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#52243
SSFS | Private School in Maryland | PreK-12 | Coed Quaker School
Source:
https://www.ssfs.org
Archived:
2026-04-23 16:40
SSFS | Private School in Maryland | PreK-12 | Coed Quaker School
Sandy Spring Friends School
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At Sandy Spring Friends School, we have a profound sense of hope in the individual's ability to create positive change within the world, and we foster the values that create change: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. These values are sometimes referred to by their acronym, the Quaker SPICES.
We take an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning, challenging students to strive for academic excellence and to realize their highest potential.
We believe that learning is significantly enriched by experience-based projects and programs. They help develop capable, responsible, and globally-aware students who can apply their learning in useful, practical, and meaningful ways.
Because our teachers see each student as a unique individual, they strive to cultivate each student’s inner Light and talents. The resulting dynamic of frequent communication and trust facilitates confidence and growth, as well as an optimistic outlook, a lifelong love of learning, and the desire to accomplish positive change in the world.
Our 140-acre campus near urban centers features an old-growth forest and stream, making it a natural environment for study and contemplation and enabling access to a wealth of resources, including six miles of cross-country trails, a pond/swimming hole used seasonally by students and our summer camp, and an aerial adventure park.
We believe in a diverse, collaborative, nonhierarchical community, strengthened by all-school and all-division meetings, an active Parents Association, an engaged alumni body, and an emphasis on affirming and empowering the individual and examining all points of view.
"SSFS is rigorous but not a pressure cooker—it’s a challenging, supportive environment."
"Because SSFS really encourages going outside of your comfort zone—I took weaving, acting, and engineering—I was exposed to so many different things in high school and learned how to draw interdisciplinary connections. I felt prepared academically and emotionally, understanding that not knowing something isn’t the end of the world.”
"This beautiful campus has never been about the land or the buildings. It’s about the people inside those buildings—the talented, compassionate educators who create the sense of safety, joy, and belonging that our children need to truly thrive."
"Many schools talk about knowing the whole student. At SSFS, knowing is only the beginning. What we do with that knowledge is what sets us apart. We don't use that knowledge to shape our students to fit a preconceived idea of what a successful student should be. We use it to help students forge a path that is all their own. We do what we say we do. It's not just marketing."
"This is a place where community truly matters. Families support each other. Teachers partner with us. And students grow in an environment that fosters curiosity, empathy, and purpose."
"Part of what I find really valuable about a Friends community is the mutual respect. Every idea I’ve pitched to an adult has been embraced, and I don’t know any other environment that believes in students, their ideas, and their success like SSFS does."
"This school really nurtures your talents and gives you a safe space to explore and grow in each of them. It taught me that being honest and true to yourself is the best thing you can be."
"A friend recently said, ‘The world needs Quaker education now more than ever.’ I feel that in my bones. The sense of purpose I have here is one I won’t have anywhere else. I have never been more certain of my own calling for that purpose."
~370
Students in Preschool-12th Grade
140+
Pastoral acres in the heart of Montgomery County
6:1
Student-teacher ratio
49%
Students identify as Students of Color
40
Student Clubs & Committees
"Way Opens" Celebration: April 23-24, 2026
Join the SSFS community as we celebrate a year of renewal reflecting resilience, faith, and the enduring strength of our community. Activities include a special Meeting for Worship, a joyful Strawberry Cowbake, and the annual SBP Memorial Concert, a cherished tradition that beautifully embodies the spirit, creativity, and heart of our School.
Our People Our Planet Week 2026
Throughout the week, we will be highlighting and celebrating the many ways we are stewards of the SSFS community and world (people AND planet!). During the All-School Event on Apr. 22, we will gather in our cross-divisional Community Day groups to eat lunch together and participate in a “Stewardship Search” where we identify and reflect on all of the ways in which we are performing as campus stewards.
All-School Spring Pep Rally 2026
SSFS students, faculty, and staff gathered on Preuss Field on Friday, Apr. 17 to celebrate our Middle and Upper School spring athletic teams. After cheering on our athletes as they ran through a tunnel of support and spirit, students and staff participated in games, including a fun student vs. faculty-staff kickball showdown that brought plenty of laughs and friendly competition!
