BB 09-20-24

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 12

SEPT 20, 2024

FROM THE OFFICE

FOR ALL:

REPORT CARDS: Please note that report cards will be released on Friday, 9/27 online on EDUCATE. If your login isn’t set up before then, you will not be able to see your child’s report card. Please let me know before Friday if you need assistance.

LOWER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:

You can still sign up for Parent/Teacher Conferences (10/16) and Greek Olympics (10/25).
Parents are welcome to come watch the Soccer Tournament (09/25th) 12:00 at the MACC complex.

UPPER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:

Student council is hosting the first bonfire of the year. Please note the details below!

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 MR. JOHNSTON:

Keeping our families informed and up to date is a high priority for us. We hope you are finding this longform newsletter helpful and informative. We recognize that many of our families receive information in a variety of formats so we intend to add an additional source of information soon. We are working with a small media group ZipCast, to produce a short weekly podcast that will include a brief summary and reminders of upcoming Bradford events, parenting tips, news on classical education, and more. Watch for an email from me with more information.

For now, if you want to learn more, watch this short video that explains the ZipCast story to you and your family. In order to sign up to receive the weekly Zipcast, text BANC to (833)409-4823.

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

Mon, 9/23: College Fair at ACC (11th – 12th grades)
Week of 9/23: Upper school: Q1 finals
Wed, 9/25: House Soccer Tournament (1st – 4th grades)
Fri, 9/27:
- Field trips: 1st, 3rd and 5th grades
- END of 1st QUARTER
- Report cards released on EDUCATE.
- HOME Varsity Boys Soccer game at the MACC (3:30pm), SENIOR Night for soccer
- BONFIRE: Upper School students are invited to a bonfire at the lower school campus from 6:30 – 8:30
Mon, 9/30 – Fri, 10/4: FALL BREAK

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

Week of 10/7: Upper school: IST (Intensive Short Term) for 9th – 12th grades
- 9th: Technology
- 10th / 11th: Civics
- 12th: Senior Thesis
Tues, 10/8: Varsity Athletic Events
- HOME Varsity Girls Volleyball game at the MACC (3:30pm), SENIOR Night for volleyball
- AWAY middle school and Varsity Cross Country Conference Championship Race at New Garden Friends (4pm/4:30pm/5:00pm/5:45pm, awards ceremony afterwards)
Wed, 10/9: Upper School: Juniors take PSAT
Thurs, 10/10: All Parents Welcome – Coffee and Discussion with Mr. Johnston
Week of 10/14 and 10/21: Upper School: NCISAA State Playoffs
Tues, 10/15: Lower School: 4th Field trip – Botanical Gardens
Wed, 10/16: Teacher Workday
^NEWFri, 10/18: Scrooby House social (details to come)
Fri, 10/25:
- Upper school: XC Championship (high school)
- Lower school: K – 4th – Greek Olympics
^NEWSat, 10/26: Austerfield House Social (details to come)
Fri, 11/1:
- Upper school: Hobbit Day (5th grade – details to come)
- ^NEWLeiden House Social (Details to come)
^NEWSat, 11/2: Plymouth House Social
Thurs, 11/7:
- All parents: Used Uniform Sale
- All Parents: Coffee and Discussion with Mr. Johnston
- Upper school: Parents Day (Parents and grandparents mark your calendar!)
Fri, 11/8:
- Upper school: Parents Day (Parents and grandparents mark your calendar!)
- Upper school: 10th grade – Jr/Sr Preview – Lunch discussion (Parents welcome!)
Mon, 11/11: All: Veterans Day – No school
Thurs, 11/14: Lower school: K – 2nd grade – Bradford Night
Tues, 11/26: Thanksgiving Feasts
Wed, 11/27 – Fri, 11/29: Thanksgiving Break
Sun, 12/1: Applications open for 25/26
Thurs, 12/5: All parents: Coffee and Discussion with Mr. Johnston
Fri, 12/6: Upper School: 6th grade Field Trip to Appomattox Court House
Week of 12/16: Upper School: Q2 Finals
Wed, 12/18: Lower school: TK Parents Coffee and Donuts, TK Nativity Play
Thurs, 12/19: Upper school: Christmas Concert
Fri, 12/20: Christmas celebrations, Noon dismissal

