BB 2018-08-24

BRADFORD BULLETIN

Volume XI, Issue 2

 

FROM THE OFFICE

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Tues, 8/28 – HOME MS and JV volleyball game @ MACC
  • Wed, 8/29 – HOME JV soccer game (3:30) @ MACC
  • Thurs, 8/30 – HOME  MS XC meet (4:00) @ Bradford Academy main campus
  • Mon, 9/3 – NO SCHOOL – Labor Day

FYI:

  • CAR TAGS:  Please display the tags on the passenger side window, or attached to the visor to increase visibility.  If you need more tags, please e-mail office@bradfordacademy.org
  • TADS – Two important notes:
    • Please UPDATE all contact information!  It is imperative that your contact information is up-to-date so that we can contact you in case of sickness or emergency.
    • An e-mail was sent this afternoon entitled “Educate User Access.”  EDUCATE  is going to be the new location for accessing  your child’s report card, notes from teachers, etc.  (We are no longer using Jupiter Grades.) Please note the following…
      • We are still working out the kinks, and the transition has not been as smooth as we desired.  We appreciate your patience as we iron things out.
      • Check with your spouse if you did not receive this e-mail in your inbox.  It may be in their inbox.
      • Log in to TADS and update your information if you did not receive the e-mail.
      • You will be able to sync your TADS and EDUCATE log-ins so that you have one place to go.

 

FROM THE TEACHER’s DESK

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Davis & Mrs. Luther)

Bible
  • This week we learned about ways to love one another.  We identified ways to love classmates through being kind, encouraging, and helpful.
Theme Adventure
  • We began exploring the forest around the main campus.  The students learned about forest safety while hunting for various types and colors of mushrooms.
  • The students discovered signs of life inside fallen limbs and decaying trees.
Literacy
  • TK began the year with alphabet knowledge.  We sang the alphabet song while pointing out each letter.
  • The students were challenged to identify and sort letters, pictures, numbers, and shapes through various games and relays.
  • TK has a learned a great song that teaches the students how to shake hands.  The children are building confidence through greeting friends and teachers by making eye contact and smiling.  This exercise also helps them identify their right hand.
  • TK began class exercises using straight lines and curves.  We use wood pieces in various songs that help the students become familiar with these shapes.  This is a prewriting skill with hand and eye coordination. It also prepares the children for when we begin writing in a few weeks.  The first quarter focuses on capital letters which consist of straight lines and curves.
Math
  • We worked on identifying and playing with commonly used manipulatives associated with the curriculum.
  • TK learned the jingles to help them remember how to write numbers 1 through 4.
Arts and Sciences
  • The students enjoyed learning sound discrimination.  We trained our ears to pick out certain sounds among other noises.  TK worked together to identify the sounds heard and also played games to identify voices of classmates.

 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera & Mrs. McDorman)

