Bradford Bulletin 2019-03-01

BRADFORD BULLETIN

VOLUME XI, ISSUE 23

MARCH 1, 2019

 

FROM THE OFFICE

We want to say a super big CONGRATULATIONS to 6th grader Will Jones for coming in FIRST PLACE at the Alamance County Spelling Bee yesterday!  Will is the first Bradford Academy student to finish at the top and we eagerly cheer him on as he anticipates a trip to Washington, DC in May.  

UPCOMING

NEXT WEEK:

  • Monday, 3/4/19:  Chess Club (4th – 6th)
  • Friday, 3/8/19:  OPEN HOUSE. If you know of someone interested in learning about the school, please have them call the office to set up a tour!  919-563-9001

 

IN THE NEAR FUTURE:

  • Tuesday, 3/12/19:  Spring XC Training begins!  (5th – 11th)
  • Friday, 3/15/19:
    • RE-ENROLLMENT DEADLINE!!
    • Report cards go home
    • Reading Day for 7th – 11th grades
  • Monday, 3/18 – Friday, 3/22:  SPRING BREAK
  • Wednesday, 3/27 – Thursday, 3/28:  5th and 6th grades to Williamsburg
  • Monday, 4/1 –
    • Chess Club (1st – 3rd) begins
    • Tennis Club (6th – 11th) begins

 

FROM THE TEACHER’s DESK

 

GRAMMAR SCHOOL

 

Transitional Kindergarten (Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Luther)

Bible
  • For the next few weeks, TK is learning going back to the Old Testament to learn new stories before we get ready for Easter.  This week TK students learned about the tower of Babel and the destruction and hardship pride can bring.
Theme Adventure
  • Dr. Seuss Day / Reading Day was this week!  All week long TK students were immersed in Dr. Seuss themed games and books.  
  • On Thursday TK students enjoyed a day filled celebrating reading and Dr. Seuss classics.  The students enjoyed wearing silly socks and eating themed foods
  • TK planted seeds for their spring garden on Tuesday.  Students were inspired after reading the Lorax to contribute to the health of the environment.
Literacy
  • TK students reviewed counting syllables.  
  • TK students were challenged to listen to stories and retell them and listen for changed details. Listening and understanding stories is a key part of lasting comprehension.
  • Next week students will begin to learn to identify final sounds of words.
Math
  • TK students were challenged with copying designs on a geoboard.  
  • TK students were introduced to comparing measurements.  They learned terms of shorter than, same, and longer than.  
  • Next week students will begin to learn to count by 5’s.
Arts and Sciences
  • TK students were introduced to Oobleck.  They were amazed at the reaction of the non-newtonian fluid.  

 

Kindergarten (Mrs. Rivera & Mrs. McDorman)

Language Arts
  • Our kindergarten scholars were introduced to their seventh book, Ben and His Pen. The story is about Benjamin Franklin and his adventures with a pen that was given to him by his dad. We introduced the letter J, reviewed letter sounds, completed reading comprehension questions for our book, and introduced new special exhibit words. They colored a reproduction of an Etruscan Jar and added it to their Phonics museum.
Math
  • Dividing shapes in fourths; coloring fourths and halves; adding 10 to a number; counting by 10’s from a single-digit number; fact assessment 12; written assessment ; oral assessment 9; drawing a picture to solve a problem.
History
  • The Renaissance witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the substitution of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariner’s compass, and gunpowder. It was a time of revival of Classical learning and wisdom after a long decline and stagnation. One of the fields that embodied the Renaissance was fine art, especially painting and sculpture. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael are widely considered the leading artists of the period.
Science
  • No science due to Dr. Seuss/Reading Day.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer and had our video lesson about tempo and dynamics, which focuses on how music can be fast or slow, and loud or soft. Then, we warmed up our voices and sang our quarterly hymns. We ended class enjoying some time coloring while listening to the music of our quarterly composer, Rossini.
Art
  • We continued working on our Justinian mosaics. The mosaic of the Emperor Justinian and his court is located in the sanctuary of the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy.  Students listened to music by Rossini while they meticulous followed the color pattern.
P.E.
  • Since its invention in 1891, basketball has become one of the most popular sports in the world. Our kindergarten scholars are mastering the skills they need to one day become truly skilled players. We practiced dribbling the ball, catching the ball, and played a fun game of basketball tag.  
Memory Work:
  • Proverbs 14:34 and review

