News

2024

  • 7th Grade Drama Presents Cafe 007 Part 1

    The first trimester 7th grade drama class presented its self-written performance of Cafe 007 Part 1 (aka Once Upon a 007) to the entire Middle School today. Directed by Edwina Herring, the show contained skits written and rehearsed by the cast members over the course of the trimester. Skits included a Medieval rap off, insurance commercials, a cooking with the Kardashians show, a social media murder, art intrigue and murder amongst wealthy English folk, a jewelry heist of the Hope Diamond, a Disney character game show and more. The show began with impressive performances by the 7th grade music class, led by teacher Cam Pampus. The class performed In Sync's Bye Bye Bye and Ophelia by the Lumineers. It was a great performance by both the cast and the musicians. Check out some photos here and watch for more photos next week.
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  • CBIC Tech Tour for 7th/8th Graders

    On Friday, November 22nd, the CBIC Tech Tour is happening. 7th and 8th grade students will have the incredible opportunity to visit as many as 60 local tech companies, experiencing hands-on tours and getting a front-row seat to cutting-edge innovation and technology. Up to 400 students from dozens of regional schools are expected to participate. Some details:
    • It runs from 9am to 1pm at different locations in town and then ends up at PVCC. Students will travel on a Tandem bus.
    • Up to 12 students will participate.
    • Students must have a sincere desire to engage with adults in the tech world here in C'ville and be in good standing to miss their classes.
    • Teachers and Paul have the discretion to say that a student cannot attend and must remain in classes that morning.
    Paul has emailed 7th and 8th graders already and is developing the list of interested students.  Chaperones will be Anne, Kroese, and possibly Paul. Todd Love will be driving the bus. We look forward to hearing what the students will learn on their day of 'tech touring.'
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #13

    After last week's excitement, this was a week of settling as our winter sports teams (basketball) began their regular practice schedules. Our varsity volleyball and cross country teams held end-of-season celebrations to cap off great team and individual performances. The JV and varsity basketball boys will play in scrimmages this afternoon against Appalachian Christian, with the JV tipoff at 4:30pm and the varsity tipoff at 6pm. There are no games for any teams next week. Hope to see you in the gym!

    Fall athletes - please return your uniforms to me ASAP so that you will not be billed for them.
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #13

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  • 7th Graders Design Board Games, 6th Graders Test Them

    As part of their English and history curriculum, 7th graders worked in groups to redesign the Oregon Trail game, which, according to game designers, portrayed Native Americans in an unnecessarily simple and stereotypical way. Shell River Road (the Lakota name that preceded the Oregon Trail) games include student-created land acknowledgements and additional elements designed to inform and educate game players (the 6th grade) - as well as to honor Native American heritage. 6th graders got to try out the creative Shell River Road gameboards this week.
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #12

    2024 Tandem Girls Varsity Volleyball - A Joyful Season to Remember

    When I met with Coach Kiwii over the summer, I asked her what goals she had for the season. "That's up to my players," she told me. "We'll see what kind of team they want to be."  Once the ball was tossed into the air for the first serve of the season, we knew exactly what team they would be! This group of Badgers plays with an enormous level of talent and teamwork, matched only by their determination and grit. When Monticello arrived for the battle of Mill Creek, the Badger Den was jam packed - and Tandem played their hearts out, pushing our much larger neighbor to five very close sets. The next day in practice, the team made a declaration: we want to play in the 2024 VISAA State Tournament!
     
    Tonight, the Badgers realized their goal - taking the floor against top seeded (28-1-1) Timberlake Christian, and giving their opponent all they could handle.  How did they do it?  Tandem dominated the early portion of their schedule - beating Quantico and Wakefield 3-1. Then the team really hit their stride, with 3-0 wins against RMA, WCDS, Foxcroft and Wakefield, amassing an unprecedented 20 consecutive victorious sets in a row!! These matches were not close either, with Tandem holding their opponents to single digit point totals in each set!
     
    Hungry for a challenge, the Badgers travelled to play a tough Eastern Mennonite team on the road. At the time, EMS was ranked ahead of Tandem in the standings, but the Badgers beat them 3-1!  When Maggie's ace marked the ending of the match, Tandem began their final push to accomplish their goal, moving from #10 to #9 in the rankings.  Later that week, the Badgers beat KAA at home 3-1 and Quantico 3-0, before dominating cross-town rival Miller on Senior Night! What a week!
     
    With their bid to states still up in the air, this team gave it their all for a stretch that included 4 games in 5 days, and the GPAC Tournament, in which Tandem finished 2nd. By that point, it became clear, the Badgers had moved from 9th to  8th - earning an opportunity to fulfill their goal and play in the Virginia state tournament!
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #12 Part 2 TANDEM CROSS COUNTRY WINS THE VIRGINIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP! AGAIN!

    Today was not a windy day, but leaves fluttered in his wake as Hayes ran by, swirling momentarily before settling back down. His footsteps were quick and light, yet each one seemed to stir the stillness around him, as if he carried a silent energy that rippled through the course. The trees stood motionless, their branches barely moving, yet the crowd could feel a powerful breeze as Hayes sped past.  
     
    Throughout the season, several runners have made the mistake of challenging Hayes in the final stretch of a race. In the Tandem Two Mile, STAB's 2023 Individual State Champion gave a valiant effort, but Hayes did what he always does: he ran a super fast, smart, tactical race - leaving STAB in the dust. A few weeks later, at the VTCA Invitational, Hayes approached the finish with a pack of Central Virginia's top runners. He timed his move perfectly and as he flew up the final hill and toward the finish line, his competition faded and Hayes was all alone as he broke the tape.
     
    Today, on the biggest stage Virginia Cross Country has to offer, the GPAC Runner of the Year was locked on his competition. Hayes spent ninety percent of the race with Wakefield's Curtis Leachman, one of the top runners in the state. As they approached the final turn, Hayes conserved his energy, waiting a moment before making his move on the incline. Curtis surged slightly ahead, breathing heavily as Hayes kept a steady pace and a calm mindset. He knew the incline would sap the strength of the competition.  
     
    As Hayes neared the finish, he felt his legs surge with energy. NOW! He leaned forward, digging his feet into the ground, propelling himself with an intensity that elite athletes reserve for state championships. He and Curtis were neck and neck as Hayes grew stronger with each step. With thirty meters to go, his competition stumbled and broke their form - meanwhile Hayes was just hitting stride to the tune of FIRST PLACE OVERALL, making him the INDIVIDUAL VIRGINIA STATE CHAMPION with an incredible time of 16:13! 
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #11

    What a week for the Tandem Badgers! Varsity volleyball hosted and won the GPAC tournament quarterfinal and semifinal matches this week, taking down King Abdullah. They are at Highland, taking on Highland for the tourney championship this afternoon. Currently ranked #8 in the state in their division, they find out on Sunday if they play in the state tournament next week. The varsity cross country team hosted the GPAC championship meet Tuesday - the boys easily won by 20 points to defend last year's title and our girls team came in second. There were personal records galore, with Tandem boys Hayes, Jack and Miles coming in 1st, 2nd, 3rd overall, and Lucy and Claire coming in 3rd and 4th overall. 

    All-Conference honors were announced this week as well. In cross country, sophomore Hayes was named GPAC Runner of the Year. Four boys and four girls each made the All-Conference Team by placing in the top ten at the meet: for the boys, sophomores Hayes, Miles and Peter, and junior Jack; for the girls, junior Claire, sophomore Lucy, 9th grader Hazel and 8th grader Eloise. In volleyball, seniors Chloe B and Maggie W made 1st Team; senior Tessa D made 2nd Team; junior Sofia S received Honorable Mention. Way to go, Badgers!

    Read more about this week's matchups below and watch for details about state play next week!

    Cross Country - 10/30/24
     
    Running as an elite unit, three Tandem Badgers crested the top of the hill with ease. Out of one eye, I watched them round the corner along the tree line and head for the finish. Out of the other eye, I looked for an opposing runner. There were none to be found.  Hayes dominated today's GPAC Cross Country Championships. The GPAC Runner of the Year, Hayes won for the second consecutive time on his home course, completing the 5K race in a time of 16:57 - nearly a minute faster than he ran in September.  His talent is second only to his leadership, and Hayes used this opportunity to work together with his teammates to best position them for success. Jack Blemker was second overall - his time of 17:12 was over a minute faster than his last race on the same course. Miles has taken his game to another level entirely. On September 19th, he ran 18:25 - today was 17:21 - a minute course PR and 40 seconds faster than his time at Panorama Farms.  This trio came across the line 1st, 2nd and 3rd, guiding Tandem to a well deserved conference championship.
     
     
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  • 8th Grade Latin Students Cook Roman Food

    8th grade students cooked some Roman food this week! From "dormice" (...no actual dormice were harmed in the creation of these Latin projects) to ancient "pancakes" to really embracing the ancient uses of honey, 8th grade Latin students did their best to follow recipes from Apicius' de re coquinaria. Some adjustments were made and several creative liberties were taken, but overall students had a blast preparing food, sharing it with their classmates and proudly declaring minced meat the winner (though Romans would not have enjoyed theirs on Pepperidge Farm rolls)!! ~ Meg Davis
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  • Juniors Creating Crucible-Themed Podcasts

    In American Literature, the 11th graders finished studying The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, this week. They are currently creating podcasts connecting themes and events in the play to current Innocence Project legal cases.  Kroese and Tucker collaborated in the making of this project. Students are learning a new skill (making a podcast) and how to use sound mixing software (Soundation) in addition to conducting research on their cases from several sources, creating a Works Cited page and a transcript of the podcast, then recording it to play for the class in a week. The students are having a blast naming their podcasts and creating the content. We can't wait to see what they produce! ~ Tucker Winter
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  • Another Wonderful Blue Ridge Day!

