BB 04-25-25

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 38

APR 25, 2025

 

FROM THE OFFICE

FOR ALL: 
  • News of Orange:  There is an article about Bradford Academy on page 2 of the 4/23 edition of the newspaper.  You can pick them up at places like Food Lion.  You can also read it here!
  • SENIOR NIGHT – Varsity Girls Soccer will celebrate their Seniors at the home game on Thursday, 5/1 at 3:30.  All are welcome to come and cheer on the girls!
  • Bradford Summer Soccer Camps: scheduled for the week of JUNE 23rd-27th, registration coming soon!
    • Rising K5-6th grade: 8:30am-12:30pm, MACC baseball fields, $125/wk, $35/day
    • Rising 7th-12th grade: 6:00-8:00pm, MACC baseball fields, $125/wk, $35/day
  • Immunizations:  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.  
  • Carpooling from West Burlington (Lake Macintosh area) – If you live in that area and are interested in carpooling, please email office@bradfordacademy.org
  • Summer Student Tutor:  If you would like for your elementary or middle school student to receive some tutoring to keep things fresh during the summer months, we have an upper school student who is willing to help!  Email office@bradfordacademy.org for more information.
LOWER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:
  • 4th Graders:  Band Mtg on Tues, 5/20 at 5:45 pm – Please reply to the survey Mrs. Mitchell sent this week.  
UPPER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:
  • Parent volunteers needed! – Thurs, 5/8 for Bradford Games for 7th – 12th graders.  Bradford Games is such a fun event for students.  Parents have enjoyed coming out and volunteering, interacting with students, staff and other parents.  Please let us know if you’re available to help any time between 7:30 – 3p!  You may email Mrs. Thrasher directly at sarah@bradfordacademy.org
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:  

I hope you’ve seen the recent News of Orange article or heard that Bradford students in 11th & 12 grades are leading the nation in scores for the Classical Learning Test.  We begin giving this test in 3rd grade, but the results are not about the test or teaching to the test.  The results are about “cutting with the grain” of a child’s learning, which is what classical, Christian education does.  If you experienced the amount of knowledge that 3rd and 4th graders put on display at our Bradford Night program, you saw just a fraction of the foundational skills which are built day after day in our classrooms.  Coupled with dedicated oversight from parents, Bradford students can be well prepared for wherever God leads them once they graduate.

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:
  • Sun, 4/27:  2:30 – Burlington Writers Club Awards Ceremony at ACC
  • Wed, 4/30:  Varsity Track Meet – away
  • Thurs, 5/1:  
    • 8:00 Coffee and Conversation with Mr. Johnston
    • NEW – TK:  Show and Tell:  Bring a Teddy bear
    • 11:30AM – National Day of Prayer Service at Mebane Presbyterian Church
    • Varsity Girls Soccer Conference Tournament = HOME game vs Lee Christian (MACC, 3:30pm) = also Senior Night
    • 11th – 12th graders:  Gala and Grad Payment is due
  • Fri, 5/2:  Teacher Appreciation Day
    • Varsity Girls Soccer Conference Tournament championship game

 

 IN THE NEAR FUTURE:
  • 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 at the lower school campus)
  • Fri, 5/9:  Teacher workday – No School
  • Fri, 5/16: 
    • 12:30-2:30 PM  Career Afternoon at Upper School 
    • NEW 6:00 – 8:00PM – Bonfire for Upper School Students (at the lower school campus)
  • 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:  
    • NEW TK last day of school:
      • 11:00 – Parents should arrive for end of year celebration
      • No Moms’ Helper or Bradford Plus!
    • 7:00 – Spring Fine Arts Program:  Upper school
  • Mon, 5/26:  Memorial Day – no school
  • Wed, 5/28:
    • K – 4th grades:  Verse Bee –
      • K – 1st:  9:00 
      • 2nd – 3rd:  10:00
      • 4th: 11:00
    • 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 had a great community helpers week! We enjoyed hearing from a UPS mechanic, a pilot, a buyer for a grocery co-op and getting up close and personal with ducks and  baby chicks while learning how to take care of them. Thank you to those of you who generously gave your time and come and share with the TK students. It was so fun seeing the students dressed up as what they’d like to be when they grow up! There are several pictures from the week in the album, so make sure to take a look! Another highlight of our week was that our classroom caterpillars arrived! We have a cup of caterpillars in each classroom. Students learned about the life cycle and are excited to watch the caterpillars grow and change. We began a life cycle journal where students will track the changes of the caterpillars. In math this week, students created ABC patterns using their voice and body and also were introduced to the card game war. Students learned to write lowercase letters w, y, and j as well as the capital partners. In the Bible this week we read about Jesus’s ascension into heaven. Next week we will read about Pentecost and begin learning our final Bible verse of the year. 

