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Home - Garrison Forest School, Inc. Learn, Do, Reflect: Upper School Day of Service Learning Apr 22 2026 Today Upper Schoolers came together for Upper School Day of Service Learning, a meaningful day of compassion and stewardship. Students engaged in hands-on projects on and off campus, celebrating community, growth and lasting impact. Read Story about Learn, Do, Reflect: Upper School Day of Service Learning Your web browser does not support the <video> tag. Our K-12 all-girls program ensures you learn the way you deserve to, in a place where all spaces, programs, and classes are built to support the unique needs of girls and young women. Embrace the opportunity to use your voice to ask important questions, share transformative ideas, and inspire those around you. Our academic philosophy is simple: We know our students, we know how you learn best, and we understand what you need to succeed. This is where 115 years of excellence in educating young women meets innovative approaches to help each student forge her unique path. Advisors, counselors, teachers, and more are your champions at every step. A focus on spirit means more to us than cheering and fun. Building a welcoming, spirited community is at the core of who we are—and has been since the school’s founding. Our motto, Esse Quam Videri, “To Be and Not to Seem,” continues to guide how we support, celebrate, and uplift one another. Upper School Middle School Lower School Preschool In our Upper School, an excellent academic program offers endless opportunities to grow. Students leave with a strong understanding of how to use their voices as women of impact. Joy and authenticity define the Middle School experience, where girls are empowered to dig deeper into their interests, try new things, and build their confidence. In the Lower School, girls build confidence and critical thinking skills while learning about friendship, kindness and respect through a strong, interdisciplinary academic program. The Preschool at Garrison Forest is a magical place that nurtures and values each student’s developing personality and interests while giving them space and support to explore. Thrive Compete Board Begin Create An innovative and comprehensive approach to educating the whole student, the Boyce Center weaves a vital thread between growth and enrichment, wellness and wellbeing, and academic support. Every student’s path looks different, and we’re here to support, challenge and guide along the way. From the fields and courts to the riding and polo arenas, and from elite competitors to beginners, there are so many ways to make your mark as a Grizzly! The best part? Every program and facility is designed for girls, so our scholar-athletes can compete and train in an environment based around their unique needs. The boarding program, offered for students in grades 8-12, will give you the confidence to become a successful scholar, an informed global citizen and a well-prepared adult, all in a supportive and fun environment that emphasizes character development and wellness. Live and learn alongside students from around the country and across the world. Our co-ed Preschool and Daycare are the perfect places for our youngest Grizzlies to learn, grow, and explore. Set the foundations for a lifetime of joyful learning while making full use of our 110-acre campus—including lots of outdoor time every day! A robust curriculum focuses on benchmarks while leaving plenty of time for fun, playing and exploring. From the stage to the studio, the arts are thriving at Garrison Forest! Guided by teachers who are experts in their fields and passionate about sharing their love of the craft, you can embrace the performer or creator in you by exploring our dance, music, and theater options. Are you a scientist, author, athlete, rider, performer, writer, creator, or leader? Or maybe a little of all of those? Here, you'll find the freedom and support to try new things, with endless opportunities to explore new interests and pursuits as you become the very best version of yourself. "I love Garrison Forest School because of all the experiences and opportunities it has to offer, including a wonderful community of teachers, faculty and Residential Life who I can truly depend on. GFS gives students the resources to go beyond the classroom and explore the real world and take on new challenges. I think GFS gives girls a voice and allows them to use it outside of the community to share their ideas and advocate for themselves and others." The GFS Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, established in 2005 as a groundbreaking partnership between Garrison Forest and Johns Hopkins University, connects Juniors and Seniors with an opportunity to gain real-world experience and build important skillsets. WISE is much more than working on world-class research projects; it brings students out of the classroom and into the lab, providing an opportunity to dive into passions for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and develop skills that will serve them well beyond their high school experience. WISE participants conduct important research side-by-side with Hopkins professors and graduate students for two afternoons a week. It’s a customized experience that guides students through all aspects of assisting in a research lab, giving them the opportunity to learn at a level normally reserved for graduate school. Their lab placements span the spectrum from biomedical engineering to chemistry to Earth and Planetary Sciences. While the