BB 05-14-21

 BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XIII, ISSUE 33

MAY 14, 2021

 

FROM THE OFFICE

Bradford Games for our upper school students was a huge success!  We want to say a huge THANK YOU to Bonnie Rosenberg for taking on the monumental task of organizing the event, along with Elisabeth Morrell, Jason Palmer, and Lee Davis.  Thank you for your sacrifice of time and energy to give the students such a grand event.  

 

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

  • Monday, 5/17 – Girls soccer practice
  • Tuesday, 5/18 – Last volleyball practice
  • Thursday, 5/20 – Career Night – 8th – 12th graders. 6:30 – 8:30, main campus

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • 5/25 – 5/26:  Standardized Testing (1st – 8th grades)
  • 5/31:   Memorial Day – no school
  • 6/2:  
    • Verse Bee – K – 5th grades
    • Jr / Sr Gala – 6pm – 9pm
  • 6/3:  Baccalaureate – upper school
  • 6/4:  
    • Field day / Ultimate Frisbee – all students on Main Campus
    • GRADUATION – 7pm   

 

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK

I’d like to recognize several faithful volunteers who have served our school family this year.  Lisa Baarens and Heather Holdren faithfully come in every Friday afternoon to clean & vacuum the school.  This is a huge help to the teaching staff.  Also, when GRBC reopened for Sunday School we began resetting various classrooms on Friday afternoons.  Ian Leonard stepped up to coordinate a crew of students to help that happen each week.  We’re so thankful for the example that these folks set for our students, who, we pray, will grow up to have servant hearts as well.

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Grubb)

Bible
  •   This week TK reviewed the memory verses from the year. 
Theme Adventure
  •  TK students enjoyed watching Bradford Games.  They are excited about the wonderful things they have ahead of them at Bradford Academy! 

 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera & Mrs. McDorman)

This Week
  • This week in kindergarten we are beginning to flex our reading muscles. Students are using all the tools we put in their boxes to decode polysyllabic words in our last primer Runs From Guns. This is the story of Wilmer McLean’s eye witness account of the Great Civil War beginning at the Battle of Bull Run in 1861 on his farm in Manassas Junction, Va.  It then ends in his parlor at Appomattox Court House with General Lee surrendering to General Grant in 1865. This helped students have a better understanding of this period in our country’s history. In math, we learned how to subtract two-digit numbers without regrouping, identified degrees on a thermometer, and subtracted half of a double. We have begun memorizing the last four paintings and artists on our letterboard and recognized one of them was painted by our artist of the quarter Mary Cassatt! Students worked on their body projects, watched their gardens grow, and enjoyed a fun filled review day before their long weekend! I hope they spend time outdoors this weekend using their five senses to appreciate this beautiful world God created. 
Memory Work:
  • Review all verses.

 

1st Grade (Mrs. Morgan & Mr. Law)

This Week
  •  The boys and girls have been working hard on some really advanced things as the school year comes to a close. In math, we have been working more with parallel lines and right angles. We are also breaking into some times-tables in multiplication.  In phonics, we have been working through a book about Rob Roy, the Scottish “Robin Hood”. We are putting a lot of concepts together in grammar and writing some really fun sentences. In science, we have enjoyed learning about a very special bird, the painted bunting. This is the most colorful bird that is native to the United States. In history, we have been learning some state history with a fascinating book called “T is for Tarheel.” The children have been enjoying it very much.
Memory Work:  
  • Reviewing all memory verses.

 

2nd Grade (Mrs. Jones & Mrs. Batten)

This Week
  • Students have been so focused and hard-working this short week! We have added a ton of new information and content to their brains, and they have done extremely well with these new challenging topics. In Math, we have continued to work on both multiplication and division facts, as well as adding in word problems that involve division. Students have been working hard on using coins and trying to figure out how to make certain amounts of money using the fewest coins. If you have real coins at home, I encourage you to let your child build different amounts of money or challenge them by playing “store” and making them purchase something and see how much change they might receive back. In History, students have learned about Alexander the Great and his conquest of the Persian empire. We worked on some geography skills by looking at and comparing different maps of the expansion of his empire, and students have loved learning about how truly great his feats were. We have also been practicing a ton this week for the Bible Bee at the end of the year, and students have loved being challenged in their Bible verses. Spend some time this week going back with your child and reviewing all of the verses they have learned this year. 
Memory Work: 
  • Hebrews 11:36-38 and Hebrews 11:39-40

 

3rd Grade (Mrs. Garner)