    The weather could not have been more perfect, the leaves were in great color, and spirits were high on Wednesday as students gathered to take off on their Blue Ridge Day hikes. The Middle School took on the Monticello trails, walking from Tandem across the MHS and PVCC campuses, crossing Rt. 20 (with police help) to get to the trail system. Once at the main trail, groups divided into hikes of varying length and level of challenge. The majority of Middle Schoolers also made a short silent walk around the pond along the trail, a sort of walking Meeting for Worship in nature. They ate lunch in the Monticello picnic area before heading back down. Upper Schoolers loaded up on busses to head to nearby Walnut Creek, where there are trails and a little park to enjoy. Like the Middle School, students went on hikes of varying length, and all enjoyed lunch in community in the park. by about 1:15pm, student groups began returning to campus by bus or on foot. They found fire pits blazing, s'mores makings at the ready, trail mix ingredients for concocting individual recipes, and plenty of cider and water to rehydrate. It was such a lovely and warm afternoon that the chocolate had to be moved into the shade to keep from melting. There were plenty of s'mores made. and it's always fun to guess who will roast theirs to golden perfection and who will plunge their straight into the fire to create a marshmallow inferno. By 2:30, our Tandem community migrated to the quad and the Pavilion to enjoy a great open mic, emceed by seniors Riley and Alex with a wide variety of group, duo and individual performers. There were some amazing numbers and the cheers could be heard all over campus. It was a practically perfect day spent in nature and in community. What a wonderful Tandem tradition! Click here to see many, many photos of the day.
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #10

    It was an incredible week for Tandem Athletics! The Varsity Soccer season ended on the road with an exciting 5-4 battle at Fishburne. Congratulations to the team on a great season! We celebrated Aiden, our lone senior, with a MS/US Scrimmage on Thursday. Volleyball has continued their hot stretch, winning 5 in a row - they won 3-1 over Miller on Thursday - an awesome way to celebrate Senior Night! The GPAC Playoffs are next week - Volleyball hosts at home on Tuesday and Cross Country will host at Darden Towe on Wednesday. Hope to see you there!

    Varsity Volleyball Senior Night Game is One to Remember - 10/25/24
    It is rare to be in the presence of true greatness, so when you are, it is important to acknowledge how special the circumstances are. Tonight, on Senior Night, Tandem spirit and pride was at an all time high. The Badger Dome was as loud as it's ever been. The student section, in full black out attire, did not sit down for one minute - screaming at full throttle and cheering with all their might.  Tandem Families were on the edge of their seats, supporting the Badgers during every serve, rally or kill. Above the bench, six beautiful posters, illustrated by the sophomores and juniors, hung as a tribute to our extraordinary senior class. The class of 2025 has been tremendous throughout their entire Tandem career. Tonight, in their final regular season game on their home floor, they rose to the occasion - shining a light that reflected back in all of us. See the volleyball program honoring our seniors here. Read more about this game and other games this week below.
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  • Kalina

    Alumni Coaches Lead the Badgers

    Let’s face it, Tandem alums make great Badger coaches. 

    Kalina "Kiwii" Zizulka '18 has led the Girls Varsity Volleyball program to great heights this season, from an epic 20-set winning streak to a top ten ranking in the state, and the season isn’t over yet. Former teammates are right there with her - Ke'alani Sison '18 has lent her coaching skills to the program and Tori Carter-Johnston '18 stopped by for a visit to the Badger Den.

    Lauren Shotwell ‘20 serves as head coach for Boys and Girls Middle School Soccer, teaching them the skills of the sport she played while a student at Tandem.

    Sampson Dale went to Tandem in Middle School and now teaches Middle School P.E. and coaches our formidable Varsity Boys Basketball team. Sam’s already leading the team through early morning workouts. We can’t wait to see what they’ll bring to the court this season!
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  • Eric is married to Tandem alumna Courtney Newman ‘07

    Alumni Spotlight: Eric Stumpf '08

    Eric Stumpf '08 is the founder and creative director at Nite4Nite, a film production company based in Charlottesville. Nite4Nite's latest project is a short film called 'Keepers,' which is currently touring at film festivals, including an Academy Award qualifying festival. Eric was awarded Best Cinematography at the Richmond International Film Festival. He credits Tandem with fostering his interest in art from a young age, a passion he carried with him to college and beyond.

    'Keepers' stars Luke Slattery from 'The Boys in the Boat' and follows a lobster fisherman who makes a mysterious discovery while on the water. This modern nautical folktale is full of suspense and was entirely shot off the coast of Cape Cod. Seth Glennie-Smith '06 composed the music score! 

    See the full list of festivals where 'Keepers' is showing below:

    Nantucket Film Festival
    Atlanta Shortsfest
    Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
    Richmond International Film Festival
    Sidewalk Film Festival
    Crested Butte Film Festival
    New Hampshire Film Festival (Oscar qualifying)
    ScreamFest Horror Festival
    HP Lovecraft Film Festival
    New York City Short Film Festival
    New York Indie Awards
    Reykjavic International Film Festival
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  • Reunion Recaps: Class of '19

    A new informal alumni tradition has emerged in recent years. Five years after they graduate, Tandem invites alums for a small get-together in Charlottesville. This August, members of the Class of 2019 came together at Random Row Brewing Co. to catch up and do a bit of reminiscing with some of their former teachers and classmates.
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  • Brian Shaw '74 and Tandem founder, John Howard

    Reunion Recaps: Class of '74

    Last April, the Class of 1974 arrived on campus to share time together for their 50th Reunion Weekend. They came from as far away as Hawaii and London and spoke in Speaker Series to current students enthusiastically and openly about their own time at Tandem. 

    It was an emotional return for some, as they shared wisdom and stories of volleyball, classes and teachers they loved, and a brief mention of streaking. Our students loved hearing from them and learning that Tandem still seems very much the same. 

    The alums strolled around campus and visited with members of the classes of 1973, 1975, and 1976 who joined them for a reception in the Blue Room. They returned to campus the next day to enjoy a tour and some time with Head of School, Whitney Thompson, and Assistant Head of School for Mission and Values, Peter Gaines.
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  • Mattea Gaines '24 presenting her Senior Project in March

    Senior Project Highlights

    For her Senior Project, recent Tandem alumna Mattea Gaines ‘24 designed labs to foster interest and confidence in STEM among young girls. ‘Geeky Girls’ hosted labs ranging from marshmallow spaghetti towers to teach principles of physics to a hands-on exploration of forensic science. 

    Mattea learned about leading science programming for kids from her technical advisor, former Middle School Science teacher Christine Hirsh Putnam, and through volunteering with Charlottesville Women in Tech (CWIT).

    She also formed a STEM club at Tandem to carry on the work she began. The Geeky Girls club has already begun planning new labs for this year. Upperclassmen Mary, Maggie, and Esme describe how important it is to them to make sure that young girls have confidence in STEM and to create a space where learning is accessible to everyone.

    Alumni mentorship was another highlight from the class of 2024’s Senior Projects. Abigayle Harris '24 explored Soul Music and Songwriting and her technical advisor was none other than Ti Ames ‘13!

    Senior Projects can change perspectives and even career paths. Leave us a class note telling us how your Senior Project has stayed with you. 
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #9


    Banner Day for Badgers on Court and on Fields! - 10/18/24 - MS Boys Soccer, MS VB, JV VB, V VB

    The Badgers opened the season scoring seven goals on the road with a massive win (seven goals) at Grymes! That set the tone for what has been an amazing season under the guidance of Coaches Lauren and Tony.  The Badgers started with a flurry of goals and wins - and then kept their focus despite a rainy midseason stretch.  When they returned to action, the team took on Waldorf and won easily. The signature of this team has been their incredible passing - starting with Levie and Peter's efforts in the goal, the Badgers have moved the ball up the field with great spacing and precision.  

     
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #9

    What a great week in Tandem sports - so many games and so many great team and individual performances. Lots to read below, but it's all inspiring. Go Badgers!

