BB 08-09-24

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 6

Aug 10, 2024

FROM THE OFFICE

This has been a memorable start to the school year, thanks to Tropical Storm Debby’s crawl through NC. This has put our emergency alert system to the test. We trust this has motivated you to get your EDUCATE login set up and communication preferences selected. I will be glad to help you with this if you are running into problems.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Scarf Ceremony: New students in K – 4th grades will find out on Monday, 8/12/24 which house they now belong to! We will make the announcement during morning forum and will present each new student with a scarf to symbolize their new house. Parents are welcome to join us! It will be at 8:00 a.m. in the auditorium, Monday, 8/12/24.
Car tags: If you need more yellow car tags than the 2 provided for your family, please email office@bradfordacademy.org and let us know how many more you need.
Library books may be returned with your children. Upper school students may return their books to the upper school office. Lower school students may bring their books to the lower school office. Thank you!

FROM DR. SMITH (Cross Country coach): Cross country practice has started. We have practice after school at 3:15 every day, except when there is a weather danger due to heat, lightning, or too much rain. Middle schoolers will not do as much as the varsity in terms of running so their practice will end sooner than the varsity’s. I will try and send out an end time for practice each day. Runners need to have actual running shoes. This is a non-negotiable. They should also have a water bottle. Give me a call on my personal cell if you have any questions (336) 419-5471. Text me your email address, if your son or daughter is planning on running and you have not yet communicated with me.

FROM MRS. MITCHELL: Bradford families, we are so grateful to partner with you and we praise the Lord for another year to grow with your children. Thank you, Leiden House, for the generous donations of extra supplies for community use. We also appreciate the attention to detail when purchasing classroom supplies. Student desks are well stocked…let the learning begin!

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

Mon, 8/12: 8:00, Scarf ceremony for new students in K – 4th grades
Thurs, 8/15: Hot Lunch, order here by Sunday night
Fri, 8/16: AWAY Varsity girls volleyball play tournament at the beach

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

Tu, 8/20: HOME games vs Friendship Christian School
- Varsity boys soccer (3:30pm @ MACC grass fields)
- Varsity girls volleyball (3:30pm @ MACC gym)
Wed, 8/21: AWAY Varsity cross country teams compete in Alamance County invitational
Th, 8/22: HOME Varsity girls volleyball game vs Cape Fear Christian (3:30pm @ MACC gym)
Fri, 8/23: AWAY games @ Lee Christian School
- Varsity boys soccer (5:00pm)
- Varsity girls volleyball (5:00pm)

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week:

Our young scholars seem excited and ready to embark on the newness that is kindergarten! We spent this week learning the different expectations, protocols, and measures in the classroom, as well as within the entire school. We also read the book, “The Kissing Hand,” in which a Racoon is nervous about starting his first day of school. We are so grateful for the opportunity to teach your students and we pray that this year is a blessing!

Memory Work:

Proverbs 1:7

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

This Week:

We had a great start to the school year this week! The new first graders got all their art boxes, pencil boxes, binders, folders, notebooks, and other supplies organized. They learned when and how to use each item. They have learned where all of the toys, books, charts, graphs, and other materials are in the classroom. We had a fun time getting to know who is in our class family and grade family this year. The students did some coloring and began their lower case cursive writing review as well as writing numbers. They have begun doing their classroom jobs such as librarian, cleaner, meteorologist, and mathematician. All students will have a chance to do each job several times throughout the year. The students are quickly learning all the rules and routines for 1st grade. We have awesome first grade classes and it is going to be a super year!

Memory Work:

Proverbs 1:7 / Catechism #10

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

This Week:

What a joy to welcome the new second grade students! They are all learning the routines and procedures for the classroom and have done a great job choosing to follow the rules. It has been a delight to get to know the students and we look forward to seeing what they bring next week for their “I’m in the Bag” assignment. I Corinthians 13:5-8a is a great verse to start the year off with to help the students understand how to show love to their fellow schoolmates. We kicked off our reading curriculum with “Mouse Soup” by Arnold Lobel. Next week we will begin all our subjects.
We will have Music Class on Monday and Physical Education on Wednesday.