2026 Fund for Teachers Fellowship Awarded to US History Teacher Claire Anderson
Congratulations to Upper School History teacher Claire Anderson, who was recently selected as a 2026 Fund for Teachers Fellow. The letter to Claire from Fund for Teachers shared, "Your proposal stood out in an exceptionally competitive pool for its thoughtfulness, creativity, and strong connection to your students and school community. We are inspired by your commitment to your practice and excited to support the fellowship you’ve designed."
5th Grade Black History Month STEAM Projects
SSFS 5th graders created unique projects and presentations that combined knowledge about Black artists, writers, scientists, mathematicians, athletes, and changemakers with math, art, science, technology, and writing. Students worked collaboratively in small groups, where they created story quilts using geometry, graphic and textile arts, recycled materials, and storytelling; did a poetry study that combined literary arts with multiplication and technology; created beautifully-designed solar system/planet cards honoring Benjamin Banneker's contributions to astronomy and math; and showcased some of their favorite Black athletes with artistic puzzles that, when put together using math equations, formed images of jerseys and sports equipment.
Spotlight on Taryn Schwartz ’23
When Taryn Schwartz '23 left Sandy Spring Friends School in 2023, she stepped into the next chapter of her life with clarity, confidence, and a deep sense of purpose. Now a junior at Oberlin College, she made the bold decision to finish her academic year early in order to serve as campaign manager for State Senator Craig Zucker, an opportunity that is already placing her at the center of meaningful public service. She recently revealed where her path to leadership began—spoiler alert: it wasn't in a campaign office.
Seeking Community Members for Newsies Tech Crew
Have you ever wondered how a show comes together behind the scenes? Ever wanted to work with power tools? Want to see how lights and sound add to the magic of theater?
Our production of Disney’s
Newsies
is seeking community members who would like to join our tech crew. A musical needs many hands to make it come together and you can be a part of this thrilling process!
FRIENDS CELEBRATION AUCTION: MAY 2, 2026 & $500,000 Matching Gift Opportunity
Registration for this year’s
Friends Celebration (Saturday, May 2
) closed on Friday, April 17; we are looking forward to a joyful evening together as a community! If you are not able to attend the event in person, you can still make a meaningful impact:
Help Unlock the $500,000 Match!
Thanks to the generosity of a committed foundation partner,
every dollar raised either online or at the Friends Celebration event will be matched up to $500,000
to strengthen the School’s endowment, supporting both long-term sustainability and the students we serve today.
Community Walk to the Spring & Spaghetti Dinner
The SSFS Board of Trustees invited SSFS parents, guardians, students, faculty, and staff to a special event to reconnect, reflect, share a meal, and gather in community on a day that holds meaning for our School. After school on Tuesday, April 14th, participants walked together to the original Sandy Spring to share in reflection and gratitude for the positive growth of SSFS. After returning to campus, trustees served a spaghetti dinner in Westview. A brilliant rainbow that appeared over the Meeting House following the dinner was the perfect ending to this special event.
Apr
23
Thu
8th Grade Spring Trip
all day
Calleva
Apr
23
Thu
Spring Arts Night Tech
3
:
15
PM
-
9
:
00
PM
PAC Stage
Apr
23
Thu
Varsity Golf Match vs Jewish Day School
3
:
45
PM
Northwest Golf Course
Apr
23
Thu
Varsity Women's Lacrosse at Academy of the Holy Cross
4
:
00
PM
Academy of the Holy Cross
Apr
23
Thu
Varsity Baseball vs Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy
5
:
00
PM
SSFS Baseball Field
Apr
23
Thu
Welcome Event: Evening at the Adventure Park
5
:
00
PM
-
8
:
00
PM
The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends School
Apr
23
Thu
MS International Trip Attendees Info Meeting 1
7
:
00
PM
-
7
:
40
PM
Virtual
Apr
24
Fri
8th Grade Spring Trip
all day
Calleva
Apr
24
Fri
Admissions Shadow Visits (LS Only)
all day
pre-
school
lower
school
middle
school
upper
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