    Next week in TK is teddy bear week! Students will have several teddy bear lessons and activities. Next Thursday, 5/1 will be show & tell. Students may bring a teddy bear for show & tell. The teddy bears will be able to participate in centers with the students! Earlier in the week I sent an email regarding last day plans, summer packets, and summer birthdays. Please make sure you are up to date on all of these details and reach out with any questions. 

 

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th 
  • Students did a great job this week working on various relays and tag games.

                    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”. We also started our last hymn for the school year.  Third and Fourth grade students did a great job practicing for Bradford Night this week. All of their hard work paid off in a great Bradford Night Performance this past Thursday 4/24. 

 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week
  • Our kindergarten scholars are already halfway through the fourth quarter! It is amazing to see how fast time has flown by. In math, we learned how to draw congruent shapes and designs, how to measure and draw line segments to the nearest inch, and how to count by nickels. We also had a review day to go over previous concepts. In phonics, we continued reading the book, “In a Camel’s Eye,” and reviewed last week’s spelling words. In art, we worked on coloring our Christopher Columbus pictures and in science, we discussed the urinary system. The students are excited to finish their human body projects and have enjoyed learning about our body’s various functions.
Memory Work:   
  •  Ephesians 6:1-3 and review all verses for our upcoming Bible Bee

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

This Week
  • We had a joyful (and short!) week in first grade as we welcomed the beauty of spring and continued growing in knowledge and wonder. Though Monday was a day off, the rest of our week was filled with hands-on learning and exciting discoveries! In math, students practiced subtracting 2 and 3, learned to tell and show time in five-minute intervals, and tackled the challenge of adding three two-digit numbers with sums greater than 100. Our reading time was full of delight as we enjoyed Frog and Toad: Spring, a fitting story for this season of renewal and growth. In science, we introduced the steps of the scientific method and put it into practice through a fun experiment: Can Skittles float? Students made hypotheses and tested them by dropping Skittles into a pitcher of water. They quickly discovered that Skittles are not very buoyant—but their curiosity certainly was! In art, students completed their lovely lily drawings, a reminder of God’s beautiful creation, as referenced in Matthew 6:28: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin.” We praise God for the creativity He has given each child! 
 

2nd Grade (Mrs. Hedgecock & 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 on May 28, 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 newly learned multiplication/division 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 12 to 16 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
  • It was an exciting week in third grade as students shared some of what they’ve learned this year at Bradford Night 2.0! 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. “The Romans had emperors plenty!” 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 daily lives of those who lived in Pompeii.  We constructed Roman villas, then built and erupted six of our own replicas of Mt. Vesuvius while learning about the science both in actual volcanoes as well as our own!  It was a full week, filled with joy and new discoveries! 

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

This Week
  • This past week in 4th grade has been a rich tapestry of learning, creativity, and joyful celebration. In mathematics, we completed our unit on customary measurement conversions and began exploring the metric system. Students are learning to think critically about the use and application of both systems, gaining practical skills while developing a deeper appreciation for order and precision. 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. A particularly exciting development is the launch of our biography report project. Each student has selected a significant historical figure to read and write about. Students are discovering how these men and women used their gifts and convictions to shape the world and bring glory to God. We are eager to hear how their stories have inspired our students personally. In science, our Elements projects reached a meaningful milestone. After weeks of research, design, and preparation, students presented their chosen elements to their peers. The creativity and depth of understanding on display were remarkable. The highlight of our week was Bradford Night—a beautiful evening where students shared their academic work with parents, friends, and extended family. This event served not only as a showcase of hard work but also as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in our learning journey. It truly was a celebration of His blessings to us, through us, and all around us. Thank you for your partnership and prayers as we continue to grow together. Soli Deo gloria!
Upcoming:  
  • 5/5- CLT Testing

 

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, intonation, dynamics, and expression. We are having a lot of fun in class working together to create something beautiful. 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 – 8th Chorus – Pieces are coming together! We have been able to sing all the way through our pieces and they are taking beautiful shape. What once was difficult is turning into fun – it’s amazing what happens when we do hard things! The next step is to refine and memorize.
  • Bradford Chorale – We have had a very successful week of rehearsals, and it’s exciting to see the enthusiasm of the students in their enjoyment of their music. Refinement and memorization are the next step, as well as working on balance of parts. We are preparing to sing for the National Day of Prayer service on May 1 – this is open to the public and will take place at noon at Mebane Presbyterian Church.