Memory Work:

Memory Work: I Corinthians 13:4-8a

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

This Week

Students have jumped right into another year at Bradford Academy! We reviewed our procedures for successful learning and introduced a few new tools to help master the material for the coming year. We look forward to seeing all they accomplish!

Upcoming Memory Work: John 17:3

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

This Week

Students had a great first day of their 4th grade year at Bradford Academy. We look forward to ironing out our systems next week and diving into our curriculum next week! By God’s grace and with His help, we’re going to have a great year together.

LOGIC SCHOOL

Miss Stevenson and Miss Bennington

5th-8th Girls’ PE

7th/8th grade girls walked the route we will be taking when we run our timed mile.

5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Mrs. Kromhout)

This Week

We had a wonderful first week in fifth grade! The students did a fantastic job getting to know the routines and expectations of the classroom, and we barely started our curriculum for most of the subjects! We read the first few pages of The Hobbit, learning about the quirky character of hobbits in general as well as our hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. We reviewed Latin chants and started our new chapter one vocabulary list. We discussed structure and style in writing. We squeezed in a few math lessons. We began learning about our first history topic, Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal. Students eagerly soaked up the learning, and Mrs. Latour and I are both excited to get to know our classes better this year!

Memory Work:

Romans 12:1-2 (next week)

Mrs. Palmer

5th Art

It was a joy to see these students at upper campus! We began class by talking through art class expectations. We also discussed what contour and blind contour drawings are. I look forward to a great art year.

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature

This week we started on Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare.

6th Grammar and Writing

I had the students complete an in-class diagnostic essay this week. This gave me a baseline for where each student is with their writing, and it also gave me a decent idea of how much writing they can accomplish with no distractions.

6th Bible

Due to Hurricane Debbie, we did not get to start on the Bible this week.

6th History

This week in History we learned about the Monroe Doctrine.

6th Science

Due to Hurricane Debbie, we did not get to start on Science this week.

6th Logic

We had a brief discussion on the value of studying Logic, and I introduced them to our text for this year, The Fallacy Detective.

6th Latin

Due to Hurricane Debbie, we did not get to start on Latin this week.

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math

It was great to meet the 6th Grade students midweek! They seem like a bright, eager bunch! Students received brand new textbooks and workbooks from Sadlier Curriculum. We began our first lesson at the end of the week.

Mrs. Palmer

6th Art

We began class by talking through art class expectations. We also discussed what contour and blind contour drawings are. I look forward to a great art year!

Dr. Wright

7th Grammar and Writing

The short quiz on summer reading, which students took Wednesday (8/7), has given me an initial glimpse of how each student uses grammar in sentences. We will (8/9) begin reviewing essays 1 and 2 of “The Lost Tools of Writing” student workbook. Continuing students have received back those workbooks from last year, and our new student will receive a new copy when next we meet.

7th Omnibus

Literature: We heard the first few pages of Gilgamesh read aloud. Students will read excerpts as homework over the next week – these excerpts exclude pieces of that work that are adult in nature. We saw the overt violence of the text, particularly as Gilgamesh builds the great city of Uruk, and noted that Scripture, in contrast, presents God creating the world in peace, without adversary, threat, or conflict.
History: We noted the cultural influence of the Gilgamesh epic during the time Abram was called to leave Ur of the Chaldeans. Next week the students will read/review excerpts of Genesis.
Logic: As our logic workbooks are on backorder, we took the time briefly to summarize the narrative of the entire Bible in four words. Ask your student!

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science

Our science class only met once this week, but we were able to review the Cornell note-taking method and set-up our notebooks for the year ahead. We also started discussing the attitudes that are important for a good scientist.
All students are required to join Google Classroom within the next week. (Parents are also welcome to join the Google Classroom). The code for this class is: o6k2ac7.

7th Pre-Algebra

The students were excited to jump right into our curriculum! This week we reviewed place value, how to name numbers, expanded notation, and rounding.
All students are required to join Google Classroom within the next week. (Parents are also welcome to join the Google Classroom). The code for this class is: wdtqvsi.

Mrs. Palmer

7th Art

We began class by talking through art class expectations. We also discussed what contour and blind contour drawings are. I look forward to a great art year!

