BB 05-17-2024

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 38

MAY 17, 2024

 

FROM THE OFFICE

SUMMER PLANS and OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Bradford Library hours:  Tues – Thurs, 9:00 – 12pm  (*except as stated below)
  • Mark your calendars!  July 4th:  Our students will have the opportunity to participate in the July 4th festival downtown.  More details to come.
  • Office &  Library will be closed:  *July 8 – 19th

SUMMER CAMPS:

  • Soccer Camp:  June 24-28th. Details and registration HERE.
  • Art Camp:  July 8 – 12th, 1:30 – 5:00,  rising 3rd – 7th grade – more details to come.
  • Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp:  July 8 – 12th, 8:00 – 12:00, rising 8th – 12th student – more details to come.

FROM MRS. MITCHELL:   

Students at the Lower School have learned the inspiring words to the Star Spangled Banner as well as the story behind the song.  In addition Mr. Johnston recently concluded a series of Forum talks about the preamble to the North Carolina Constitution: “ We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution.”  See how much your student remembers from each of these.

 

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

  • Tues, 5/21:
    • 5:45 pm – Info Meeting for Band (rising 5th grade and new students) – Location: lower school campus
    • 7:00 pm – Sports Award Ceremony (at lower school campus pavilion)
  • Thurs, 5/23:  
    • 10:30 – TK celebration
    • 7:00 pm – Fine Arts Night:  Band Concert and Patriotic Program at upper school

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Mon, 5/27:  Memorial Day (no school)
  • Tues, 5/28:  No special events.  Normal day of school
  • Wed, 5/29:
    • Verse Bee (lower school) – Parents welcome!  
    • K – 1st grades:  9:00 
    • 2 – 3rd grades:  10:00
    • 4 & 4th grades: 11:00
    • Junior/Senior Gala – group picture at 4:45.  Gala begins at 5p.  (11p is the end time.)
  • Thurs, 5/30:  10:00 – Baccalaureate – upper school
  • Fri, 5/31:  Last Day of school: (*approximate times)
    • 7:30 – 7:55  ALL K – 12th STUDENTS:  Drop off at lower campus
    • 8:00 – Kindergarten promotion ceremony in the auditorium – (parents welcome!)
    • *8:30 – 11:30 – Games and activities!
    • *11:30 – House cup winner announced, countdown to summer
    • 12:00 – DISMISSAL FOR ALL STUDENTS
    • **No afterschool care!**
    • 7pm – Graduation

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

This Week
  • We are wrapping up the TK year with our last theme week. Dinosaur week was a hit! We had lots of fun reading dinosaur books, working on dinosaur puzzles, drawing dinosaurs, and talking about dinosaur facts. Students dissected & tasted tomatoes and green beans and talked about herbivores. A highlight of the week was having the upper school hospitality class join us in the kitchen to make dino dirt cups. The juniors and seniors then joined the TK class to enjoy the dirt cups they all made together. We finished up our math lessons this week by learning to play dominoes. War and dominoes would be great games to play with your child this summer! It was also our last week of centers. Many of our centers were dinosaur themed. On Wednesday, we were able to do reading buddies with 2nd graders. Next week we will read with kindergarten students and 1st graders. Much of our time this week was spent rehearsing for our performance on the last day of school. TK students are excited to show all that they have learned this year. We look forward to finishing the year well next week!

 

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th
  • Students did a great job this week in P.E. We focused on the game Cornhole and students enjoyed playing in the cornhole competitions. 

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-3rd
  • Students did a great job in music this week working on the National Anthem. Students also enjoyed singing several rounds. 
4th 
  • Students did a great job this week singing several songs from the hymnals. Students also did a great job playing several new songs out of their recorder books. 

Lower School Art (Mrs. Palmer)

3rd
  • This week we worked on our collaborative watercolor Van Gogh sunflowers.  These will all be displayed together at the lower campus. 
4th
  • This week we worked on our collaborative watercolor Van Gogh sunflowers.  These will all be displayed together at the lower campus. 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week: 
  • Our kindergarten scholars seem ready and excited to be finishing up the school year in a couple weeks! In math, we learned how to subtract half of a double, how to identify and count by 100s, 10s, and 1s, how to write addition and subtraction fact families, and how to identify events as certain, likely, and impossible. In phonics, we started a new spelling word list and finished going through our last reader, “Runs From Guns.” In history, we discussed America’s Independence and our first president, George Washington. In art and science, we continued to work on our human body system projects.
Memory Work: 
  • Review all verses for the upcoming Verse Bee

