News

2026

  • January 26-30, 2026

    Our week took a sudden turn when Winter Storm Fern arrived over the weekend, bringing snow, sleet and ice in a combination that quickly made life a bit treacherous out of doors. Monday was a snow day, and Tuesday through Thursday our amazing faculty and students slid almost seamlessly into remote school. That instant morning meeting online connection, with a hundred or more faces peering at one another, is still amazing to be a part of despite any negative COVID memories. It was nice to end the week back on campus together. A huge shoutout to our campus team for the massive effort they put into snow and ice removal to get the campus safe for today’s in-person school. We know it wasn’t easy or fun! 

    In the Middle School, remote learning this week was a success. 8th graders continued learning about the rise to power of the Nazi party, as well as practicing systems of equations in Algebra 1, 7th graders were engaging in genetics by "building" designer bugs, 6th grade did research on Medieval daily life and castle construction, and 5th was fully engaged in learning about the properties of operations in math. Not only did students continue their learning but they also had fun checking in with friends and telling stories about the snow and sledding.  

    In the Upper School, our Geeky Girls group taught a well-attended session to young girls on Saturday before the wintry weather arrived (details and photos below). AP Lit students are studying Hamlet and converting modern pop songs into Shakespearian sonnets to learn the form, including using the full rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter. Our team of students who were scheduled to attend the Roots to Routes conference last weekend had to cancel due to the storm, but the weather and roads cleared enough to allow our delegation of seven Upper Schoolers to depart yesterday for the Quaker Youth Leadership Conference in Rhode Island. Our Science Olympiad students head to Virginia Tech this weekend for the VT Invitational. We wish them all safe travels and great experiences. 
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  • Tandem Students Attend Quaker Youth Leadership Conference

    Seven intrepid Tandem Upper Schoolers and two teachers braved the frigid temps to head to the Quaker Youth Leadership Conference being held January 29-31 at Moses Brown School in Providence, RI. Faculty chaperones Jason Farr and Sonia Brandon led students Claire G, Claire D, Madeline M, Talia P, Alanah R, Nina I, and Ellia M on the trip, leaving Thursday morning and returning Saturday night. QYLC brings together 9th - 12th graders from Quaker schools across the country annually to a host campus for an action-packed weekend focused on central themes of Quaker education. Tandem hosted QYLC in 2007 and 2015. This year's theme was Creat(iv)e Change, chosen to highlight ‘the connections between art - and human creativity in general - and the never-ending work for a more just, more peaceful world.’ The conference included a play, speakers, workshops, and activities that promoted leadership, community building, and spiritual growth. On Friday, student groups went on arts outings to explore how creativity and change are thriving in Providence.
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  • Geeky Girls Host Fun, Educational Events for Young Girls

    Tandem's Geeky Girls program is thriving and held a well-attended event last weekend. Originally designed by Tandem student Mattea Gaines (TFS '24) as her senior project two years ago, the Geeky Girls mission is to spark STEM interest in young girls, specifically 3rd-5th graders. Upper School girls who are passionate about science host Geeky Girls events, each with a different scientific conceptual focus to share with younger girls in the community (not just Tandem). They design and lead lab stations that allow young girls to understand key concepts and get inspired by science, facilitating both excitement and learning! This year's Geeky Girls is led by seniors Addie T and Sofia S, who have carried on Mattea's vision for the group, with science teacher Casey Reed as their faculty mentor. Student leaders plan, research, gather materials, and do all of the advertising and outreach in order to recruit area participants. 
     
