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 Academic Program > 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 $50 to more than $1,000. Students must participate in at least one Service Intersession during their enrollment.
2010 Intersession Agreement and Release Form (PDF)
INTERSESSION DESCRIPTIONS 2009-2010*denotes trip that satisfies Service Intersession requirement HISTORICAL MARYLAND - Bob Hoch & David Kahn, Service Intersession, 12 Students, 5 Days, $225 Due in part to recent economic woes, local museums, state and national parks have lost funding, especially the money they usually rely on for upkeep and maintenance. The Historical Maryland Intersession looks to do our bit to address this national crisis. We will volunteer our time and labor at Gettysburg National Park, at the Frank Lloyd Wright House National Preserve in Alexandria, one local state Historical Site in Londontown, MD, where we will dig for and help preserve artifacts, the Solomon’s Island Maritime Museum, and our own local Sandy Spring Museum. We will have time each day to tour these historically relevant sites, and will surely squeeze in lunch at a local eatery. This is a community service Intersession that fulfills the Service Intersession requirement. Criteria for selection: Preference will be given to those who need a service intersession; after that a lottery will be used to select participants. * FROM THE FIELD TO YOU - Gwen Handler & Karen Byrne, Service Intersession, 18 Students, 5 Days, $475 Eating is a biological necessity at its most basic. At its best, eating food is dining, pleasure, companionship when sharing with friends, good nutrition for health and a cultural-political decision ~ all from a bite of food. Few of us ponder food in those terms. Few of us are grounded in our food production: from growing, to preparation, to final consumption. Join us for an exploratory service Intersession as we wander nearby farms to learn how food is produced, processed and marketed: from vegetables, to meats, to dairy. We will assist the farmers opening their farms to us and forward our commitment to provide healthy food to shelters and soup kitchens. The springboard of our discussions will be The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, young readers' edition. Our style will be interactive and hands on as we visit local farms. Criteria for selection: Students in need of a service Intersession. Students must be willing to try new foods. Students on this Intersession will also be asked to work, reflect and discuss. If needed, a random selection through a lottery process. * HEAD START - Karen Cumberbatch & Hannah Kerr, Service Intersession, 16 Students, 5 Days, $100 MCPS Head Start programs offer a high-quality educational experience to low-income children in order to prepare them with the foundation, knowledge, and skills necessary for school success in kindergarten and beyond. This community service Intersession will provide aid to this worthy program at several local schools in Montgomery County. Students will gain more empathy for young children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students will develop a greater understanding of adolescent development and the ways in which we learn. Students will complete meaningful community service. Daily classroom activities include direct work with students and general teacher support. This trip runs Monday through Friday beginning at 8am and returning to school by 3:20 pm. On Wednesday, the group takes the "day off" and participates in a fun, local excursion. Criteria for selection: Seniors who need a Service Intersession have priority. Preference will also be given to those who have a strong desire to work with small children. If needed, random selection through a lottery process. * WEST VIRGINIA SERVICE - Bim Schauffler & Elizabeth Thornton, Service Intersession, 30 Students, 7 Days, $550 The West Virginia trip, for the 10th year, is working with the group The Appalachian Center for Equality (ACE), an affiliate of The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), doing home renovation and other activities in the small town of Logan, West Virginia. As has been the case in the past, we will collaborate with Washington Quaker Work camps (WQW) in making repairs to homes of primarily elderly, single, African American women in Logan and environs. Work includes scraping and painting houses, cleanup of property, roof repairs, and other home repairs as skill and weather allow. Students who are interested will learn some basic carpentry and home improvement skills. They will also work with a local teenage mentoring group in the evenings. Participants on this trip will share in cooking and cleaning responsibilities at the old Logan Jr. High School, where we stay in dormitory accommodations during the six days we are in Logan. There will be one day for primarily recreational/educational activities, which include bowling, ice-skating, go-cart racing, or hiking as well as a mountain top removal site visit and meetings with local community activists. This year, as it is the 10th year anniversary of this Intersession, we are planning on inviting alumni to participate, and there will be a celebration of