BB 2020-08-21

 BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XIII , ISSUE 2

August 21, 2020

 

FROM THE OFFICE

 

UNIFORMS:  I know this has been a difficulty.  French Toast endeavored to ease the financial burden for parents by offering a 50% discount, but their COVID-limited manpower could not handle the massive response they received.   I hope that this will be resolved for everyone very soon.  If problems persist, please contact the school office.  

SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP THE SCHOOL:   There are a few simple ways to earn money for Bradford just doing what you’re already doing!

  • Lowe’s Foods:  Link your Fresh Rewards card at www.lowesfoods.com/back-2-schools  **This has to be done every August.**
  • Food Lion:  Be sure to ask the sales associate when you’re checking out!
  • Amazon Smile:  Go to smile.amazon.com  and choose Christian Education Society of Mebane Inc.
  • BoxTops for Education:  We will accept the BoxTop labels (send in ziploc bag with your child) as long as they are available.  They are phasing out the physical labels and replacing them with a “scan your receipt”  system.  Go to https://www.boxtops4education.com/How-To-Earn to learn more!  

SUPPLY DONATIONS:  Thank you for all of the donations!  We are swimming in paper towels at the moment.  They will all be used up eventually, but for now, we are out of storage space.  Disinfecting wipes (which are like gold right now!) are still a need.    Let the office know if you have found a way to get your hands on some.  

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

  • Mon, 08/24:  Soccer practice
  • Tues, 08/25:  XC practice
  • Wed, 08/26:  Soccer practice 
  • Thurs,  08/27:  XC practice 
  • Fri, 08/28:  XC practice

**We are working to put together a schedule for meets and games, so be on the lookout!**

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Labor Day, Sept 7 – no school
  • Fall Break – Oct 5 – 9

 

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Grubb)

This Week
  • We had a great first week of TK!  The students are eager and excited to have many adventures.  TK practiced the patterns and schedule of the classrooms inside and outside! 
Bible
  • This week we focused on introducing and training Bradfords youngest scholars on how to be a good student in the classrooms inside and outside.  We explored friendship and the value of being a good friend.  Bible curriculum begins next week. This week we used Ecclesiastes 9:10 as our reminder to try our best in school. 
Theme Adventure
  •  TK students learned the borders of the playground and trails in the forest. 
Language, Literacy, Readiness and Writing
  •  TK students learned to cooperate with peers, work with others to solve a problem, demonstrate active listening, listen and follow directions, imitate teachers movements, and take turns.  
Math
  • TK students were introduced to two math materials we will be using in the classroom throughout the year.  Teddy Bear counters and Pattern (shape) blocks were used and explained.
  • The students learned to sky write the numbers 1-4.  
Arts and Sciences
  • TK students created first day portraits and gathered mushrooms from the forest.  We used observation to compare size, color, and unique characteristics about each mushroom.  Next week we begin planting seeds for the TK  garden! 
  • TK students are learning to distinguish their right hand as well as left and right positioning.  

 

Lower School P.E. (Mr. Davis)

K – 5th

  • This week the students learned and practiced the P.E. whistle protocol! Feel free to ask them what “one whistle blow means,” and what “two whistle blows mean” in P.E.  They also learned basic warm up stretches. At the end of class the students ran ladder drills. It was a great week of P.E.! 

 (Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera & Mrs. McDorman)

This Week
  •  This week kindergarten students mastered the Bradford Way. They are walking in lines, standing/sitting quietly at desks, and taking turns speaking. This has tied in nicely with our memory work: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. We discussed how the Bradford Way helps us love others. We began our study of history starting with the beginning. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1,3)  We marveled that in His omnipotence God created everything ex nihilo, out of nothing, just by speaking! Then kindergarteners explored some of the unique properties of light. Did you know when light reaches an object it does one of three things; it passes through, it bounces off, or it is absorbed? And lastly, we topped off the week by learning the first three strokes to make the cursive letter A: uphill stroke, clock face stroke, and connector. This has been a busy second week! I hope they take time to marvel at God’s creation and rest for the next week! 
Memory Work:  
  • Proverbs 1:7; Introduced 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
  • Pledge of Allegiance; Preamble to the U.S. Constitution; Preamble to the Declaration of Independence 
  • Catechism 1
Upcoming:
  • “Who Has Seen the Wind?”  by Christina Rossetti