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Miss Johnston) 

This Week
  •   We spent this week preparing for our Monticello trip by doing some extra studying on Thomas Jefferson. The students also wrote a short opinion piece about Thomas Jefferson. On Monday we will discuss whether or not their opinions changed based on what they learned on our field trip! In math we continued to learn about dividing decimals, working on problem solving and using models. They also took their Chapter 25 Latin test on Thursday. The students were daunted by the big chart in that chapter, but once we began to learn the pronouns and endings, they realized it wasn’t as scary as they had originally thought- it was good practice to not give up on something that at first looks difficult. They continue to learn good habits in discipline and hard work! 
Memory Work:  
  • 1 Samuel 2:7-8

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
  • Students submitted the first draft of their compare and contrast essay this week. Final drafts are due Wednesday, May 7. I appreciate the hard work that they have put into these so far and am looking forward to reading their finished products!
6th Bible
  • We finished up Revelation last week and are now working our way through the smaller New Testament books. This week we read through Galatians and Ephesians. 
6th History
  •  We finished our unit on World War 2 this week. Next week we will move into the Cold War, Korean War, and Vietnam War. 
6th Science
  • We started our unit on heredity this week! On Tuesday we watched an introductory video discussing the meaning of DNA, chromosomes, genes, and traits. Friday we moved on to looking at the difference between DNA and RNA as well as talking more about chromosomes and karyotypes. 
6th Logic
  • This week in Logic we talked about the logical fallacy of repetition. 
6th Latin
  •   Due to it being a short week, we took a break from Latin. Next week we will do a review of the first seven chapters of the book. 

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math
  • Math students excitedly jumped into Chapter 11 as the material is familiar–percents that translate to , equivalent fractions and decimals.

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • This week we worked on our complementary oil pastel drawings.  These are coming along nicely and I look forward to seeing the finished product. 

Dr. Wright

7th Composition 
  • Students’ final reflections on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream have been received.   Students are submitting their 1-2 Kings summaries for final grades.  We are also looking at similarities and differences in the four gospels’ accounts of the Lord’s resurrection.  
7th Omnibus – Literature, History, Bible
  • Students have returned their copies of Midsummer Night’s Dream.  We have taken the opportunity afforded by holy week and Easter to reflect on Roman and Jewish history and culture at the time of Christ’s resurrection.  
7th Logic
  • Students attended several of the senior thesis presentations, and are now reflecting extensively on six presentations of their choosing.   We continue to work through the informal fallacies in the workbook, and will dedicate more time this week and next on in-class discussions of those fallacies.  

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • We spent this week compiling individual research for astronomy projects and preparing for a unit test on the Earth and Moon.  Students should spend the next few days reviewing all that they have learned about the Earth and moon, the moon’s phases, eclipses, and tides.
  • The unit test will take place on Wednesday, April 30th.
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

Mrs. Palmer 

7th Art
  • Students spent this week working on their colored pencil botanical drawings.  We are focusing on detail, precision and color accuracy/matching.   

Miss Johnston

7th Latin
  •   We continued to review chapter 8 in preparation for our upcoming test. 

 

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus 
  • History:     Students are preparing for a history test covering the era of 1066 to 1450.   Black Death week (last week) was a smashing success, with the seemingly random death-plague claiming the lives of nearly 80% of students.  Death even paid a visit in the flesh and escorted Dr. Wright to the grave, whereupon the 8th graders performed a funeral service for their deceased instructor using words from the 14th century churches.  Thankfully, a general resurrection has now restored the class. 
  • Literature:   We continue through Tolkien’s The Return of the King, discussing key themes.
  • Composition:   Students have each chosen a particular historical figure on which to write their final biographical research paper, and have isolated key historical sources which will inform their writing.  Ask your student who he or she is researching!   Vocabulary building using terms from our Tolkien reading continues.
Miss Johnston
8th Latin
  •  The students took a pop quiz and we continued to study for our upcoming test.

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We continued our study of the periodic table this week with a study of the history and organization of the table of elements. We discussed the patterns that Dmitri Mendeleev discovered when he first arranged the elements by atomic mass. We also discussed the periodic trends that are evident when you look at the horizontal periods and vertical groups of the table.
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
  • Students spent this week working on their watercolor landscapes.  These are coming along nicely and will soon be displayed in the hall at upper campus.  We will soon begin a big project that will round out our year!

