BB 12-06-24
BRADFORD BULLETIN
VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 21
DEC 06, 2024
FROM THE OFFICE
FOR ALL:
- Current house competition standings:
- Leiden – 17 points
- Scrooby – 15 points
- Plymouth/Austerfield – 13 points
- 25/26 Enrollment Notes:
- If your child is a current student and you plan for your child to return for the 25/26 school year, you do not need to do anything to re-enroll them. It is automatic.
- If your child is a current student and you do not plan for them to return for the 25/26 school year, please inform the office in writing no later than February 15th to avoid having to pay the $500 contract opt-out fee.
- If you have a child who is not a current student, but you want to enroll them, please complete an application for the 25/26 school year.
- NC Opportunity Scholarship 25/26: Applications will open in February. Watch your email for more information!
LOWER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Wed, 12/11 at 1:30 (rain date, 12/18): Running club 5K race. Parents welcome!
- Wed, 12/18: TK Nativity Play at 8:30 a.m. Parents are invited to enjoy donuts and coffee as they wait, starting at 8:00!
- Fri, 12/20: Christmas Celebration – Thank you for your quick replies! All slots have been snatched up!
UPPER SCHOOL- IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Declamation winners
- Middle school 1st: Nora Palmer
- Middle school 2nd: Wil Adkins
- Middle school 3rd: Elise Palmer
- High school 1st: Luke Randall
- High school 2nd: Reagan Johnson
- High school 3rd: Savannah Drews
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:
“Show me.” Bradford teachers often use this effective, short sentence (or sentence opener) when children have been taught what to do, but the group as a whole is delayed in following through. Rather than having a prolonged discussion about an understood expectation, this brief encouragement shifts the responsibility to the children and enables them to follow through obediently. I hope this “pro tip” might come in handy at home as well during the month of December, which brings equal opportunities for both joy and stress. Give it a try!
UPCOMING
NEXT WEEK:
- Mon, 12/09: Varsity basketball games – AWAY
- Tues, 12/10: Varsity basketball games – AWAY
- Wed, 12/11: Running club 5K race at 1:30
IN THE NEAR FUTURE:
- 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
- Mon, 1/6: Return from Christmas break
- Week of 1/6: Intensive Short Term (9-12th grades)
- Thurs, 1/9: Coffee and Discussion with Mr. Johnston
- Mon, 12/20: MLK Day observed, no school
- Fri, 1/24: Spelling Bee (4th – 8th grades) at the upper school campus
FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Weber)
This Week
- TK students enjoyed this chilly week and jumped right into learning about the birth of Christ. We are pushing to finish this 2nd quarter strong! Our focus in the Bible this week was learning about the birth of Christ and memorizing Luke 2:11. Over the next 2 weeks we will focus on the shepherds and wise men who came after Jesus was born. TK students began rehearsing for our Christmas program. Students are excited to show you all they have been learning! In math this week, we focused on telling time, identifying 1st through 4th, putting price tags on items for our classroom store and identifying numbers on a number line. We will review some math concepts next week and pick up with new lessons after Christmas break. Our letter of the week this week was O and students practiced the sounds O makes and practiced writing letter O. A few of our centers included an introduction to word families which is a huge tool for reading readiness, writing letters using magnet boards, and a journal about what we did over Thanksgiving break. We look forward to celebrating this Christmas season here at school over the next 2 weeks!
Lower School P.E. (Mrs. Bennington)
K – 4th
- Kindergarten through 2nd grade students did a great job in P.E. playing games that encouraged them to follow instructions. Third and Fourth grade students did a great job running laps in preparation for their marathon race next Wednesday, 12/11.
Lower School Music (Mrs. Bennington)
K-2nd
- Students learned about Johann Sebastian Bach and completed a drawing exercise while listening to one of his pieces, Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Students did a great job drawing pictures of what the piece made them visualize.
3rd- 4th
- Students did a great job singing several Christmas Carols. Students also played several exercises in their recorder book. Please encourage your child to practice their recorder at least twice a week.
Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera and Miss Burdeshaw)
This Week
- Our kindergarten scholars are so close to the end of the second quarter! They have worked very hard and we are so thankful for the opportunity to nurture and mold their minds. In math, we learned how to identify morning, afternoon, evening, and night. We also learned the addition facts: adding 1 to a number, how to sort items and create a graph, and how to weigh objects using nonstandard units. In phonics, we introduced the phonograms, ay, ai, ea, or, and ui, and we started our new reader, Bad Meg. In history, we discussed Alexander the Great, a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia and a successful military general. In art, we learned about the grayscale and how it demonstrates varying degrees of lights and darks. The students then shaded a picture of a hot air balloon using the different shades of gray. In science, we started our new section on measurement. Our young scholars were excited to meet Mr. Gallon Man, who showed us what units of measurement make up a gallon.
Memory Work:
- Isaiah 9:6-7 and review
1st Grade (Mrs. Cantaffa & Mrs. Smith)
This Week
- Our first graders have had another exciting and productive week filled with learning and creativity! In Math, we explored the concept of money by identifying and counting coins. We reviewed tally marks and began learning about fractions, such as halves, quarters, and eighths, using circles. Additionally, we started weighing objects and comparing their weights, introducing the concept of measurement in a hands-on way. During Reading, we enjoyed The Sailing Saint, and in Grammar, we practiced using “see,” “saw,” and “seen” while refining our sentence-writing skills. In History, we delved deeper into the Pilgrims’ journey and read selections from Pilgrim Stories by Margaret Pumphrey. For Science, we studied the science of rainbows—how they form and the beauty of their colors. We were reminded of God’s promise to Noah, symbolized by the rainbow, and reflected on His faithfulness to us. This led into a rainbow-themed Art project where students creatively celebrated God’s handiwork. It’s been a week full of discovery, growth, and meaningful connections. Thank you for supporting our class as we continue this journey of learning together!
Memory Work:
- Psalms 1:1-6
Upcoming:
- Friday December 20th – Half day & Christmas party
2nd Grade (Mrs. Hedgecock & Mrs. Eng)
This Week
- After enjoying the wonderful season of Thanksgiving, we are now focused on the season of Advent. Of all the gifts and celebrations, we pray that each of the students will know that Jesus is truly the best present. This week we have learned about the remarkable civilization of the Middle Kingdom in Egypt, which coincides with Joseph in Egypt. Our math study of temperatures goes along nicely with our study of the states of matter in science. In math we have started learning multiplication facts. Fun! Most of the students were able to complete 100 addition facts in under five minutes but please continue to work with your child to know the addition facts quickly and easily. The addition of prepositions in our grammar study has enhanced our sentence writing. We have a busy three weeks planned, but will set aside time to celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus.
Memory Work:
- Proverbs 25:6-7
3rd Grade (Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Meredith)
This Week
- This week in Latin, we learned two types of sentence patterns: sentence pattern A and B. Learning another language helps broaden our understanding of our own language and gives us a bigger picture of the world around us. In history, we learned about the Classical Period, and its roots in ancient Greece, as well as its continuing influence on modern society. Much of the early politics, art, philosophy, literature, and theater derives from this “Golden Age” in Athens. Pericles, the most famous politician at that time, helped Athens to become the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. Athen’s growing influence caused the Spartans to feel threatened. Thus, leading to the Peloponnesian War, which lasted for 30 years. Athens was eventually conquered by Sparta. Students had the opportunity to compare the ancient Greek city-states of Athens of Sparta, and discovered they were vastly different. Ask your student if they would rather be a Spartan or Athenian citizen! In science, we launched balloon rockets to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
Memory Work:
- Review Quarter 2 Verses
Mrs. Fairchild
3rd Grade Art
- We have wrapped up studying our artist of the quarter and we are taking on a smaller project to introduce them to charcoals so that they will be prepared to take on a larger project beginning next semester.
4th Grade (Mrs. McDorman and Mrs. Rankin)
This Week
- This week, our 4th-grade class explored the architectural beauty and historical significance of several iconic European cathedrals, including St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the Duomo in Florence. We compared the differences between the Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. In math, we continued honing our division skills by tackling real-world word problems, deepening our understanding of how division functions in various contexts. In language arts, we focused on enhancing our writing and communication abilities by studying the difference between possessive nouns (which indicate ownership) and plural nouns (which show more than one). Students planned and plotted their creative pieces to enter in the upcoming Burlington Writer’s Contest. In science, we took a closer look at Earth science, specifically the four spheres of the Earth: the biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere. This week, students concentrated on the atmosphere, exploring its crucial role in sustaining life on Earth and recording their observations in their science journals. We absorbed a wealth of new knowledge this week and are eager to finish the second quarter on a strong note.