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)

This Week

TK enjoyed a week filled with learning all about Noah and his faith and obedience in God. We also focused on the animals Noah brought with him on the ark. Students were able to choose an animal and create a mask to wear. On Thursday, students pretended to be the animals loading the ark. For show & tell this week, students brought their favorite animal. Next week we will learn about Joseph, the forgiving prince. In math this week, TK students worked on sorting pattern blocks and teddy bears and worked to make a graph with their bears. Students also identified circles and rectangles using crackers. It was so exciting to be able to eat our math lesson this week! A few of our centers this week included working on identifying and filling in rhyming words, identifying signs, a letter hunt, writing using magnet boards, and reading a book and focusing on emotions. We look forward to finishing up our first quarter of TK next week!

Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)

K – 4th

First through fourth grade students did a great job in PE this week practicing for the Soccer Scrimmage next Wednesday 9/25. I was really pleased to see how well our students worked together! Kindergarten did a great job listening to instructions and applying those skills to the games “Four Corners” and “Mr. Wolf”.

Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)

K-3rd

Students did a great job this week working on the first two verses of “A Mighty Fortress”. Students did a much better job matching pitches this week. Students also have a better understanding of the meaning of the first two verses. Several students have been excited to tell me that they have been singing this piece at home with their parents. I have encouraged all of our students to go home and sing what we have worked on in class for someone at home.

4th

Students did a great job this week working on the first two verses of “A Mighty Fortress”. Students did a much better job matching pitches this week. Students also have a better understanding of the meaning of the first two verses. Several students have been excited to tell me that they have been singing this piece at home with their parents. I have encouraged all of our students to go home and sing what we have worked on in class for someone at home. Students have also worked hard on learning how to read and play their first note on recorder.

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)

This Week

Our young scholars are one week away from officially finishing their first quarter here in Kindergarten! In math, we learned how to act out “some, some more” and “some, some went away” stories, how to identify the sides and angles of a triangle, and how to sort by using one attribute. In phonics, we introduced the phonograms, i, j, and m, reviewed our cursive loop letters, and had our first ever phonics test! In history, we discussed Noah’s ark and the flood, and God’s promise to never again flood the world through the rainbow. In science, we continued our section on the five senses, and this week we discussed the sense of touch. The students had the opportunity to make a hand craft which had different textures on each of its fingers. Finally, in art, we created collages with construction paper and we used scissors to cut out varying shapes.

Memory Work:

1 John 1:9 and review

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

This Week

This week was filled with many assessments of handwriting, reading, grammar, math, spelling, phonics, and more. The kids have done great! Although it has been a short quarter, the students have learned much! In reading we are learning about fantasy writing through our book about a nix that can shape shift from a thrush into a girl. The kids had fun doing art projects showing the thrush in a bush and using their imaginations to draw how they think it may have looked when the bird turned into a person. The kids had a special PE time this week in which they were able to practice soccer skills with second grade and playing in their house teams. We were very proud of their behavior! While they have much to learn in regards to soccer, they showed great listening skills, followed instructions, and were wonderful sports when winning, or losing. In math, they learned about adding 2, identifying ordinal position to the twelfth, and creating and reading a repeating pattern. They loved getting their first set of fact cards. They were very excited to start learning their uppercase cursive letters this week. They were also excited to start memorizing (or showing off what they already knew) their home address and phone number in grammar.

Upcoming:

Soccer tournament on Wednesday, September 25th
Field Trip to Alamance Battleground Friday, September 27th
End of the 1st quarter September 27th
Fall Break September 28th – October 6th
Beginning of 2nd Quarter Monday, October 7 (Buckle Up!)

