Bradford Overview

Mission Statement

Bradford is dedicated to cultivating confident, curious, and kindhearted citizens capable of asking thoughtful questions, navigating complex challenges, and connecting with the world around them. Through our rigorous university-backed academic and social-emotional curriculum and our deeply invested faculty, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community of life-long learners.

Manifesto

We are Bradford.

Here we think that kids should learn to be citizens of the world, not just members of their local peer group. That a warm community of parents, teachers, and administrators is integral to cultivating kids that thrive. That including kids in our classrooms who may not be like everybody else is not only the right thing to do, but also makes for a more open-minded, humane planet. We believe in exercising our bodies as well as our minds, and in eating healthy foods to fuel our growth. That being inspired -- not just required -- to master the skills we teach is the key to higher achievement. That opening your classroom door to all good things dwelling near and far -- to experience university resources first hand, to see a play, to hear jazz, to see the sky through a giant telescope, to chat with a pal halfway across the world -- makes us smarter, richer and ever more curious. We believe that teaching cooperation, acceptance, respect, responsibility, empathy and self-control alongside math and reading, science and technology, art and music makes for engaged kids who become exceptional, grounded adults who will change the world for the better.

Curriculum

General
The New Jersey Student Learning Standards drive our curriculum. Classroom instruction emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills in all subjects. Our students are actively engaged in the learning process through experiences in math, language arts, science, and social studies, as well as music, art, physical education, library, technology, and Spanish. Our reading and writing curricula are Making Meaning (reading) and Being a Writer (writing), and our math curriculum is Go Math. Phonics is taught through the multisensory, research-based Fundations program in Grades K-2.

Magnet Theme – Bradford’s Partnership with Montclair State University
Our partnership with MSU is a dynamic component of the learning experience for Bradford students. MSU faculty facilitate visits to weekly music concerts at the John J. Cali School of Music, provide math and science learning stations, perform dance assemblies for our students and serve as visiting professors in our classrooms to enhance instruction. We also have access to the MSU Forensics Lab, Kasser Theater, Panzer Gym, the Photography Lab, the ADP Technology Center, the 3D Printing Lab, and other facilities at MSU. MSU physical education faculty and students organize an on-campus six-mile walk-a-thon for fourth and fifth graders and a three-mile walk-a-thon for second and third graders to raise money for local charities. Also, MSU faculty and students organize Field Days for all Bradford students on Sprague Field, which include physical education stations and team building games. Bradford’s experienced teachers supervise many of the MSU’s student teachers in their classrooms. 

Response to Intervention (RTI)/Intervention & Referral Services (I&RS)
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all children in the general education classroom (Tier I). Struggling learners are provided with interventions through the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) Committee at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning (Tiers II and III). Intervention services may be provided by a variety of personnel, including general education teachers, special educators, and specialists. The I&RS Committee closely monitors student progress and makes adjustments to the student’s plan, if necessary. Educational decisions about the intensity/duration of interventions are based on individual student response to the intervention(s). A student is referred to the I&RS Committee by the classroom teacher. The team is regulated under N.J.A.C 6A:16-7.

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