed all artists of the quarter this week. Students finished their pen and ink animal drawings and have moved on to their next project – working with clay!

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We are studying common fallacies made in everyday language and arguments.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th:

    • Senator Ted Budd’s office announces Service Academy Day 2026 for September 19 from 9 AM-12 PM at Davidson-Davie Community College.
    • Direct questions to Lauren or Libby in the Senator’s Advance Office by calling 336-941-4470.
  • Summer STEM Research with Blackwell Research Institute 
    • Students conduct a STEM research project with Blackwell PhD mentors in biology, neuroscience, math, or engineering.
    • To view past projects visit bwnri.org/studenthighlights
    • For more information contact Megan Leinenback, Community Outreach Coordinator meganleinenbach@blackwellstem.org or 407-304-6572
    • The application deadline is May 17th:  www.bwnri.org/researchapplication

7th-8th:

  • CLT (Classic Learning Test)
    • 7th graders take the assessment Tuesday, May 5 beginning at 8:00 AM in Room 303.
    • 8th graders take the assessment Wednesday, May 6 beginning at 8:00 AM in Room 302.

Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • Students worked on the preterite tense this week. We have learned endings for regular AR, ER and IR verbs. They were also introduced to their cultural project this week.  

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • This week was impacted by a couple of field trips, but students completed short research projects into the key events that turned the tide of WW2 between May 1942 and May 1943. Students that were present for all of class on Thursday completed our WW2 note material. We will plan to play a WW1 reenactment game on Tuesday (4/28), and review WW2 test material and then take a unit test the following Tuesday (5/5).

Ms. Oldham

9th Rhetoric I
  •  Students have been working on a Tribute Speech and they have begun to deliver them starting Friday. We will finish these next week before beginning our next project. 

Dr. Byrd 

9th Bible Survey 

  • This week we have been studying Romans, and I and II Corinthians. The Lord has challenged with the gospel and Paul’s single focus “…not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified…” (I Corinthians 2:1-5)
  • Memory Verse – II Corinthians 1:3

Mrs. Frueh

9th Biology
  • This week, we were introduced to the work of Charles Darwin and the concept of evolution.  The purpose of this study is to neither endorse nor ridicule evolution, but instead to understand its foundational tenets and the underlying assumptions made by its proponents. We will analyze  landmark studies and experiments, discussing differing views on the available data, as well as how the worldview of the scientist affects the conclusions drawn from the data.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • We wrapped up our penultimate geometry unit on the surface area and volume of geometric solids with a unit test. We’ll start circle geometry next week.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • This group began watching the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck).  They are assigned to read Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea next.

Mrs. Fairchild 

9th – 11th Art Foundations
  • We had a wonderful time at the NCMA. We enjoyed a full day of beautiful works of art, good food and Shakespeare! Be sure to ask your student about which paintings caused the most discussion in our group and which paintings inspired the most delight in beauty.

Mrs. Bennington

9th-11th Band 
  •  Students did a great job this week rehearsing music for the May Concert. Please continue to encourage your student to practice his or her May concert music at home. Just a reminder our Spring Concert will be Thursday May 21, 2026 at 7pm at Mebane Presbyterian. 

Mrs. Johnston

9th-11th Chorus/Bradford Chorale
  • We had a bit of an off-week due to field trips. We focused on specific areas per the students’ request, working to solidify and build confidence. We will resume normal rehearsals next Tuesday, and we will also be checking memorization.

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week we discussed chemical equilibria and reviewed for the test. 
  • Next week the students will take their second test of Q4; there will be no class on Thursday because of the Bradford Games. 

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • Students worked on reviewing past tenses and vocabulary this week. We continue to work with the subjunctive mood. Students also presented research on their Spanish-speaking cultures this week. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • We’re nearing the end of our study of conic sections.  Following a test next week, we will begin our final unit – an introduction to  matrices.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • Students worked on essays (research/outline/rough draft): “Deism and What the Bible Says about It” in light of author Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea.  They discussed the value and blessing of God who cares as opposed to an aloof god who created and then left.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric II
  •  Students have been working on their rough drafts which are due on Tuesday. 

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students continued to read Josephus and learn about the decline and fall of the Roman Republic.

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology 
  • We continue our study of J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism.
11th Precalculus
  • We will conclude our study of matrices with a test next week.  Our next topic is an introduction to sequences and series.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  •  Students discussed the Senior Thesis presentations and looked forward to next year. They wrote their thesis proposals for two topics to begin researching over the summer. 

Mrs. Wright

11th NT Greek
  • The NT Greek class reviewed and prepped for the test they took on Friday covering chapters 21-23.

Dr. Smith

11th-12th Apologetics
  • We continue our study of Carl Trueman’s Strange New World.  

Coach Johnston

12th History
  • Students reviewed for and then completed a WW2 assessment. Next week we will begin a quick survey of the Cold War.

Ms. Oldham

12th Literature
  •   Students finished 1984 and started working on a debate over the book. 
12th Rhetoric III
  •  Seniors wrote reflections on their work over this year and how well they did or what they wished they did. But the final grades are in and they are officially done with their thesis. 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  • We’re using our class time to review the topics of the year.  Our final exam and AP exam are about two and a half weeks away.