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus

Composition: The short quiz on summer reading, which students took Wednesday (8/7), has given me an initial glimpse of how each student uses sentences. We will begin to re-engage persuasive paragraphs and essays within the next week.
History: Our introduction to Church History by Eusebius gave opportunity to discuss some of Christianity’s earliest days, from Paul’s imprisonment in Rome until the Council of Nicea in 325AD. Students learned why the four canonical gospels became the authoritative measure for the Church’s teaching rather than other gospels emerging at that time. Ask your student!
Literature: We had a wonderful, engaging conversation about the summer reading. School copies of Eusebius’s Church History were signed out by each student, and excerpts were assigned (Eusebius is not one of the books students may mark in). Our “How to Meet a Book” conversation noted that not all “reading” is the same. Correspondingly, students are not required to read every sentence of the assigned Eusebius excerpts – yet.

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science

Our science class only met once this week, but we were able to review the Cornell note-taking method and set-up our notebooks for success this year. We jumped right into our first physical science unit by discussing the difference between physical and chemical changes in matter.
All students are required to join Google Classroom within the next week. (Parents are also welcome to join the Google Classroom). The code for this class is: qzsk3rx.

8th Algebra I

Learning Algebra is like learning a language. Algebra has its own grammar rules, just like we see in English composition. This week we learned the difference between algebraic expressions (which require simplifying and evaluation) and algebraic equations (which require solving). We also learned how to translate English phrases and sentences into algebraic expressions and equations.
All students are required to join Google Classroom within the next week. (Parents are also welcome to join the Google Classroom). The code for this class is: v7f5jg3.

Mrs. Palmer

8th Art

We began class by talking through art class expectations. We also discussed what contour and blind contour drawings are. I look forward to a great art year!

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic

We are starting the year with a review of logic – the art and science of reasoning well. We want to learn to use our God-given reasoning skills to evaluate facts & information in order to arrive at correct conclusions.

RHETORIC SCHOOL

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

9th-12th:

Mrs. Crotts will be working with Mrs. Kromhout to learn about all the needs and requirements for college counseling to transition to this position in the new year. Stop by Room 306 to see the Wall of College Pennants!
We are both looking forward to guiding your students this year through the exciting process of thinking ahead towards colleges, careers, and beyond! Please feel free to reach out to both of us first semester and Mrs. Crotts second semester with any questions or needs.
- akromhout@bradfordacademy.org
- mcrotts@bradfordacademy.org

Juniors:

Be on the lookout for a save the date for our annual Junior College Info Night! This evening is for students and parents to take a look ahead at junior and senior year and what the students should be doing this year to be fully prepared to apply for colleges in the fall of senior year!

Seniors:

Be on the lookout for a save the date for our Senior College Info Night! Seniors and their parents are invited to learn more about the nitty gritty of the pieces of college applications, how to use Common App, important dates and deadlines for financial aid applications, and more.

Mrs. Palmer

9th Spanish

It was a joy to see students again! We discussed classroom expectations and goals for Spanish class. We began with new vocabulary and routines. I look forward to a great Spanish year.

Coach Johnston

9th History

This is the first time that I have taught this new class of ninth grade students and it was a joy to hear about and have them think creatively back on their summer break experiences. We briefly discussed some of the reasons to study and enjoy history and I concluded the class by providing an overview of the major events we will look to learn from this year.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic

We are starting the year with a review of logic – the art and science of reasoning well. We want to learn to use our God-given reasoning skills to evaluate facts & information in order to arrive at correct conclusions.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry

We started this week with a discussion of Euclid’s Elements and the importance of this most prominent math textbook of the last 2000 years. We discussed the history of the book and read about Abraham Lincoln’s particular affection for the text. As part of our discussion of Euclid, we introduced the axiomatic method and the practice of writing 2-column proofs.
All students are required to join Google Classroom within the next week. (Parents are also welcome to join the Google Classroom). The code for this class is: lemdtoq.