Memory Work:

Isaiah 40:8

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

This Week

We have enjoyed a rainy week full of learning. The amazing thing is that “rain” and “cloud” are two of our spelling words this week. We have had many opportunities to use them in daily life. In history we have begun our study of ancient Egypt. Our history card this week is the Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by Pharaoh Menes. Two of our bonus spelling words are Egypt and pharaoh as we will be using those words often throughout the year. Be sure to have your child explain the pictures on their history card of the Narmer Palette. Such an amazing discovery back in 1897. We will learn about many other amazing discoveries in Egypt in the coming weeks. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain contains many examples of onomatopoeia including drip, drip, drip and crunch, crunch, crunch. The students used their creativity and illustrated onomatopoeias of their own – you can see these in their sketchbooks on Bradford Night.

Memory Work:

Matthew 6:19-21

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

This Week

We continued our study of Greek mythology with the introduction to the poet who wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey. Homer is believed to have written some of the earliest pieces of Greek literature. The Greeks used myths or legends to explain the world around them. We discussed how their gods displayed more human characteristics, such as being slaves to their emotions, inconsistent, and often caught up in the affairs of men. Contrary to the one true God, whose character is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and sovereign in all things. We finished up three-digit subtraction this week. Students were enthusiastic in showing their house spirit during the house soccer tournament scrimmage game! We are Archers, huzzah!

Memory Work:

1 John 1:5-6

Upcoming:

Greensboro Science Center Field Trip – 9/27

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

This Week

In fourth grade, we continued our exploration of numbers by finding the difference through regrouping and estimation. We delved into the life of Justinian the Great, learning about the importance of codifying laws to govern a nation effectively. Our discussion compared Justinian’s code with the Ten Commandments, highlighting our need for God’s grace as lawbreakers. This connected seamlessly with our memory work on 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, which speaks to how, when that which is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside. We also focused on a new spelling rule that helps students determine when to use “ie” or “ei” in words, reinforcing their understanding of phonograms. Additionally, we tackled our second persuasive expository paragraph, with students reading their work aloud to the class. We emphasized essential public speaking skills, including eye contact, articulation, and volume. To wrap up the week, we enjoyed a nature walk where students observed vascular and nonvascular plants, recording their findings in their Botany Books. The beauty of God’s creation provided a perfect backdrop for us to practice our ultimate purpose: to glorify God.

Memory Work:

I Corinthians 13:11-13

LOGIC SCHOOL

Mrs. Bennington

5th Band

Students did a great job learning and reinforcing their first three notes. Students did well on their playing tests this week. Please encourage your child to practice their first three notes at home.

6th-8th Band

Students did a great job on the exercises in Unit 3. Big improvements were made in tone quality and putting rhythm with beat. Students will have a test this Tuesday 9/24 on 3.38 in small groups.

9th – 10th Band

Students did a great job this week on their test on their Concert F Major and Minor Scales. Great progress was made from everyone. Students have a much better grasp of their concert F key signature. Range and confidence are steadily increasing. We also worked on blend, balance, dynamics, and phrasing.

Mrs. Johnston

5th Chorus

We finished learning Abide With Me and had our rhythm and singing tests. We are beginning to learn concert music now, working through the next week to have read through the first couple pieces before we leave for fall break.

6th-8th Chorus

This week we studied The Battle Hymn of the Republic, focusing mostly on the refrain and incorporating a descant. We are now starting to read concert music, putting into practice the music reading skills we have been developing this semester.
Note: The Christmas Concert is Thursday, December 19th at 7PM. PLEASE mark your calendars!

PE

5th-6th (Girls)

Students did a great job in PE this week playing the brain game, “Empire”. I was impressed with how well the 5th and 6th grade girls were able to remember information that was only presented once or twice!