our ten-year collaboration with AFSC and WQW. Students who participate in this Intersession will get 40 hours of community service, twenty of which meet the community service requirement for graduation. Students are guaranteed to put in some hard, wholesome, and fun work. The trip cost is $550, which covers transportation, lodging, entertainment, and materials for the various projects. Criteria for Selection: If needed, selections will be made through a lottery process. * YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND SAN FRANCISCO - Shinae Byhouwer & Sara Brigham, Service Intersession, 15 Students, 7 Days, $1800 Discover Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States! In this vast wilderness area, covering nearly 1,200 square miles, you will find deep valleys, grand meadows, crashing waterfalls, and glacially carved granite mountains, for which Yosemite is renowned. This intersession will explore the impressive Yosemite Valley and work on mountain sides that inspired poetic accounts of discovery, survival, hope, and defeat in both the Native American tribes and the European settlers that lived here. Our four-day service project with the Yosemite Institute will provide an insider's glimpse into how this majestic territory is preserved and we will contribute our own efforts to help in the conservation of this important landmark. Afterwards, we will visit the California Gold Rush town-turned West Coast metropolis that is San Francisco. For our two final days, we will learn how the West was "won," touring the streets of this hip bayside city, while sipping a cup of Ghirardelli's hot chocolate. Criteria for Selection: Students in need of a Service Intersession (in order of 12th down to 10th grade), students in need of a first choice Intersession. If needed, a random selection through a lottery process. HIKING CALIFORNIA MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS - Art DeJohn, Ariel Neaderthal & Patrick Altekruse, 18 students, 8 Days, $1200 This Intersession consists of day hiking and tent camping in southeastern California. The first three days we will be in Death Valley National Park, where we will camp at 7,000', day hike to 9,000', hike the Eureka Sand Dunes, Ubehebe Volcanic Crater, and Mosaic Canyon and visit Badwater, which is the lowest elevation in the US. We will spend the next three days in Owens Valley, about two hours west of Death Valley, where we will camp at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. We will swim in hot springs, snowshoe in the Eastern Sierras at 10,000' and in the Bristlecone Pine Forest with its 4,000 year old pine trees, and tour the Manzanar Japanese American Internment Camp. The spring season offers the potential for extreme temperature changes, desert flowers, bears, and rattlesnakes. Rustic campgrounds consist of fire rings and toilets (flush depending on the site), and potable water. There will be two shower stops: in Furnace Creek at mid-week and at the end of the trip. Hikes will range from short (2-4 mi.) to long (8-14 mi.). There is no overnight backpacking, but you will need to bring a good day pack for lunch and water, appropriate hiking boots for daily hikes, and a highly motivated, no-whining attitude. The group departs early AM Saturday and return on the following Saturday night red-eye. All camp gear (4 season tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, backpacks) will be provided by SSFS. There will be a mandatory parent/student orientation session in the evening TBA. Criteria for Selection: Students (grades 10, 11, 12) with some background in outdoor hiking and a strong willingness and ability for cooperative group interaction under potentially extreme outdoor conditions. If needed, random selection through a lottery process. * SERVICE THAT BENEFITS THE LOCAL LATINO COMMUNITY - Eduardo Polón & Leah Niepold, 16 Students, Service Intersession, 5 Days, $200 Join Eduardo and Leah in a popular repeat community service Intersession helping aid the SED Center (Spanish Education Development Center) daycare staff in two predominantly Hispanic preschools in Washington, D.C. Participation will directly serve the educational, social, cultural and self-improvement needs of Latin Americans, particularly recent immigrants. Opportunities to eat in diverse cultural restaurants in the Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan areas will occur daily, prior to returning to campus. This convenient and affordable Monday through Friday Intersession will depart daily from SSFS at 8:00 a.m. and return to campus by 3:20 p.m. in time to catch the school bus. Criteria for selection: Spanish students (in order of most experienced to least), students in need of a service Intersession (in order of 12th down to 10th grade), students in need of a first choice Intersession, ideally 7-8 boys & 7-8 girls. If needed, random selection through a lottery process. SAILING IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - Bruce Evans, Laurel Flyer, David Jones & Steve Eller, 16 Students, 8 Days, $2000 This intersession will give you the experience of a lifetime working and living together aboard a large sailing vessel, learning to be able crew members while also enjoying