Dr. and Mrs. James

9th Biology

Welcome 9th Grade students to Biology. We are looking forward to a year of learning about God’s creation, from its intricacy to its interdependence. The course will be divided into the different subdisciplines of biology. The first quarter will be dedicated to zoology.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature

9th Graders are acclimating to high school swiftly. We perused the syllabus and formal essay requirements; then students received copies of Pilgrim’s Progress and read the introduction and “author’s apology.” This is one of the two books that students can mark in and keep to begin building or add to his/her personal library. This is an excellent work demonstrating a man struggling through life’s challenges, facing his sin and weaknesses and ultimately receiving salvation! They also wrote a brief summary of the summer reading assignment, Tom Sawyer.

Dr. James

10th Chemistry

Welcome 10th Grade students to Chemistry. The course is introductory, but will provide a necessary foundation for future study of the various subdisciplines of chemistry: organic, physical, analytical, and inorganic. I appreciated very much the participation of the students even from the first day of class, and I look forward to sharing with them some of the intricacies of God’s creation.
The first quarter begins with review of essential knowledge and then moves into measurement and atomic structure.

Mrs. Palmer

10th Spanish

It was a joy to see students again! We discussed classroom expectations and goals for Spanish class. We began with new vocabulary and routines. I look forward to a great Spanish year.

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II

We spent some time learning about the development of math and the place that Algebra II has in the overall math schema. We also discussed tips for being a successful problem solver. Our main topic of the week was to review some basics of evaluating and simplifying algebraic expressions.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature

10th Graders know the ropes of high school! This accomplished bunch eagerly wrote a review of the summer reading–Death on the Nile. They also received a copy of Aesop’s Fables and were given a reading assignment with a challenge to find favorite and least favorites.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I

Students received their first speech assignment this week. This is an assessment for their baseline ability, so I expect them to grow over the year from here.

Coach Johnston

10th History

We have not officially had class yet, but students received their first reading and worksheet assignment on Tuesday and this coming Tuesday we will spend the class discussing and drawing out lessons through analyzing the Bible’s creation account and comparing and contrasting that with other origin stories. Following that we will begin to survey the history of ancient Israel.

10th PE

We had a good first class, but were unfortunately interrupted by the rain. Next week we will begin ultimate frisbee in earnest.

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology

We went over the syllabus on Wednesday and I distributed their first reading assignment, which we were going to begin to discuss on Friday, but will, perhaps, have to wait until Monday to begin. Looking forward to a good year!

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus

We spent some time logging into our new HW platform (Web Assign) and discussing the overall content and purpose of precalculus in the mathematical and career world. Our first topic of the year is a review of linear functions.

11th Physics

We discussed the place physics has in science, the topics within classical physics that we will be taking up this year, and some distinctions between classical and quantum physics. We reviewed the rules of significant figures and doing calculations with significant figures. We also started to learn about one dimensional motion and the difference between vectors and scalar quantities.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature

Students received their quarter long project this week. They also had their summer reading assessment.

Dr. Smith

11th NT Greek

Wednesday was our first class, but we hit the ground running. Students learned the alphabet–the way the letters are formed and pronounced–and were to have a quiz on Friday. However, given the weather, this looks like it might be postponed until Wednesday of next week. We try to avoid any assignments or evaluations on Mondays. Looking forward to a good year!

Mr. Webster

11th Spanish III

It was a joy to see students again! We discussed classroom expectations and goals for Spanish class. We began with new vocabulary and routines. I look forward to a great Spanish year.

Coach Johnston

12th History

We jumped right into the work of establishing the setting within which Europe would discover the new world. Students particularly focused on geographic observations but also made connections regarding religious and political wars, marriage alliances and some of the incentives to both explore and to conquer the unknown. I look forward to where we will go from there! Students will have their first geography quiz next week.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature

Students received their quarter long project this week. We also began Paradise Lost.

12th Rhetoric II

Students have begun their research in earnest. The seniors have also received their due dates and assignments for the entire year. Please be in prayer for the seniors as they begin their thesis journeys and beginning their senior year!

Mrs. Fairchild

12th Portfolio Elective

The seniors are diving into their first graphite project. They are endeavoring to each draw a section of the White Furniture factory located downtown. They will be able to align their work with their fellow classmates to create one large mural.

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus

We had a basic overview of calculus and the purpose for which it was invented. We also considered the merits of attempting credit by exam for this course (either AP or CLEP exams) and signing into our HW Platform. We began our first major topic of the year – the limit.