    Last weekend's Geeky Girls event brought about 50 participants, many from Jackson Via, Brownsville, and other area schools. Several of the girls have been coming for three years! The theme of the lab was astronomy and all of the girls rotated through six different stations: making galaxy jars to represent the constellations and Milky Way; learning about moon phases (using Oreos) and what each indicates environmentally; learning from a model how eclipses occur and how to view them safely; making model solar systems; learning about prisms and how light travels in space and in vacuums; and, making a sundial using paper plates and measuring instruments. In addition to leaders Addie and Sofia, 18 other Upper School girls helped run the learning stations: 
    • Station 1: Galaxy Jars - Aofie, Marilyn, Maeve A 
    • Station 2: Sundials - Victoria, Maeve M, Catriona
    • Station 3: Prisms - Ella, Nina, Madeline 
    • Station 4: Solar Systems - Annie, Nieve, Alice
    • Station 5: Oreo Moon Phases - Lila, Emory, Grace, Dhruvi
    • Station 6: Ellipses - Sophie, Emory B
    The next Geeky Girls event on lab animal/marine life will be based on feedback they received from their participants about what they enjoyed, what they learned, and what experiments/topics they want to take on next. Geeky Girls rule!
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  • Week #22 - Badger Varsity Girls Take Down Foxcroft

    Varsity Girls Basketball - Last season, the Varsity Girls played a tough game against Foxcroft, losing on the road. While the team never quit, Tandem did not score double digits, while Foxcroft had 41. Imagine their surprise when the 25-26 Tandem Varsity Girls Badgers entered the gym.  
     
    Tandem held their opponent to twenty total points, earning their third victory of the season. The Badgers won 27-20, and are currently 3-4 in the conference, having improved dramatically - both from last season but also from the start of this season! In practice this week, Reggie had the team work on full court lay ups, and playing through contact, and that was on display up in Middleburg. Annie continues to be the kind of leader coaches covet, handling the ball handling duties, attacking the basket, and setting up her teammates. 

    Defensively, Annie works closely with Juli, who had a big three at Stuart Hall, and forces tons of turnovers. "We won because our press was so effective," Maya reflected after the game, and she is a big reason why. Maya plays at the top of the press, guarding the inbounds passer, and getting lots of deflections. On the rare occasion Foxcroft got across half court, Ginger was there for a steal - and Marilyn for rebounds. Aoife was dominant inside on both ends - scoring at the rim and defending the paint! What a presence! Sophie continues to be an offensive threat,  while the Badgers also got key contributions from Leelee, Maeve, Catriona and Nieve!  
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  • Week #22 - Great Day for Badger Basketball Boys on the Road!

    Varsity Boys Basketball - Blue Ridge. Regents. Stuart Hall. The Boys Varsity Basketball team took on three tough opponents in three days, all on the road, and still had a lot of energy to take on Virginia's top team on the road last night in Staunton. Always ready for big games, Sin got the scoring going with a tough contested three in the corner! Stuart Hall had a huge back line, and Tandem matched their physicality by inserting Mason into the starting line up, who scored a difficult lay up early. While Stuart Hall was able to get out in transition, Sean walled up, playing excellent defense without fouling. The Badgers forced an early timeout for the opposition.
     
    Trailing by 2, Tandem drew up a beautiful sideline out of bounds play during the timeout, and Quis demonstrated excellent body control as he got to the rim for a tough lay up. The game was tied at 9 before Stuart Hall hit a three at the top of the key. Unconcerned, Issac hit a big time three on the other end. After a strong rebound and put back for Keeman among the trees, the Badgers took a 14-12 lead into the second quarter.
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  • Week #22 - Indoor Track Athletes Raise the Bar!

    Varsity Indoor Track and Field - As Frank Sinatra warned us, "baby it's cold outside." That has not stopped our Indoor Track and Field team from practicing - outside - as they challenge themselves against the elements. Yesterday's competition at Woodberry Forest was the first meet for our squad since December 10th, and the Badgers were ready to take their efforts to another level.  
     
    Already the school record holder in the 100 Meters, Nari has lofty goals for Track and Field this season. He used an incredible start to run 7.22 (a PR of .11) in the 55 Meter Dash, qualifying him for the VISAA State Championships! Congratulations to Nari, our top sprinter, who showed off an incredible burst of speed! He returned to the track in the 300 meters, running a blazing 42.23 and pacing our trio! He will represent the team in February! Eli debuted in the event in 42.23, while Peter was hot on his tail in 45.58 - a new PR!
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  • January 19-23, 2026

    Our four-day week was a busy one indeed, fueled by the underlying sense of impending winter weather for this weekend. We managed to get in lots of sports games, held a great Science Olympiad tournament on campus last weekend (details and photo below), hosted a meeting for parents of 6th-8th graders, played lots of basketball games and ran in an indoor track meet, showed support for Minnesota, and soaked up as much sunshine as we could.

