News

Whew! The campus was overflowing with holiday spirit today from beginning to end. Seniors decorated the Community Hall after the Winter Concert, placing a large holiday tree in the center of the room. During Morning Meeting, senior elves (dressed in festive holiday apparel), shared candy and Secret Santa gifts with Upper Schoolers. Then the Badger Bowl began, a massive trivia competition with mixed grade teams by division competing on a myriad of trivia topics. Middle Schoolers spent the rest of the morning on fun activities (they got to choose two), including: holiday karaoke, manicures, D & D, Pokemon, Legos, & board games, holiday movies (three choices), tea and books, soccer, and music/open mic setup. In the Upper School, students worked on some service-related holiday activities, including cookie decorating for local businesses, card making and gift wrapping for Boys and Girls Club gift recipients, felting ornaments for Southwood patients, campus perimeter cleanup, gingerbread house making, a clothing swap, and setting up for the Open Mic. After lunch the entire community enjoyed an amazing open mic, filled with wonderful performances, then completed an all-school cleanup. The day ended with holiday Meeting for Worship by division. 5th-7th graders held a meeting on their own. The Upper School Meeting for Worship including 8th graders, and honored our seniors, as each walked in with a lit candle to illuminate them as they head into their final semester of high school. What a spirit-filled day!

7th and 8th grade English students, with teacher Carolyn Warhaftig, have been enjoying the December Delirium Heads Up Tournament 2024! Students compete in Heads Up throughout the semester, utilizing the definitions of words like emaciated, nascent, perpetuate, ignominious, magnanimity, and more! The tourney was down to the top four teams in each grade, who competed during Community Time today for the championship. The Final Four teams are listed below, with the winners in bold. Congratulations, Heads Up champs!

8th

• Emory B / Lennon L
• Bryn SB / Lily Y
• Libby E / Mareana B
• Béla TJ / Nico S

7th

• Hadley B / Julian S
• Dev F / Arden W
• Henry W / Raquel ML
• Cord C / Henry F / Jackson L

Tandem counselor Monica Quarles (TFS '04) is a nationally ranked 'Strongwoman' and competed last weekend in the "Official Strongman Games World Finals," held in Madison WI at the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum from Dec 5-8. Around 400 athletes from 35 countries competed. This is Monica's third year competing in the Open class. Each day there are two events, with only those who finish in the top 10 on day two advancing to day three. Monica easily made it to day three, winning one event outright (Wrecking Ball), and finished in 7th place overall. It was a great weekend for Monica, now crowned 7th strongest woman in the world! More info can be found at www.strongman.games. If you click on the Womens Open tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet, you can see how Monica scored in all seven events: Log Lift, Car Yoke, Deadlift, Sandbag Medley, Sandbag Toss, Wrecking Ball and Stone Run. Monica also shared some video clips of each event, which are amazing to watch. Click here to access that folder of video clips. We're proud of Monica! Way to 'Badger up.'

Senior Composition students with teacher Tucker Winter just finished giving persuasive speeches on current issues. Some topics included why ultra-processed foods are bad for our bodies, why college athletes should not be paid (and why they should!), why we should change to sustainable aviation fuels, and what we can do to mitigate high incarceration rates for Native youth, among many others.

Christine Hirsh-Putnam taught Middle School Science at Tandem from 1999 until her retirement in 2020. She spearheaded so many stewardship efforts at Tandem and started Tandem Earth. Last week, she was featured in a C'ville Weekly article about light pollution and her efforts through Dark Skies Piedmont, a group she started two years ago to 'raise public awareness and to urge local governments, especially the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, to make light pollution a priority.' Check out the full C'ville Weekly article here. Christine is frequently showcased in the area as "a retired teacher and super citizen” who focuses on helping the community and those in it to develop more sustainable and earth-friendly habits. Thanks to Christine for continuing to inspire stewardship in the greater community after leading Tandem's efforts for so many years. 

Tandem's Upper School Model United Nations group of 26 students headed to the nearby UVA campus to take on their first Model UN conference of the year (the VAMUNXLIV, the 44th annual). The conference was held November 15-17 with students from schools all over the region. Teachers Alex Siragy and Melissa Winder are the chaperones. Students participated in their first committee session on Friday night, two sessions on Saturday, and one on Sunday serving on committees covering topics ranging from Monsters, Inc. to the Stalin years in the Soviet Union. We had students discuss the usage of AI, what to do with the Soviet Union's leadership, tariffs, and whether the screams of children are an appropriate power source (Monsters, Inc.). It's a busy schedule - read more about the event here. In addition to their many working conference sessions, delegates had some fun evening activities to enjoy with the delegates from other participating schools. The following students attended: Victoria D, Catriona S, Hayes B, Seth R, Maya S, Ginger K, Jude G, Oscar D, Lucy L, Elisabeth S, Ana S-G, Eli L, Owen S, Ty B, Lucie Q, Alanah R, Alex S, Fletcher L, Eli C, Hudson L, Jack J, Will M, Vivian T, Talia P, Cora R. Congratulations, Tandem Model UN delegates!

Basketball is in full swing! Our varsity boys won in lopsided fashion this week at home against WCDS while the Middle School Girls played a tight match on the road with Covenant. The Varsity girls play their home opener this evening vs RMA in the Badger Den!

Don’t forget to email me your spring sports signups!