    Bringing Home the Hardware: Middle School XC Excels at Grymes! - MS XC - 10/17/24
    As he approached the base of the final hill, Ethan found another gear. He had paced himself throughout the race, a very competitive one against Grymes and Fredericksburg Academy on a hilly horse farm. He had already run up several of what Coach Casey described as "VERY intense hills" and this one was the biggest. Still, Ethan went to work - passing runners as he broke the tape with a new PR of 12:38, a 41 second improvement and a second place medal. Congratulations, Ethan! Luke, finishing fourth overall, was hot on his tail in an impressive time of 12:50!
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  • Two Class of 2018 Alums Share with Senior Class

    Two Tandem Friends alums from the Class of 2018, Julia Calland and Noah Tinsley, came to campus recently to meet with this year's seniors. They talked about what they've been up to: both graduated from UVA, now Julia is in her first year of law school at UVA and Noah is working at the history museum in Richmond. They shared how much Tandem impacted them by nurturing emotional maturity and intelligence as well as confidence and a strong sense of self that gave them the freedom to explore their interests. They also talked about what it's like to be Tandem alums now and how strong Tandem connections are and remain. It was a great give and take between current and past students. Many thanks to Julia and Noah for taking the time to talk to our seniors.
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  • 7th & 8th Grade Scientists Diving Into Projects

    Anne Deane's science students are diving into a couple of great projects. 7th graders are performing research for their cell model projects. Each student chooses an organism and a cell type. They then create an edible 3D model or virtual model of that organism's cell type. It's a fun project, and the edible cell models are always very well received when shared with the class after presentation. 8th graders are learning how to investigate pseudoscience and compare it to real science. Each has selected a pseudoscience topic (e.g., flat earth theory, geocentrism, Bermuda Triangle) to debunk and they will be working to disprove the fallacies they discover. They may even make some aluminum foil hats!
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  • This Week in Sports - Week #8

    It was an exciting week for Tandem Athletics! The Middle School Volleyball team travelled to STAB and won on the road, while the Middle School Soccer team scored seven goals against Waldorf at home! Varsity Volleyball played a tight match in front of a large crowd on Tuesday vs Highland, and Varsity Soccer played an exciting game on the road at RMA. Middle School Cross Country achieved great success at Darden Towe yesterday - Varsity Cross Country returns to Panorama Farms tomorrow. Thanks!

    Middle School Cross Country Shines at CCS Invite  - 10/11/24 - MS XC

    Steep and difficult, the mile mark at the Darden Towe Cross Country Course presents a serious challenge to runners as they approach. That did not stop Tandem from flying at full speed!  The Badgers have been training hard with Coaches Melissa and Casey for weeks on significant inclines!  As a result, the team was well prepared for the first competition on Thursday afternoon!  Over fifteen teams toed the line at the Charlottesville Catholic Cross Country Invitational, and as the whistle sounded to begin the race, it was clear that Tandem was up to the task.
     
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  • First Open Mic Rocks the Quad

    The rain held off this week and we were able to hold our first 2024-2025 Open Mic. Music filled the Pavilion and the quad during community time on Friday. Seniors Jack N and Orro B served as emcees, introducing the performers who signed up to share their talents. 6th grade band kicked it off, followed by Will M on the cello. 1st period rock band kept things going, followed by two solo acts, Aislin W and Norah S, who performed wonderful songs. Next up was Public Boat Landing, with Middle Schoolers Fred D, John D and Ryan J, backed up by music teachers Mark and Cam (playing an electric guitar he built). Upper Schoolers Jack J, Jude G, Van W and Tyler B rounded out the afternoon. Open Mics are a wonderful addition to any week, showcasing and celebrating the talents of our community members in a most supportive environment and venue. Our next Open Mic will take place after we hike on Blue Ridge Day on October 23.
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  • This Week in Tandem Sports - Week 7

    It was a great week for Tandem Athletics! Varsity Cross Country dominated the GPAC XC Meet at Quantico - boys were 1st and girls finished 2nd. Both teams had at least three runners in the top ten! Varsity Volleyball beat Foxcroft 3-0; they've now won 18 consecutive sets! Middle School Volleyball had an exciting game with Charlottesville Day School, winning a set and playing at a high level.

    V Volleyball - Eighteen Sets in a Row - 10/2/24

    Pushed to their limits, the Badgers trailed for much of the third set. Foxcroft had been getting hammered by vicious Tandem hitters early in the match, so they focused on blocking at the net. Foxcroft had some success with this strategy, leading 11-7, and Tandem called timeout.  From then on, the Badgers were in attack mode, focused on closing out today's game with a 3-0 sweep!  In need of some magic, down 21-20, Tessa delivered a massive cross court, and the ball was back in Sofia's hands.  With a tricky left handed spin, Sofia delivered a sequence of aces, each more difficult than last to return.  She was responsible for the last five points, including a massive slam from Mary in the middle of the net.  The Badgers clinched the final set, 25-21, their 18th in a row!
     
     
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  • This Week in Tandem Sports - Week #6

    While the weather kept our soccer players off their playing surface, the action in the Badger Den was very exciting. Varsity Volleyball has now won 6 straight matches and 12 straight sets, including a 3-0 victory against RMA on their home floor this week.  Middle School Volleyball played an exciting match against Charlottesville Day School on Tuesday. They have improved dramatically over the course of the season. Fingers crossed for warm weather and sunshine next week!

    Varsity Volleyball Takes Down RMA 3-0 - 9/25/24
    The ball was hit so hard it seemed to crack the air itself, rocketing past the stunned defenders like a comet and slamming into the court with such force that the entire gymnasium shook. A week ago, the Badgers played the same team on the road... giving RMA ample time to prepare for Chloe's outside hitting. The truth is though, no amount of practice could brace them for the sheer power and precision she brings to the court everyday. As a result, the defense was constantly scrambling. 
     
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  • AP Lit Students Tackle Complexity with PlayDoh

    This week in AP Literature, students studied the concept of complexity as it pertains to making sophisticated literary arguments. As part of the lesson, students made visual representations of complex relationships and attitudes out of PlayDoh. Some examples included "contrasting complexity" as represented by a parent and child who love each other but get on each other's nerves. A combination of "layered" and "paradoxical" complexity was also represented by a snowman whose bottom ball represented the Earth, middle ball represented the sky, and top, flattened layer represented the heat of global warming. The fact that the top layer was melting represented the relationship between the overheating climate and the Earth and it was paradoxical because the snowman was melting. There were many excellent examples created, and the entire class had a blast playing with the PlayDoh on a gloomy day.
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  • Two Seniors Receive National Merit Scholar Commendations

    During today's Upper School Morning Meeting, seniors Mary R and Sawyer R were recognized by Upper School Director Russell Combs as Commended Students in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Students are those who placed in the top 50,000 students nationally for those who took the 2023 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The National Merit Scholarship Corporation provided Letters of Commendation for Mary and Sawyer, sharing that they "have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success and represent a valuable national resource." Congratulations, Mary and Sawyer!
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  • Upper School Cast of The Matchmaker Announced

    Last week, the Upper School held auditions for Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker (it became the basis of the popular musical Hello, Dolly!). Everyone who auditioned got a role, and we have an amazing cast. I am excited by what each actor will bring to the stage. Some roles have doubling -- which means an actor is cast in more than one role. We have a couple of actors doing that, but each role is easily managed and will be fun to play. Theater is a team sport and a magical collaboration. Rehearsals will begin on Monday, September 16, with performances November 1-3. I have a great production team growing that includes: Alex Gatewood as Production Stage Manager, Alex Eramo von Daacke as Assistant Stage Manager, and Eli Lerdau as Assistant Director.
     
    Cast List: (In Order of Appearance): 
    • Horace Vandergelder - Hudson Lawrence
    • Ambrose Kemper - Sawyer Ruday
    • Joe Scanlon / Rudolf / Cab Driver / Cook - Nati Yohannes
    • Gertrude / Flora Van Huysen - Norah Sartori
    • Cornelius Hackl - Emory Griffis
    • Ermengarde - Georgia Cobb
    • Malachi Stack - Toby Irwin
    • Dolly Levi - Elena Paulson
    • Barnaby Tucker - Otis Hahn 
    • Irene Malloy - Bailey Wilberger
    • Minnie Fay - Sawyer Carr
     The Matchmaker is a comedy about having adventure in your life. To live and go for it! 
    "My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate" -- Thornton Wilder
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  • 7th Graders Practice Integer Operations

    Math 7 students are brushing off the cobwebs from summer break and practicing integer operations. We use a combination of games and drills to practice and develop our number sense. Students are pictured playing "integer battle" with cards representing positive and negative numbers. 
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  • 5th & 6th Scientists Study Pollination Syndrome

    The feature of a flower that attracts a particular pollinator towards it is called pollination syndrome. 5th and 6th grade science classes have been busy learning about these relationships, and creating their own pollinator and its corresponding flower. Students are tasked with providing evidence as to why their flower is a perfect match for pollinator.
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  • 6th Graders Solve Murder Mystery

    Sixth grade English students of Christina Davis solved a murder mystery, and in the process of doing so, established a set of classroom norms for having evidence-based academic discussions. Check out some photos.
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  • 7th & 8th Grade Scientists Jump into Lab Work

    7th and 8th grade science students jumped right into labs this week. 7th graders tested how their heart rates changed when sitting, walking, and running, while 8th graders tested how changing a paper helicopter's blade affected flight time. Both grades got a chance to review basic terms for experimental design and then immediately put them into action. Check out some photos and a video.
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  • 9th & 10th Graders Introduced to their Interdisciplinary Program

    Check out some photos from our 9/10 integrated program launch activities with the 9th grade! Melissa and I introduced the interdisciplinary program to the 9th grade on Thursday with an explanation of the overarching question ("What does it mean to be human?"), the proficiency- and skills-based grading system, and activities that emphasized teamwork, collaboration, research, and inquiry.
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  • Campus and Classrooms Receive Final Touches