    In the Middle School, 5th and 6th graders are working on their boat projects in Science classes. 7th graders had a fun Thursday lunch with their Upper School Big Badgers performing karaoke songs together in the Community Hall. There was so much joy and laughter in the room, and some good singing as well (check out plenty of photos in the Recent photos below). In History class, 7th graders are studying the Constitution. 8th graders held their Job Fair on Wednesday - see details and photos below. They are also learning about World War I and magnetic fields.

    Upper Schoolers had a busy week filled with basketball games and play rehearsals, a busy Science Olympiad weekend, and preparations for other upcoming competitions. 9th graders are hard at work on their civilization projects. 10th graders turned in the first half of their Sophomore Seminar notecards this week. Juniors are continuing to learn about stress in Advisory. Seniors in AP Government are learning about Congress. They are also launching their annual Valentine’s Day treats ordering - see details and the order form below.

    Today’s Upper School Speaker Series guest was senior Elijah Muehlman, who spoke about his competitive cycling. Elijah raced for several years with the Charlottesville Racing Club and after this summer’s nationals, decided he no longer enjoyed that style of competitive racing. Elijah reshaped his training and goals to transition to marathon racing and to Iron Man competitions that include cycling, swimming and running. He changed his training regimen to prevent burnout, focused on maintaining a healthy weight, prioritized sleep and recovery and started to 'plan cycling around his life rather than planning his life around cycling.' New goals include an Iron Man competition, placing top ten in the marathon nationals, and completing an Everesting challenge and a 350-mile ride. Many thanks to Elijah for giving an inspirational and personal presentation about his passions.
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  • Tandem Counselor Named to Daily Progress Distinguished Dozen

    Tandem counselor Monica Quarles, also a Tandem alum (TFS '04) and one of the strongest women in the world, has been named one of Charlottesville's Distinguished Dozen by The Daily Progress. In a lengthy profile article published on January 20 ("For Strongwoman Monica Quarles, it's not about what she Lifts but who she Lifts Up"), Monica is honored for both her 7th place finish in the recent international Official Strongman Games, and for the strength she helps others develop as a counselor to our students. Twelve Distinguished Dozen honorees from Central Virginia are selected for how much they give of themselves and to their community - all considered by The Daily Progress to be 'movers and shakers, history makers and everyday heroes.' It's great to see Monica recognized for what she puts into her training and her work, and how she models self care and inner strength. We are so proud of Monica for her accomplishments as a former student, as a person, as a counselor and as an internationally ranked strong woman.
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  • 8th Grade Hosts Job Fair

    Following their unit on working conditions in the early 1900s, 8th graders held their annual Job Fair. Students started the assignment by corresponding via email with a professional in a chosen field. From there, students conducted Google Meet interviews to learn more about the intricacies of the career, then completed their own research on typical salaries, education requirements, benefits, and more. Students created job brochures for their chosen professions, which included firefighter, professional soccer player, Director of Marketing and Communications, restaurant owner, architect, veterinarian, sports doctor, real estate agent, investment banker, college coach, and many more. Ultimately, students welcomed the 7th grade (as well as some of the professionals themselves) and spoke about the career and answered questions surrounding it.
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  • Cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Announced

    Upper School Drama teacher Ronda Hewitt has announced the cast for the Upper School's musical production The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Rehearsals began last week. In the musical, "an eclectic group of six students vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion!" The show even has some audience participation. Mark your calendars now for performances on March 27-29. Congratulations to the cast and crew:

