BB 2018-12-21

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XI, ISSUE 16

DECEMBER 21st, 2018

FROM THE TEACHER’s DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Luther)

Bible
  • This week we completed the study of Christ’s birth.  The kids were excited to celebrate that He has come. Because of the snow we studied the journey of the shepherd’s and the wise men in one week.  It helped them see that Christ’s birth is a life changing event.
Theme Adventure
  • TK students worked hard completing gifts for their families.  At the end of the week they enjoyed lessons seasoned with Christmas themes and celebrated with a class party.  
Literacy
  • TK has continued to count syllables and work with word families.
  • The students are now learning about onset and rime which is divides words into beginning sounds and final vowel and consonant blends.  This will encourage reading readiness!
Math
  • This week we used geometric shape blocks to create different scenes of the nativity.  Children enjoyed creating angels, Jesus in the manger, camels, and stars.
Arts and Sciences
  • The TK class learned about energy in a special science lesson where they used batteries to light their own string of lights!

 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera & Mrs. McDorman)

Language Arts
  • Our kindergarten scholars started their third book, To the Rim of The Map. The story traces the Pilgrims and their adventures on the Mayflower. We worked on fluency and reading comprehension. Our new target sound was : short O. The students had to listen very carefully to determine the words which contained the short O sound. We added The Ox Driver, an Old Time Figure of the West to our Phonics Museum. The students who are memorizing their special exhibit words are becoming strong readers. Positive reading experiences encourage more reading. The more children read, the better they will read. Early readers can build their confidence and abilities by rereading books they are very familiar with. Repetition is good! Plan a date to go to the library with your child over our break.
Math
  • Looking for a pattern to solve a problem
  • Sorting, counting, and recording the pattern blocks used to cover a design
  • Addition facts: adding 2
  • Comparing and ordering objects by length
  • Measuring length using nonstandard units
History
  • Our timeline brought us to the cornerstone  of history. We discussed the birth of Christ. God was preparing the way centuries before the birth of His Son in Bethlehem. Since God rules over human history, He shaped the history of the nations, including the dominance of the Roman Empire that had an impact on Israel. The Scriptures talk about “the fullness of time.” The unfulfilled promises God had given in the Old Testament would now be filled by the birth of Jesus. When the angels announced His birth with their tidings of peace, God declared that His promises were now being fulfilled.
Science
  • We reviewed our linear and liquid equivalents. Several students finished up their “Gallon Man”,  and we attempted to make up our own song to help memorize the equivalents. Encourage your student to help with baking and cooking over the break.
Music
  • Last  week we were unable to have music class due to school being cancelled for a snow day.
  • This week we began class with prayer and had our video lesson about American folk music. Then, we warmed up our voices and sang our Christmas quarterly hymns. Finally, we enjoyed coloring and listening to parts of Handel’s, “Messiah.”
Art
  • Jessica McAlister and several others from the Greensboro Ballet Company performed a portion of the Nutcracker. The children enjoyed watching the performance, learning about the various techniques involved in ballet, and participated in the performance. I am pretty sure several of our girls will be asking for ballet lessons for Christmas!
P.E.
  • Due to the snow days last week, we used our PE period this week  to work on a Nutcracker craft. I hope you enjoy their creations!
Memory Work:
  • John 3:16

 

1st Grade (Mrs. Campbell)

Language Arts
  • Phonics target: EE/EA as Long E (leaf), Short E (bread), and Long A (steak)
Math
  • This week we practiced naming and comparing fractional parts of a whole, writing a fraction using fraction notation, trading pennies for a dime, measuring to the nearest inch, and sums of 11 math facts.
History
  • Our focus this week was finishing up projects related to our study of the Pilgrims and particularly William Bradford.  We look forward to reading The Courage of Sarah Noble when we return in January!
Science
  • In addition to an end of quarter test on the physical features of birds, we learned about the December bird of the month, the Tufted Titmouse.  We enjoyed comparing its markings and calls to some of the other birds we’ve discovered already this year.
Music
  • Last  week we were unable to have music class due to school being cancelled for a snow day.
  • This week we began class with prayer and read our weekly praise verse together. Next, we had a history of hymns based on the Christmas hymn, “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,”and then enjoyed singing our quarterly Christmas hymns. We spent the rest of class time watching the last half of a historical video about the life of our quarterly composer, George Frideric Handel.
Art
  • Art connected to Phonics this week as we imitated “Apollo and Daphne”, a painting by Italian artist brothers.
P.E.
  • This week we did some exercises and took a PE quiz.
Memory Work:  
  • Each week, students have the opportunity to present their memory work to the class using a clear voice and good posture.  First graders have memorized the entirety of Psalm 1 and did an excellent job of presenting it to their classmates!