- Memory Work: Review First and Second Quarter Verses; Catechism #89
Mrs. Fairchild
4th Grade Art
- We have wrapped up studying our artist of the quarter and we are taking on a smaller project to introduce them to charcoals.
LOGIC SCHOOL
Mrs. Bennington
5th Band
- Fifth grade band students did a great job this week working on their concert music. Students have worked hard to reinforce their first six notes. Students are now consistently able to put together more than one part at the same time. Keep practicing at home!
6th-8th Band
- Band students did a great job this week working on their concert music. Students worked hard to apply the concepts of balance, blend, and expression to their concert music. We also worked on attacks, releases, air flow, and confidence. Please encourage your child to continue to practice at home!
9th – 10th Band
- Band students did a great job this week working on their concert music. Students worked hard to apply the concepts of balance, blend, and expression to their concert music. We also worked on attacks, releases, air flow, and confidence. Please encourage your child to continue to practice at home!
Mrs. Johnston
5th – 8th Chorus
-
5th Chorus – We have spent a lot of time fine-tuning pieces and even took a break to learn a Christmas Round. Feel free to ask your student to teach it to you!
-
6th-8th Chorus – This week’s goal was balance and sound projection. We sought to open our ears by closing our eyes, and had remarkably better sound!
5th Grade (Mrs. LaTour and Mrs. Kromhout)
This Week
- The fifth graders have had a great week of learning this week! In math, we continue working with fractions, learning to subtract, estimate, and calculate with mixed numbers. For writing, we are beginning to brainstorm and write a creative short story! The students are having fun coming up with a plot and characters, and we will plan to submit the stories to the Burlington Writer’s Contest in January. In history, the students studied the thirteen colonies and the products they traded with England and elsewhere. For Latin, we learned a new set of vocabulary and reviewed the four verb conjugations in preparation for next week’s chapter where we will learn about some differences in the conjugations. Finally, in reading the students are enjoying Witch of Blackbird Pond, getting acquainted with the characters and watching as Kit struggles to fit into her new family and culture.
Memory Work:
- Colossians 3:23-24
Mrs. Palmer
5th Art
- Students have been hard at work on their American Revolution posters. We have been paying good attention to historical accuracy as well as artistic value for these.
6th Grade (Miss Stevenson)
6th Reading and Literature
- We are continuing to work our way through A Christmas Carol. We are reading it theater-style, and I must say, a few of your kids have quite a theatrical flare!
6th Grammar and Writing
- We are working through the second essay in The Lost Tools of Writing. It is a minor persuasive essay that we will be completing in class.
6th Bible
- We are continuing to work our way through the gospel of Luke.
6th History
- We finished up our unit on the transcontinental railroad this week. We also had the opportunity to visit Appomattox Court House on Friday!
6th Science
- We completed our unit on bacterial structure. This final test for this quarter will be on Tuesday, December 10.
6th Logic
- This week we talked about the difference between the part-to-whole and the whole-to-part fallacies.
6th Latin
- Students took the Chapter 3 test this week which covered conjugating verbs in the future and imperfect tenses. Next week we will have the opportunity to have Mrs. Kromhout introduce noun declensions.
Mrs. Crotts
6th Math
- 6th Graders completed the chapter 5 test and are well into chapter 6. In chapter six we reviewed prime factors and greatest common factors. They designed rectangles on graph paper and cut the rectangles out; this allowed for visually viewing different factors that are equal.
Mrs. Palmer
6th Art
- This week we worked on festive oil pastel drawings. We have been focusing on blending and perspective for this project.
Dr. Wright
7th Composition
- To facilitate writing sentences concisely, we have been expanding our store of strong verbs. Students are also composing short story narratives for the Burlington Writers’ Contest.
7th Omnibus – Literature, History, Bible
- Odyssey theme essays and declamation personal grades will be returned. We continue to work through 1 Samuel, and students will be summarizing each chapter.