    Cast List (in order of actor appearance): 
    • Rona Lisa Peretti — Alanah R
    • Chip Tolentino — F 
    • Logainne “Schwartzy” SchwartzandGrubenniere — Lucie Q
    • Leaf Coneybear — Wren K
    • William Barfee — Hudson L 
    • Marcy Park — Lily Y
    • Olive Ostrovsky — Ana S-G
    • Vice Principal Donna Panch — Georgia C
    • Michelle Mahoney — Nina I
    • Logainne’s Two Moms (Carla/Danica) — Cora R and Laurel A
    • Leaf’s Mom — Lucie Quist
    • Leaf’s Sister — Lily Y 
    • Leaf’s Dad — Hudson L
    • Jesus Christ — Fletcher L
    • Olive's Mom – Alanah R
    • Olive's Dad – Fletcher L
    Production Team so far: 
    • Production Stage Manager: Madeline M
    • Assistant Director: Henry A
    • Music Director: Tara Scott
    • Choreographer: Robin Hyer
    • Lighting Designer: Jon D
    • Costume Designers: Julie Bowersett and Georgia C 
    • Director & Producer: Ronda Hewitt 
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  • Week #21 - Thrilling MS Double Header on the Road!

    MS Girls Basketball - When we played Grymes in December, the Badgers scored just eight points. Today, Tandem scored nine... in the first quarter! Executing beautifully off the of the opening tip, Sam batted the ball ahead to Hadley, who scored a smooth right-handed lay-up to give Tandem an early lead. Wasting no time, Zoey deflected the inbounds pass, which found its way to Hadley yet again. She scored another basket, and Grymes called timeout.

    Making her first start of the season, Cora was a force inside. She commanded her spot on the block, rebounding and throwing great outlet passes. Most notably, she had a beautiful block to block assist to Zuri! After Grymes scored a second quarter three pointer, Hadley immediately came down and matched it, showing off her range from the perimeter!
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  • Impressive Results from UVA-TFS Invitational Science Olympiad

    Our Science Olympiad posted great results from the first UVA-TFS Invitational Science Olympiad tournament, which was completely hosted at TFS and run by the members of the UVA Science Olympiad club. Medals were awarded to 1st-6th place in each event and 1st-6th place overall school performance (sadly, no trophies were available to take home). It was exciting to welcome a mix of NoVA/DC teams, local teams, new teams, and veteran teams to our campus for a tournament and showcase what TFS is all about. 
     
    Members of TFSSO were fantastic hosts, helping to guide people around campus and loaning equipment to teams so that they could compete. The weather was chaotic, starting with snow and sleet that caused some slippery conditions but then ending reasonably warm and sunny. The day ended with Bart the Badger making an appearance during the awards ceremony to great cheers and Bart helped to make the awards ceremony really feel like a unique experience for our guests. 

    Medals were earned in 14 events by TFS Emerald and the TFS Emerald team earned 2nd place overall out of the 16 participating teams. Awesome work! A big shout out and thank you go to Kavi M and Otis H for stepping up from TFS Obsidian as subs for TFS Emerald and earning medals. Way to go! Additionally, TFS Alabaster continued to progress and grow in their Science Olympiad journey and earned medals in 3 events. Well done!
     
    Below is the breakdown of the medal results from the tournament for each TFSSO team. Full tournament results can be found here. The photos and videos I was able to take can be found here.

    TFS Emerald

    - Astronomy (Madeline M, Owen S): 4
    - Boomilever (Eli C, Sofia S/John B as a testing sub): 1
    - Chemistry Lab (Oscar D, Owen S): 4
    - Circuit Lab (Hayes B, Oscar D): 4
    - Codebusters (John B, Eli C, Otis H as a sub): 4
    - Dynamic Planet (John B, Eli C): 3
    - Electric Vehicle (Owen S, Peter W): 1
    - Engineering CAD (Jack J, Kavi M): 3
    - Helicopter (Luna B, Addie T): 1
    - Hovercraft (Jack J, Lucy L): 1
    - Machines (Eli C, Jack J): 2
    - Robot Tour (John B, Owen S): 2
    - Rocks and Minerals (Nina I, Kavi M as a sub): 6
    - Water Quality (Lucy L, Peter W): 4

    TFS Alabaster

    - Forensics (Emory B, Annie R): 4
    - Hovercraft (Jon D, Sean T): 5
    - Materials Science (Emory B, Annie R): 5

    Once again, I am very thankful to and appreciative of Coach Casey for all the time and effort she provides to TFSSO. Many, many thanks! We are less than two weeks away from the VT Invitational and the VASO TFS Regional is just around the corner. ~ Alex Siragy
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  • taken by senior Oscar D

    Week #21 - Varsity Boys Basketball in the News!