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

This Week

Students continue to do an excellent job on math with some challenging lessons in chapter three, the multiplication chapter! We are encouraging them to slowly and carefully work out the bigger problems so there aren’t small mistakes! We also encouraged the students to use graph paper to keep numbers in line. We continue to enjoy reading The Hobbit; our travelers have made it to the base of the Lonely Mountain, but are stumped by how to get in and past the dragon guarding the treasure. In Latin, students are doing their last chapter of third declension adjectives and new vocabulary before a review test over chapters 1-5 next week! Students wrote a short story about part of the Mayflower journey for writing.

Memory Work:

Romans 12:11-13

Upcoming:

Alamance Battleground Field Trip: 9/27

Mrs. Palmer

5th Art

Students have finished their charcoal chess pieces and we moved onto our next project. We will be making booklets on the elements and principles of art.

6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)

6th Reading and Literature

We are continuing to work our way through Call of the Wild. We should hopefully be finishing that book next week. Next quarter we will start reading Across Five Aprils.

6th Grammar and Writing

This week we finished our first essay in Lost Tools of Writing. This was an in-class essay that focused on the basics of what should be included in a persuasive essay.

6th Bible

We finished up reading the gospel of Matthew this week. Next week we will move into Mark.

6th History

We talked about the battle at the Alamo this week in History.

6th Science

Students presented their Scientific Method projects this week! I very much enjoyed seeing the finished product of their hard work this past month.

6th Logic

We spent our Logic time this week continuing through the presidential debate from a couple of weeks ago. I was encouraged to see that the students were easily able to identify the many logical fallacies on both sides of the aisle.

6th Latin

This week we finished up Chapter 1 of Latin Alive!

Mrs. Crotts

6th Math

The 6th Graders are hiking through chapter 3. Additionally, we learned about Blaise Pascal, his contributions to our current world–calculators, wheelbarrows, the hydraulic lift. A few brave students attempted a worksheet based on his triangle and patterns for extra credit.

Mrs. Palmer

6th Art

Students wrapped up their charcoal Michelangelo pieces this week. We began working on charcoal still life drawings to round out our unit on charcoal. Students have worked hard at blending, grayscale and honing detail for these projects.

Dr. Wright

7th Composition

We held an extended class discussion on the invention stage of writing a persuasive essay, and took the opportunity to consider all reasons for and against performing the Odyssey play.

7th Omnibus – Literature, History, Bible

We have begun reading Homer’s Odyssey, and have revised the Odyssey play script in preparation for Parents’ Day. Read-throughs of the Odyssey script have begun in class, and we will gradually add props, scenery, and costumes over the next six weeks.

7th Logic

We had our first quiz, and another will follow next week.

Mrs. Frueh

7th Science

We wrapped up our Pedology Unit this week with a quarterly exam. The students were able to demonstrate their knowledge of the scientific method, as well as the physical and chemical properties of soil. They are already excited to continue our studies of geology next quarter.

7th Pre-Algebra

After practicing finding the area of complex polygons using addition, this week we practiced finding the area through the process of subtraction (area as a difference). The students are starting to realize that mathematics often involves making choices between multiple correct strategies to arrive at a single correct solution. Choosing the best strategy requires both logic and wisdom.

Mrs. Palmer

7th Art

We have been working hard this week to finish our original comic strips. We are also practicing with line in preparation for our second quarter project in which we will use lines to create architecture.

Miss Johnston

7th Latin

This week we started on chapter four! We began learning about noun endings and learning new vocab.

Dr. Wright

8th Omnibus

History: Multiple history quizzes this week will inform a summative history test on Wednesday 9/25.
Literature: We should finish Athanasius reading by the end of next week.
Composition: Students have submitted the first draft of the historical background section of their biographical papers, which will be returned soon with my comments.

Miss Johnston

8th Latin

This week we refreshed our arsenal of vocabulary by reviewing vocab from previous chapters. We also read about some interesting parts of Roman history and the students worked in groups to translate parts of the story.

Mrs. Frueh

8th Science

We wrapped up our unit on mathematics in science with a full unit review and then took our quarterly exam. The students have learned so much this quarter about measurement systems, significant figures, density, physical & chemical changes, and scientific notation.