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

This Week:
  • This week in history we finished up the reading of Benjamin West and Grimalkin and started the reading on George Washington. Students were able to research information for their very first report on George Washington. Next week we will use the researched facts to begin the rough draft of their very own George Washington report. We will end the week with the report presentations. For reading we have the book Fathers’ Faith in which we learn about several of the “fathers” of the Christian faith. The students have been learning how to use full sentences in answering comprehension questions. We are reviewing all of the Bible verses the kids have learned this year and finishing up our catechism memorization. Our students have been reviewing the many concepts they have learned in math this year. Our last “bird of the month” is the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. The students learned about this cute little bird in science this week.
Memory Work:  
  • Practice all the Bible verses!
Upcoming:      
  • May 24th – George Washington Report Due
  • May 27th – Memorial Day  – No School
  • May 29th – Bible Verse Bee
  • May 31st – Last Day of School

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

This Week: 
  • Second grade is off on amazing adventures in ancient Egypt.  Through math, art, science, reading, history, and music we have experienced a week full of exceptional learning. We traveled down the Nile and built model boats. We learned to read hieroglyphics and solved hieroglyphic puzzles.  We learned how pyramids were constructed and made small model pyramids.  We sampled figs, dates and apricots.  Student projects were a highlight!  What a joy to learn from the students about one of their areas of interest.  The grand finale was learning the process of mummification.  It has been an unforgettable week!  
Memory Work: 
  • Verse Bee on May 29th  

 

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

This Week
  • In 325 A.D., Constantine summoned nearly 300 Christian leaders to discuss the disputed doctrine of Arianism. Out of these discussions, what we now know today as the Nicene Creed, was constructed. The Nicene Creed is the most universally accepted foundational document among Christians across denominations and states, “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten not made, one in being with the Father.” Students discussed the importance of this doctrine to their faith as well as the importance of knowing God’s word so that we do not fall prey to false teachings. In math, students learned to convert decimals to percentages, calculate percent off of a number, and draw and measure angles using a protractor. The students have worked hard this week and can see the finish line in sight!
Upcoming Memory Work:
  • Review all verses for the Verse Bee
Upcoming:
  • May 27th – Memorial Day  – No School
  • May 29th – Bible Verse Bee
  • May 31st – Last Day of School

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Burtram and Miss Abrahamsen) 

This Week
  • Fourth graders have worked hard this week. We began working on our year end book reports, applying all the skills we learned in literature this year.  In History, we continued our study of the Renaissance and Reformation which the kids are enjoying immensely. Earth science continues to excite the kids as we learn about the beautiful world God has created for us to live in.  Students have also been reviewing all their memory verses from this year as they prepare for the upcoming Verse Bee.
Upcoming:
  • Friday, May 24- Book report due (Completed pages will come home by Wednesday, May 22)

 

LOGIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Bennington

5th-6th Band
  • Students did a great job in band  this week prepping for the concert next Thursday 5/23.  We will have dress rehearsals during school next Tuesday 5/21 and Wednesday 5/23 during the school day. Students need to make sure that they remember to bring their instruments to school next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 
7th-8th Band
  • Students did a great job in band  this week prepping for the concert next Thursday 5/23.  We will have dress rehearsals during school next Tuesday 5/21 and Wednesday 5/23 during the school day. Students need to make sure that they remember to bring their instruments to school next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Mrs. Campbell

5th-8th Chorus
  • Choral students wrapped up weeks of working on selections for the Patriotic program as we head into dress rehearsals Tuesday/Wednesday and the concert on Thursday!

Miss Stevenson

5th-8th Girls’ PE
  • This week the 5th/6th grade girls played flag tag, and 7th/8th grade girls played flag football.

 

5th Grade (Mrs. Owens) 

This Week
  • In math this week our students learned how to find the perimeter of complex shapes and we began to work with word problems dealing with mass and weight.  We are nearing the end of our history time period and this week we studied the Second Great Awakening.  We compared the thoughts and beliefs of Charles G. Finney to a few different scripture references.  This showed the students the importance of holding everything up to truth which is found only in the Bible.  We are coming to the end of Johnny Tremain and this week we read about his friend Rab, heading off to fight.  We are still unsure about what role Johnny will play if the fighting begins.  Lastly, the students participated in an energy escape room to test their knowledge of what they have learned in science over the past couple weeks.  
Memory Work:
  • Review Verses

Mrs. Palmer

5th Art
  • This week we worked on our collaborative watercolor Van Gogh sunflowers.  These will all be displayed together at the upper campus. 
Mrs. Kromhout
5th Latin
  • Students took their chapter 21 test this week, covering their new vocabulary and the fourth declension chant. We are continuing to prepare for our end of year Latin competition which will be held during the last week of school! 