    Check out this article in The Daily Progress about our Varsity Boys Basketball team! And check out these great photos of some varsity players taken by senior Oscar D - click on the headline to see a few more.
     
    Congratulations to Coach Sam, Coach Carter, Coach Mary and the squad - what an amazing run to date! They had so many high scorers this weekend vs FUMA in a big win - Derion hit 10 three pointers across two games, Isaac had 20, Quis 15, Sean 14, Keeman 10 and Sin 9! 
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  • Week #21 - Varsity Girls Badgers: Consistent Scoring

    Aoife won the opening tip, and sprinted to the block. Annie, earning one of her four assists this afternoon, showed great court vision and chemistry with her classmate. She fired the ball into the paint, her astute passing drawing the attention of Sin, a fellow point guard. Aoife scored on that possession, and again moments later, when she earned a trip to her line. Neither of her foul shots touched anything but the net!
     
    Highland has held every conference opponent under ten points this season. The Badgers had other plans, led by Maya, who got to the line three seperate times this afternoon. In the final period, Maya got the hoop and the harm, scoring four points in the fourth! With Aoife in foul trouble, Marilyn was pressed into duty and she played her best game of the season! Marilyn was strong with the ball, commanding her position on the block! She went to the charity stripe twice, and her shot is so smooth! I see you, Marilyn! Your basketball tool kit is expanding!
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  • 5th & 6th Grade Scientists Designing and Constructing Boats

    5th grade science students with teacher Nemanja Cetic recently observed and compared the buoyancy of different objects in water and dish soap. Now those students are designing, constructing, and evaluating a model cargo boat to determine its maximum load capacity. Nemanja's 6th grade scientists are constructing sailboats to investigate the concept of unprocessed energy, with the objective being to demonstrate how wind energy can be harnessed to propel a sailboat. Check out some photos of their efforts.
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  • January 12-16, 2026

    The first full week back after winter break can feel long, but we all got through it and accomplished many things. First semester grades and comments were shared online and second semester work is getting well underway. Our Science Olympiad teams had a great competition in Fairfax over the weekend - see details below. We hosted an Admissions Information Session and a virtual college counseling office hour. The enrollment renewal process for current students began yesterday - the deadline for renewal is February 1.
     
    In the Middle School, 5th grade students are learning about buoyancy. 6th graders are learning to evaluate websites for authenticity, and have been reading the script for their spring musical production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. 7th graders are writing climate change essays. 8th graders are working on their job fair interviews and information, and in history class, are creating WW I trading cards.
     
    In the Upper School, the Drama department held auditions for their spring musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. 9th graders are reading The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama and working on poetry translation. Sophomores are writing their Sophomore Seminar topic proposals and personal narratives. Juniors have been learning about stress management in Advisory this week. Seniors are hard at work on their Senior Projects; Senior Comp students are reading The Kite Runner. Upper School students held an Open Meeting today as their Speaker Series. Tomorrow, Tandem will host a Science Olympiad competition here on campus, followed by a double header against FUMA for our JV and Varsity boys’ teams. 
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  • Week #20 - Another Sweep: Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball Extend Their Win Streaks!

    Varsity Girls Basketball - Picking up right where they left off in December, the Girls Varsity Basketball Badgers held their opponent to just one field goal in the entire first half. Their defense was suffocating - whether it was of the full or half court variety. Juli has improved her lateral speed, deflecting the ball away from opposing guards. Ginger leapt into action, diving on the floor and earning another possession for Tandem. The ball would eventually travel into Maya's hands - and her lights out shooting streak continues!  Maya has now scored in double digits for three consecutive games, all Tandem victories, and has converted from three point land in all of them. Tonight, Maya had a game-high 12 points, eight rebounds and six steals! Sheesh!
     