8th Algebra I

We wrapped up our third unit of the year with a cumulative exam. The students have become proficient at solving for the unknown in increasingly complex equations. They have also learned to write their own equations for given situations. They are starting to realize the joy of working through an equation in order to arrive at a final solution in an orderly, balanced, systematic fashion.

Mrs. Palmer

8th Art

Students have been hard at work wrapping up their monochromatic Michelangelo David face drawings. These have turned out wonderfully and I am very proud of how students have found the various tones and tints needed for these. These drawings will be on display at upper campus.

Mr. Crotts

8th Logic

Defining terms is an important part of making good arguments. We have learned why definitions matter, different types of definitions, and how to define by genus (broad) and species (precise)).

RHETORIC SCHOOL

From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:

Juniors:

- On Monday, September 23 from 11:30am-12:15pm, juniors will attend a College Fair at Alamance Community College. There will be 75 regional colleges in attendance that students can talk to.
  - View the list of colleges in attendance and question ideas here
- The PSAT is coming up on Wednesday, October 9 at Burlington Christian Academy! This is a qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship program as well as a practice SAT. You can read more about taking the test, practicing for the test, and scholarship opportunities here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt
  - The PSAT is a fully digital test for the second time this year
  - The students took a practice test here at Bradford last Thursday afternoon to better understand the test and know how to prepare for the real test!
    - They can use their scores and score analysis to help them prepare for the real test

Save the date! Junior College Night will be held on Tuesday, October 29 from 5-6pm for all juniors and parents! I would love to have at least one parent in attendance for each student. We will review the junior and senior year timeline for college research, visits, and the application process!

Seniors:

- Upcoming for seniors:

Individual meetings: I continue meeting about once a month with each of the seniors; they are doing a great job with working steadily on their applications. These are some dates to keep on the radar from the colleges multiple students are applying to:

- - 10/15: UNC early action (non-binding) application deadline
  - 11/1: NC State early action (non-binding) and scholarship application deadline
  - 12/1: Anderson University scholarship priority deadline (rolling admissions)
  - 12/31: Liberty University early action scholarship deadline (rolling admissions)
- Students should be working on these pieces of their applications:
  - Asking for letters of recommendation
  - Creating their resume/activity list
  - Writing personal statements and supplemental essays
  - General application info

If possible, students should use CommonApp to submit their applications for ease of use!

Mrs. Palmer

9th Spanish

This week students took their first chapter test. We also began learning how to conjugate -AR ending verbs. Additionally, students received their next vocabulary list and will have a quiz next Friday.

Mrs. Frueh

9th Geometry

We started our third unit this week on parallel and perpendicular lines. We started the unit by defining important vocabulary and identifying the types of angles formed when a transversal crosses two parallel lines. We added several new postulates to our resource books that we will use in the coming weeks to write proofs regarding lines and angles.

Mr. Crotts

9th Logic

Our studies to review informal logic – various & common fallacies has ended and we are now entering the realm of propositional or formal or symbolic logic. Cue the music from “Jaws”!

Dr. and Mrs. James

9th Biology

This week we concluded our discussion of vertebrates, giving particular attention to the marvelous design of birds for flight, and how we learned from them for the design of aircraft.
Next week the students will take their final test of Q1.

Coach Johnston

9th History

Students completed their overview of the religious Reformation and the political and religious wars and developments of liberty that would come from that. Students took their last major assessment of the quarter on Friday and will begin their next unit, summarizing the causes and major events of the American Revolution.

Mrs. Crotts

9th Literature

9th Graders conquered their first formal essay for the year! We completed John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress; these books are for them to keep! Now they are taking a peek into the world of Charles Dickens and his “take” on the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities.

Dr. Byrd

9th Bible

We have enjoyed studying the Pentateuch, just finishing the book of Deuteronomy. It has three sermons and two songs; it is Moses’ call to the next generation to follow after the Lord faithfully.
Memory Verse: Deuteronomy 33:26
We are also praying through the country of the day from Operation World.