    Faculty and staff have been working hard for the last two weeks to put final touches on classroom and campus spaces to have them ready and looking good for this first week of school. Whether it was painting or decorating walls, waxing floors, arranging desks, putting out textbooks, creating bulletin boards, sitting through lots of planning meetings, mowing, weeding and trimming around campus, getting tree work and paving completed, setting up Chromebooks for distribution, restocking the cafe, lining the fields and hanging up uniforms, or practicing emergency procedures and training, everyone participated in many ways to make this first week run smoothly and to welcome back our students to a great new academic year.
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  • Math Graphs of 'Me'

    Math 7 students and algebra 1 students started the year reviewing some graphing skills by creating their own "graph of me". Graphing points were determined by student answers to questions about themselves that could be answered with a yes or a no to create one data point (e.g., 'I like to run'). Students all contributed to our gallery wall decorating our classroom! Math 7 students are kicking off the year with extra practice with integer operations and algebra 1 students are digging into some work on solving equations.
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  • PE's Conflict Corner Teaching Life Skills

    In PE classes like this 6th grade one, Middle Schoolers are using the Conflict Corner to learn how to use “I” statements when facing conflicts during PE (statements like “I felt… when you did…”). We let them know that these skills carry over into everyday life. The Conflict Corner outlines the steps for resolution as follows:
    1. Hands out - palms facing up
    2. Explain the problem
    3. Listen to each other
    4. Brainstorm a solution together
    5. Shake hands
    6. Give a compliment 
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  • Peaceful and Productive Debating

    In English, the 8th grade practiced the art of peaceful and productive debating (see photo proof). In preparation for harder topics to come, students practiced engaging in divisive conversations on topics such as, “Money can buy happiness, the government should regulate social media,” and more. They then reflected on the quality of debate and created class norms for the year.
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  • This Week at Tandem

    It was a busy week on campus for sure, and one that brought both rain (yay) and cold weather (there are mixed feelings about the cold). It also brought our 3-day VAIS accreditation visit - our visiting team loved being on our campus, attending classes, and talking to students, parents and faculty/staff. Thanks to all who participated in helping them get to know Tandem Friends - according to the VAIS team, we passed 'with flying colors.'

    Middle Schoolers enjoyed the talents of 7th grade Drama students today, as they presented their self-created Cafe 007, a series of great skits, to great applause. 7th grade Music students started the performance off with two great songs. 5th graders are deep into 'monster madness' in Latin class and are busily working on their Fractured Fairytales Drama production. 6th graders are learning about world religions and 7th graders are working on a "prized possessions" project in history. 8th grade Musical Theatre students head into 'tech week' for their musical performance of The Drowsy Chaperone, Jr., to be presented next Friday and Saturday nights. Details, including a video trailer and ticket reservation link, are provided below.

    In the Upper School, 26 9th-12th graders head to UVA this weekend to represent Tandem as they compete in Model United Nations - good luck, young diplomats. Science Olympiad team members are working furiously on projects for their December competition. The last college visit was held this week - we had representatives from dozens of colleges and universities visit this year to talk about their schools. 9th graders are into Orwell's 1984. 10th graders are reading Frankenstein and preparing for to put Dr. Frankenstein on trial. 11th graders are reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and Senior Comp students are completing Beowulf. They had enjoyed advisory activities and teamwork games this week that focused on health and wellness, impact, listening skills, and decision making. Students enjoyed Speaker Series guest Maria Salazar-Gil today, current Tandem parent who owns and runs the Arepas on Wheels food truck and the new Arepas Steakhouse at 5th Street. She described how she and her family left Venezuela because of the political climate to move to Charlottesville, where they began to work on making their Arepas dream come true. She encouraged students to follow their dreams by making a plan and sticking to it. She even shared the secrets to making arepas.   

    The winter sports season is underway, with all teams practicing this week and the JV and Varsity Boys teams playing scrimmages today at 4:30pm and 6pm. All other teams will begin playing games after the Thanksgiving break.

    Click on the headline for a few photos from the week, or click on the link below to see a larger collection.
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  • This Week in Tandem Sports

    This week featured a big win for MS Volleyball over Covenant, Varsity Volleyball dominated Wakefield Country Day School, and Varsity XC won the GPAC opener at Darden Towe.

    Varsity XC Dominates GPAC Season Opener

    On Tuesday, September 17, Charlottesville weather called for rain. Yes - perfect Cross Country weather!  The Badgers enthusiasm was palpable, but Albemarle Parks had other plans and cancelled the meet. But did we cancel practice? NO! The Tandem Cross Country team took this opportunity to fly through the neighborhoods, crushing a difficult tempo workout, enjoying a downpour of rain - the best Mother Nature had to offer.
    On Wednesday, September 18, Mother Nature continued to provide "real" Cross Country weather.  So the Badgers ran in the rain again, this time a shake out to prepare for their opening GPAC meet. Every runner was soaking wet only a few minutes in, building toughness and character that will last the entire season.  Julia ran like a lightning bolt because she "just wanted it to be over" - her pace and stride length increasing as she flew down Tandem Lane.
     
    On Thursday, September 19 the rain finally stopped. Darn! Replaced with heat and humidity, the Tandem Badgers had another challenge ahead of them as they opened the GPAC season with strength and composure. As soon as the gun went off, Tandem moved into position, prepared to defend their GPAC title. 
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  • Battle of the Boats Returns

    Engineering students of Alex Siragy spent this quarter building boats within a given set of dimensions that maximized displacement, speed, maneuverability, and effectiveness. Boat hulls needed to be no more than 60 cm long, 20 cm wide, 5 cm "tall" (measured from the top of their hull to their waterline), and 7 mm thick and also needed to have the capacity to carry 2.5 kg of additional load. Boats were constructed using a variety of materials, including wood, aluminum, plastic film, and duct tape, powered by electric motors, and controlled using a remote control system.
     
    Their boats got tested in a makeshift test pool behind the Art building. Boats were assessed for each of the four criteria identified above and received points based on their ranking. Displacement was measured by an electronic balance and ranged from 1.8 kg to 3.5 kg. Speed was measured by how much time a boat needed to travel a 10-foot straightway section of the 8'x16' test pool. Maneuverability was assessed by timing how long boats needed to complete a 6-turn slalom-style round-trip in the test tank. Effectiveness was determined by pitting boats against each other three at a time in a contest to see which boats could most effectively damage/sink other boats while maintaining their ability to float and maneuver. Effectiveness points were awarded based on scored hits, durability, and ability to disable or sink opponents. The testing was a fun event that attracted many onlookers. The total points earned by a boat determined its final score. Congratulations to our Engineering boat builders. What a captivating project!
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  • Climate Bingo Winners Celebrated by Tandem Earth

    Thank you to those who completed and submitted their Climate Bingo entries. We hope you enjoyed the challenge and will use this as a way to fuel your daily life. Tandem Earth Club is giving prizes to a total of 11 people. We drew randomly and our grand prize winner (a $40 gift card to a locally sourced, sustainably minded store) is Macey K! Our 10 other winners include: Sam R, Jon D, Emma R, Elodie K, Sean T, Ginger K, Hayes B, Cait D, Seth R, and Anne Deane. Congratulations to all of you - your prize is a bamboo utensil set. Again, thank you to everyone who participated in the challenge on behalf of Tandem Earth Club, and I hope we can do something like this in the future. 
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  • Tandem Runner Gets National Recognition

    I am pleased to announce that Tandem Athletics has broken through to the NATIONAL LEVEL! 9th grader Hayes B has had a legendary season. At the Dogwood Invitational, he ran a 9:55 3200m and at the VISAA State Championships he ran 4:33 in the mile for a 5th place finish! Hayes’s 9:55 and 4:33 hit the provisional marks for NEW BALANCE NATIONALS in the freshman section and his 4:33 hits the automatic qualifying standard for NIKE NATIONALS for freshmen! Congrats to Hayes B, Coach Jason Farr, and Coach Ned Fischer!!! 
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  • Spring All-Conference Honors Announced

    Congratulations to our spring varsity athletes who have been selected as recipients of GPAC All-Conference Honors. In Varsity Girls Soccer: Maggie W , Emma P, and Tessa D received Second Team honors. In Varsity Boys Lacrosse: Matt M, Alden S and Luca R-T received honors. Way to go, Badgers!
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  • 8th Graders Create Mentos Geysers in Tests

    8th graders finished up Physical Science with a project on experimental design. Small lab groups each designed their own experiment to determine which factors create the largest possible reaction between Mentos candy and soda. Students tested different combinations of soda flavor, Mentos flavor, number of Mentos, amount of added stevia, diameter of the nozzle, and other factors. The largest geysers rose more than 30 feet! Check out some photos and the videos to see the soda geysers in action.
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  • 5th Graders Create Wordless Books

    5th graders are wrapping up our final English unit this week. In a study of inference, prediction, and storytelling, students have been reading a wide variety of wordless picture books. Puzzling out the authors' strategies that drive the storylines of these adventurous and fanciful tales, 5th graders applied their new skills to 'writing' their own wordless picture books.
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  • 6th Grade Spanish Students Create Board Games

    In 6th grade Spanish, students read a story about a tired cat that a dog wants to play with, so the dog decides to feed him coffee and chaos ensues! After acting out the story and watching the short video clip, students were then tasked to create a board game centered around the story, theme, and vocabulary of El gato cansado. They then shared their board games with other groups and tested them out! Check out the photos.
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  • 7th Graders Defend Rights of Literary Characters

    In 7th grade English, students are writing a legal brief that asks them to defend one of the characters in Of Mice and Men whose rights students believed were violated. Students had to write a basic argument, provide background information using evidence from the book, research cases that set precedent, and ultimately write an analysis and conclusion of their findings.
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  • 9th Grade Scientists Make Solar Heaters

    The 9th grade Integrated Science class, which has been studying biochemistry and physics, is learning about heat transfer. They were challenged to bake either s'mores, brownies or chicken nuggets to their required temperatures using homemade solar ovens. There was lots of cooking taking place on the quad!
     