 

1st Grade (Mrs. Morgan & Mr. Law)

This Week
  •  First grade has hit the ground running and  is picking up on all the classroom and school routines very well. At the heart of these systems and school policies is love for God and for neighbor, which is something emphasized at every opportunity.  The students have brought home their first small reader to practice at home. We have been looking more closely at language, discussing the difference between common and proper nouns. The principles of good penmanship are being introduced and cursive may be just around the corner for some of these bright writers! In history, the students have begun to learn about the various symbols that represent the United States. Among these are the flag, the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Bell. One especially bright spot has been learning about our winged neighbors. Our bird of the month this month is the Northern Cardinal.
Memory Work:  
  • Proverbs 1:7, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
  • “The Caterpillar” by Christina G. Rosetti
Upcoming:
  • Art: drawing of the days of creation.

 

2nd Grade (Mrs. Jones & Mrs. Batten)

This Week
  • Second grade had a fantastic first full week of school. We spent every morning going over the basics of the Bible and reading through the account of Creation in Genesis. It’s quite an accomplishment for them to be able to read directly from the Bible on their own. Ask your student if they remember what Genesis means. We began learning some short phrases in Latin: hello, goodbye and what is your name. The students are very excited to learn this new “secret code” that is no longer spoken.  In science they learned about the system of classification and how every living thing is given two Latin names.  Ask your child if they remember the scientific name (or Latin name) for a lion. This week in art we discussed what art is and why we have art. See if your child remembers the main reason that we have art. 
Memory Work: 
  • Proverbs 1:7
  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

 

3rd Grade (Mrs. Garner)

This Week
  • Wow! What a smart and hard-working class I have this year! The students have done a fabulous job with their first lesson in Latin by learning scripture, nouns, verbs, and several conjugations. We have hit the ground running by having our first tests in History and Latin. Math is going well, but some of us have realized the need to make and practice  addition facts at home. It has been such a blessing to see the class grow in their camaraderie throughout this week and I look forward to what the Lord has in store for all of them. 
Memory Work:
  • John 17: 3
Upcoming:
  • TESTS next week:
    • Grammar Chapter 1 on 8/25
    • Math on 8/27
    • History (Mycenaean Culture) on 8/28
    • Latin Chapter 2 on 8/28

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Burtram) 

This Week
  • Fourth grade had a fabulous week learning many new concepts in math including sequencing number patterns, place value and math symbols for greater than, less than and equal to comparisons.  We completed our first unit in Latin and took our first quiz.  All the students enjoyed receiving their history card for St. Augustine and we studied many photographs of artifacts about the Middle Ages.  The students especially enjoyed the topic of armor!  We are looking forward to continuing our studies next week with  Barbarian Invasions and the Vikings.  Literature was held outdoors this week as we read Door in the Wall.  Our outdoor classroom was a lovely environment for book discussions.  We will continue more opportunities for outdoor learning next week with other courses.
Science
  •  Our unit of study this quarter is biology with the focus on plants.  The students enjoyed getting outside to see the plants and trees in our community to begin their study.  We created a narration book that will be used for observations, narrations, and lab notes.
Memory Work:
  • Proverbs 1:7 and Matthew 7:12
  • Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth
  • History: St. Augustine Converts to Christianity 386
Upcoming:
  • Barbarian Invasions and Viking  Presentations

 

5th Grade (Ms. Vogus) 

This Week
  • Math: Missing numbers and order of operations. Latin: 1st and 2nd declension and verbs stems. History: Prince Henry. Science: Names of Bones. Art: Review of the 9 Laws. Literature: Chapter 1 of The Hobbit. Writing: 3 Paragraph writing assignment. Grammar: Types of sentences and verb and noun review. 
Memory Work:
  • Romans 12: 1-2
Upcoming:
  • Memory Romans 12:3-4. History: Columbus. Math: Fractions, measurement, perimeter, and area. Literature: Chapter 2 of The Hobbit. Latin: 3rd declension and dative case ending. Grammar: Pattern 1 sentence classification and noun jobs. Writing: Essay writing review. 