hands-on research aspect of WISE is what initially draws in many students, what they take away goes beyond pipettes and an impressive addition to their resume. They gain important college readiness skills like independence, responsibility and confidence to pursue what interests them. “Unlike many high school research opportunities, WISE is a cohort experience,” said Andrea Perry, Director of the James Center and Dean of Special Programs. “WISE students travel to Johns Hopkins University together and rejoin each other at the end of their afternoons. They are able to encourage each other and share their learning. This group dimension helps expand and reinforce other parts of what students take away from WISE: becoming at ease in navigating a large, diverse research university; understanding the habits of mind that need to be cultivated to be successful in research, including perseverance and learning from failure; and experiencing the curiosity and spirit of collaboration that researchers bring to their efforts. WISE is a lab for life as much as it is for STEM.” "I love being a student at GFS because of the community. I was so excited to start high school specifically at Garrison. I felt immediately welcomed and supported here, and I am so excited for the next three years of Upper School. I think GFS helps prepare students for life after Upper School because of the way they encourage confidence, and grow leadership.  As we continue to develop into women, we will be capable of so much because we have that base and trust in ourselves." Head of Early Childhood Education Sandi Uehlinger wants every child and family to feel the magic that defines the experience for our youngest Grizzlies. "At Garrison, we believe that a child's learning environment should feel like an extension of home, where joy and wonder can be found around every corner, and faculty and family serve as guides to the sensory-rich world in which we live and learn," she says. From as early as six weeks through our PreKindergarten program, boys and girls can count on a few things: strong foundations in literacy and math, a warm and caring environment, and a joyful approach to each day. "Learning doesn't just happen within our classrooms, but outside, on our larger campus and out in our larger community," Ms. Uehlinger says. "We believe in hands-on, playful, joyful, cooperative learning that promotes respectful and engaging interaction that builds the foundation for lifelong scholarly endeavors and strengthens the bond between students, faculty, families, and the larger community, even for our littlest learners." There are many ways to express yourself here, and the GFS Dance program is one outlet that calls to many students. Whether you're a first-time performer or have years of training, there's a space on the stage for you. Under the direction of the accomplished, compassionate, and passionate Director of Dance Heather Malone-Wolf, dancers find a supportive place to grow their craft. Known affectionately by students as "Ms. Heather," she is more than an instructor or a coach; she becomes a mentor and constant cheerleader for her students. "Even if a student doesn’t go on to dance, they will leave here with an appreciation for the performing arts," Ms. Heather says. "I want girls to understand that they can pursue their passions and their academics at Garrison Forest.” Beginning in the Lower School with a Physical Education rotation that includes dance along with riding and polo, dance opportunities include classes in the Middle School, audition-only troupes in Middle and Upper School, and student-run clubs that allow students to explore their love of dance even further. Dancers perform several times throughout the year, including a spring show each year. Students often step up as choreographers--and even sometimes return to help choreograph or manage shows. GFS is home to a chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, which celebrates the artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievements of exceptional dance students, and several students have gone on to pursue dance in college. Among the many opportunities you can take advantage of at Garrison Forest, our riding and polo programs are two of the most impactful. Riders and polo players regularly refer to their teammates and fellow equestrians as family, which is emphasized by the set-up of our facilities. Housed together are two separate barns, a polo arena, indoor and outdoor riding rings, and plenty of pastures for grazing. Whether they are new to the sports or members of our Varsity Polo or Equestrian Institute, our riders and polo players relish the opportunity to spend lots of quality time at the barn, with their horses, as part of their normal school day. Weekends bring competitors from all over to campus--or our teams hit the road to compete with some of the best riders and polo players in the country. Riding and polo can instill many important values--teamwork, patience, responsibility, resilience--but one of the biggest benefits is the close-knit group that you'll find when you join these communities: it's one big family. Your path begins at Garrison Forest... By each Lower School class over the course of the year during Physical Education Power Walks around campus Research hours in Johns Hopkins labs through the GFS Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program Time spent by every Middle Schooler with their Advisor each week Collected across campus as part of the Boyce Center for Learning & Thriving's "Grateful Grizzlies" campaign Start Your Journey