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  • French Students Meet Online French Pals

    On Monday morning, French 2/3 students participated in a Google Meet interview with students in Troyes, France (it was late afternoon for them). The students from France asked questions like "What French cities do you know besides Paris" and "Do you really wear pajamas to school" and Tandem French students asked (in French) questions such as "Have you seen the movie Shrek" and "Are you going to go watch the Olympics in person" (the summer Olympics are in France this year and the torch is passing through Troyes on July 13th). It was fun to see in person the kids we have been communicating with all year via Padlet and share a few laughs.  A few students are keeping the French-language exchange going into the summer with pen pals. Check out the photos.
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  • Read Instead Awards Announced

    Announcing the winners of our "Read Instead Award" - the students with the most books checked out from the library this year! There's a lot of things they could have done, but they read instead...


    NameGradeCheckouts
    Sawyer C846
    Kaylee C32
    CC G629
    Noa H729
    Ellia M827
    Riley R725
    Juliet B724
    Sylvia D824
    Nina I918
    Eloise H717
    Elias R515
    Lily Y*720
    *Honorable Mention  - 1 semester
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  • Senior Sports Recognition and College Signing

    It was Senior Sports Recognition and Signing Day at Tandem on May 14. Two of our seniors will be playing varsity sports in college - Matt M will play lacrosse at Georgian Court, and De'Angelo Gordon will play soccer at Mary Baldwin. We couldn't be prouder of these Badgers! Tandem teams that won conference season or tournament championships were presented with banners that will hang in the gym (volleyball regular season co-champs, cross country regular season and tourney champs, cross county state champs). Conference Coaches of the Year Scottie Chambers and Megan Pimentel (volleyball) and Jason Farr (Cross Country) were honored. All of our senior athletes were celebrated that day as well. Athletic Director Sarana Hyatt presented each senior athlete with a nice memory of their sports time at Tandem. Finally, this year's Sportspersons of the Year were announced - seniors Alden S and Desteny Reyes-Bonilla, both committed, multi-sport athletes throughout their many years at Tandem. Well done, Badgers! It was a great day celebrating Tandem Athletics!
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  • Fork for Thought

    Each year Tandem purchases some 8,000 plastic forks to serve our community snacktime, daily lunches, and special events. These polystyrene/polyethylene utensils are single use unless they are washed by hand – the manufacturer of this fossil fuel product does not recommend hot dishwashing as the toxic chemicals could be released. They cannot be effectively recycled because of their size, shape, and material inconsistency. So, they are put into the trash.

    In the US, we use some 100 million plastic utensils each day. Plastic utensils take 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.

    We asked members of this community to place their used forks in a collection bin rather than the trash can. Over a few months, we gathered some 1,888 forks which we washed, dried, and arranged in spirals on wooden dowels. These twirling spiral sculptures represent roughly 25% of the forks our community will put into the landfill this year and can be viewed hanging from the branches of the maple tree outside of the Community Hall. Check out photos of the fork spirals in the photos.

    We can all do something to help slow down the impact of climate change. Bring your own utensils and save a fork from the landfill.

    Julia, Amanda, and MS students
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  • 8th Graders Learning Global Awareness

    8th grade English and History students are working with teachers Carolyn Warhaftig and Ned Fischer on a global awareness project that asks them to choose a locally relevant but global issue. From there, they are asked to research the issue, gain and share background information, and ultimately, they will create a call to action (with the underlying premise that compassion = actionable empathy).
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  • Tandem Senior Receives Emily Couric Leadership Forum Scholarship Award

    We’re proud to share that Tandem Friends senior Jenk Lancheros, this year's Tandem Friends School finalist for The Emily Couric Leadership Scholarship Award, this week was awarded an $18,000 scholarship from The Emily Couric Leadership Forum. The eleven local leadership award finalists (one from each local high school) were honored in person on April 30 at the annual awards luncheon. Tandem staff Whitney Thompson, Russell Combs, Tucker Winter, and Heidi Passino attended the luncheon along with Jenk and her family. Also in attendance were Katie Couric (sister of Emily Couric) and Judy Woodruff, Senior Correspondent for the PBS Newshour (2024 Women's Leadership Award winner).

    Jenk came to Tandem in 8th grade and has consistently shown herself to be a person who leads with courage, stands up to injustice, and always puts the needs of others first. Jenk is particularly interested in issues related to mental health services and access. She plans to study psychology and become a psychiatrist, then travel to South American countries to promote access to mental health services. Congratulations, Jenk!

    Check out some NBC 29 coverage of the scholarship luncheon here. Learn more about each nominee here. 

    The Emily Couric Leadership Forum "established the Emily Couric Leadership Scholarship to be awarded annually to a senior girl attending any high school in Charlottesville or Albemarle. The goal is to acknowledge and encourage young women in leadership roles in government and the community. Each school is asked to nominate a senior girl who demonstrates leadership in her school and the community. A selection committee comprised of community leaders interviews the nominees and makes the final selection."

    The Emily Couric Leadership Forum itself honors the memory of State Senator Emily Couric, who modeled a strong commitment to learning and service. Her many contributions to the community encouraged all women to "adopt an active role in government, public issues, and policy debates affecting their communities, and to inspire young women to pursue activities which will enable them to become effective leaders." The group has awarded over $1.75M to young women since the scholarships began in 2001, and awarded $250,000 for this year.
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  • Sophomores Complete Seminar Research Projects

    Tandem sophomores have completed their semester-long research projects, presented their work to their classmates over a two-week period, then completed the final stage of their Sophomore Seminar academic rite of passage with an evening Sophomore Seminar Capstone event this week. The community was invited to come and hear about their research, and each sophomore set up an information station complete with display, then answered questions from anyone who stopped by to chat. Students spent second semester researching and writing a 15+ page academic paper on a subject of their choosing. Completed papers include detailed footnotes and bibliographies; topics/papers are argumentative, so students had to make some sort of defensible argument about their topic. They provided some really interesting insights into their topics and displayed their academic maturity over the course of the semester. Well done, sophomores! Check out a list of their impressive and interesting topics below as well as some photos from their Capstone Night. 

    • American social perception of animated media
    • Efficacy of nuclear energy in combating climate change
    • African influence in traditional music of the Americas
    • Science behind and effects of nostalgia
    • How social media influences body dysmorphia
    • Ethics and uses of AI
    • How dictators take power
    • Impact of streaming services on the music industry
    • The function and dangers of propaganda
    • Mental health effects of metal music
    • Effects of playing characters in film on actors' real lives and psyches
    • Effects on and meaning of our dreams
    • Components of unhealthy relationships and how to deal with them
    • Causes of change in violent crime rates in America
    • Reasons for and effects of steroid use in athletes
    • Mental and physical health benefits of equine therapy
    • Reasons for and effects of scientific ethics codes
    • Psychological effects of gambling, e.g., lootboxes
    • Use of photography in the fashion industry
    • How listening to and playing music affects mental health
    • Desirability of the electoral college in American elections
    • Origins and effects of American consumerist identity
    • History and effects of lacrosse as a major competitive sport
    • Effect of male gaze in contemporary media on women
    • Failures of the modern American education system
    • Causes and effects of monetary inflation
    • Ethics of genetic engineering
    • How sports broadcasting changed professional sports
    • Evaluation of the space shuttle program
    • Why Americans continue to buy larger vehicles
    • Psychological and physical effects of being in nature
    • How ADHD leads to depression and anxiety
    • Mental health support of athletes
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  • 9th Graders Create Shark Tank Presentations

    In 9th grade World History I with teacher Melissa Winder, students are creating Shark Tank presentations trying to "sell" an invention or innovation that was developed during the Tang or Song dynasties in ancient China. Some students are trying to get the 'Sharks' to invest in their moveable type company, or to invest in gunpowder or the magnetic compass or Champa rice (check out the t-shirt the champa rice team made Melissa). In-class presentations began this week and will continue next week. Watch for more details and links to a presentation or two. Check out some photos of these marketers hard at work.
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  • Tandem Teachers Complete SPARC Training

    Two Tandem Upper School teachers, Tucker Winter (English) and Jason Farr (History), recently completely the two-year Friends Council's Spirited Practice and Renewed Courage (SPARC) program, which is described as "a leadership development program based on principles from Parker Palmer's "Courage to Teach" work.
    A group of twenty teachers from Friends schools are selected to take part in this collaborative community, using reflective tools for self-directed professional development. Together, over a two-year cycle, the group explores the art and calling of teaching through critical reflection, dialogue, and feedback. Teachers and administrators are selected to take part in this learning community and use collaborative inquiry and reflective tools for self-directed personal and professional development." Tandem has sent many teachers to SPARC training over the years, and all who have completed the program, including Tucker and Jason, report that it leaves them feeling refreshed and inspired.  Tucker shared that "Jason and I both had a wonderful time.  It was truly one of the best professional development  experiences I have ever had. It is just so rare that teachers get to reflect on the art of teaching for days at a time, especially with other, dedicated teachers who work in Quaker schools.  The conversations were invaluable."
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  • Seniors Finish Projects with Flair

    On Tuesday, April 16, those living near Tandem might have heard a collective sigh or a loud 'whoop' of joy coming from our Class of 2024 as their Senior Project Night came to a close. This capstone event put the final checkmark in the completion box for their Senior Projects, as students first introduced their projects to the audience individually, then left to set up in a space in the Math/Science Building. Attendees then strolled through the classrooms to learn about each project, sort of like in a science fair. Seniors did a wonderful job presenting their topics and sharing both their passion and their knowledge. Congratulations, Class of 2024, on a well done season of projects! Check out more photos from the night here.
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  • 2024 Golden Apple Winner Announced

    Tandem is proud to announce that Middle School history teacher Ned Fisher has been named our 2024 recipient of a Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching. Ned began teaching at Tandem in the fall of 2022 and is also a coach for our varsity cross country and track teams, helping to lead our boys cross country team to a state championship this year. He brings compassion, patience, a deep intellect, and a fantastic sense of humor to his work with 7th and 8th grade history students. 