Language Arts
  • We have studied the short A sound and practiced proper public speaking by sharing objects from home that begin with the short A sound.
  • We introduced the three P’s of writing: pencil grip, posture, and paper position. Students are expected to maintain proper pencil technique while writing, coloring, and drawing. They practiced the proper strokes for writing A and M. Students have a sheet in their black folders to remind them how to properly form letters, and how to maintain proper pencil grip.
  • Next week will continue with the three P’s of writing, and studying letter sounds M and B.
Math
  • Writing the numbers 1,4,and 5; making towers for the numbers 1-9; ordering the numbers 0-9; placing an object on a graph; writing the numbers 2,3,and 7; identifying a circle and a square; identifying the number of angles of a square;  graphing a picture on a pictograph; identifying most and fewest on a graph, and identifying right and left.
  • Students have a sheet of rhymes in their folders to help them remember how to properly form their numbers.
  • Ordering sets from smallest to largest and writing the numbers 0, 6, 8, and 9
History/ Geography
  • We introduced the concept of a timeline by creating a timeline in class, and sending home a timeline project for students to complete with parents. Over the course of the school year they will memorize a sequence of historical events beginning with creation and continue till present day. Currently, students are learning a “Days of Creation” song to help memorize the order in which God created all things.
  • Kindergarten also studied the world map, naming the the seven continents and four oceans. They have started a concept building activity to help them understand a map and where they are located on the map.
  • We will continue to build our geography vocabulary, and memorize the names of the seven continents and four oceans.
Science
  • We will carry over our study of creation into science class on Friday. Students will review the Creation Day song and the events of creation. We will also explore some of light’s unique properties.
  • Next week students will begin memorizing the five senses and how they help us make scientific observations. We will introduce the scientific method.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer and learned what music class was all about and what we would be doing regularly in class. We had our first video lesson about, “Children Making Music.” Then, we spent the last half of class coloring and listening to the beautiful music of our Quarterly Composer, Mozart.
Art
  • Students explored colors and staying within the lines on a project.
  • Next week we will begin with the basics of drawing: OiLS (circle/ovals, lines, dots, angles, curves) We will practice drawing these basic elements, and begin studying the Mona Lisa to identify these elements.
P.E.
  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, and balancing. We will soon move into soccer drills.
Memory Work:
  • Students are currently memorizing: the Pledge of Allegiance, a quote from the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the United States Constitution, days of the week, months of the year, Non Nobis, catechism questions 1-4, and a books of the Bible song. Our Bible memory verse is Proverbs 1:7. We will be working on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a for the next several weeks.
  • Next, we are introducing the BC History song.

 

1st Grade (Mrs. Campbell)

Language Arts
  • Students began their first week in first grade by learning about nouns!  We discussed common nouns in family relationships such as mother and brother.  They have memorized a little song about nouns, and also began memorizing “The Caterpillar”.
Math
  • We practiced identifying one more and one less than a number, telling and showing time to the hour, writing numbers to 100, identifying the attributes of pattern blocks, and doubles addition facts.
History
  • We began our study of America’s beginnings by reading A is for America and then we took a look at several of our national symbols: the American flag, Bald Eagle, Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Bell.
Science
  • Did you know the Northern Cardinal likes to sing a duet with its mate? This week students were introduced to our bird of the month, the Northern Cardinal.  We imitated the color and markings of this beautiful bird, listened to its song, and went on a bird-watching expedition!
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer, and spent some time learning what music class is all about. Then, we enjoyed coloring, and listening to the beautiful music of our Quarterly Composer, Mozart.
Art
  • Basics of using crayons, color pencils, and markers; blending colors and staying inside the lines
P.E.
  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, and balancing. We will soon move into soccer drills.
Memory Work:
  • This week we reviewed I Corinthians 13:4-8a from last year.
  • Border state songs
  • “The Caterpillar” by Christina Rossetti
  • “This Little Noun”

 

2nd Grade (Mrs. Jones)

Language Arts
  • We finished up reading Danny and the Dinosaur and then moved on to Mouse Soup. In Mouse Soup the students met a hungry weasel and a very clever mouse. Ask your child how the mouse was able to trick the weasel.
  • In Grammar we spent the week reviewing alphabetization using flash cards, then moved on to learning about synonyms.
Math
  • Reading a graph, graphing data on a bar graph
  • Identifying digits, writing two digit numbers
  • Measuring and drawing line segments
History
  • We begin at the very beginning. The story of the beginning of our world and the beginning of human life, found at the beginning of the Bible, was our focus this week.  See if your child can remember what the word “genesis” means.
Science
  • Our first science lesson of the year is all about the Classification of Living Things. The students learn a fun song to help them remember the order of classification and the five kingdoms. They practiced by classifying a lion down to its latin name, Panthera Leo. Ask your child if they know the scientific name of humans!
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer, and spent some time learning what music class is all about. Then, we enjoyed coloring, and listening to the beautiful music of our Quarterly Composer, Mozart.
Art
  • We began second grade art by reviewing the color wheel and creating one of our own. We discussed primary, secondary and tertiary colors as well as the difference between warm and cool colors.
P.E.
  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, and balancing. We will soon move into soccer drills.
Memory Work:
  • Proverbs 1:7, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, Philippians 2:4

 

3rd Grade (Mrs. Mitchell)