 

1st Grade (Mrs. Campbell)

Language Arts
  • Phonics target sound: Soft C (cent, citrus, cyclone)
  • Phonics primer: Howard Saves a Hound – reading comprehension; ‘cause & effect’, and art activity
Math
  • It was a milestone week in first grade!  Students went from 25 addition facts to 100, and they also began learning how to add two-digit numbers with regrouping.  We practiced this concept by trading pennies for dimes.
History
  • We finished the wonderful story of Benjamin West, the Father of American painting who did many portraits including George Washington.
Science
  • Our bird of the month, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, was the focus this week as we discovered it has a distinct call and color pattern.  Students also completed a study guide for a Chemistry test next week on the scientific method and states of matter.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer, and read our weekly praise verse together. We enjoyed some time coloring as we listened to the music of Rossini. Our history of hymns was about the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.”  In our lesson we read the storyline or synopsis of the opera, “The Barber Of Seville,” so that we would understand it when we watch a video of it next week. We finished class singing our quarterly hymns.
Art
  • First graders created a scene of hound dogs, similar to the ones in our phonics primer Howard Saves a Hound, using fingerprints and markers.
P.E.
  • This week began learning the basics of football.
Memory Work:  
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6,7

 

2nd Grade (Mrs. Jones)

Language Arts
  • Reading: Baby Island- The students were relieved right alongside Mary and Jean to finally find a stream of fresh water. This discovery meant that the girls knew exactly where they should build their teepee. We discussed the differences in fresh and salt water and why the stream meant life for the castaways. We also learned about the rising and falling of tides through a scary episode with the babies.  
  • Cursive: We learned the s, r and f this week, which completes the lower case alphabet….big accomplishment!!
  • Grammar: The next 10 states and capitals
    • Diagramming sentences using SN V/P1
Math
  • Adding three digit numbers
  • Identifying ordinal position
  • Reading and writing money amounts to $1,000
  • Writing checks
History
  • We have moved on to the Early New Kingdom in Egypt where we were introduced to Egypt’s first female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. What is even more significant about this woman is that she may be the Egyptian princess who found baby Moses in the Nile River.
Latin
  • We reviewed the Latin commands that they have learned up to the point. They will have a test next Tuesday, March 5th over these phrases. A study guide for this test was sent home in their black folder this week.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer, and read our weekly praise verse together. We enjoyed some time coloring as we listened to the music of Rossini. Our history of hymns was about the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.”  In our lesson we read the storyline or synopsis of the opera, “The Barber Of Seville,” so that we would understand it when we watch a video of it next week. We finished class singing our quarterly hymns.

 

Art
  • Although we didn’t have official art time this week due to Reading Day we did get to read Katie and the Impressionists together. This is a series that allows the students to experience different paintings coming to life through the adventures of Katie. In this particular book Katie jumps into two paintings by Claude Monet, our artist of the quarter. Ask your child what an Impressionist is.

 

P.E.

  • This week began learning the basics of football.
Memory Work:
  • Hebrews 11:1-16

 

3rd Grade (Mrs. Mitchell)

Language Arts
  • Reading:  Detectives in Togas – Students meet new characters and continue to unravel the mystery.  What are good clues? What are not good clues? Which of the boys has good ideas about next steps?
  • Writing:  Keyword outline on Damocles and the King.
  • Grammar: We are working with direct objects in grammar as well as Latin, which richly enhances our learning.
Math
  • Students are learning BIG concepts at this point in the curriculum:  identifying the divisor, dividend and quotient in a division problem; writing remainders for a division problem and learning to check them; dividing a 2-digit number by a 1-digit number; identifying mixed numbers and improper fractions; writing mixed numbers as improper fractions; writing mixed numbers and improper fractions to represent pictures; showing mixed numbers and improper fractions using pictures.
History
  • Reign of Caesar Augustus:  Our quest through the B.C. timeline reaches a culmination with the birth of Christ during the reign of this memorable Roman emperor.  The scriptures say that in the “fullness of time” the Savior would come (Gal. 4:4-7). We examined these verses and noted that God does not leave us wondering about His plans.
Science
  • Test on the Periodic Table.
Latin
  • Review of chapters 19-22 and test on ch. 22.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer, and read our weekly praise verse together. We enjoyed some time coloring as we listened to the music of Rossini. Our history of hymns was about the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.”  In our lesson we read the storyline or synopsis of the opera, “The Barber Of Seville,” so that we would understand it when we watch a video of it next week. We finished class singing our quarterly hymns.