 

2nd Grade (Mrs. Jones)

Language Arts
  • Reading: We read The Velveteen Rabbit together. The students were encouraged to bring in their own well loved stuffed animal to show to the class.
  • Cursive: We have learned the lower case letters l, h, k, t, e, i, u, j, p, a, d, c, n and m
  • Grammar: Simple subject, complete subject, simple predicate, complete predicate
Math
  • Multiplication facts (x 0, 1, 5, 7, 10)
  • Locating and naming points on a number line
  • Writing number sentences for “equal groups” stories
History
  • After moving into the Middle Kingdom in Egypt we began our study of Joseph. This week we learned about who his family was, how he ended up in Egypt and the very important role he played in leading the Egyptian empire.
Science
  • No science this week due to early dismissal on Friday.
Music
  • Last  week we were unable to have music class due to school being cancelled for a snow day.
  • This week we began class with prayer and read our weekly praise verse together. Next, we had a history of hymns based on the Christmas hymn, “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,”and then enjoyed singing our quarterly Christmas hymns. We spent the rest of class time watching the last half of a historical video about the life of our quarterly composer, George Frideric Handel.
Art
  • This week the students learned about signet rings while studying Joseph. After viewing some photos of ancient Egyptian artifacts, each child got to design their own signet ring using hieroglyphics.
P.E.
  • This week we did some exercises and took a PE quiz.
Memory Work:
  • Proverbs 25:6-18

 

3rd Grade (Mrs. Mitchell)

Language Arts
  • Reading:  D’Aulaire’s Greek Myths – Pandora; Jason and the Golden Fleece  
  • Writing: Brainstorming and story map for our Burlington Writer’s Club stories
  • Grammar:  Chapter 11 – Possessive Noun Adjectives
Math
  • Venn diagrams; multiplying a 1-digit number by a 2-digit number using the multiplication algorithm; using coordinates to find a location on a map; reading and drawing a pictograph; reading large numbers; writing large numbers; assessment 9.
History
  • Birth of Christ – We took this card out of order, but will revisit it again briefly next quarter.
Science
  • Test on Constellations; star wheel.
Latin
  • Chapter 15:  Pattern A sentences with action verbs; Pattern B sentences with linking verbs
Music
  • Last  week we were unable to have music class due to school being cancelled for a snow day.
  • This week we began class with prayer and read our weekly praise verse together. Next, we had a history of hymns based on the Christmas hymn, “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,”and then enjoyed singing our quarterly Christmas hymns. We spent the rest of class time watching the last half of a historical video about the life of our quarterly composer, George Frideric Handel.
Art
  • Students are making a surprise drawing and painting to give to someone for Christmas; Mrs. Fairchild taught on Michelangelo, our featured artist.
P.E.
  • This week we worked on passing and dribbling a basketball. We also took a PE quiz.
Memory Work:
  • Psalm 84:11-12

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Hamilton)