 

LOGIC & RHETORIC SCHOOL

Mr. Batten

Language Arts
  • We read through chapter 2 of the Jungle Book, paying attention to the valuable lessons related to discipline and friendship Kipling portrays through the life of Mowgli.
History
  • We reviewed the Monroe Doctrine, learned about travel in the early 1800’s, and discovered how and why the Erie Canal was formed. 
Science
  • We learned the basics of the Scientific Method, how to identify independent, dependent, and control variables, and began practicing ourselves by creating experiments through the things we observe. 
6th Logic
  • We introduced logic, its purpose, and the basic importance of listening carefully to understand opposing viewpoints. 
7th Logic
  • We discussed the difference in propaganda and persuasion, learned why Logic is important to everyday life, and began learning how to debate those who may claim God is unloving. 
8th Logic
  • We learned basic laws of argumentation, and focused on the extreme importance of defining our terms before getting into discussions or debates. 
Upcoming:
  • Memorizing through 1 John 1:6, learning about Jacksonian democracies, refining logic skills by learning to identify fallacies, and delve into scientific measurements. 

Mrs. Byrd

Physics
  • In our beginning study of kinematics we are learning about displacement, velocity, and acceleration – vector counterparts of our traditional concepts of distance, speed, and acceleration.
Pre-calculus
  • We are considering various types of functions and function notation and also getting acclimated to our new online HW platform, Web Assign.
Geometry 
  • Our class is learning some basic definitions and postulates and is seeking to grasp the framework of geometry and how the entire system is derived from these basic things.  This is a new idea relative to  our usual computational approach to math.

Dr. Byrd

10th Bible Survey
  • We are excited to study the Old and New Testaments together. We have just finished an overview of Genesis. We were reminded of God’s amazing creation; man’s fall into sin; and God’s plan of redemption.  In addition, we are studying some of the key terms related to Biblical interpretation.
  • Bible Memory: Hebrews 12:1
  • Long-term assignment – to read through the whole Bible

Mr. Davis

6th PE
  • This week the students learned P.E. warm up drills. They also began their P.E. fitness assessment to get a baseline of their current physical fitness. It’s going to be great to see how the students will progress throughout the year. 
7th PE
  • This week the 7th grade students also completed their first P.E. fitness assessment. 
8th PE
  • This week the students completed a total body workout that consisted of push ups, sit ups, military squats and lunges. After the workout the students played ultimate frisbee at Walker field. 
10th Advanced P.E.     
  • This past Tuesday the students did a total body workout and played ultimate frisbee. On Thursday they completed another total body workout and played flag football. 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Grade Science:
  • We practiced using the Cornell Note system to take class notes and learned about the importance of keeping an organized notebook in science. We began discussing the characteristics of a good scientist and how failing to practice good science habits can lead to drawing false conclusions.
8th Grade Science:
  • We defined the parameters of our course of study this year by defining the fields of physics and chemistry. The students learned to distinguish between physical and chemical changes and we performed our first chemistry experiment to observe physical and chemical changes in action.