 

Art
  • We began a pastel project using several renditions of Monet’s haystacks.  Monet is our featured artist for the quarter.
P.E.
  • This week began learning the basics of football.
Memory Work:
  • Psalm 19:13

 

4th Grade (Mrs. Hamilton)

Language Arts
  • Reading: Students continue to enjoy Claudia and Jamie’s adventures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in our new read, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
  • Writing: We are continuing to work through the basics of research and writing a research paper.
  • Grammar: Students worked on editing sentences and paragraphs.
Math
  • This week we learned about reducing fractions, finding the greatest common factor, and the properties of geometric solids.
History
  • Fall of Constantinople to Mohammed the Second: students learned about the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire and how the battle for the great city of Constantinople was fought.  
Science
  • Fossils: students learned about fossils, including what they are, how they form, and what they can tell us about the Earth’s past. Each student had the chance to chisel out fossils from a pile excavated several years ago by Dr. Wright.
Latin
  • In this review chapter, students got more comfortable with 3rd declension nouns, wrote a myriad of pattern two sentences in Latin, and translated several passages from our Latin reader, Libellus.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer and read our weekly praise verse. We learned the fingering for High F on our recorders, and chose, “Technique Time,” and “Give My Regards to Broadway,” as the songs we will practice this week. Our music history lesson was an overview of the storyline of the opera, “The Barber of Seville.” We ended class drawing and coloring as we listened to the beautiful music of Rossini.

 

Art

  • The students continue to do a great job with their pen and ink castles and cathedrals, this week beginning to add the pen and ink textures to the outlines they began in pencil.
P.E.
  • This week began learning the basics of football.
Memory Work:
  • Psalm 94:16-19

 

5th Grade (Ms. Windes)

Language Arts
  • Reading: We continue reading Witch of Blackbird Pond; Kit struggles to fit in as she meets the new family she will live with and realizes the many differences from her home in Barbados.
  • Writing: Students have been composing narrative poems, each about a moment in their lives or from history. We’ve been inspired by narrative poems ranging from “Casey at the Bat” to “The Raven.”
  • Grammar:  The students are working through compound direct objects and compound indirect objects as they classify and create many interesting sentences.
Math
  • This week we learned how to use a constant factor to solve ratio problems, doing arithmetic with units of measure, and finding the volume of a rectangular prism.
History
  • Our focus this week has been life at the winter camp of Valley Forge; each of the students chose a person or group of people to research more extensively and then acted out their historical figures for the class.
Science:
  • Students completed their study of astronomy for this year by taking the unit assessment and by sharing their stellar presentations. After next week’s remaining presentations, we will begin our new unit, Physics.
Latin
  • We learned the fourth declension neuter endings and then practiced translating silly and sensible sentences to make sure we understand how the declension endings give us the noun jobs.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer, and read our weekly praise verse together. We enjoyed some time drawing as we listened to the music of Rossini. Our history of hymns was about the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.”  In our lesson we read the storyline or synopsis of the opera, “The Barber Of Seville,” so that we would understand it when we watch a video of it next week. We finished class singing our quarterly hymns.
Art
  • Students continued working on their portraits.
P.E.
  • This week, due to the weather, we stayed inside and did an indoor workout.

 

Memory Work:

  • Philippians 2:1-16 Students did a great job reciting this long passage from Philippians!!