Three Point Barrage: Varsity Badgers Earn Big Win in the Den! - 12/4/24

We had an enthusiastic group at this year's John A. Davis Memorial Turkey Bowl, held the day after Thanksgiving on the soccer field. The Turkey Bowl unites Tandem community members of all types - past and present, young and old - in a fun few hours of referee-free, high-scoring soccer playing and camaraderie to work off some post-Thanksgiving lethargy. The event has been a Tandem tradition for years, but was renamed to memorialize former teacher and soccer coach John Davis after his death in 2016. Many thanks to the folks who turned out to play and connect, and to Peter Gaines, our Assistant Head of School for Mission & Values, for running the gathering. Despite some cold toes, fingers and noses, those who came really enjoyed the gathering. Check out group photos from before and after.

The gym was full of great Badger energy on November 26 as alumni former basketball players gathered to take on our varsity boys team. With Gordon Fields as their coach, and alums Kate Moody '13 and Javon Carter '17 on the bench to add advice and encouragement, thirteen alums met at 6pm to warm up and take on a younger (but smaller) team. Alum players ranged in graduation year from '05 to '24 and included Alden Scott '24, Ford Scott '21, Matt Meriwether '05, JD Verniero '07, Ian Bloom '15, Peter Cathcart '13, Jacob Camarata '24, Jordan Anderson '23, Latrell Winkey '18, DJ Westbrook '22, Gabe Perkinson '06, Matt Mahoney '11 and Dean Lockley '20. The gym was filled with current and past students and parents, current faculty, and even former faculty members Nate Adkins and Larry Goldstein came out to cheer. There were alumni little ones and grandparents in attendance as well. The Student Senate sold snacks in the gym. There were about 25 alums there to watch as the alumni took took a strong lead in the first quarter and held onto it, leading the varsity team, coached by Sam Dale, 37-16 at the half. There were referees on hand for the game, but there was some rule-bending fun had as well since there was a set of brothers and a set of cousins on opposing teams who enjoyed a friendly competition. The second half found the alums slowing down and the varsity team picking up speed and closing the gap. Sometime late in the final quarter, thanks to some great varsity three-pointers, there was just a one-point difference - but the alums held on to win 55-52. Alum Matt Meriwether spoke a bot about donating to the Gorgon Fields Fund for DEI Initiatives, and Gordon thanked his 'team' for being there. It was a great evening of fun and rivalry for all ages in the Badger den!

The Pavilion turned into a Philosophy Coffee House for 10th grade students just before Fall Break. Under the tutelage of history teacher Melissa Winder and English teacher Robert Schuster, 10th graders have been considering lots of big questions. For their end-of-semester project, each student took on the assigned persona of a renowned philosopher, writer, scientist, inventor, industrialist, etc. from the Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment or Industrial Revolution periods - students chose from personas including Newton, Voltaire, HG Wells, Locke, Rousseau, Tesla, Hobbs, Frederick Douglass, Emilie du Chatelet, Jefferson, Bismarck, Mary Wollstonecraft, and more. Students became experts on their person's ideas and traits and created topic outlines to introduce themselves and to talk as their character would about questions such as these: What is human nature? What is the role of government? What is justice? Can science explain everything or are there things that science cannot explain? Does society always benefit from technology? Do the ends justify the means? Who should have power? How should society be “arranged”? Who should get to decide things? The 'coffeehouse' began with beverages and sweet treats, with teachers serving as waiters and baristas. Students then broke into small groups and sat in discussions as their personas for thirty minutes; they did this twice in different groups. It proved for stimulating conversations all around and students really got into it and showed off their knowledge.

8th grade Latin students with teacher Mag Davis look forward each year to one special day - Gladiator Day! After studying that aspect of ancient Roman culture, students spend some class time making themselves swords, shields and armor out of cardboard, and then taking each other on in 'combat.' In a single elimination tournament of short rounds, this year's battle took place on the outdoor basketball court, and other Middle Schoolers were invited to serve as spectators, who also help determine the outcome of each gladiator pair's battle with cheering and an occasional thumbs up. The victor this year was Duncan H-L, whose large, sturdy shield helped him repel his opponents.

While there were no games this week, there was much practice action in the gym for all of our winter teams. You can catch our JV and Varsity boys' teams playing scrimmages at Charlottesville High School on Monday, November 25, with JV tipoff at 6pm and Varsity at 7pm. Then on Tuesday night at 6:30 pm in the gym, our Varsity boys will take on the Alumni team assembled by Gordon Fields in the annual Alumni vs Varsity game. All three of those games should be great to watch! Come cheer on the Badgers - or the alums!

Yesterday, parents received this email about spring sports offerings - while it may seem early, I'd love to start getting a sense of interest and potential roster sizes. If your student is interested in playing a spring sport, please send me an email to sign up at dlevy@tandemfs.org. Include their name, grade and the sport they want to play.

Go Badgers!

Tandem's Middle School debate teams won first, second, and third place at the Charlottesville Debate League Middle School tournament last Saturday! Two Tandem teams debated each other in the final round, with the rest of Tandem's teams spectating. Way to go, Tandem Debate Team!

Current Tandem parent Kristin Sancken was a guest speaker during Spanish III classes this week. She connected the class text Dos Patrias about push/pull immigration factors between Colombia and Venezuela to family stories about life in Colombia during its civil war. Kristen shared photos about trips to Colombia after the peace accords and brought in traditional molas (embroidered works of art). We cooked Colombian-style arepas in class and wrote about the process. Thank you, Kristin, for sharing your stories and knowledge with us!

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.

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.

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.

2024 Tandem Girls Varsity Volleyball - A Joyful Season to Remember

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

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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!

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).

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

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.

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."

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.

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!

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! 

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.

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!

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)

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!

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. 

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.