Language Arts
  • Reading – The Trojan Horse – Students are reading this very abbreviated version of the Iliad’s story before plunging into a quarter long reading of Black Ships Before Troy.  Even though this brief book gives the spoiler alert about the horse, Rosemary Sutcliff’s book will illustrate the risk and tension involved in taking this daring step toward winning the war with Troy.
  • Writing – Students have been writing complete sentences and remembering what it takes to make a complete sentence.  They also wrote a paragraph in their journals about 3rd grade as well as a descriptive paragraph about their bedrooms.
  • Grammar – We spent a good bit of time learning about guide words in a dictionary.  Students then looked up 4 sets of synonyms or antonyms and properly labeled them. We labeled our first set of sentences, learning the correct way to do our question/answer flow for sentence labeling.
Upcoming:
  • 9/29 – Spelling test on days of the week and months of the year
  • 9/29 – Grammar test on chapters 1 & 2 (hopefully).
Math
  • Identifying dates for the seasons of the year; making a pictograph; collecting information from a survey for a frequency table and a bar graph; making an organized list to solve a problem; the Commutative Property of Addition; review of sums to 18; strategies for addition of “double plus 1” problems; adding multiples of 10, 100, 1,000 & 10,000.
Upcoming:
  • 8/31 – Test
History
  • The Minoan Culture – the first European civilization gives us a window into the lifestyle of the early Greeks; we began memorizing the history song for the entire set of 32 cards.
  • Upcoming:  History tests are typically every Friday.
Science
  • Unit on Biology:  Classification: Students are learning/reviewing a song from 2nd grade about the classification of living things; we spent some time sorting  and classifying a mixture of math manipulatives and K’nex pieces, then discussed their strategies for classifying. We filled in our first study guide and watched brief videos on vertebrates and invertebrates.
Upcoming:
  • 9/5 – Science test on classification
Latin
  • Chapter 1:  First Conjugation Verb chart for “amo”; students learned how to memorize and label conjugation charts as well as the 4 principal parts of Latin verbs; they learned 5 Latin verbs and 5 nouns as well as several grammar definitions.
Upcoming:
  • Latin tests are typically every Friday.
Music

This week we spent time learning what we would be doing in music class, and what would be expected of the students. Then, we enjoyed the rest of class as we colored and listened to the music of our Quarterly Composer, Mozart.

Art
  • Overlapping spheres with shadow and shading; we also started memorizing a song that teaches the 12 Renaissance words introduced in Mark Kistler’s book You Can Draw in 30 Days.
Upcoming:
  • We will continue to focus on drawing for the first quarter.
P.E.
  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, and balancing. We will soon move into soccer drills.
Memory Work:
  • Review of Proverbs 1:7; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
  • Verse of the week –  John 17:3

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Hamilton)

Math:
  • We began this year learning about sequences and digits, even and odd numbers, using money to illustrate place value, comparing whole numbers, learning to name whole numbers and money, and adding whole numbers.
  • Students are doing a great job adjusting to using a math textbook and to the new homework standard.
History:
  • We commenced our history curriculum by learning more about the fall of Rome, and we studied our first history card, Saint Augustine Converts to Christianity. Students also watched a brief biographical sketch of Augustine’s life from the Torchlighters series.
Grammar:
  • This week we worked on synonyms and antonyms, a/an choices, and began journal writing. We also began introductory sentences and had our first quiz.
Writing:
  • Each student began working on the first draft of an original story using the basic elements of a story. I am very excited to observe their creativity!
Science:
  • We reviewed the classification system focusing on the Kingdom Plantae, discussed the common characteristics of all living things, and learned how to use an HDMI microscope by observing under the microscope a multitude of living things we gathered outside.
Literature:
  • We read, studied, and discussed the first five chapters of The Door in the Wall. Students also did an incredible job conducting a Socratic discussion using themes, ideas, and opinions from Door in the Wall.
Latin:
  • After a brief reminder on why we learn Latin, we reviewed charts, chants, and basic Latin study skills. Also, students have successfully completed Chapter 1 and their first Libellus translation passage, Augustinus.
  • As a reminder from last year, the following Latin study schedule is strongly encouraged:
    • Day 1 of a new chapter – students will learn the vocabulary and the chart in class, and will study it further at home.
    • Day 2 – students should review the vocabulary and then “quiz” themselves by filling in sections A & B on the chapter worksheet without looking back to the vocabulary list; they should then study what they left blank and try again.
    • Day 3 – study definitions for the grammar section, review vocabulary.
    • Day 4 – students will study for the quiz on the following day (they should take the quiz in their book as part of their study).
Music
  • This week we spent time learning what we would be doing in music class, and what would be expected of the students. We also spoke of 4th grade’s special responsibilities, in that they will be learning how to play the recorder this year. Then, we enjoyed the rest of class as we colored and listened to the music of our Quarterly Composer, Mozart.
Art
  • We reviewed which types of drawing pencils are most suited for darker or lighter shading, experimented  with our pencils, and then drew a 3D sphere with shadows, shading, and contour lines.
P.E.
  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, and balancing. We will soon move into soccer drills.
Memory Work:
  • Matthew 7:12; Philippians 4:4-6