This Week
  • In  our grammar studies this week, we learned the pluralization rules for nouns. We worked with partners to recognize the patterns, find the matching rule, and write the correct plural form. In writing, we started planning and organizing our last writing assignment, Escape From the Zoo. The students had a great time developing their settings, characters, and plot. Our Latin lesson was about identifying and familiarizing ourselves with prepositions in the ablative and accusative case forms. In math, our lessons revolved around life skills. These lessons included finding state sales tax, the volume of a rectangular prism (It is important to know if we are getting the best deal on a box of candy!), and calculating the circumference of a circle. 
Memory Work:
  • Reviewed 2nd and 3rd Quarter Verses
Upcoming:
  • Tests: 
    • 5/20- Math Facts and Written
    • 5/21- Timeline, Simple Machines, Latin Ch. 30

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Burtram) 

This Week
  •  We have had a wonderful week.  The students have learned about Knox and his role in the Reformation.  He was a fiery preacher and friend of Calvin.  The students have been engaged learning many new math concepts with multiplying decimals and finding the least common multiple.  They continue to enjoy their Keva building challenges and small math groups.  Our literature discussions have been rich and engaging as the students continue to make connections with William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings.
Science
  •  We have finished a wonderful week working on our group projects for medieval machines.  I love how the students are working together to create a trebuchet, ballista, and catapult.  We are looking forward to testing our machines soon.
Memory Work:
  • Quarter 1 Verses Review
Upcoming:
  • Launching our group projects

 

5th Grade (Ms. Vogus) 

This Week
  • We have had a wonderful week in the 5th grade. We finished up our Latin book and we are working on reviewing what we have learned this past year. We are continuing our reading of Treasure Island and having interesting discussions surrounding the events of the book. In math we are learning how to work with angles and how to find their degrees. We did a review week in history, which the students enjoyed. Next week we will be studying the last history card, the Missouri compromise. I’m looking forward to another great week!

 

LOGIC & RHETORIC SCHOOL

Mr. Batten

Language Arts
  • We are now well into the final chapter of Fahrenheit 451. Students are beginning to brainstorm for their essays explaining why they believe each chapter was named accordingly. 
History
  • Students reviewed for, and took a quiz on the Cold War. They should all be familiar with the major events, dates, leaders, and reasons why the war took place. 
Science
  • We did not have science this week due to the Bradford Games.
6th Logic
  • We wrapped up the fallacies of Propaganda! We are preparing to take a quiz on this unit before reviewing for a cumulative final exam. 
7th Logic
  • This week we debated various aspects of the Bradford Games!
8th Logic
  • We were able to make it through our first two debates this week! Students debated whether or not Edward Snowden should be pardoned, and whether or not we have free will in salvation. 
Upcoming:
  • We will continue working to wrap up 1 John 5, and learn about the Space Race!

 

Mrs. Byrd

Physics
  • After sorting out the major concepts of static electricity, we are beginning to consider current electricity – the type most of our devices and appliances use.  An interesting question that we will encounter is how it relates to and interacts with magnetism.
Precalculus
  • Our study of analytic trig has concluded and we are now learning how matrices can be used to solve systems of equations.
Geometry 
  • Following our study of similarity, we are now learning how trig ratios are based on similar triangle concepts.  Next week we will learn how to use trig ratios to find missing angles or distances.

Dr. Byrd

10th Bible Survey
  • We studied I and II Timothy and Titus this week. Paul gives instructions on how to order the church. We were challenged by Paul’s final words, “He had fought the good fight and had kept the faith” in II Timothy 4. 

 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Grade Science:
  • Our Docendo discimus presentations are well underway. The students have done a great job “taking over the classroom” and teaching their classmates about various topics related to astronomy. So far we have heard from student-teachers about the International Space Station, the Mars Rovers, the history of human space travel, current and future space exploration projects, and how astronomers classify stars. We are looking forward to hearing more presentations next week. Through this end-of-year project, the students are gaining a better understanding of Seneca’s proverb that “By teaching, we learn.”
8th Grade Science:
  • We are fully immersed in our study of Newton’s Laws of Motion. We had great discussion this week about the various types of friction that act in opposition to motion. The students will apply all that they have learned to improving their self-propelled vehicles. Additionally, the discussion led to some great strategizing on how best to use Newton’s Laws to achieve victory at the Bradford Games!

 

Mr. Hamilton

9th Logic
  • This week we prepared for our comprehensive final exam. So proud of this class and the work they have put into logic this year!
9th Historic Theology
  • We have moved away from Catholic responses to the Reformation and are now looking at confessions in the later Reformation period.
10th History
  • Students continue to work on their Roman history projects. Next up: a reading of Hannibal and the Punic Wars.
10th Literature
  • We continue to interact with Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, noting points of comparison and contrast with the Christian worldview.
11th Philosophy/Apologetics
  • We are now examining the reliability of the New Testament and the historical evidence for the foundational facts of the Christian faith.
12th History
  • After closely examining the horrors of European imperialism in the late 19th century, we turned our attention to social change in the 20th century.
12th Literature
  • Our readings this week were “The Shot” by Pushkin and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor. 

