Tandem Home Education Handbook
Welcome Letter
Hello everyone!
We're delighted you've welcomed Tandem Home Education on your journey. Our local Christian co-op is specifically designed to support and educate homeschooling parents and families every step of the way. Our name, Tandem, is no coincidence—it symbolizes collaboration.
Like a tandem bike (two forces working together), parents are the drivers, steering and directing their family's learning journey. Tandem Home Education is merely the extra support, power, and reinforcement in the back when you need it!
Tandem is proudly a Christian co-op, committed to educating students through a Biblical worldview and guiding them toward the Creator of all things… JESUS! Our curriculums cover History, Science, Language, Spanish, and the Art of Communication. Keep an eye on our calendar for upcoming events throughout the year. Thank you for allowing Tandem Home Education to join you on the ride!
In HIS Hands
Tandem Home Education
Tandem Home Education Shirts and photography
Tandem reserves the right to photograph students on campus during class days for marketing and social media purposes. When using photos on social media, we make every effort to remove students' names from their name tags for safety. However, in the case of video posts and live streams, it may not always be possible to do so.
Shirt Policy: Each student will receive two Tandem-branded shirts to wear on class days. Wearing these shirts is a requirement, not a suggestion. If a student repeatedly arrives at class without their shirt, parents will be contacted and asked to either bring the shirt to Tandem that day or pick up the student. It is essential that all students always follow the dress code. If you wish to purchase additional shirts, you may do so using this link: [SHIRT LINK]
Each age group will have a designated shirt color for easy identification: Kindergarten (Yellow), 1st Grade (Orange), 2nd Grade (Red), 3rd and 4th Grades (Light Grey), 5th and 6th Grades (Dark Grey), 7th and 8th Grades (Light Green), 9th and 10th Grades (Dark Green), and 11th and 12th Grades (Navy). This system helps ensure student safety on campus and facilitates attendance tracking.
Staff on campus during class days
All Facilitators, Teachers, and Aides are required to complete an application form as part of their onboarding process at Tandem Home Education. Safety is our highest priority. Each adult at Tandem has undergone comprehensive background checks through Protect My Ministry, obtained IVP Fingerprint Clearance Cards, completed CPR and First Aid certifications with AZCSN, and received Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Training from Protect My Ministry. You can rest assured that we are dedicated to ensuring the safety of your children.
The Lead Facilitator serves as the campus director during class days, providing direct oversight of the program and working closely with Tandem administrators. If you have any questions or feedback about the program, the Lead Facilitator is your point of contact!
Our dedicated Teachers cover subjects such as History, Language, Science, Spanish, and The Art of Communication. They are committed to guiding families through the course of study each year.
Aides at Tandem accompany students to each class, becoming familiar with their group's needs and ensuring smooth transitions between classes to minimize disruptions.
Guests are welcome at Tandem, but they must sign into a guest log and obtain a guest lanyard/name tag for the day. This temporary approval can become permanent by completing the teacher application process, including a national background check, fingerprinting, and CPR/First Aid certifications.
School Year 2025-2026 Calendar
Tandem Home Education will not meet during the week of Thanksgiving, the last two weeks of December and the first two weeks of March. Tandem will also not meet on any Monday when our facility is closed for the holidays. Families will be notified in advance of these specific dates.
To view our calendar, please click on the following links: [2025-2026 CALENDAR LINK] [2024-2025 CALENDAR LINK]
What to bring
Please ensure your child brings a backpack with a packed lunch and snack each class day. We do not have refrigeration facilities available, so please pack accordingly.
Our campus is nut-free to accommodate students with allergies. Please refrain from including any nuts in your child's lunch.
All students should bring a labeled water bottle.
Please ensure that your student brings their student guides to class every day. It is important that they come prepared for the lessons of the day.
Curriculum and Educational Standards
Tandem’s curriculum is tailored to the grade groups the students are in, with each grade group rotating through a two-year cycle. For example, the 9th-10th and 11th-12th grades will rotate through a two-year cycle.
In science, the cycle includes Forensic Science and Biology for 9th-10th grades and Chemistry and Physics for 11th-12th grades. This structure ensures that, by the time students complete our high school program, they will have met all science lab credit requirements for their transcripts. Arizona mandates that high school students complete three lab science courses. This approach is consistent across all grade ranges, except when there is only a single grade in a class.
Our educational standards are clear and straightforward. We are a Christian co-op using faith-based homeschool curriculum, all taught from a biblical worldview. Parents will have the opportunity to review materials before the school year begins and ask questions at any time.
Attendance and Punctuality
Life’s unpredictability is something we understand well. At Tandem, we offer a unique benefit: we follow the same curriculum you use at home. We provide all the necessary materials for each course, ensuring seamless integration into your homeschooling schedule. While classes meet two days a week, you’ll continue with the curriculum on the other days.
If you’re unable to attend class and need to notify your Campus Facilitator, simply log into your member portal and click on "Contact School." This allows you to email the Facilitator directly. Each week, teachers post an "Announcement" on the DreamClass portal, giving you an update on what your students did that day and what they’ll be doing that week. While we stick to the curriculum, there are times when we may diverge to work on special projects. The DreamClass portal is where you’ll find information about those projects and any updates.