Mr. Hamilton

9th Logic
  • We’ve completed lessons one and two in logic so far, and students appear to be getting more and more comfortable with the idea and concepts of propositional logic.
9th Historic Theology
  • Our first unit of study gave us a broad overview of the development and importance of creeds and confessions, which are simply meant to be, as our text points out, accurate reflections of the faith set forth in the Bible.
10th History
  • We looked at the development of ancient Mesopotamian culture this week, with a special emphasis on the accomplishments of the Sumerians, who developed writing, mathematics, and law.
10th Literature
  • We have begun our year with the book of Job, examining what it can teach us about the problem of evil and suffering in our world.
11th Philosophy/Apologetics
  • Our first units of study have included an overview of philosophy and its relationship to theology and the Bible, as well as a study of the ancient philosophies of Eastern civilization.
12th History
  • We’ve begun with an overview of the cultural exchange that occurred during the Age of Exploration, as well as a look at the scientific revolution and its impact on the church.
12th Literature
  • We’ve begun to explore our first piece of literature, Paradise Lost, paying attention to Milton’s purpose, his vivid and powerful poetry, and the whole question of the significance of works of literature based on the Bible. 

 

Mrs. Hamilton

Logic School Music: Music History
  • In Logic School, each class had a wonderful week in music history, exploring music from antiquity through the middle ages. Students listened to and learned about an array of ancient and medieval musical instruments, as well as notation, genres, and performance practice of music during that time period. After a brief overview of music in the Renaissance and an introduction to polyphony next week, students will be ready to embark on an in-depth study of music in the common practice period.  
Logic School Music: Music Theory
  • In music theory, each Logic School class is in the middle of an intensive study of notation in the treble and bass clefs, which will enable them to begin performance practice on various instruments in just a few weeks. Students seem to be greatly enjoying acquiring (or reviewing!) the skill of reading music. 
Music Elective: Music History II (Baroque to 20th Century)
  • We had an incredibly rich start to our music history course by completing a very broad but useful overview of music from antiquity to the common practice period. Students have begun to understand and learn the language of music and musicians, and were exposed to a wonderfully varied musical repertoire spanning thousands of years. We also learned about (and listened to) the predecessors of modern instruments, as well as the progression of musical notation, and have even begun learning the skill of reading music. Much of our time was occupied with the rise of polyphony, various aspects of which will continue to be meticulously studied and discussed next week, when we begin our study of the mid-Baroque period with Purcell and Vivaldi, paving the way for our study of Bach. 

Ms. Hutchison

7th Grade Omnibus
  • History  7th grade students are learning about the very first days of human history.  We’ve begun our History Timelines in our personal Copy Books and are adding events from the book of Genesis.  Since very little is known about the days before the Flood, we’ve been able to cover history from Creation through the call of Abram.  Your students have created beautiful maps of Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent in their Copy Book as well.  We’re off to a great start on our journey through ancient days.
  •  Literature   Students have been reading through the book of Genesis these first two weeks of school.  They have discussed the worldview of the book of Genesis, the author, context, setting and significance of the first book of the Bible.  They have also written beautiful narratives of specific stories from the first half of Genesis, and are working on illustrations to accompany their narratives.  When complete, these stories will be bound together to create our very own Genesis Storybook.
  • Bible   In Forum, 7th graders are beginning a year-long study of the book of 2 Timothy.  We are exploring the themes of each of the four chapters this year…one chapter per grading period.  We have begun memorizing 2 Timothy 1:6-14.

In our Omnibus class, our students are delving into an understanding of the covenants which God has made with his people, particularly the Noahic and the Abrahamic Covenants.  Your students are considering the attributes and the character of God, which they are able to discern from their study of Genesis, with an understanding that this great, sovereign and personal God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

9th Grade Biology
  • Biology students have begun their first formal study of science by looking at the criteria which define living things, and have considered the source of all life, God, the Creator.  We have reviewed the principles of scientific inquiry and the scientific method, as well as learning a bit about biological classification and nomenclature.  Biology students have also been introduced to the microscope and enjoyed observing microscopic structures with them.  Our first test of the quarter is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26.

