Please click on a department below to view course listings and descriptions for 2009-2010.

Requirements for Graduation

To be eligible for graduation from Sandy Spring Friends School, a student must meet the following requirements in the Upper School:

* Successful completion of four (4) years of English, with English taken each semester.

• 9th grade English
• 10th grade English
• 11th and 12th - elective courses

* Successful completion of three (3) years of History, including one year of U.S. History.

• 9th grade Cultural Geography
• 10th grade Western Civilization
• 11th or 12th grade - U.S. History required

* Successful completion of three (3) years of Mathematics in the Upper School.

9th grade Algebra I 10th grade Geometry 11th grade Algebra II

OR

9th grade Geometry 10th grade Algebra II 11th grade pre-Calculus

Students must receive a grade of C- or better to advance to the next level of study.

* Successful completion of three (3) years of Science (It is strongly recommended that this include one year of a biological science and one year of a physical science)

9th grade Foundations of Science 10th grade Biology 11th grade Chemistry or Physics topics courses 12th grade Science electives

OR

9th grade Biology 10th grade Chemistry 11th, 12th grades Science electives

* Successful completion of three (3) years in any one Foreign Language.

• Student placement is made by the Foreign Language Department. Permission to advance to the next level of a foreign language is not normally granted to students achieving less that a C- (70%) average, unless proof of additional satisfactory work (e.g. summer school) is submitted for validation.

* Successful completion of three (3) years of Arts, in a minimum of two disciplines

• Arts and Ideas I and II are required for graduation - to be taken in 10th, 11th or 12th grade.
• Other courses must be from at least two different offerings as follows: drama, dance, music, or fine arts.

* Successful completion of at least one (1) year of other courses from the above areas or other electives, in addition to the requirements described above.

* Successful completion of one (1) semester of Quakerism or its equivalent. For students entering the Upper School in ninth grade, the Quakerism requirement is fulfilled as part of the 9th Grade Program.

* Successful completion of at least two (2) physical activities - Physical Education or Athletics - each year, in the Upper School.

Course Load

• Each student is to carry a minimum load of six scheduling commitments (including academic classes, arts classes, and physical education requirements) each semester.

• A student must have approval from the appropriate Department Head in order to take more than one course in the same department during the same semester.

• A student must have approval from the Head of the Upper School in order to take six or more courses in the same semester from among the following departments: English, History, Mathematics, French and Spanish, Science.

• A student must have approval from the Head of the Upper School in order to take more than three AP courses in the same school year.

Community Service Requirement

Every student at Sandy Spring Friends School is expected to perform a combination of community service to those outside the community and stewardship to the Sandy Spring Friends School community. The graduation requirement is at least 50 hours of community service and the satisfactory performance of stewardship tasks assigned each year. The community service requirement must be completed by the end of the first semester of a student's senior year. Additional details about community service may be found in the Community Handbook. In addition, one service Intersession must be completed prior to graduation.

Intersession
Intersession is a one to two-week period in the spring in which the School's normal routine is interrupted so that all students and faculty can participate in special projects. All Upper School students are required to participate each year. Intersession projects might involve community service, physical activity, arts activity, cultural or informational trips.
Costs are not included in the tuition and range from $100 to more than $1,000.
Students must participate in at least one Service Intersession during their enrollment.

ACADEMIC RECORDS

For students entering Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) after 9th grade, course titles and credit earned, but not grades, from their previous school (s) are recorded on their SSFS transcript. An original transcript(s) from their previous school(s) is attached to their SSFS transcript. Copies of all high school transcripts are forwarded to transfer schools, colleges, and universities.

Students may earn a maximum of two (2) credits at an accredited educational institution outside SSFS after matriculating at SSFS. An original transcript (s) of courses taken outside SSFS is attached to the student's SSFS transcript.

The cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated based on grades earned in courses taken at SSFS. Grades earned outside SSFS are not calculated into the cumulative GPA.