 

6th Grade (Mrs. Garrett)

New Testament Survey
  • I John 1-2:14 has been in the spotlight this week. In addition, a focus on commentaries, word studies, cross references, study notes in certain Bibles and the unusual writing style used by John  has been an interesting topic of discussion and study. Each student was given a different commentary to examine and find out more about John’s letter to the church.
Literature
  • The class finished up their missionary biographies and crafted book reports, videos, newscasts, comic strips and more to summarize the life of their missionary with the class.
  • The students also mapped out the origins and travels of their missionary on their personal world maps. The distances and trials that each missionary endured is astounding to learn. The class is learning the sacrifices many had made before them to spread the truth of Jesus Christ to the entire world.
Math
  • The class worked diligently through function tables and plotting functions on a graph, rate word problems and average and rate problems with multiple steps. The class will be assessed on Tuesday for lessons 1-55.
History
  • The giants of industry in the late 1800’s such as Carnegie and Vanderbilt were of great interest this week. The students researched and presented more detailed information of one of these industrialists which led to great discussion.
Science
  • The students finished detailing their personal science experiments and examined ways they would improve their experiments for further study.

 

Latin

  • We began working with prepositions this week as well as the third conjugation.
Music
  • This week we began class with prayer, and read our weekly praise verse together. We enjoyed some time drawing as we listened to the music of Rossini. Our history of hymns was about the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.”  In our lesson we read the storyline or synopsis of the opera, “The Barber Of Seville,” so that we would understand it when we watch a video of it next week. We finished class singing our quarterly hymns.

 

Art
  • Due to the extended time spent painting last week, the class did not participate in art class this week.
Logic
  • Analogies and Weak analogies were discussed and debated this week. Often the students provided well thought out explanations as to why the argument would contain a fallacy in logic.
P.E.
  • This week, due to the weather, we stayed inside and did an indoor workout.
Memory Work:
  • I John 1:1-2:14, The 1815 History Song, Flander’s Fields, Periodic Table Song

 

LOGIC & RHETORIC SCHOOL

 

Mrs. Byrd

Physics
  • To wrap up our study of sound and light waves, the class took a mini field trip to the main campus to estimate the speed of light using the microwave.  As a side benefit, we were able to make our test materials into an edible treat. Our next topic will be geometric optics – how lenses and mirrors work.
Precalculus
  • This week we learned several counting principles – factorials,  permutations, and combinations. We also learned how to calculate probabilities of simple, independent, and overlapping events.  We will use some of these skills in our upcoming March Madness bracket project.
Geometry
  • We concluded a study of surface area with a test on Friday.  Paint projects are due Monday. Next we will study special lines and segments and the relationships they create with circles.

 

Dr. Byrd

10th Bible Survey
  • We have learned about God’s judgment in Obadiah. Then in the book of Jonah we have seen how God demonstrates his kindness and love to Nineveh and to Jonah too.

Mrs. Dovan

8th Omnibus
  • Mrs. James kept the 8th grade class afloat for most of the week, and they did excellent work in both their reading of The Two Towers and their study of Ephesians.  We’ve made some connections between these readings: like the call for unity in the human race & the unity within the Fellowship of the Ring.  Likewise, Ephesians 4:28 says “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” After their defeat, the Northmen in Lord of the Rings are spared by the men of Rohan, equipped to work rather than being exiled or killed.  It is exciting to see truth taking action in narrative!

 

  • We only have five days of Omnibus until our 3rd quarter exam.  Until then, students are continuing in The Two Towers, and we are reading Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in class, comparing the invisible magic at work in both.   

 

11th Elective – Intro to Drama
  • We’re continuing in Pygmalion.  Eliza has the manners and speech of a proper woman, “but what is to become of the girl?” How does the thought life of a poor flower girl intersect with the upper class?  Now that she speaks beautifully, what should she say? Does the Victorian upper class really have anything to discuss, or is it all outward manners – the weather and health?  Shaw manages to challenge the class distinctions of his day while keeping his audience laughing, and we’re enjoying it.

 

  • Students will be performing monologues from Pygmalion and A Doll’s House Wednesday, March 6.