Sickness Policy
1. Contagious Illness: If your child displays symptoms of a contagious illness, please keep them home until fully recovered and no longer contagious. We advise waiting at least 24 hours after fever cessation without fever-reducing medication.
2. Communicate Absences: If your child cannot attend, please notify us promptly through the member portal.
3. Cleaning and Disinfection: Tandem will strive to maintain a clean environment by wiping down hard surfaces between classes.
Discipline and Behavior
At Tandem Home Education, we are committed to working collaboratively with your students in all aspects. Our policy on discipline and behavior is as follows: [STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT]
1. We expect all students, parents, and staff to treat each other with respect and kindness. “Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.
” Romans 12:10
2. Open communication between parents, students and staff is necessary. If any behavioral issues arise, we will address them promptly and involve parents in finding solutions.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
” Matthew 18:15-17
4. If disciplinary issues occur, cooperative consequences will be implemented, focusing on teaching and guiding students towards better choices.
“Train up a child in the way that he should go; when he is old, he will not depart from it.
” Proverbs 22:6
5. We know that each child and adult is uniquely created, and different approaches are required for different students. We will do our best to meet the needs of all students and families.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
” Psalm 149:14-16
6. Tandem Home Education was created with parent involvement in the forefront of all that we do. We encourage parents to be actively involved in their child’s education. Our goal is to help parent disciple their children in the way of the Lord and to see fruits of their labor.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23
1:1, 1:2 or 1:3 Aides
At Tandem, we understand that families homeschool for various reasons, including the unique needs of neurodiverse learners and the adjustments required to support them. We are committed to working alongside you and your student, striving to create opportunities for success.
If an aide is necessary, we will collaborate with you to find the best fit and discuss the necessary arrangements. We will make every effort to support you as parents and assist your student in the classroom. However, if a student is unable to find success even with an individual aide or poses a risk to themselves or others, we may need to remove them from the classroom and, ultimately, from Tandem class days.
Transportation
Transportation to and from Tandem is not provided.
For student drivers, Tandem requires submission of a Student Driver Form to be completed before the first day of class. [STUDENT DRIVER RELEASE WAIVER]
Payment Policies
Cost breakdown for Tandem Home Education:
1. Annual Student Membership Fee: $100.00
2. Class Payment Fee:
· Quarterly Fees: $950.00
· Semester Fees: $1900.00
3. Curriculum/Supply Fees are based on grade level, excluding shipping and taxes:
· Kinder: $550
· Grade 1: $550
· Grade 2: $550
· Grades 3-4: $600
· Grades 5-6 $600
· Grades 7-8: $550
· Grades 9-10: $600 plus lab cost*
· Grades 11-12: $600 plus lab cost*
*Lab costs will vary by science course chosen for the year. Tandem will procure all necessary curriculum for the subjects we teach, along with teacher guides for at-home use. We do not mark up the cost of the curriculum; in fact, we extend any bulk discounts we receive to our members.
Quarterly Payment Schedule: Payments are due on May 1st, August 1st, November 1st, and February 1st.
Invoicing and Payment: Tandem will invoice your family through the DreamClass member portal, where you can pay securely using Stripe (similar to PayPal). After payment, you can download a paid invoice for your records or reimbursement needs. We accept ESA debit card payments and help from ESA veterans for ESA related questions. Tandem is also a ClassWallet Vendor and accepts Vendor Pay through ClassWallet.
At Tandem Home Education, we strive to provide high-quality educational services and support to all our families. To ensure smooth operations and timely compensation for our teachers and aides, the following late fee policy has been implemented.
1. Payment Due Dates: All classes are billed quarterly, with payments due 15 days after each quarter’s ESA fund drop.
2. Payment Methods: You can pay using a personal debit card through our backend, utilizing Stripe, or you can use the Class Wallet Vendor Pay option.
3. Late Fee: A late fee of $50.00 will be applied if payment is not received within 15 days of the due date.
4. Confirmation Email: After making a payment through Class Wallet, please forward your confirmation email to chris@tandemhomeeducation.org to ensure we can track your payment.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a seamless process for all families and educators.
Membership Fee: A nonrefundable Membership Fee of $100.00 per student is required annually.
Enrollment Duration: While Tandem Home Education does not require parents to sign a contract for a specific enrollment duration, contracts are in place for our teachers and aides. To ensure smooth operations, we request your notice in writing if you decide to withdraw your student. Once the semester starts, if a parent chooses to drop classes after the semester begins, any class fees are forfeited, and families remain responsible for the full semester's tuition. However, families will not incur charges for the following semester if a student withdraws in writing before the semester starts. To withdraw your student, please click on the following link: [WITHDRAW LINK]
Conclusion
We are dedicated to collaborating closely with you to meet your child’s educational needs and ensure their success in our program. Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education, and we eagerly anticipate a fruitful year ahead. Thank you for welcoming us on the ride!