Language Arts
  • Reading: We completed our reading of The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn’s 1938 movie version of the story.
  • Writing: Students worked on completing the first drafts of their five-paragraph essays. We will revisit the academic writing unit with a 5-paragraph research report in the second semester.
Math
  • We learned to divide by multiples of ten and to multiply by three-digit numbers (including zero), and we completed our tenth assessment.
History
  • The Crusades – students learned about the eight Crusades, understanding their role in shaping history.  We also had a chance this week to do a comprehensive review of all the events studied to date.
Science
  • After inspecting, cleaning, and putting their own crystals in the display cases,  students completed their quarter chemistry assessment.
Latin
  • Students reviewed both accusative and ablative case Latin prepositions and worked with derivatives.
Music
  • Last  week we were unable to have music class due to school being cancelled for a snow day.
  • This week we began class with prayer and read our weekly praise verse together. Next, we had a history of hymns based on the Christmas hymn, “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,”and then enjoyed singing our quarterly Christmas hymns. We pulled out our recorders and learned the notes for the Christmas song, “Jingle Bells.” Finally, we spent the rest of class time watching the last half of a historical video about the life of our quarterly composer, George Frideric Handel.

 

Art
  • The fourth graders had a quick introduction to watercolors this week – using paints and brushes, mixing colors, and painting a small fir tree!
P.E.
  • This week we worked on passing and dribbling a basketball. We also took a PE quiz.
Memory Work:
  • Matthew 5:1-9

 

5th Grade (Ms. Windes)

Language Arts
  • Reading: We came to the bittersweet end of The Hobbit this week, watching Bilbo say farewell to the dying Thorin who begs his forgiveness and recognizes the good of what Bilbo values. “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” Bilbo travelled safely home to his little hobbit hole with Gandalf at his side. We discussed the changes in Bilbo since the beginning of the book, examples of leadership throughout the book, and the value of friendship.
  • Writing: Students worked very hard to finish a good final draft of their stories, especially working on developing their characters, focusing on the main plot line, and using details to show how the story unfolds. They did a great job!
  • Grammar: Capitalization rules
Math
  • We learned this week about rounding decimal numbers, mentally dividing decimal numbers by 10 and 100, we reviewed working with decimals, and learned how to reduce by grouping factors equal to one.
History
  • These past two weeks we have spent studying the French and Indian War, learning about the two sides, main figures, reasons for the war, a couple of the key battles, and its ending in the Treaty of Paris signed in 1763.
Science:
  • After completing the review of the Periodic Table of Elements, fifth grade students observed several exciting demonstrations, including some favorites from last year’s chemistry.
Latin
  • Students reviewed the chapter thirteen vocabulary and verb charts and practiced translations. We also got to sing a few Christmas carols that were originally written in Latin!

 

Music
  • Last  week we were unable to have music class due to school being cancelled for a snow day.
  • This week we began class with prayer and read our weekly praise verse together. Next, we had a history of hymns based on the Christmas hymn, “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,”and then enjoyed singing our quarterly Christmas hymns. We spent the rest of class time watching the last half of a historical video about the life of our quarterly composer, George Frideric Handel.
Art
  • Students finished their charcoal artwork of the moon over the lake, and also practiced drawing water droplets with charcoal.
P.E.
  • This week we worked on passing and dribbling a basketball. We also took a PE quiz.
Memory Work:
  • This week: Psalm 51:10-12

 

6th Grade (Mrs. Garrett)

New Testament Survey
  • A review of the gospels, Acts and an introduction to Romans and the different genres in the scriptures. The redemptive thread of the gospel was reviewed from Genesis through Revelation.
Literature
  • A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was brought to life by the students performing an elaborate play. The class also reviewed the aspects of the Victorian era, and enjoyed an abundant feast cooked and served by Mr. and Mrs. Gregory. The Figgy Pudding was a favorite, along with the mincemeat pie.
Math
  • Practicing least common multiples, converting fractions to decimals, and working through word problems; the students culminated the week by taking a final test.
History
  • The Oregon Trail, the Pony Express, the telegraph and Marcus Whitman’s involvement with the Cayuse Indians brought the wild west into focus last week and this week.
Science
  • The students took an assessment on prokaryotes and how they relate to everyday life, viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes.
Writing/Grammar
  • The students finished their long journey of researching the Industrial Revolution with a final paper describing their inventor in particular.
Latin
  • We did a quick review of vocabulary and perfect tense and finished our last test of the quarter this week! Students also got to sing some of the Christmas carols that were originally written in Latin.
Music
  • Last  week we were unable to have music class due to school being cancelled for a snow day.
  • This week we began class with prayer and read our weekly praise verse together. Next, we had a history of hymns based on the Christmas hymn, “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,”and then enjoyed singing our quarterly Christmas hymns. We spent the rest of class time watching the last half of a historical video about the life of our quarterly composer, George Frideric Handel.