 

Mrs. Frueh

7th Grade Science:
  • The students have been presenting their lessons this week as part of their “Students-As-Teachers” Astronomy project. They have all done an impressive job of compiling their research and organizing their findings into presentations. This can be quite challenging when the topics are often broad and complex, but they have certainly risen to the occasion!
8th Grade Science:
  • We laid some mathematics groundwork this week as we began our physics unit by revisiting the concept of dimensional analysis, also known as the factor-label method. Mastering the proper use of dimensional analysis will allow the students to easily complete physics calculations as we move through the mechanics of speed, acceleration, and projectile motion in the weeks to come.

 

Mr. Hamilton

7th Grammar/Comp
  • This week we worked on crafting body paragraphs and learning how to write effective conclusions.
9th History
  • We had a great journey through the American West this week, learning how the West was transformed through the subjugation of native peoples, the rise of the mining and forestry industries, the rise and fall of cattle empires, and the frontier farming revolution.
9th Literature
  • We are continuing to read and analyze The Communist Manifesto from a Christian point of view. Thus far, we have noted how Marx’s economic observations mask a far more sinister aim, the abolition of Christian institutions such as marriage and the family.
9th Theology
  • This week we analyzed communism from a Christian point of view.
11th Philosophy/Apologetics
  • We gave this week over to an analysis of cosmological arguments, in particular the Kalam cosmological argument. We noted, among other things, how Craig’s version of the argument depends on a rejection of the possibility of an actual infinite, and we examined the implications of this rejection for belief in an infinite God.

 

Dr. James

9th/10th Biology
  • This week we began our introduction to cellular biology.  
  • Next week the students will present their research topics, informing their classmates of similarities and differences between related topics at the molecular and cellular level.  We will also conclude our introduction to cellular biology.

 

Mr. Johnston

8th Latin
  • We spent this week focusing on translation work.  We continue to exercise our critical thinking and problem solving muscles as we apply vocabulary and grammar rules to breaking the “Latin code.”  It really is like going to the gym for the mind!
7th Logic
  • Students began studying Fallacies of Presumption this week.  We discussed three of the “Begging the Question” fallacies.

 

Mr. Miller

7th Latin
  • This week the students took a quiz on the chapter 20 vocab and demonstrative pronouns, which we then spent time in class reviewing together.
8th Logic
  • We continued practicing how to use immediate inferences, especially in the context of categorical syllogisms.
10th Literature
  • We read and discussed 1 and 2 Maccabees, as well as the Greek additions to the book of Daniel.
10th History
  • In our reading of Josephus’ account of the war between Rome and the Jews, we skipped ahead to the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem.
10th Rhetoric
  • This week we continued practicing how to write prose in the form of meter by writing the beginning of a speech that incorporates various metered sentences.
11th Literature
  • We started our final book of the quarter this week, Chaucer’s epic love poem Troilus and Criseyde, and discussed some of the primary influences on his work, including many we have already wrote (Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Boethius).
11th History
  • We finished discussing Erasmus’ Praise of Folly this week and the letter he wrote justifying his work in the face of much criticism from those he offended, such as the theologians of his day.
NT Greek
  • We reviewed different ways of forming the future tense and also spent time reviewing for the upcoming vocab test on Tuesday.

 

Mrs. Palmer

7th Art
  • We started on our watercolor finals.  These pieces are inspired by the artist Winslow Homer.
8th Art
  • We started on our oil pastel finals.  These pieces are inspired by the book a book students have recently read in Omnibus.
9th Spanish
  • This week we continued on working with and practicing direct object nouns and pronouns.  We also spent time reviewing and working through the present progressive tense. Students presented their paragraphs in Spanish to the class this week as well.  Next week: two Bible verses due for recitation and Capítulo 5 (Chapter 5) Test!

 

Mr. Palmer

7th Pre-Algebra
  • This week we worked with percents that are greater than 100, learned how to multiply with scientific notation, and also how to solve implied ratio problems.
8th Algebra I
  • This week we learned how to solve consecutive number word problems, consecutive odd and even word problems, and also how to work with linear equations.
7th/8th P.E.
  • This week, due to the weather, we stayed inside and did an indoor workout.
9th Intermediate Logic
  • This week we continued learning how to use the different rules of inference and replacement to do the work of the other rules. This has been a fun and challenging exercise.