 

5th Grade (Ms. Windes)

Language Arts
  • Reading: We dove into reading The Hobbit, learning how Gandalf chooses Bilbo, an unlikely character to be the fourteenth member of an expedition to reclaim the dwarves’ lost gold. We discussed the contrast between Bilbo’s pleasant homebody nature (his Baggins side) and this pull towards an adventure of uncertain proportions (his Tookish side).
  • Writing: After reviewing our list of banned words and learning about different types of sentences, we began a short research paragraph about an explorer. We reviewed how to take key word notes and then put them into a paragraph with topic and clincher sentences.
  • Grammar: Shurley Method
Math
  • The students learned about multiplying whole numbers and money, dividing whole numbers and money, finding unknown numbers in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, using the order of operations, and fractional parts.
History
  • We studied the Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator who financed many voyages of discovery along the coast of Africa besides building a school of navigation where cartographers, astronomers,  and ship captains gathered.
Upcoming:
  • Friday, August 31: Columbus Test
Science:
  • After a brief Introduction to Anatomy, we learned about levels of structural organization of the body and began our study of bones and the skeletal system.
Latin
  • Besides learning the chapter 1 vocabulary, we reviewed parts of speech, noun jobs, and how the Latin endings are used instead of word order to denote the noun’s place in the sentence.
Upcoming:
  • Wednesday, 9/7: Chapter 2 Test
Music
  • This week we spent time learning what we would be doing in music class, and what would be expected of the students. Then, we spent the rest of class coloring and drawing, as we listened to the beautiful music of our Quarterly Composer, Mozart.
Art
  • Before launching into our first still life project, the students practiced drawing cubes with parallel lines and noticing shadows and shading on objects.
P.E.
  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, and balancing. We will soon move into soccer drills.
Memory Work:
  • This week: Romans 12:1-2
  • Next week: Romans 12:3-4

 

6th Grade (Mrs. Garrett)

Language Arts
  • The students dove into The Jungle Book with great diligence. The students discussed the characters and their dilemma revolving around Mowgli and the danger he brought to the pack, and to the village. They looked at how the author might be pointing to the realities of life and the difficult choices we all have to make.
  • Thankfully, we can pray to our Father, and trust that His Spirit, the Counselor, will lead us with wisdom in every situation.
Math
  • A Review of previous concepts with a focus on the order of operations.
History
  • The Monroe Doctrine proved a wise and timely letter encouraging the young government in America to separate itself from the affairs of Europe.  The students used atlases, maps and even James Monroe’s letter itself to better understand the world events in the early 1800’s.
  • The class reviewed Napoleon’s act of removing the King of Spain, the role of many countries in Europe colonizing or at least “holding” large areas of the western hemisphere and the rebellion against Spain of those areas after tasting freedom for some time.
Science
  • The class began to explore cells and God’s role in creating the complex human form. After reflecting on Psalm 139, the students looked closely at the role of the organelles in the cell and their specific jobs.
  • Our favorite cell song was practiced daily to enable the class to memorize each function of the organelles within both animal and plant cells.
Latin
  • We spent our week both reviewing pronunciation of Latin words as well as learning our new ch. 2 vocabulary and reviewing verbs.
Upcoming:
  • Thursday, 8/30: Ch. 2 Test
Music
  • This week we spent time learning what we would be doing in music class, and what would be expected of the students. Then, we spent the rest of class coloring and drawing, as we listened to the beautiful music of our Quarterly Composer, Mozart.
Art
  • The class delved into God’s creative role in beauty and art. In addition, the class studied  Leonardo Da Vinci and his intricate sketches of hands.
  • The students began with blind contour drawing to train their eye to see rather than draw according to preconceived notions.
P.E.
  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, and balancing. We will soon move into soccer drills.
Memory Work:
  • B.C. History Song, The Cell Song
  • I John 1:1