 

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature
  • We are continuing to work our way through Around the World in Eighty Days. Phillias Fogg and Passepartout are currently traveling through America on the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad.
6th Grammar and Writing
  • With the remainder of our time in Grammar class, I am introducing them to miscellaneous punctuation rules (colons, semicolons, hyphens). The final states and capitals test is on Friday, May 24.
6th Bible
  • We finally started reading the book of the Revelation! My hope is that we will be able to complete it by the end of the school year. 
6th History
  • This week we learned about the Space Race between the U.S. and the USSR. We watched documentaries about the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. 
6th Science
  • In Science this week we learned about blood types, sex-linked traits, and how to predict the probability of each using punnett squares. 
6th Logic
  • We completed our last lesson in our Logic book this week! It covered the Appeal to Tradition and the Appeal to Hi-Tech. Propaganda presentations were due on Friday. The Logic final is Wednesday, May 22.

Mr. Hunter

6th Latin
  • This week the students reviewed for their final test, and we read a story about the adventures of Perseus in Latin. 

Mrs. Frueh

6th Math
  • The students tackled some difficult concepts this week, including calculating the surface area of a sphere. They also learned how to transform mathematical formulas to solve for a particular unknown and how to calculate the slope of a line on the coordinate plane. All of these skills are forming a solid foundation for their future math education.

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • We wrapped up our Van Gogh multimedia drawings.  Students worked hard on this and these are now currently being displayed at upper campus.  

Mrs. Crotts

7th Grammar and Writing
  • We reviewed lesson 8 of The Lost Tools of Writing.  Also, the students did an activity to further their skills in writing metaphors: start with a noun, then name another noun that is different but has something in common.
7th Omnibus
  • Literature:  The class completed the Greek & Roman gods banner.
  • History/Bible: The class made a review game from the ancient history timeline (creation-A.D. 70).  Also, students wrote an in-class essay about worshiping a Holy God.

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science
  • We wrapped up our Docendo Discimus project this week with the last round of student presentations. Each student chose a different astronomy topic to study. After becoming an expert on the topic, each student had the opportunity to teach the class a 10-minute lesson about their chosen topic. This week’s presentations taught us more about Jupiter’s moons, different types of galaxies, the Hubble Deep Field photograph, and the lives and research of William and Caroline Herschel.
7th Pre-Algebra
  • The students added many valuable geometric tools to their math toolbox this week as they learned to calculate the volume and surface area of pyramids, cones, and spheres.  We also learned how to use multiple unit multipliers to make conversions of volume between the metric and English measurement systems.

Mrs. Palmer 

7th Art
  • We have been working on our graphite still life drawings.  Students have worked hard blending, creating value/contrast and obtaining details.  These are coming along nicely. 

Mr. Hunter

7th Latin
  • This week the students reviewed for their final test, and we read a story about the adventures of Perseus in Latin. 

 

Mrs. Kromhout

8th Omnibus 
  • History: In history this week, we learned about the Gothic architecture of the cathedrals of the High Middle Ages as well as the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings in 1066.  
  • Literature: We continue reading Macbeth, watching as our tragic hero falls from his place as an honored soldier to a despised and feared tyrant. 
  • Composition: Students completed their research papers and turned them in on Friday! I am proud of the hard work they have put into researching, writing, citing sources, and proofreading these papers. Next week we will format our source page into an official bibliography. Parents, I encourage you to take a look at their final product! 

Mr. Hunter

8th Latin
  • This week the students prepared for their final test and worked on their translation projects. We also read about the adventures of Perseus in Latin. 

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science
  • We put our periodic table knowledge to the test by creating an “alien periodic table”. This logic exercise allowed students to use their knowledge of the periodic table groups to solve clues that would help them create a table with elements named by a different, imaginary civilization.  We also wrapped up our final unit with a quarterly exam.  The students are now well-prepared for future chemistry classes as they have a thorough understanding of the organization of the periodic table and the groups of elements classified within it.
8th Algebra I
  • This week we learned how to use the exponential functions on our calculators to calculate exponential growth and compound interest. We also learned how to calculate variables that vary directly and inversely.

Mrs. Palmer 

8th Art
  • We wrapped up our colored pencil still life drawings and began Van Gogh inspired sunflowers.  Much of their art is on display at upper campus!

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic
  • We have learned how to build an argument around the conclusion we wish to prove.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

8th-12th:
  • 8th-12th graders attended Career Afternoon this Friday afternoon! They had the opportunity to speak to presenters in all sorts of careers and fields from the military to medicine to skilled trades to civil engineering to management and more! 
  • Parents, I encourage you to have conversations with your students about what they learned! What piqued their curiosity? What might they be interested in learning more about? What questions do they still have? The internet is full of information and resources to learn more! 
  •  I would especially encourage high school students to plan to shadow a few people each summer. This is a great time to be thinking about who they might want to shadow this summer! 
Juniors: 
  • The final SAT of this school year is on June 1st; most juniors have already taken the SAT once, but if they would like to take it again this will be their last opportunity of the school year. The early registration deadline was yesterday, but they can still register for an extra fee until May 21st. The next SAT will be offered at the end of August. 