 

Art
  • The students enjoyed a discussion with Mrs. Fairchild on Michelangelo’s life, great works and the culture in which he thrived.
Logic
  • The class peered into the logical fallacy of circular reasoning. The discussions became quite dizzying!
P.E.
  • This week we worked on passing and dribbling a basketball. We also took a PE quiz.
Memory Work:
  • This week: I John 1-2:2

 

LOGIC & RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Byrd

Physics
  • We are working through a study of energy – thinking through the Law of Conservation of Energy and how energy is not destroyed but changes forms.  In this unit we are focusing on how energy is transferred from potential to kinetic energy and friction. We also had our egg drop competition – dropping our egg protection devices from about 23 ft onto asphalt.  Four out of five eggs survived the drop. The winning device was constructed by Caroline Garrett and Caleb Rivera gaining points for minimal weight, compact design dimensions, and proximity to target bullseye. Their straw design looked like this.

.  

The runner up team was Olivia, Mary Grace, and Avonlea with a parachute design.

 

Precalculus
  • We are doing a trigonometry unit now – expanding our concept of trig past acute angles to include angles of any size.  We completed a project in which we developed the unit circle and learned how to use it to evaluate various size angles.  After break we will begin to think about trig functions – their graphs and applications.
Geometry
  • The Geometry class is in the middle of learning to write our own proofs on triangle congruence.  We will pick up with this topic after Christmas break. As a closing activity for the semester we used our logic skills to attempt to solve the “Bank Robbery” case.  Joshua J, Jack, Chip, and Andrew managed to deduce the culprits in the fastest time. Keep them in mind if you have any cases that need investigation 🙂

 

Dr. Byrd

10th Bible Survey
  • We have been studying the life of Nehemiah. We have considered the report he received – the walls of Jerusalem are broken down and the gates are burned with fire. Nehemiah’s response is to fast and pray and seek the Lord seriously for this concern. After this, the Lord calls him to build the wall for the glory of God. We have been challenged that the Lord calls us to acts of service and obedience too; and we must do his will and say “I will serve.”

 

Mrs. Dovan

8th Omnibus
  • We finished out the semester with a discussion on the Crusades, comparing sources within the Christian worldview. Students also diligently prepared for their final exam which they completed Wednesday!
11th Elective – Creative Writing
  • The students spent their final days of class after the snow day writing their short stories and polishing their classmates’.  It has been a rewarding semester, and I am sad to see it come to a close. Thank you to those who participated in the metaphor votes!

 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Grade Science:
  • We wrapped  up our study of The Moon with a unit exam this week. The students also submitted their moon log projects. As we discussed the completion of this unit, the students were amazed at how much there is to learn about the moon, a celestial object we’ve all seen hundreds of times, but may not always take the time to understand. Our moon is incredibly unique in our solar system and it was exciting to see the students eager to look for it in the night sky (and daytime sky as well).
  • We will move on to studying the rest of our solar system after break.
8th Grade Science:
  • We completed our study of the periodic table by looking at the third and final category of elements, the non-metals. While the non-metals may be few in number compared to the metals, this group contains many exciting and essential members: hydrogen and helium, which make up 99.9% of all the known matter in the universe; carbon, the element of life; oxygen, without which, we could not exist; and fluorine, the most reactive element on the periodic table. Students also prepared for their unit exam, which they completed on Thursday.
  • The students will put their newly-gained knowledge of the periodic table to work after break when we begin looking at the basics of compound chemistry.

 

Mr. Hamilton

7th Grammar/Comp
  • We finished up our quarter with our final quizzes on style. The students have done a nice job of learning to implement these new ideas. Next up is our research paper, which we will dive into after the break. Happy holidays to all!
7th Omnibus
  • This week we took our final history test and presented our quarter projects on such topics as Greek philosophy, education, marriage rites, fashion, and more. All of the students have done a great job with these! I’m quite proud of their work.