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  • Week #20 - Big Second Half Performances for MS Hoopers on the Road!

    MS Girls Basketball - With 6:00 to go in the contest, the score was tied at 18. Zoey made a beautiful inbounds pass to Sam, who spotted Zuri posting up on the block. Zuri turned, used the backboard, and gave Tandem the lead. On the ensuing possession, Peabody tried to work the ball into the paint. Sam deflected the pass, got the ball and got the ball ahead to Hadley who dribbled to the right wing. Zuri was posting up again. When Zuri got the ball, she turned and faked a shot. With the defender in the air, Zuri stepped through and scored another lay up. 
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  • Science Olympiad Excels at Fairfax Invitational

    I wanted to share results from the Fairfax Invitational Science Olympiad tournament, which was completely hosted and run by Fairfax High School in Fairfax, VA. Medals were awarded to 1st-6th place in each event and trophies were awarded to 1st-6th place overall school performance. This was the largest tournament ever attended by TFSSO, with 70 teams representing 27 schools from across Virginia, DC, Maryland, and Pennsylvania participating. Competition was fierce, with almost every school attending the tournament (25/27) earning at least one medal.

    I am excited to share that medals were earned in 4 events by TFS Emerald and that TFS Emerald team earned 16th place overall out of the 70 teams. Way cool! Additionally, it was the debut tournament for students on TFS Alabaster and they represented us very well earning top 25 in 4 events! What an accomplishment! Finally, TFS Obsidian showed up with a determined spirit despite a thinner than normal roster (only 2/3 full). Many stepped in to support their teammates as last-minute partners and put in great work. Well done!
    Below is the breakdown of top 25 results from the tournament for each TFSSO team, with earned medals indicated in yellow text. Full tournament results can be found here.

    TFS Emerald
    - Astronomy (Madeline M, Owen S): 22 
    - Boomilever (Eli C, Sofia S): 11
    - Bungee Drop (John B, Oscar D): 3 
    - Circuit Lab (Hayes B, Oscar D): 21
    - Codebusters (John B, Eli C, Nati Y): 12
    - Dynamic Planet (John B, Eli C): 11
    - Electric Vehicle (Owen S, Peter W): 24
    - Entomology (Nina I, Nati Y): 15
    - Helicopter (Luna B, Sofia S as a sub): 9 
    - Hovercraft (Jack J, Lucy L): 6 
    - Machines (Eli C, Jack J): 3
    - Materials Science (Luna B, Sofia S): 15
    - Remote Sensing (Hayes B, Peter W): 19 
    - Robot Tour (John B, Owen S): 1 
    - Rocks and Minerals (Nina I, Nati Y): 11

    TFS Obsidian
    - Helicopter (Claire G, Avery M): 12

    TFS Alabaster
    - Bungee Drop (Eli H, Emory S): 11
    - Forensics (Emory B, Annie R): 22
    - Machines (Eli H, Peter D as a sub): 21
    - Materials Science (Emory B, Annie R): 17

    Our teams continue to show that they are ready to compete against top level schools and I am proud and honored to work with them. It is so much fun!
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  • Week #20 - Exciting Double Header: MS Basketball Is Back in the Den!

    MS Girls Basketball
     
    It has been exactly thirty three days since our lengthy post game conversation at CCS.   Bruised and battered, Zuri sat in the middle of our circle with ice on her thumb and shoulder, while we reflected on our execution - defensively, on our baseline out of bounds plays, and in our half court offense.  The team was frustrated - we had trailed by just one point at the end of the first quarter, despite the fact that both Sam and Hadley were saddled with foul trouble.  The deficit was only four points at halftime, and over the course of the game our team scored what was, at the time, our largest offensive output of the season (17 points.) Still, we lost by 7.
     