    Golden Apple Awards are presented each year by sponsor Richard L. Nunley (Better Living Building Supply and Cabinetry) to honor outstanding teachers in our community's schools. The awards are presented to teachers from both public and private schools (VAIS members) in Albemarle County and the city of Charlottesville. One winner is selected from each school, based upon parent and student nominations, which were solicited via form all winter. In addition to receiving a Golden Apple, each recipient also earns a grant of $500, which can be used for classroom materials or to support professional development. Golden Apple Award recipients will be honored in person in a ceremony in May. Congratulations, Ned!
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  • 6th Graders Learn Islamic Calligraphy

    On Thursday, March 28th, Clay Witt (Henry's dad) came to teach the 6th grade about Islamic Calligraphy. He gave us a lesson about Arabic calligraphy and shared his experience as an apprentice to a calligrapher in Damascus. He taught the students how to write Ibn Battuta's name and then showed them how to write their own names in Arabic. Clay brought ink and handmade pens that he made for each student. It was fascinating and they learned so much! 
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  • French 2/3 Students Teach Younger International School Students

    French 2/3 students took a field trip this week to the International School of Charlottesville where they read books, sang a song, helped with a craft, and taught a rhyme about planting cabbages to eighteen eager junior kindergarten/kindergarten French immersion students.
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  • Latin Students Excel on National Latin Exam

    Tandem Friends Upper School Latin students of teacher Tim Brannelly earned some wonderful results on the 2024 National Latin Exam (NLE), including two gold medals. In Latin III (Intermediate Latin), Owen S and John B earned Summa cum laude results (gold medal, "with highest praise"), Elijah M earned Magna cum laude results ("with very great praise"), and Ty B earned Cum laude results ("with praise"). In Latin V, Emma P received Cum laude recognition for Advanced Latin Prose level and Phia S-J received Maxima cum laude recognition (silver medal) for Advanced Reading Comprehension level. Gratulationes, Latin scholars!
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  • State Science Olympiad Yields Great Results for Tandem Scientists

    I am thrilled to share that for the first time in school history, Tandem earned medals in two events at the Science Olympiad state tournament - 5th in Flight (Mary & Emory) and 2nd in Robot Tour (John & Hayes). This is such an amazing accomplishment! Engineering events are notoriously difficult to do well in at the state level and to earn medals in two is phenomenal. I want to shout out the performances of several other teams as well: 8th in Scrambler (Bailey, Owen), 9th in Fermi Questions (John, Emory), and 12th in Wind Power (Oscar, John). Though they didn't medal, earning a spot in the top 12 at the state tournament is no small feat and requires a level of effort and success comparable to earning a 3rd/4th place medal at the regional level. Well done!

    The timing of the tournament had a major impact on our overall team score as Spring Break conflicts meant that several events were covered by team members that hadn't done the event at the regional level. They nonetheless put forth their best effort and did a fantastic job representing TFS. Once again, medals were awarded to 1st-6th place in each event and trophies were awarded to 1st-5th place overall school performance. 23 school teams participated in the tournament and 4 "gold-bid" teams were present as well.  

    Individual results are provided below, and check out the photos shared.

    Individual Event Results

    Group A
    - Disease Detectives - 18th (Charlie, Sawyer)
    - Fermi Questions - 9th (Emory, John)
    - Forensics - 23rd (Mary, Bailey)

    Group B
    - Detector Building - 19th (Hayes, Charlie)
    - Fossils - 17th (Owen, Ty)
    - Write It, Do It - 16th (Mary, Bailey)

    Group C
    - Experimental Design - 22nd (Mary, Owen, Jude)
    - Geologic Mapping - 21st (Charlie, Will)
    - Microbe Mission - 23rd (Ty, Sawyer)

    Group D
    - Chemistry Lab - 18th (John, Oscar)
    - Codebusters - 19th (Sawyer, Emory, Jack N)
    - Ecology - 14th (Evelyn, Will)

    Group E
    - Dynamic Planet - 20th (Jack N, Kavi)
    - Forestry - 19th (Charlie, Evelyn)
    - Wind Power - 12th (Oscar, John)

    Group F
    - Anatomy & Physiology - 24th (N/A)
    - Astronomy - 16th (Kavi, Jack N)
    - Optics - 20th (Oscar, Hayes)

    Self-Scheduled
    - Air Trajectory - 20th (Ty, Will)
    - Flight - 5th (Mary, Emory)
    - Robot Tour - 2nd (John, Hayes)
    - Scrambler - 8th (Bailey, Owen)
    - Tower - 16th (Kavi, Jude)

    Even with the challenges created by Spring Break and the looming end of the year, everyone once again put in an incredible effort and I am proud of all we did. What a great season!
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  • Second Model UN a Success

    Tandem's Model UN students (this time 10 attended) spent last weekend in Washington, DC at the George Washington University hosted Washington Area Model UN Conference. With teachers Alex Siragy and Melissa Winder mentoring, Tandem's participants successfully navigated a busy few days and lots of meetings and events. Students did great jobs with their presentations and committee work. Junior Eli L earned a verbal commendation representing Argentina in SPECPOL (Special Political and Decolonization Committee). They discussed the topic of policing the international prison industrial system as well as the topic of drugs and rehabilitative justice. Well done, Tandem Model UN ambassadors on your second event of the year!
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  • Middle School Spanish Students Practice Spanish while Dining Out

    Victoria Bryant's 7th and 8th grade Spanish students got to have some delicious fun while practicing their Spanish-speaking skills. The 7th graders learned about the staple foods from Venezuela and how to order at a restaurant. They had an opportunity to visit Arepas on Wheels and ordered foods such as arepas, tres leches, and more. They then had conversations using some questions provided to talk about their interests and preferences. The 8th graders went to Al Carbón and also ordered their meals in Spanish while asking questions about each other in Spanish. 
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  • Tandem Middle Schoolers Compete in Regional Science Fair

    On Saturday March 23rd, four Tandem 7th & 8th graders, with science teacher Anne Deane as their chaperone/mentor, joined over a hundred other middle schoolers from seven counties to compete in the 44th Annual Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair held at UVA's North Fork Discovery Park. Their projects included two chemistry projects (Which salt is best for melting ice? How much iron is in our breakfast cereal?), one microbiology project (How do germs spread?) and a behavioral science project (What is better for learning, an online or in-person teacher?). Kudos to Nico and Bela for earning honorable mention ribbons, to Laurel S for her third-place medal, and to Jon for a great project!
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  • 6th Grade Girls Attend Women in Science Event

    Over the weekend, 6th grade students, Maddy, Josie, and Anicca attended a women in science event at James Madison University. They completed a series of fun workshops that required them to put their STEM skills to the test! In Skittle Statistics, they learned about R, a programming language, and calculated the probability of randomly selecting different Skittles flavors. In Marooned, they implemented the engineering design process to create a boat that would safely transport an egg across water. In Science Sleuths, they unlocked a treasure box by solving a series of challenges, requiring them to identify credible sources. The girls said it was a long, but fun, day and they learned lots about different career opportunities in STEM! Check put some photos from the day.
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  • Class of 2024 Senior Project Presentations Underway

    The Class of 2024 began presenting their Senior Projects to the community this week, a culmination of a year-long project that began when school started, and for some, even before that. Our Senior Project process consists of many elements, including (to list just a few) a detailed journal, a research paper, and the culminating public presentation. Seniors presenting their Senior Projects during Community Time on six different school days in March, with five to seven seniors presenting each day. Family members are welcome to attend. Juniors are required to attend presentations each day, and other Upper Schoolers can attend. Here is a list of this year's Senior Project topics: 
    • Kayaking
    • Animation
    • Podcasting and student radio
    • Automotive repair
    • Beat making
    • Chinese regional cooking
    • Building a bird garden
    • Cyber security intern
    • Making tufted rugs
    • Oil painting
    • Teaching STEM to elementary girls
    • Electric guitar
    • Learning Japanese (two projects)
    • Soul and R&B singing/songwriting
    • Breakdancing
    • Animation
    • French patisserie (two projects)
    • Researching and building financial models for buyouts
    • Singing
    • Upcycling clothes
    • Setting rock climbing routes
    • Athletic training/physical therapy
    • Barbering
    • Wedding planning
    • Cooking
    • Writing a novel
    • Acrylic nail design
    • Audio mixing and production
    • Getting a pilot’s license
    • Sports photography
    • A capella singing
    • Sewing and costume design
    • Baking cakes/wedding cakes
    • Blacksmithing
    • Running
    The final project element is Senior Project Night, when all seniors share their presentation work in an evening celebration of their work, attended by the community on April 16 this year. Way to go seniors! Check out a photo slideshow of project presentations here.
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  • French I Scavenger Hunt and Lunch