Mrs. Palmer 

9th Spanish 
  • This week students gave their cultural presentations.  These were excellent!  I am very thankful for their hard work. 

Coach Johnston

9th History
  • We studied the major decisions, events and organizations developed in the first five years of the Cold War in class this week. Topics covered included: Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO, the Warsaw Pact, the Iron Curtain, the Chinese Civil War, post-war reorganization of Japan and an intro to the Korean War.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry
  • Our last topic of study for the year is circles. This week we learned several theorems related to tangents, chords, and arcs. The students quickly realized how important their trigonometry skills are for solving circle problems. Even though there initially doesn’t seem to be a close connection between triangles and circles, many of our triangle calculation skills have helped us solve for unknown circle measurements this week.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic
  • In this academic year, we have studied truth tables, truth trees, formal proofs, and digital logic.
  • All four methods have taught us how to follow chains of reasoning.
  • Digital logic applies all that we have learned to technology and the gadgets that we use in daily life.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Biology
  • Students completed and then presented Endangered Species projects.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature
  • Students completed edits to essays about the theme of the mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird.  We watched the Gregory Peck version of the movie made about the book and discussed the changes the movie presents compared to the book.  

Dr. Byrd 

10th Bible Survey
  • We have been studying the Prison Epistles. We have been challenged by the glorious truths. We also took a test this week. 
  • No memory verses this week. 

Dr. James

10th Chemistry
  • This week we concluded our lessons on acid-base chemistry, and the students measured the pH of beverages they brought to class.
  • Next week the students have their third test of Q4, and we will review for the final exam.

Mrs. Palmer 

10th Spanish
  • This week students reviewed and took their final.  Next week we will begin wrapping up and reviewing all that we have learned in Spanish 2 this year. 

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II
  • Topics for this week included evaluating and sketching piecewise functions, reviewing the binary number system, representing linear functions in several formats, and learning how to use a graphing calculator to analyze function behavior.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature
  • Students wrote an in-class essay on the need for ethics in technology and science based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Also, they took a quiz on quotes from books we’ve read or talked about this year.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I
  •  Students have been delivering Teeny Tiny Theses this week and we will have to finish on Tuesday. They have a final vocab quiz on Thursday. 

Coach Johnston

10th History
  • Students have begun to review for their final exam (5/28). This week our focus was on finishing Josephus’ Jewish Civil War and reviewing geography. Next week we will focus primarily on the ancient Greek and Roman world in preparation for the exam.
10th PE
  • Students enjoyed the opportunity to play basketball on Thursday after spending a day indoors on Tuesday due to the rain. Students were productive in class and many chose to compete in a Seven Wonders board game competition. However, we were all thankful to be more physically active outside on Thursday.

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus
  • We’ve been considering arithmetic and geometric sequences and series this week.  Our next topic will be a brief look at Conic Sections.
11th Physics
  • In our study of magnetism we study how electricity can be used to make a magnet.  We’ve also considered what causes the earth’s magnetic field and how it varies in strength and direction.  One final important topic left for us to look at is how magnetism is used to generate electricity.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature
  • Students finished The Pilgrim’s Progress with a group map project and an essay. Next week we will be preparing for our final exam, scheduled for Friday the 24th.

Mr. Hunter

11th NT Greek
  • This week the students completed their reading of 1 John in Greek, and they began preparing for their final test. 

Mrs. Palmer

11th-12th Elective: Color Theory/Design
  • Students continued to work on their interior design projects.  

Dr. Smith

11th-12th Apologetics & Philosophy
  • We covered chapters six and seven in Carl Trueman’s book Strange New World. In those chapters, Trueman stresses that all of the traditional ways by which people used to identify themselves–religion, family, local community and nation, and that used to have a fixed and stable character, have now become “fluid.” This is the result of a rejection of the biblical view of truth and the embracing of the belief that our internal desires are in some sense more “real” than the external realities outside of us. We discussed some of the implications of this belief, its consequences and how it eventually falls apart intellectually and why it is that people cannot actually live consistently with it.   

Coach Johnston

12th History
  • Students completed their study, review and assessments on WW2 this week and then received a summary overview of our final unit the Cold War. We will dive deeper into the organizations, events and people of that time next week. Students will study and prepare brief summaries on particular topics within the study of the Cold War.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature
  • Seniors are reading Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night as their final high school literature book. We have our final exam scheduled for Friday the 24th.  

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus
  • Students took their AP exam on Monday.  We also spent a day working on modeling a deer population with a differential equation and seeing how various population control efforts affected the long term population.

Mrs. James

12th Anatomy
  • We are finishing up the reproductive system this week with the final anatomy  test on Tuesday 5/21.