 

9th History
  • We finished up history class by considering the causes of the American revolution. Next up is the 19th century in America, a time of great tragedy and change.
9th Literature
  • We are finishing up our Pride and Prejudice papers and reciting our Romantic sonnets this week. Next up is A Tale of Two Cities, Frankenstein, and many other interesting reads. We are looking forward to getting started after the break!
9th Theology
  • In theology this week we discussed, in conjunction with our reading of The Federalist Papers, several crucial questions related to government, such as how the different spheres of government (civil, church, and family) relate to one another, as well as what the Bible has to say about forms of civil government. Our discussions have been lively and rewarding, and we look forward to many more after the break!
11th Philosophy/Apologetics
  • Our survey of philosophy class has come to an end with our Q2 final exam and our quarter papers. We are excited to get to our next order of business, which is to apply what we have learned to the crucial task of becoming informed, wise, and Christ-honoring apologists of “the hope we have within us.”

 

Dr. James

9th/10th Biology
  • Last week the students finished their research presentations. This quarter the theme was distinguishing between similar species.
  • This week we finished our discussion of  Kingdom Fungi, and the students took their fourth (and last test of the  quarter.

 

Mr. Johnston

8th Latin
  • Completed Chapter 18 vocabulary and grammar.
7th Logic
  • Students continue looking at the main category of informal fallacies, Fallacies of Relevance.  We have discussed Ad Hominem, Tu Quoque, and Genetic fallacies.

 

Mr. Miller

7th Latin
  • We discussed compound verbs and complementary infinitives this week.
8th Logic
  • We discussed what it means for a syllogism to be valid, and the students also took a test on chapters 19-23.
10th Literature
  • The past few days were spent reading and acting out the comedic Greek play The Frogs by Aristophanes. It was interesting to compare it with the tragedy we read (The Bacchae) and see the differences between those two forms of Greek literature.
10th History
  • Having finally finished our discussion of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, the guys are applying a variety of Aristotle’s ideas throughout the work in a paper that requires them to analyze a famous friendship from literature or history.
10th Rhetoric
  • We finished the quarter off with two different speeches about the same topic: a “deliberative” speech arguing  for a particular position, and a “display” speech praising something.
11th Literature
  • The students spent the past couple weeks finishing their Dante projects, which involves a retelling of the story of Purgatory and Paradise for children along with an analysis of main themes and ideas throughout.
11th History
  • Last Friday we finished up the presentations on Hildegard and Julian, and this week the students took a test covering the history presentations from this quarter as well as most of the books we read in this quarter.
NT Greek
  • This week we wrapped up the quarter with a test on the material up through chapter 16 that focused on translation of Greek sentences.

 

Mrs. Palmer

7th Art
  • We continued working on our charcoal architecture works and they are coming along nicely!
8th Art
  • We continued working on our charcoal landscapes and they are coming along nicely!
9th Spanish
  • We added more vocabulary and started learning some irregular verbs.  We have discussed (e:ie), (o:ue), and (e:i) stem changing verbs. We will continue working on and reviewing these verbs as they take practice! Ninth grade also sang in Spanish “Ángeles Cantando Están” (Angels We Have Heard on High) to some classes at DTC on Thursday!

 

Mr. Palmer

7th Pre-Algebra
  • This week we studied and prepared for our final. After the final, we began studying on how to find the surface area of a right solid.
8th Algebra I
  • This week we worked with polynomials, studied for the final, and took the final.
7th/8th P.E.
  • This week we worked on passing and dribbling a basketball. We also took a PE quiz.
9th Intermediate Logic
  • This week reviewed the “9 rules of inference” and had a final.

 

Mr. Davis

7th and 8th Grade Choir
  • This week the 7th and 8th grade students did a great job performing their Christmas Concert on Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon.
11th Grade Introduction to Church Worship
  • This week the students completed their finals and had a Christmas party!