 

LOGIC & RHETORIC SCHOOL

Mrs. Byrd

9th/10th Geometry
  • We are beginning the year with a look at set notation and operations.  Next week we will investigate what makes an ideal postulate system and see where euclidean geometry falls a bit short of the ideal.
11th Pre-Calculus
  • We began to familiarize ourselves with our new online homework platform, Web Assign.  Our first main topic will be functions and their graphs. Please have your graphing calculators available (TI-84 plus).
11th Physics
  • We reviewed the rules of significant figures and began our study of kinematics – motion in one dimension.  Our first lab will be next week.

 

Dr. Byrd

10th Bible Survey
  • We began our study of the scriptures by discussing why the Lord has given the Bible and began looking at our main text, William Hendrickson’s Survey of the Bible.

 

Mr. Davis

7th and 8th Music
  • This week we worked on proper vocal warm up and singing techniques. We also learned about the history of the “Solfege,” written by Guido of Arezzo.
  • Next week we will be working on organizing the Choir in their respective vocal ranges. We will also be working on vocal harmony with the song, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
11th Elective – Sacred/Worship Music Performance
  • This week the students learned the basics of Music Theory and how to sing in harmony.
  • Next week we will continue to work on vocal harmony as well as incorporating more musical instruments in the orchestration of “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

 

Mrs. Dovan

8th Omnibus
  • Students have enjoyed beginning the year with The Fellowship of the Ring.  We are wrestling through important questions: Is The Lord of the Rings an allegory?  What is the difference between practicing dominion and practicing magic?
  • In theology, we’re beginning Augustine’s Confessions and noting the types of confessing: negative, confessing our sins, and positive, confessing the truth of the Living God.
  • Students should be completing their reading notes along the way, keeping an eye open for commonplaces, and engaging with the text in their journal prompts.  We are completing Book I of Fellowship (reading through chapter 12) for Monday and Books I & 2 (through page 54) of Confessions.

11th Elective – Creative Writing

  • We enjoyed kicking off Creative Writing on Wednesday! In addition to daily writing prompts, students are responsible to maintain three projects throughout the year: submitting an original metaphor weekly (which we will include in the bulletin), collecting three commonplaces per week, and filling their free-writing composition book by the end of the semester.
  • Over the weekend, students need to read Alan Jacobs’ article on commonplaces.

 

Mrs. Fairchild

9th/10th and 11th Advanced Art
  • Our students stepped into the world of Leonardo Da Vinci where they studied his life and impact on the Renaissance. They were surprised to discover the fierce rivalries and jealousies between the younger Michelangelo who resided in Florence as well.  Following the classical model like Leonardo, our students combined chemistry and art.
  • Perhaps the highlight this week was using mortar and pestle to create tempera paint using Da Vinci’s own formulas which mainly consisted of egg yolk and other mediums such as clay, mustard seeds, charcoal and other organic material.

 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Grade Science:
  • The students have enjoyed jumping into the year with a broad overview of the nature of science. We reviewed the scientific method and discussed the different types of variables the scientist must identify. We then put our skills to work with an investigation of gravity. Students are expected to complete the margins and summaries for each page of notes taken in class.
  • We will wrap up our introductory unit next week with a discussion of the characteristics of a good scientist and the inherent limitations of science.