7th Logic
- This week students will receive back their Chapter 1 quizzes, which cover the first major part of our workbook.
Mrs. Frueh
7th Science
- After learning about the difference between the P and S waves produced during earthquakes, we were able to analyze some actual seismic data recorded by three different seismographs in the southwestern United States near the San Andreas Fault. The students were then able to use the data to triangulate the location of the earthquake’s epicenter. Ask your student why they needed three seismographs to find the location and where they found the earthquake to have occurred.
7th Pre-Algebra
- After spending several weeks practicing our skills in solving for an unknown in a proportion, we’ve now learned how to solve for an unknown if proportions contain complex fractions. We also introduced circle calculations for the first time, which will feature prominently in our second semester geometry work with cylinders.
Mrs. Palmer
7th Art
- Students worked this week on their festive colored pencil drawings. We have been focusing on details, blending and accuracy.
Miss Johnston
7th Latin
- We began our new chapter! The students studied their charts and learned about Indirect Objects. We also watched some Magister Craft which the kids always enjoy.
Dr. Wright
8th Omnibus
- History: Students presented the findings of their biographical research papers. We continue to build broad historical cause-and-effect knowledge, from the Fall of Rome and the William the Conqueror.
- Literature: We have begun Beowulf, and anticipate finishing it before Christmas break.
- Composition: We continue to build vocabulary in order to promote the crafting of better sentences. Students are also composing Burlington Writers’ contest short stories.
Miss Johnston
8th Latin
- On Tuesday we worked on some sentence translation! The students did very well with this activity! On Thursday we started our Latin art project as we begin studying for the NLE! Ask your student about it, I am very excited to see how it all turns out.
Mrs. Frueh
8th Science
- We wrapped up our study of the Gas Laws governing pressure, temperature, and volume with several practice calculations using Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law, and Amonton’s Law. This provided excellent practice for the skills learned this semester in algebra.
8th Algebra I
- Since we’ve completed our First Semester coursework, we spent time this week reviewing in preparation for the mid-term we’ll take next week.
Mrs. Palmer
8th Art
- Students continue to work on their famous works of art magazine collages. This has been a tedious and time consuming project but will be well worth the effort!
Mr. Crotts
8th Logic
- We are reviewing subject-verb agreement, learning about implication, equivalence, disagreement, consistency, inconsistency, and that “real men do not eat quiche”.
RHETORIC SCHOOL
From the COLLEGE COUNSELING Office:
Upcoming for 8th-12th:
- Bradford Alumni College Panel – Thursday, December 19th, 1:30-2:30pm
- Several of our Bradford alumni (college freshman through seniors!) have graciously agreed to come back to Bradford to talk to our students about college life, their college experiences, and what they learned throughout the college search and application process! We are excited to have them back with us and to hear their wisdom.
11th:
- Juniors and some parents, even, have been meeting with Mrs. Crotts for benchmark, college match meetings.
12th:
- The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is out, and seniors should fill it out as soon as possible!
- Who? Most seniors will benefit from filling out the FAFSA
- When? Seniors should aim to fill out the form by the end of January at the latest – some of the money is first come first serve so it is good to fill it out as soon as possible
- What is it? The FAFSA will offer access to federal grants (free money!), federal loans (to be paid back), state aid, work study options, and is sometimes also used by the institution to give aid
- You do NOT need to have decided on a college to fill out the FAFSA; go ahead and do it now, and you can send it to the institutions later (you will need to list the colleges you are interested in, but you can update this later if it changes and you can list up to 20 colleges)
- Keep your FSA ID safe! You will use it each year you submit the FAFSA
- How? Students can complete the form here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
- If you would like a more in depth guide to filling out the FAFSA, see here: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/paying-for-college/fafsa/101
Mrs. Palmer
9th Spanish
- Students reviewed for and then took a chapter test this week. We worked with irregular verbs “tener” and “venir” as well as regular verb conjugations. Students reviewed vocabulary and possessive adjectives.
Mrs. Frueh
9th Geometry
- We wrapped up our unit on quadrilaterals with a unit exam. We’ll take on our last unit of the quarter (Similar Figures) next week.
Mr. Crotts
9th Logic
- We have been working through an argument on the existence of God, translating it into formal logic, and evaluating it using our symbolic logic truth tables.