    French 1 students, with teacher Claire Buisseret, took a field trip to the Downtown Mall on Thursday to go on a French-language scavenger hunt and eat lunch at Petite Marie-Bette. It was tres amusant for all of them!
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  • March Madness Vocab Tourney

    The annual March Madness Heads Up Tournament was held in 7th and 8th grade English this week. Using teams of two, the pairs move through the brackets like in basketball. Similar to "Heads Up," students must give their partner a definition and the partner must guess the word from the class list of over 50 vocabulary words. The most correct words in a minute wins. Teams play several rounds to get to the Final Four! After a lively couple of final rounds during Thursday's Community Time, the champion teams for each grade were declared.  Congratulations to our final four teams (eventual champs in bold): 8th graders Vivian T. + Alexander E., Lucy D. + Dhruvi G., Hazel L. + Norah S. and Claire D. + Jacob D.; 7th graders Libby E. + Grayson L., Emory B. + Lily Y., Alanna + Nico, Alex + Kanice, Annie + Sophie, and Elodie + Jonas! If you're wondering how you would do, check out some of the words - 7th grade words included ostracize, euphemism, catharsis, perpetuate, and incorrigible; 8th grade words included ostentatious, harangue, veritable, altruistic, and machination.
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  • Middle School Scientists Exploring Big Topics

    Middle School science teacher Anne Deane's 8th grade Physical Science students have been researching the pros and cons of nuclear energy for producing electricity, and have developed a claim about the future of nuclear energy in the US. This week students are finalizing a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) essay arguing for their claim. Meanwhile, Anne's 7th grade Life Science students are exploring ethical issues involved with genetic engineering, including GMOs and gene therapies.
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  • 5th Grade Building Challenge

    Fifth graders were challenged with building a 12-inch tall tower that could support the weight of a can of beans out of only 30 pieces of paper and a roll of tape One team, consisting of Aggie H, Ryan J, and Mae T, built a successful tower! Others were so close, but we ran out of class time. Check out some photos of their efforts.
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  • 6th Grade Creates Board Game about Medieval Muslim World

    This week, 6th grade wrapped up our unit on Islam and their look at the Medieval Muslim World by creating a board game based on Ibn Battuta’s travels in the 14th century. On Tuesday, we will play our games with the entire grade during long block. 
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  • 6th Graders Study Black History in Space Exploration

    6th graders concluded their unit on space by watching The Space Race, a new National Geographic documentary that tells the story of the first Black astronauts. Following the movie, 6th graders worked together to create a timeline of Black history in space exploration.
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  • March Mammal Madness Takes Hold in 5th/6th Grades

    5th and 6th graders are gearing up for March Mammal Madness in science and English classes. Students are working hard to research their animals and use the information learned to make their brackets. They will all be entered in the tournament through Arizona State University. The first round is next week! To learn more about March Mammal Madness, which pits animals against each other like teams in the NCAA tourney, click here (you can download your own bracket). You can also follow the educational fun on the March Mammal Madness Facebook page.
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  • Middle School Spanish Classes have Fun

    In 8th grade Spanish class we have been reading the novel, Agentes secretos y el mural de Picasso, which is a historical fiction that takes place in Spain. The theme centers around motives and desires as well as how art can be a reflection of our internal world as well as used for activism ("Artivism"). We had a guest speaker, Chicho Lorenzo, who is originally from Spain but is a local artist who has done many murals around Charlottesville. He was interviewed in Spanish by our class and he shared his story with us and his love of art as well as people. When asked about what is most important to him, he said that being attentive and living in the moment is important to him to make the most out of life and to really be with those we love. He also spoke about how we all have a passion and things that spark that light within us and asked all of us what that passion was, which included running, drawing, baseball, soccer, acting, and singing.  
     
    In 6th grade Spanish we learned about typical Venezuelan food and how to place an order at a restaurant. We learned about what flour is used to make arepas and explored other staple foods such as yucca (cassava) and plantains. We then visited Arepas on Wheels and had the opportunity to put our knowledge into action and shared a meal together while answering a simple question in Spanish we each got in order to initiate some conversation.
     
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  • Science Olympiad Teams Earns Trip to State Competition

    I wanted to share results from the recent Science Olympiad tournament in Lynchburg. Medals were awarded to 1st-6th place in each event and trophies were awarded to 1st-5th place for overall school performance. I am thrilled to share that Tandem earned a 3rd place trophy, with an overall score only 3 points shy of the 2nd place score. That performance means that Tandem has qualified for the state tournament, where we are eligible to send a 15-person team to compete in the main events along with up to 2 alternates who can compete in trial events as well as main events should any of the 15-person team be unable to participate. The state tournament takes place Saturday, April 6 and is hosted at UVA. 

    Everyone put in so much effort and had such positive energy and I am proud of them all. A big shoutout and thank you to Casey for being our assistant coach. Her help was vital to our success and I am so grateful to her. Another shoutout to Russell for driving down to cheer us on and to the Camarata family for cheering us and giving us a tour of the cool classroom spaces at VT (courtesy of alum Jacob C, TFS '23). 

    Check out some photos taken this season (more here and more to come from the state tournament) and individual results are below.

    Individual Event Results
    • Group A
      • Disease Detectives - 8th (Charlie, Emma)
      • Fermi Questions - 2nd (Emory, John) ; 7th (Mary, Hayes)
      • Forensics - 2nd (Emi, Mattea)
    • Group B
      • Fossils - 3rd (Owen, Ty)
      • Write It, Do It - 5th (Emi, Mattea) ; 7th (Mary, Bailey)
    • Group C
      • Geologic Mapping - 8th (Charlie, Mattea)
    • Group D
      • Chemistry Lab - 6th (Emma, Maggie)
      • Codebusters - 2nd (Emi, Emory, Jack N)
      • Ecology - 3rd (Evelyn, Will)
    • Group E
      • Dynamic Planet - 6th (Emi, Jack N)
      • Forestry - 1st (Charlie, Evelyn)
      • Wind Power - 3rd (Jack M, Oscar)
    • Group F
      • Anatomy & Physiology - 9th (Emma, Maggie)
      • Astronomy - 7th (Kavi, Jack N); 9th (Hayes)
      • Optics - 7th (Jack M, Oscar)
    • Self-Scheduled
      • Air Trajectory - 5th (Ty, Will)
      • Robot Tour - 1st (John, Owen) ; 11th (Hayes, Jude)
      • Scrambler - 4th (Owen, Ty) ; 2nd (Mary, Bailey)
      • Tower - 3rd (Kavi, Will)
    Yay Tandem! Onward to the state tournament!
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  • 7th Grade Drama Presents Cafe 007 Part 2

    The second trimester 7th grade drama class presented its self-written performance of Cafe 007 Part 2 to the entire Middle School today. Directed by Edwina Herring, the show contained skits written and rehearsed by the cast members over the course of the trimester. There were skits about a murder mystery, a family reunion gone awry, a parody of Frozen, some wonderful piano interludes by cast members, and much more. The students referred to their production as "Cafe Double 'Uh Oh' 7" while Edwina described it as "delightful, dangerous and a little diabolical." The show began with impressive performances by Middle School music classes, led by teacher Cam Pampus. 5th grade music played Heat Wave by The Glass Animals and 7th grade music played Jealousy, Jealousy by Olivia Rodrigo and I Can See You by Taylor Swift. It was a great performance by the cast and the musicians. Check out some photos here and watch for more photos next week.
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  • 7th and 8th Grade English Students Tackle Powerful Topics

    In 7th and 8th grade English classes:  Seventh graders are building background on apartheid in South Africa before they start reading It's Me, Trevor Noah: Born a Crime. Students are having conversations about how to have hard conversations in the classroom and how to create safe spaces for peers to learn and share.
     
