October 13-17, 2025

It was a sunny and cool week on campus, and a four-day week full of activity. Faculty have been working hard to complete grades and comments for every student in every class. We observed International Pronouns Day, with SAGA students handing out preferred pronoun stickers to those on campus. We held a very well attended Admissions Information Session and are always amazed by our Student Ambassadors. We participated in the nationwide Great American Shakeout earthquake drill today. There were visits from five colleges. Student athletes competed in two home and nine away matchups, including some big wins and more personal records for many athletes. Read more below and Go Badgers!

Upper School drama students are busy rehearsing The Great Gatsby, which opens November 7 (details below). A group of Upper Schoolers took the ACT standardized test on campus. The Student Senate has been busy planning dances, Spirit Week, shoe drives and more (see details below). 10th graders have continued with Teen Mental Health First Aid Training. Seniors are getting very close to some college application due dates.

Middle School students have been loving this fall weather on the quad and on the front lawn. 5th graders are working on a Roman deity project while 6th graders continue their study of Judaism. 7th graders created a Favorite Pets Slideshow in science class, and are working on a Native Peoples of the US map. 8th graders are learning about logical fallacies and light angles.

Today’s Upper School Speaker Series guests were the band Lua Project - featuring current Tandem senior Luna B and her parents Estela Knott and Devid Berzonsky. They played and also spoke passionately about their story, the sotries behind their songs and the many cultural and community activities they help bring about. Lua is described as "a cultural pollinator, bridging together musical styles from different continents and different centuries. They write about contemporary themes, about families, and communities, of work and loss, but draw on the musical traditions of their own cultural past. The music is inspired by Mexican and Appalachian song forms, Eastern European tonalities, baroque melodic ideas, & narrative storytelling approaches. They have created a repertoire that constitutes a new traditional music that is being shared with their children to experience, transform, and pass on." What a great gift they shared with all of this afternoon, reminding us that music is a great unifier!
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Tandem Friends School is a co-ed Quaker day school for grades 5-12 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
 
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