Dr. and Mrs. James
9th Biology
- This week we finished our introduction to ecology, and the students took their third test of the quarter. We also began a study of fungi.
- Next week the lessons describing different types of fungi and their roles in the ecosystem will continue.
Mrs. Crotts
9th Literature
- Students wrote a brief summary of Frankenstein. Next, they dove into the world of Jane Austen: we will read Pride and Prejudice–an interesting and healthy view of people’s personalities and leanings–wise or foolish–in relationships. It has been said that one’s education is not complete without hearing and reading Jane Austen’s wonderful command of the English language.
Dr. Byrd
9th Bible
- This week we have slowed down to learn from the lives of Elijah and Elisha in I Kings and in II Kings. In particular, we have seen how the Lord ministers to the discouragement and depression of Elijah. Not the least of which is bringing to him Elisha as a helper and friend. We have examined several of the miracles of Elisha. One of note is the account of the widow and the debt in II Kings 4. We have seen how the Lord encouraged the faith of the widow by multiplying the oil she had, even as she believed in God. From the abundance of oil, her debt was paid and she had money to live on the rest. God can answer with abundance. We must have confidence in the word of God and trust Him. II Cor. 8:9
- Bible Memory: Psalm 19
- Students are also working on their Book Analysis Projects.
Dr. James
10th Chemistry
- This week the students reviewed oxidation numbers, were introduced to nomenclature, and learned how to balance chemical equations.
- Next week we will review material, and the students will take their third test of Q2.
Mrs. Palmer
10th Spanish
- This week we learned how to form informal/familiar commands. Students spent time reviewing vocabulary, taking a vocabulary quiz and working on a writing assignment in the target language.
Mrs. Byrd
10th Algebra II
- We completed our Quadratic Functions and Sports project and began a study of complex numbers.
Mrs. Crotts
10th Literature
- Students made corrections to research papers. These students’ writing skills are maturing overall! Also, they are tasked with reading a third of the book of Psalms, listening to 5 psalms put to music (Psalter Hymnals) and writing a psalm. The focus is on poetry, but also the value of personal and corporate music in worship and how this contrasts with pagan worship in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.
Miss Oldham
10th Rhetoric I
- We looked at Plato’s allegory of the cave and how it relates to rhetoric.
Dr. Smith
10th Historical Theology
- This week we had our debate on the following resolution: Resolved, there is a proper distinction to be made between the natural and supernatural in Christian theology. Mrs. Kromhout, Miss Oldham and Mr. Johnston were our judges. I thought the students did a good job gathering arguments for their position and did a good job responding to each other’s arguments. In the end, the “pro” side won, but not by much. We will do more of these debates in the future.
Mrs. Palmer
11th Spanish III
- This week students used all five of the tenses we have learned thus far. We also spent time working on a writing assignment as well as speaking in the target language.
Mrs. Byrd
11th Precalculus
- We concluded our study of log and exponential functions. Next we will begin a study of trigonometric functions.
11th Physics
- We are midway through a unit on conservation of energy. We are pausing to review for a first semester cumulative test which they will take next Wed. Students are also working to perfect their egg drop devices.
Miss Oldham
11th Literature
- We have continued to read aloud Shakespeare’s Henry V.
Dr. Smith
11th NT Greek
- Students took a quiz on chapter 14 vocabulary, a translation sentence and the endings for the present active indicative verb. They will be working this week on translations that incorporate the present active indicative verb form.
Mr. Webster
11th-12th Systematic Theology
- This week we covered the doctrine of man. We specifically covered man being made in the image of God.
11th History
- This week we covered the rise of cities in the high middle ages, which coincided with the revival of trade.
Mrs. Fairchild
12th Art Portfolio
- The students have started carving their design into the rubber block. Some are taking on the extra challenge of a reduction 3 color print and are wrestling with the design and strategy elements needed in order to be successful in creating this project.
Miss Oldham
12th Literature
- We started Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
12th Rhetoric II
- Seniors analyzed another senior thesis and saw what makes a great thesis.
Mrs. Byrd
12th Calculus
- Students are learning about the meaning of the second derivative and its uses. We are also working on connecting the function, first derivative, and second derivative conceptually and graphically.