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We are learning how to test syllogisms (a deductive argument with two premises and a conclusion) by counterexample..

RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th: 

  • 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.
  • 11th Graders have been touring colleges and are making plans to tour more during the summer.
  • Teachers are striving to encourage students to balance learning for success and also learning for the joy of learning in view of God’s glory.
Mrs. Palmer 
9th Spanish 
  • Students worked this week on new vocabulary, practiced with both present and preterite tense and learned about reflexive verbs this week.  

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • We practiced calculating the volume of right prisms and cylinders this week, as well as calculating the volume of pyramids and cones. The students were introduced to Cavalier’s Principle, which states that right prisms and oblique prisms of the same height will have the same volume as long as their cross-sectional areas are the same. This helped them recognize that calculating volume is always a little more straightforward than calculating the surface area of the same solid.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic
  • We have completed our brief study of digital logic. This year we have studied truth tables, truth trees, formal proofs, and digital logic.

 

Dr. and Mrs. James

9th Biology
  •  This week we concluded our introduction to evolution, and the students took their second test of Q4.
  • Next week will begin a study of what the Bible says about creation and God’s identity as Creator.  It will include study of key Hebrew words and phrases as well as consideration of differing views from history. 

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • Students took a grammar quiz taken from a Classical Learning Test practice test.  The CLT answer descriptions gave great insight into how and why the correct answers were chosen.
  • Students are tasked with reading To Kill a Mockingbird  and then to write the essay rough draft by May 1.  Final drafts are due May 13.

Dr. Byrd 

9th Bible 
  •  We were challenged this week to study the book of II Corinthians. We also had a test on the four gospels. 

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • Students covered new material on some of the major battles of World War 2 during an abbreviated week.

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students concluded the study on the fall of the Roman Republic and are reading the end of Josephus’ Jewish War over the weekend. Students should prepare for an important day of review next Tuesday and then a unit test on Thursday (5/1).

Coach Johnston

9/10th PE
  • Students began a new unit on tennis this week.

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • Students worked this week on new vocabulary, practiced with preterite irregulars and have been working on group projects in the target language. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • We are midway through our study of conic sections.  Topics for this week included ellipses, circles, and hyperbolas.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • Students received final assignments and due dates for the quarter.  They need to conclude reading Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, and the essay rough draft is due May 2.  The final draft is due May 14.  Next, students will research the history of the “yellow house” and incorporate their findings in a newspaper format.  Students will take a quote test and spend class time taking grammar practice problems from CLT practice tests.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I
  •       Students worked on their rough drafts and turned those in on Friday. 

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology
  • Students are continuing in their study of J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism. We just completed the chapter on doctrine in which Machen showed that Protestant Liberalism teaches that Jesus is merely the greatest example to follow and that Christianity is a life and not a doctrine. Arguing from the history of Christianity and the Scriptures, Machen shows that Jesus taught and the apostles taught from the beginning that Christianity is not only a doctrine, but also a life, and it is its life that is rooted in and generated by its doctrine.  

Mrs. Palmer

11th Spanish III
  • Students spent this past week reviewing all of the perfect tenses.  We reviewed vocabulary from the most recent four sections and have been working with that vocabulary to expand our Spanish conversation skills. 

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • We are completing our study of matrices by learning how to find determinants of matrices and use them to solve a system of equations.  Next we will begin a brief study on probability.
11th Physics
  • We wrapped up our unit on optics and are nearly finished with an introduction to static charges.  Next we will take up current electricity and power generation.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  • We began our discussion of Senior Thesis. I am excited to begin this journey with this class! They seem eager to begin brainstorming. 
  • We also started Romeo and Juliet this week. One of my personal favorites! 

Dr. Smith

11th NT Greek
  • Students are working on their identification and use of Aorist, Future and Perfect verbs. 

Mrs. Fairchild

11/12 Art History Elective

Our class enjoyed an art presentation and bullseye discussion led by one of our seniors, Levi. We discussed at length Thomas Cole’s paintings the voyage of life in anticipation of seeing other Thomas Cole paintings on the field trip on Thursday.  

Coach Johnston

12th History
  •  Students reviewed major details from World War 2, considered the possibilities, limitations and ethics of bombing and at the end of the week began to research into their World War 2 battle presentation.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature
  •    We began our last book of the year: 1984. 

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  •  We are on our final review before the AP exam in two weeks.  Students are working hard taking some practice tests, refreshing some older topics, and interpreting the wording of AP style test questions.