Dr. James

10th Chemistry

This week the students took their third test of Q1, and we reviewed for the final exam.
Next week the students will take their final exam, which is cumulative for the quarter.

Mrs. Palmer

10th Spanish

Students took a tricky “P” verb quiz this week. We also began new vocabulary and worked on the imperfect tense. Students also spent time reviewing past vocabulary and verbs.

Mrs. Byrd

10th Algebra II

Students worked on a best fit line project using historical average age of marriage data. Besides practicing with linear models, we also saw its limitations. Learning to solve absolute value inequalities was another topic that we covered this week.

Mrs. Crotts

10th Literature

10th Graders completed their first formal essay for the year! They have concluded a study of wisdom literature in ancient times–Aesop’s Fables, Proverbs & Job. They wrote a poem in prose about emotions from the Old Testament book of Job–despair, doubt, sorrow, hope. Next up scholars will dive into the world of Homer’s Iliad.

Coach Johnston

10th Ancient History

Students completed their study overview of Ancient Israel and took the essay portion of their unit test on Thursday.

Coach Johnston

9th/10th Advanced PE

Students used their time during rainy weather to begin their GAP project and study for other classes. On Thursday, students continued to play flag football.

Miss Oldham

10th Rhetoric I

We practiced impromptu speeches this week. On Friday, the students gave their second invented speeches.

Dr. Smith

10th Historical Theology

We finished chapter four in An Introduction to the History of Christian Theology and took a test on the first four chapters. Students also memorized John 15:24-27, and we began reading In the Year of Our Lord by Sinclair Ferguson.

Mrs. Palmer

11th Spanish III

This week we continued to practice with the future tense. We also worked on review with past grammar and vocabulary. Students also split into partners and spent time working on speaking and listening in the target language.

Mrs. Byrd

11th Precalculus

We’re learning the characteristics of polynomial functions – especially how to connect the algebraic representation to the graphical representation. Some of the topics we covered are determining end behavior, locating zeros, and determining behavior between zeros. We’re learning to use algebraic techniques as well as technology to analyze these functions.

11th Physics

Resolving vectors into components, adding components, and then constructing the resultant vectors have occupied us for most of the week. For most students this provides a review of basic trigonometry and trig ratios. For others, this is an introduction to these concepts. We also did a project “The Errant Arrow” where we solved a simple mystery by analyzing velocity and acceleration data.

Miss Oldham

11th Literature

We wrapped up Dante’s Inferno this week and took our final test on it on Friday. Next week the students are presenting their author research to the class.

Dr. Smith

11th NT Greek

We covered chapter nine in our text that deals with adjectives and worked on translations from the Greek New Testament.

Mr. Webster

11th-12th Systematic Theology

This week we started the doctrine of God. The students also researched arguments for old earth and young earth.

11th History

This week we discussed the rise of the monastic movement and how it influenced the Middle Ages as a whole. The students also took a quiz on the first half of the unit.

Coach Johnston

12th History

Students completed their biography presentations, discussed some observations from last week’s Presidential debate, briefly discussed Madison’s appeal for religious liberty and concluded the week by taking in a very quick summary of the one hundred years of religious wars and developments to religious liberty that came about in Europe following the Reformation.

Miss Oldham

12th Literature

We wrapped up The Red Badge of Courage and will be taking a test over it on Wednesday. The students also have their independent book analysis essays due next week.

12th Rhetoric II

Seniors are hard at work on research. Some are doing well and digging in, some are struggling. Please keep the seniors in your prayers as they work through their theses.

Mrs. Byrd

12th Calculus

We’ve spent time on the notation heavy limit definition of the derivative this week. We also introduced the streamlined and elegant power rule along with some other basic derivative rules. Soon we will use these rules to help us model and analyze more complex two dimensional behavior that in the past was limited to only straight lines.