    In the days since, this squad has put in an enormous amount of work, pushing one another each day in practice. So it was no surprise to me that our full court press looked rather different today.  CCS quite literally had no space to operate - Sam stole the ball on their first four possessions.  Hattie, just like in practice on Friday, forced the ball to the left side - and the turnovers just kept coming. The Badgers converted those steals into six quick points, forcing a CCS timeout.   
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  • 6th Graders Create Blackout Poetry

    Sixth grade English students worked on creating blackout poetry this week in class. This "found" poetry style uses a previously written text as a base. The poet then selects certain words on the page to highlight, while redacting others. It is through this process of deconstructing that a new text emerges. Check out some photos of their work.
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  • January 5-9, 2026

    The start of second semester brings lots of new things - new electives, a fresh start in music, new plays to rehearse, and new academic projects and classes galore. Winter athletes are putting their uniforms on again and are ready to get back on the court or on the track. Sophomores begin a deep dive into their Sophomore Seminars. Seniors recommit to Senior Project completion as they inch closer to college decisions and graduation. Third quarter Work Crew began. We enjoyed a Pancake Friday together this morning. Everyone is enjoying this unexpected patch of warmer, sunny weather. Teachers are putting the finishing touches on first semester grades and comments - watch for report cards next week. Second semester - here we come!

    Middle Schoolers happily returned to school and their energy has revived the campus. 5th graders are learning about the Haudenosaunee and the geography of the Northeast. In Music class, they are enjoying having an Upper Schooler, Fletcher L, giving them some lessons on tuning and chords. 6th graders are working on a mini unit on blackout poetry (details and photos below). 7th graders are learning about the biological levels of life and about heredity. 8th graders are beginning interviews for their big Job Fair project in English class.

    In the Upper School, the Rocketry Club had a bake sale. 9th graders are working on their interdisciplinary Civilization project and are reading The Samurai’s Garden. 10th graders spent today in the UVA libraries to learn about and begin Sophomore Seminar research (details below). AP US History students are studying Reconstruction. Seniors are jumping back into the Senior Projects with grit and determination. Our varsity teams held a home double header with double wins last night to leap back into the season and are at Quantico this afternoon. A large group of Upper School Science Olympiad students boarded a bus this afternoon to head to the competition in Fairfax this weekend. We wish them lots of luck!
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  • Sophomores Learn Research Skills at UVA Library

    This week, Tandem sophomores spent a day at UVA's Shannon Library with faculty Robert Schuster, Casey Reed, Melissa Winder, Russell Combs, Tina Goode and Heidi Passino, all people who will support them throughout their Sophomore Seminar research and writing process. Currently, students have completed Sophomore Seminar topic brainstorming and preliminary research and have received preliminary feedback on their Pre-Outlines. This week, they did some additional structuring of their Pre-Outlines, and then took a deep dive into academic research via their all-day visit to the UVA library! Students enjoyed a lecture and interactive session run by UVA Research Librarians. They got a tour of Clemons Library before being given time to conduct some of their research. They enjoyed lunch on The Corner. Students worked really hard all day and were excited about giving their topics due diligence! For the next three months, they will each dive into deep learning about their chosen topics, developing their skills as researchers, writers, and presenters. By semester's end, they will have completed a full research paper, made a presentation on their topic to their classmates, and shared their work with the community during the Sophomore Seminar Capstone night scheduled for April 29. Check out some photos!
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  • Week #19 - 6th Grade Boys Win First TFS Basketball Game of 2026!

    6th Grade Boys Basketball - The Badgers are back in the Den, and the 6th Grade Boys took advantage of their opportunity for more playing time. Eli was smooth right off the opening tip, faking a pass to a teammate and driving down the middle. He used this move throughout the game, resulting in two trips to the line, a three pointer, and 11 total points! Will got to the line as well, and was constantly in attack mode! He made both foul shots. The Badgers led 8-7 after the first quarter, and Kai got the scoring going. He used a quick first step, got the defender on his hip, and beat him to the basket. Kai had 6 in the first period, and finished with 12. He worked closely with Gabriel, who had several assists, using an effective give and go.
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< 2026
Tandem Friends School is a co-ed Quaker day school for grades 5-12 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
 
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