Sandy Spring Friends School

Helping others and serving the community are integral parts of the learning process in Quaker education. Service learning benefits the community and gives a student knowledge of the world in real and concrete ways. Every Upper School student at Sandy Spring Friends School is expected to contribute at least 100 hours of assistance, combining service to those outside of the school with stewardship to the Sandy Spring Friends School community.

In the Upper School, a student creates a portfolio of service learning experiences. Advisory groups perform group community service tasks, chosen by the students and advisor. Jobs have included helping to clean a local creek bank, organizing a school supplies drive for a developing community overseas, and reading to the elderly at our local Quaker retirement home.

A community service intersession is required during a student's four years in the Upper School, involving at least 20 hours of community assistance. Students have the opportunity to help in areas around the country, from tutoring children locally through Project Head Start to traveling to Louisiana to help with rebuilding projects in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Non-service intersessions often include community help components, and service hours are credited toward a student's 50 hour graduation requirement.

Another part of a student's community service experience is self-directed. Throughout the Upper School years, a student is expected to complete 50 hours of service learning in addition to the hours given in the school sponsored service intersession. Many of our students have chosen to become involved with local programs, performing tasks such as cooking chili for the elderly or giving tours for the Underground Railroad. Others have gone abroad for service learning. This year, for example, a student worked in Spain, helping to create a self-sufficient eco-system in the desert, while another student coached a children's soccer team in South Africa, and yet another student helped construct flush toilets for a Fiji Island village.

Stewardship, or campus service, is part of the weekly routine for students, and all are expected to help keep our school clean and environmentally sound. Students are expected to perform at least 30 hours of stewardship during their Upper School years. Through our stewardship program, students recycle cans, bottles and paper on a weekly basis. In addition, a student may choose to help with one of our campus activities, such as serving meals for a school-sponsored dinner or helping with open house activities. Another way for a student to fulfill the stewardship requirement is by signing up for a larger school job, such as managing a sports team or working on stage crew for one of our plays.

Ongoing Upper School Service events

Caring for Casseroles
Pick up a pan in the Upper School Community Service Office and help feed the hungry. Service credit given for each casserole made. Find out more...
New projects for stewardship
Watch for the effect of the student energy team, the garden keepers and the compost helpers on campus. Several Upper School advisories are linking with Lower School classes to create an environmental impact.
Advocacy Film Series
Throughout the year, movies are presented to get us all moving and thinking about how we can impact the world. Shown on the second Thursday of the month, these films address issues such as A.I.D.s awareness, cultural bias, gun control and consumer consumption. Click here for this year's line-up...
Babysitting for the community
Sign your name to the growing list of babysitting volunteers for SSFS families. Earn community service credit or negotiate a rate.
Be a friend at Friends House
Computer skills? Gardening muscle? The itch to organize? Love of puppies? What can you contribute to help the folks at Friends House? Only a walk away across the field, the opportunities to serve are endless. Come to the Community Service Office for details.
S.W.A.T. Team
We are responsible for the pick up of litter on the road outside of our school. Join others in the community, adults and students, for the next S.W.A.T. team clean up. Contact Vickie Garner for more details.

All-School Events
Don't forget to check out the All-School Community Service page to find out what other events are going on in our community!

Featured Upper School Advisory Activity

Duck Derby
Held on September 30, 2007, Tom and Cathy Harrison rounded up members of their advisory groups to help with the Montgomery Hospice annual Duck Derby. The students waded in the water to collect rubber ducks throughout the day, carrying them back to the start line for the next race. All proceeds for the day went to Montgomery Hospice which provides compassionate care for those with serious illness.