Overview
One of the unique features of Tandem Friends School
is the extent to which parents are regarded as an important
and vital part of the school community. The Parents
Association is devoted to promoting family involvement
in the life of the school, as well as close working
relationships between teachers and parents, all for
the benefit of our children.
To this end, the Parents Association offers the following:
- Monthly meetings on the first Thursday
of each school month, designed to keep parents informed
about activities and provide a forum for discussion
of school-related issues.
- Parent representatives for each class, who facilitate
communication and interaction among class families.
Parents are advised to get to know their representatives
and view them as a resource for information about
school/class activities and issues.
- A quarterly email newsletter, a page on the Tandem
website, email reminders, and an emergency phone tree
to facilitate communication of necessary information.
- Coordination of volunteer activities that provide
a vital source of support for the school. Parents
are encouraged to complete the volunteer survey, and
communicate with the volunteer coordinator about their
areas of interest related to lending a hand at the
school.
- Opportunities to support school programs, including
fundraising, the lunch program, and activities related
to sports, drama and the arts.
- Organization of a variety of teacher appreciation
activities.
Tandem Friends School also recognizes the need to support
parents as they strive to care for and guide their children
in the world. The Parents Association hosts an ongoing
speaker series that offers parents the opportunity to
develop greater understanding about the parenting role
and issues that affect their children. A Parent Resource
Collection is also being developed through the school
library to provide books and other materials of interest
to parents – it is available on the parents’
bookshelf in the Front Office.
Participation in School Life
Because the interest of parents and families is so
important to a child’s experience at school, Tandem
families are invited and encouraged, to the extent of
their interest and energy, to participate in all school
activities and events.
Tandem offers students a wide variety of opportunities
to express their individual talents. Students feel rewarded
in their efforts when their families are present and involved
during athletic competitions, dramatic productions, musical
performances, Science Fair presentations, poetry/prose
readings, the annual spelling bee and other public presentations.
Families can also get involved in the life of the school
by lending a hand in the garden during fall and spring
beautification days, sewing costumes and painting sets
for play productions, driving students to athletic competitions,
chaperoning on school trips, serving up soup and sandwiches
in the lunch program, or any number of other volunteer
opportunities that arise throughout the year.
Parents are particularly invited to attend Meeting for
Worship every Wednesday at midday, and at other special
times throughout the year as the whole school sits in
shared silence together. The Upper School’s Wednesday
afternoon speaker series offers another opportunity to
participate in an exchange of ideas with members of the
wider Charlottesville and Quaker communities as they discuss
issues of importance to the school and in the world.
Fundraising
As is the case with most independent schools, income
from tuition alone does not cover all school expenses.
Fundraising is a necessary and important source of revenue
for Tandem Friends School, and the activities and projects
sponsored by the Parents Association provide welcome
additions to the annual budget.
The Parents Association is pleased to support the John
Howard Faculty Enrichment Fund as the major recipient
of its fundraising efforts. This fund provides teachers
with the means to pursue continuing education and professional
enrichment activities that nourish not only these individuals,
but the children in their classrooms, as well. When
the budget permits, the Parents Association also provides
financial support for special projects and individual
classroom needs through its WISH List Fund.
The school’s Development Office, which coordinates
all fundraising activities, also depends on the support
of parents for the success of its efforts. Each year,
board members, parents, alumni and friends of the school
are asked to contribute financially through the Tandem
Campaign. Income from this program goes directly into
the school’s budget to support its programs and
facilities. Contributions are tax-deductible and help
to minimize otherwise inevitable tuition increases.
Parents also support the work of development through
time and energy devoted to planning and organizing fundraising
events. Parental assistance is deeply appreciated and
entirely necessary in all of Tandem’s fundraising
efforts.
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