Tandem Friends School

Tandem Friends School is a coeducational secondary school founded in 1970 in Albemarle County, Virginia,^[1] just outside Charlottesville, by educators John Howard and Duncan Alling.^[2] In 1995, it joined the Friends Council on Education, adopting the educational beliefs and practices of the Quakers. The current head of school is Andy Jones-Wilkins. The Assistant Head is Paul Erb. The Upper School, grades 9-12, has approximately 120 students, while the Middle School, grades 5-8, has approximately 100 students. The head of the Upper School is Nura Yingling, and the head of the Middle School is Tom O'Connor. Tandem is located on 279 Tandem Lane. The mascot is a Quaker. The logo is the historic main building.

The school’s mission statement best summarizes its goals:

"Rooted in Quaker values, Tandem Friends School prepares young people for higher education and fulfilling lives of integrity, creative expression, and service." The school maintains silent meeting as a weekly practice.

The school’s unofficial mottoes also capture the Tandem philosophy: “Freedom with Responsibility” and “Kindness and Wisdom”.

History

Founded in 1970, Tandem is the first Friends School in the U.S. that started as a non-Quaker School. The school is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and is a member of the Friends Council on Education.

Traditions

Longstanding Tandem traditions include Morning Meeting, Meeting for Worship, Spring Day, Blue Ridge Day, Wednesday Pancakes, Speaker Series, Emphasis Week, Sophomore Seminars, and Senior Projects.

The Saturday before Mother's Day has been the date of the annual Mother's Day Music Festival, a small festival to honor mothers and to showcase local musicians. A notable past act to play on the quad at Tandem Friends School for the Mother's Day Music Festival was the Dave Matthews Band.

The pancake breakfasts serve, on average, 500 pancakes each Wednesday. The pancakes are made and served by staff along with parents, students, and faculty.^[3]

Athletics

Tandem Friends School fields eighteen sports teams and maintains a no-cut policy. The athletic director at Tandem is Jackie Rose. The school competes in the Delaney Athletic Conference.

The Varsity Girl's Soccer Team won the VISAA Division II State Championship in the Spring of 2010, and again in Spring of 2011.^[4]

Arts Program

Tandem Friends School has an Arts program that encompasses plastic and visual arts, drama, digital film, and music. Drama and art are each taught for one semester each year in the Middle School grades. Each grade in the Middle School puts on a play during the year. Art electives abound in the Upper School, as well as drama classes and an after-school drama program that presents a musical in the fall, a one-act play festival in the winter, and a comedy or drama in the spring.

5th graders take regular music classes. The school has a string ensemble, a jazz band, and a Rock and Roll band, as well as other music class offerings. Tandem sports two fully equipped music rooms, with guitars, basses, and a drum kit, as well as many other instruments for performing and recording.

References

External links

• Tandem Friends School

Coordinates: 37°59′45″N 78°29′30″W / 37.99583°N 78.49167°W / 37.99583; -78.49167