 

Mrs. Hamilton

Logic School Music
  • We completed a week of intensive ensemble practice! The piano pieces are coming together and the students are finally seeing the fruit of their hard work.
Music History Elective (Baroque to Modern)
  • We completed our overview of 20th century music with more highlights of great film music and musicals, the blues-filled works of George Gershwin, and the experimental style of post-war avant-garde American composers John Cage and Steve Reich. Next week, students will embark on a journey of research and discovery for their final writing project for the year, with topics ranging from the influence of the First Viennese School to the art of performance. 

 

Ms. Hutchison
7th Grade Omnibus
  • History:  Students finished a week-long project, “Ancient Rome Activity Packet” this week and have been enjoying short lectures from Professor Kyle Harperfrom the University of Oklahoma.  We’ve considered the importance of the period of Roman monarchy, which, according to Livy, developed in the Roman people “family ties and a love for the soil”.  We’ve been learning about the ongoing struggle between the patrician and plebeian classes of the Roman citizenry during the period of the Republic and looked closely at the Twelve Tables, which were written in 450 BC.   Seventh graders will be taking a comprehensive map quiz on Monday, which will test their knowledge of the geography and important places in the ancient world.
  • Literature:  Students continue to enjoy listening to our read-aloud, Detectives in Togas.   Our performance of The Odyssey will be on Wednesday, May 19 at 11:15.  If you’re planning  to attend, please  arrive in the sanctuary at Mebane First Baptist (the Upper School Campus) by 11:00 on Wednesday.  Parents of 7th graders will be receiving an email this weekend with more details.
  • Bible  We continue to consider the idea of greatness.  This week, students explored what the Bible has to say about the greatness of God, the greatest of all, and have examined what Jesus said about who, among is, is the greatest: the servant.
9th Grade Biology
  • Biology students are exploring the fascinating field of ecology, the branch of biology that studies the way organisms relate to one another and to their physical environment.  

 

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week we discussed how water can act as either an acid or a base. The students brought various liquids to class, and they measured the pH. We also discussed variations of the equilibrium constant and calculated pH values. 
  • Next week we will wrap up our discussion of acids and bases, including polyprotic acids and calculations of Ka and Kb.

 

Miss Oldham

9th Grade Literature
  • We started The Great Gatsby. 
9th Grade History
  • Students have presentations due in a few weeks. 
11th Grade Literature
  • We are looking at how poetry glorifies God, both in the subject matter and the structure of the poem. 
11th Grade History
  • Students have presentations due in a few weeks. 
10th Rhetoric I
  • Students have a speech due on Monday. 
12th Rhetoric II
  • Students defended their theses in a practice round with Mr. Johnston. 

 

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • This week we worked on our watercolor botanical finals.
7th Art
  • This week we did not have art due to Bradford Games.
8th Art
  • This week we worked on a project that allowed for some imagination and stretching of our creative muscles. 
9th Spanish 
  •  This week we conjugated verbs, added new vocabulary and prepared for our cultural project finals. 
10th Spanish
  • This week we added new vocabulary, differentiated between subjunctive and indicative and practiced more with conjugating in subjunctive. 

Mr. Palmer

6th Math
  • This week we continued working with variables and learned how to use the distributive property. 
7th Pre-Algebra
  • This week we worked with negative exponents.
8th Algebra I
  • This week we worked with rational expressions.
10th Algebra II
  • This week we worked more with logarithms and then took a test on them.
11th / 12th NT Greek
  • This week we continued working on I John translations.

 

Miss Windes
8th Grade Omnibus
  • History: We studied the plague and its effects this week, learning about the huge societal, economic, and political tremors it sent through the Europe of the 1400s. 
  • Literature: We continue reading The Inferno, this week learning about those in the seventh circle of violence. 
  • Composition: The students  continue to work on their stories detailing their personal adventures into the circle of hell they created, reflecting Dante’s imagination in the Inferno. 
6th Grade LATIN
  • Sixth graders reviewed for and took their test on chapter 13, covering the third conjugation of verbs. We begin our final chapter of the year next week! 
7th Grade LATIN
  • Seventh grade students learned about the irregular possum verb and how to use it in a complementary infinitive. 
8th Grade LATIN
  • Eighth graders continue practicing the new forms of ablative constructions and continued reviewing vocabulary.