and learning about the natural wonders and beauty of the British Virgin Islands. You will learn navigation skills, sailing techniques, terminology, and marine safety. You will explore the marine life of coral reefs beneath the crystal clear aqua blue waters and learn about the natural history and ecology of the BVI. Living together in close quarters for eight fun filled days at sea cooking in the galley, swabbing the decks, listening to island music and sampling some of the local cuisine will also serve as valuable learning experiences for all participants. Selection Criteria: All participants must know how to swim and feel comfortable around water. First consideration will be given to seniors who have not gotten a first choice Intersession in the past and have completed a community service Intersession. Next, we will look at the balance of males and females related to the accommodations of the boats. Past Sandy Spring citizenship will be considered. If needed, selections will be made through a lottery process. BON APPÉTIT! - Paummi Sarrazin & Heather Engle, 13 Students, 5 Days, $400 Know your way around a kitchen? Have a good appetite? Open to trying some new foods? Want to master a roux, make your own mayonnaise, learn the difference between cow, goat, and sheep cheese, or snack on homemade French pastries? If the answer is YES, then the Bon Appétit Intersession might be for you. This intersession is an exploration of the techniques of French cuisine through cooking classes, food demonstrations, and tastings with professional chefs. We will also be doing some community service at soup kitchens in D.C. and watching the movie "Julie and Julia" for inspiration. Brush off your French, wipe off your fork, pull up a chair and join us for BON APPÉTIT! NOTES: This Intersession is one way to expose students to an important facet of French culture without needing to go to France. Selection Criteria: French students (in order of most experienced to least), students who are not picky eaters nor timid about trying new foods and who have some kitchen experience, students in need of a first choice intersession, ideally a mix of girls and boys. If needed, random selection through a lottery process. DISCOVER THE ROCKIES - Elisa Shapiro & Tom Harrison, 16 Students, 7 Days, $1500 Come discover the Rockies! We will explore the ecology and culture of the Rocky Mountains through hiking, snow shoeing and most importantly skiing. We will start our trip by hiking and exploring the Rocky Mountains, then take the cog train up Pikes Peak to 14,100 feet and watch as the climate changes from temperate to tundra. We will learn about the Pine Beatles and how they threaten the mountain forests. As we hike through recent burn sites we will learn about the good, bad and ugly of forest fires. Snow shoeing through Rocky Mountain National Park will be followed by a hop over the Continental Divide spending a day or two, one –on- one with the mountain and a pair of skis (or snowboard). Selection Criteria: Students who enjoy hiking and outdoor activities in a variety of weather and conditions including cold temperatures, high altitude, steep terrain and possible snow. Students should also have interest, if not experience, with snow sports such as snow shoeing and downhill skiing or snowboarding. First consideration will be given to seniors who have not gotten a first choice Intersession in the past and have completed a community service Intersession If needed, selection will be made through a lottery process. ICELAND: THE LAND OF THE FIRE AND ICE - Bryan Seith & Cathy Harrison, 18 Students, 7 Days, $2000 Iceland is a fascinating country with a unique history, culture and geological make-up. This Intersession will seek to give students the opportunity to explore first-hand the inspiring land of "Fire and Ice." In preparation for our visit, we will first study the history and cultural development of the island. In addition, we will read and discuss a number of the Icelandic sagas of the medieval period in an effort to familiarize ourselves with the culture’s historical and literary heritage. Then, in March, we will first fly to Keflavik airport. Our first visit will be by ferry to the Westmann Islands where we will stay on the island of Heimaey for two nights. Upon returning to Reykjavik, we will explore many historical and cultural spots within reach of the city during the day including: a day trip to Hveragerdi, Gullfoss, Geysir, and Thingvellir, a day of skiing on an Icelandic volcano, a city tour of Reykjavik and important sites, and a visit to the famous Blue Lagoon. The enchanting land of Iceland is unlike any other place on earth. The chance to explore this glacial paradise after careful study and preparation with other Sandy Springer’s should prove to be an unforgettable experience!! Criteria for Selection: First consideration will be given to seniors who have not gotten a first choice Intersession in the past and have completed a community service Intersession. Next, we will look at the balance of males and females and past Sandy Spring citizenship will be also considered. If needed, selections will be made through a lottery process.
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