Dr.  James

10th Grade Chemistry
  • This week we concluded our discussion of many introductory terms that we will use this year and will develop in greater detail as the course progresses.
  • Next week the students will take their first test of Q1.  Then we will begin our study of measurements in chemistry.

  

Miss Oldham

9th Grade Literature
  • We began reading The Pilgrim’s Progress and discussing Bunyan’s use of allegory when discussing the Christian’s walk. 
9th Grade History
  • We began talking about colonization and expansions that began in the 16th century. 
11th Grade Literature
  • We began reading Augustine’s City of God and looking at how his arguments ring true in today’s world as well as in the 5th century. 
11th Grade History
  • We are reading A Distant Mirror that looks at how the 14th century and the 20th century are similar to one another. We also began our Medieval timeline notes. 
10th Rhetoric I
  • We continued our discussion on the background of Rhetoric and why we study it. The students also delivered their first speech in class. 
12th Rhetoric II
  • We read to Mrs. Batten’s 2nd grade class this week and continued our talk about senior theses. 

Mrs. Palmer 

6th Art
  • This week we discussed our artist of the quarter, Michelangelo.  We talked through the science of creating fresco paint and then students worked on small detailed works of art. Next week they will have an artist of the quarter quiz!
7th Art
  • This week we discussed our artist of the quarter, Michelangelo.  We talked through the science of creating fresco paint and then students worked on small detailed works of art. Next week they will have an artist of the quarter quiz!
8th Art
  • This past week we talked about our artist of the quarter, Michelangelo.  Students have an artist of the quarter quiz next TUESDAY, 8/25. We also learned about pen and ink techniques and began working with and preparing for some pen and ink studies. 
9th Spanish 
  •  This week we tried to stay in the target language as much as possible!  It may have been overwhelming for the students, but they handled it well! We learned a lot of new vocabulary, talked about writing and speaking numbers in Spanish, and conjugated our first verb (SER).  It was a good week in language learning.
10th Spanish
  • This past week was all about review, review, review.  We reviewed past vocabulary, adjectives, verbs, and conjugations.  We also began some new vocabulary that will take us into our next chapter. 

Mr. Palmer

6th Math
  • This week we have been working on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. We have also been working on patterns and sequences. There has been a lot of review of math concepts. Next week there will be a test.
7th Pre-Algebra
  • This week we have been reviewing the basic principles of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. There has been a lot of review of math concepts. Next week there will be a test.
8th Algebra I
  • This week we have been reviewing the basic principles and properties of math in preparation for algebra I. Next week there will be a test.
10th Algebra II
  • This week we have been reviewing like terms and how to multiply and divide terms with exponents. 
11th / 12th NT Greek
  • This week we have begun memorizing vocabulary and practicing reading and pronouncing Greek by reading I John.

Miss Windes

8th Grade Omnibus
  • History – In history, we have been learning about the Roman empire from the time of Augustus through the beginning of the Flavian dynasty of emperors. The students discussed how Augustus benefited or harmed the Roman empire and we began to examine the rise of Christianity. 
  • Literature – We began reading Eusebius’s book, The Church History, and through that book learning about the trials, joys, and life of the early church and Christianity as it spread throughout the Roman empire. 
  • Composition – We began our first persuasive essay of the year, focusing on writing clearly through definition. We also began studying Strunk and White and their ‘Elementary Principles of Composition.’ 
6th Grade LATIN
  • We have launched into our new Latin book – Latin Alive! – which is full of translations, culture, and history alongside the grammar. This week we drilled down on present tense verbs and learned our first set of vocabulary from chapter two. 
7th Grade LATIN
  • In 7th grade Latin we have been reviewing verbs in the present, imperfect, and future tenses. We have also reviewed some vocabulary. Our new students are doing a fantastic job of learning this new language! 
8th Grade LATIN
  • To begin the year, we have done a massive review of present, imperfect, and future tense verbs, nouns, their declensions, cases and noun jobs, and the basics of translating sentences. It has been fun to see how far these students have come in Latin!