8th Grade Science:

  • After a quick review of the scientific method and the nature and role of science, we have spent our time developing our metric measurement skills.
  • At this point, students should be able to recognize the difference between metric and English units; identify the basic units for measuring length, volume, and mass; and be comfortable converting between both systems using the factor-label method.
  • We will finish our math skills practice next week with lessons in significant figures and scientific notation and take a quiz on Thursday, August 30th.

 

Mr. Hamilton

7th Grammar/Comp
  • We’re having a great time with Strunk and White, learning all about good grammar and style as a foundation for writing. Students are enthusiastic and doing a great job!
7th Omnibus
  • So far in our study of Genesis we have discussed how the world was created, imputation, and the problem of evil. It’s been a great start to a long year of serious study!
  • Upcoming: Problem of evil quiz on Wednesday, 08-29-18.
9th History
  • We are learning all about the dramatic changes that occurred in Europe as a result of the Reformation! It’s exciting stuff in 9th history.
9th Literature
  • Students started the year with a graphic panel of Pilgrim’s Progress, incorporating the literary elements of plot, theme, metaphor, and characterization. It’s so exciting to utilize our 9th grade’s passion and talent for art.
  • Upcoming: Literary elements quiz on Wednesday, 08-29-18.
9th Theology
  • We begin the year with a look at key doctrines in the Westminster Confession, the magisterial doctrinal statement that was born out of the English Civil War.
11th Intro. Philosophy/Apologetics
  • We began our study of philosophy with an overview of the beginning of philosophy and key issues in philosophy today.
  • Upcoming: Quiz on Hicks 1-5 Thursday, 08-30-18.

 

Mr. Johnston

8th Latin
  • Our year began with a review of the history of the Latin language and why it has had such an impact on English.  We also watched a video arguing for the benefits of learning Latin!
  • We will be continuing Latin Alive book 2.

7th Logic

  • The Art of Argument!  7th graders are working hard to recognize a bad argument.

 

Mr. Miller

7th Latin
  • We’ve started off the year with a review of what they learned last year, covering chapters 1-15 in the Latin Alive book with a variety of activities from “Around the World” to writing Latin sentences.
8th Logic
  • The beginning of this year’s logic course focuses on terms and how to define them. So far we have looked at different types of definitions as well as how to classify things by genus and species.
11th Literature
  • Before starting any new books for the semester, we spent some time in class discussing our summer reading books: The Name of the Rose, The Idylls of the King, and The Saga of the Volsungs.
11th History
  • Our first text of the semester is City of God by Augustine. This week we discussed introductory material relating to Augustine’s life and the writing of this work. We learned that it is a defense of Christianity in response to pagan critics who blamed it for the sack of Rome by the Goths in 410.
10th Rhetoric
  • We introduced the idea of “rhetoric” this week,  including a Christian perspective on the matter, and also began engaging in rhetoric through impromptu speeches!

 

Mrs. Palmer

9th Spanish 1
  • We received our first set of Spanish vocabulary words and phrases.
  • We’ve also been over the Spanish alphabet, learned vowels in Spanish, worked on pronunciation, and listened to native accents. We have started to memorize Romans 3:23 in Spanish as well.

7th Art

  • We’ve spent these last few classes going over the elements of art, the importance of art, and talking about our artist of the quarter, Leonardo da Vinci. We also practiced hatching, cross hatching and stippling.

8th Art

  • We’ve spent these last few classes going over the elements of art, the importance of art, and talking about our artist of the quarter, Leonardo da Vinci. We also practiced hatching, cross hatching and stippling.

 

Mr. Palmer

7th Pre-Algebra
  • We have spent the first days of school reviewing the basics of pre-algebra. Parents, please take time to look over your child’s homework to make sure that they are getting the concepts.

8th Algebra I

  • We have spent the first days of school reviewing the basics of algebra. Parents, please take time to look over your child’s homework to make sure that they are getting the concepts.

7th/8th P.E.

  • We are spending the first few weeks working on stretching, conditioning, balancing, and strength. We will soon move into soccer drills.
9th Logic
  • Due to tech week, we only had two logic classes this week. We looked over the syllabus and began a review of logic.