    Eighth graders are reading and following along to the audiobook to Elie Weisel's Night, intentionally listening as witnesses to this horrific event in history. Prior to their reading, students read background on and discussed Hitler's rise to power, paying attention to his meticulous and intentional "othering" of people he believed to be different, and inferior.
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  • Tandem Co-Founder John Howard Talks with Students about the Future

    Our founding Head of School, John Howard, joined a group of Upper School students at lunch on Thursday to talk about the future. On the first day of Tandem, in 1970, John famously stood in the Blue Room and asked the 22 students present: what do you want to do with this school of yours? This week, John's question for them is about their future and their country: what do you want to do with this nation of yours? What issues are important to you? What kind of future do you want to work for? It was an engaging and inspiring conversation and the students are eager to keep talking. Thank you, John!
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  • 9th Graders Learn about Chemical Bonding

    9th grade Integrated Science I students started their unit on chemical bonding this week. During this unit, 9th graders will be solving a mystery using their knowledge of the elements and chemical bonding. In the first experiment, they explored the difference oxygen can make by observing water and hydrogen peroxide react with potatoes, yeast, and potassium iodide. Check out some photos from the lab.
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  • French 2/3 Students Make Crepes

    Tandem French teacher Blaire Buisseret and her French 2/French 3 students (with one Spanish interloper) enjoyed making and eating crepes during class last week. The crepes look delicious!
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  • Upper School Begins Peter and the Starcatcher Production

    The Upper School Drama department has announced the cast for their March production of Peter and the Starcatcher, a play (with music) based on the novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson that serves as a prequel to J. M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy The show will be directed by Upper School Drama teacher Ronda Hewitt, with senior Emi M as Assistant Director. Amelia Camacho will serve as Music Director/Vocal Coach and Tandem students under the direction of music teacher Mark Goldstein will comprise the band. Rehearsals began on January 30 and performances will be held March 15-17 (note that the performances will run one week earlier than originally scheduled. Ronda describes the show as a 'play with music that is joyful and hilarious.' The cast includes 25 Upper School students.
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  • Tandem Model UN Participants Head to First Conference

    Tandem's Upper School Model United Nations group of 21 students left on Thursday for Philadelphia to take on their first Model UN conference of the year (the Ivy League Model UN Conference or ILMUNC). Teachers Alex Siragy and Jocelyn Camarata are the chaperones. Students will stay at and attend all conference events at the Marriott Philadelphia Downtown Hotel from January 25th-28th. They will participate in their first committee session Thursday night, then have two sessions Friday night, two sessions on Saturday, and one on Sunday. It's a busy schedule - read more about the event here. In addition to their many working conference sessions, delegates will have some fun late evening activities to enjoy with the delegates from other participating schools. Following is the list of TFS students attending, their current grade and their committee assignments and positions:
    • Sam B (12) - SPECPOL, El Salvador
    • Larissa Fr (12) - CSD, El Salvador
    • Emi M (12) - OAS, El Salvador
    • Ainsley P (12) - ECOFIN, El Salvador
    • Eleanor S (12) - ECOFIN, El Salvador
    • Josie C (12) - JCC Meta, Alana Yang
    • Bean C (11) - SOCHUM, El Salvador
    • Eli L (11) - SPECPOL, El Salvador
    • Mary R (11) - UNHCR, El Salvador
    • Bailey W (11) - UNHCR, El Salvador
    • Maggie W (11) - SOCHUM, El Salvador
    • Henry A (10) - DISEC, El Salvador
    • Ty B (10) - DISEC, El Salvador
    • Jack B (10) - Summit on AI, El Salvador
    • Ian G (10) - Summit on AL, El Salvador
    • Hudson L (10) - FIFA, El Salvador
    • Kavi M (10) - Legal, El Salvador
    • Cora R (10) - UNCTAD, El Salvador
    • Fia S (10) - UNCTAD, El Salvador
    • Alex S (10) - Legal, El Salvador
    Good luck, Tandem Model UN delegates!
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  • 6th Graders Learning about Civil Rights Movement

    6th grade English students are beginning their reading of The Watsons Go To Birmingham -1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis. This week has been dedicated to studying human rights and key events from the Civil Rights Movement to build background knowledge and context. Our own Gordon Fields, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Tandem Friends School, graciously visited the English classes and shared his story and experiences of growing up in Charlottesville during the 1960's. Students also read and took visual sketch notes of local author, Amy Lee Tai's, story of her family's experiences in an internment camp during World War ll, A Place Where Sunflowers Grow. Check out some photos from our chat with Gordon.
     
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  • 7th Graders Find Surface of a Sphere

    In Math 7 class, Emily Kinser's 7th graders tried to figure out how to find the surface area of a sphere! A beachball seemed like a good way to start. Check out some photos of their attempt.
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  • 5th Graders Map Earth's History

    5th graders recently mapped out the history of the Earth using a roll of toilet paper for their timeline. The objective was to demonstrate: 1) how long the history of the Earth is; and, 2) that humans have only existed for a tiny fraction of the Earth's entire history. The snow/mud and wind made the project challenging as the toilet paper kept ripping and blowing away, but students learned much from the process nevertheless. Check out a few photos.
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  • Students Heading to Quaker Youth Leadership Conference Next Week

    Six Upper Schoolers will be representing Tandem at this year's 2024 Quaker Youth Leadership Conference (held January 25-27), an annual gathering/summit which connects students from Quaker schools all over the world through talks, activities and workshops. This year's in-person conference is being held at Germantown Friends School & William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. Tandem's student delegation includes seniors Mattea G, Julian P, juniors Elena P, Esme W, Tessa D and Alex E; teachers Jason Farr and K. Kroese will attend as faculty sponsors. 

    This year's theme is "Quakerism: Past, Present, and Future," and all activities, workshops and speakers will focus on that. Participants will enjoy small group work, community adventures and experiential learning, workshops, speakers including Dr. Darryl Ford, a talent show, meetings for worship and more. We look forward to hearing more details about their activities and workshops. Tandem students always return from QYLC fueled with ideas and information that will help inspire and guide our community. Tandem hosted QYLC in 2007 and 2015.
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  • 8th Grade Job Fair Provides Useful Information

    8th grade English students of Carolyn Warhaftig just completed a great Job Fair project. Students were asked to select a job that interested them from a list of professional positions and then found an adult in that job to interview via a teacher-initiated Google Meet. Students conducted their interviews, then they conducted their own additional research on the profession to fill out their understanding of ideas like salary, educational requirements, etc. With the information uncovered in their job interviews, 8th graders then set up and ran a job fair for 7th graders. Each 8th grader set up a desk with an informative flyer they created to depict the position they researched and provide details about what the job entailed. Jobs featured included a wide range, such as: college coach, physical therapist, firefighter, nurse, lawyer, NASA researcher, professional athlete, travel advisor, semiconductor engineer, cyber security, plumber, architect, wildlife biologist, sports team outfitter, exotic animal vet, and so many more. 7th graders came through to visit each 'booth' and ask questions as if they were seeking employment. What a fun and informative project! Check out some of the photos.
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  • Middle Schoolers Honor and Discuss "I Have a Dream" Speech

    Today, during Community Time, the entire Middle School gathered in the Community Hall to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Led by Avis Fields and Carolyn Warhaftig, the students engaged in discussion around King's "I have a Dream" speech. The students watched and responded to this artistic accompaniment to the entire speech, Freedom’s Ring - King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
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  • 8th Graders Study 1900s Labor Conditions, Work on Job Fair Interviews

    After completing a unit on working conditions in the early 1900s, 8th graders started working on their Job Fair Project, which allows them to explore jobs in the present day. For the project, 8th graders conducted Google Meet interviews with professionals from numerous fields, including sports medicine doctors, physical therapists, engineers, and more. After writing informational pamphlets, 8th graders will host a job fair for the 7th grade next week. Watch for details and photos from this great project.
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  • More Middle School PE Fun with Hover Discs

    5th grade PE students really got to try out hover 'discs' on the gym floor this week just like their 6th grade friends got to do before the Winter Break. Middle School science teacher Kayla Coverston wanted to teach her students some basic scientific facts and brought in two hover crafts to give the 5th graders a try. Check out some photos of the fun that ensued as students 'hovered' over the gym floor.
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  • Tandem Sophomores Test Out 'New" UVA Library for Sophomore Seminar Research

    Tandem tenth graders spent a day this week at UVA launching into their Sophomore Seminar research. They got to be the the literal first class to be held in the newly reopened Alderman Library. They learned about the UVA library system, touring both the databases and the physical spaces, and gathering sources for their upcoming research. They were chaperoned by teachers on the 9/10 team who will support them throughout their research process. For the next three months, they will each dive into deep learning about their chosen topics, developing their skills as researchers, writers, and presenters. Check out some photos!
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  • Alumni Panel Talks to Upper School

    We were grateful for the generosity of young Tandem alumni willing to share their time and wisdom with our current juniors and seniors on January 5. The Young Alumni College Panel is an annual event of almost 20 years that brings current alumni college students in to share wisdom and answer questions about their college experience with Upper Schoolers. Sometimes they share what it's like to go to college far from home. Some talk about college-level sports. Some chose small schools and some are attending large universities. From what it's like to live in a dorm to how they made the leap from high school classes to college lectures, they have stories to tell about life after Tandem and plenty of great advice to give. Thanks to our wonderful alumni panel members: Tori Carter-Johnston (TFS '18), Nathan Stevenson (TFS '20), Phiala Deal (TFS '20), Ford Scott (TFS '21), and Anya Bullock (TFS '22) for sharing their insight and wisdom. We love having them return to campus to tell their stories.
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  • Spanish Students Honor Ecuadorian Tradition

    On New Year's Eve in Guayaquil, Ecuador people burn large dolls or monigotes. They may fill them with old newspapers or small notes about regrets, mistakes or negative events from the previous year, then incinerate them to make a fresh start. Spanish IV students reviewed irregular preterite verbs, wrote a short paragraph about things they want to leave behind in 2024 and safely lit them on fire during class one day this week. We burned away the bad and made light to invite joy in the new year. This honoring of traditions in Spanish-speaking countries will be repeated in March for Advanced Spanish and Las Fallas from Spain.
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Tandem Friends School is a co-ed Quaker day school for grades 5-12 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
 
Copyright 2016 Tandem Friends School