Sandy Spring Friends School

 

Breadcrumb

Sandy Spring Friends School

SSFS Campus Overview

Sandy Spring Friends School

SSFS is a progressive, coed, college preparatory Quaker school that equips and empowers students from Preschool (age 3) through 12th Grade to Let Their Lives Speak.

LEARN MORE

Preschool Teacher with Students

Let Your Lives Speak

Recognizing the unique worth of each person, SSFS teachers cultivate the individual talents of every student and foster caring and effective citizens of the world.

LEARN MORE

The stream on our campus provides opportunities for inquiry-based learning

Inquiry-Based and Hands-On Approach to Learning

Our approach to learning challenges students to question, to reflect, and to act on knowledge.

LEARN MORE

Meeting House with LS students

Quaker Values

A values-based education emphasizes universal Quaker values of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship.

LEARN MORE

Uniquely Sandy Spring

Quaker Values

Students entering the SSFS Meeting House

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.

Inquiry-Based Approach

4th Grade Seed Study

We take an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning, challenging students to strive for academic excellence and to realize their highest potential.

Experiential Learning

Stream Study with Students

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.

Teachers as Mentors

SSFS Teachers are Life Mentors

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.

Campus as a Classroom

Middle School Stream Study - Campus as Classroom

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.

Diverse, Caring Community

Seniors with Their Lower School Buddies - Community

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.

At A Glance

coed

map

140+

Pastoral acres in the heart of Montgomery County

teacher

8:1

Student-teacher ratio

diversity

53%

Students identify as Students of Color

globe

6

Countries represented 

SSFS News

MS Basketball PVAC Champs 2025

Congratulations to our Middle and Upper School winter team athletes and coaches on a successful winter sports season! From basketball to climbing, swimming to ice hockey, the 'Beests played hard, had fun, and showed SSFS's signature 'Beestly team spirit!

Quiz Bowl MABL Champs 2025 - Bronze Medal

Finishing 22-3-1 in the MABL, including victories in the Championship Round over Whitman, Wootton, and Rockville high schools, SSFS capped off another remarkable academic competition conference season. Next up, and sporting an impressive overall record of 29-6-0, our 'Beestly Quizards are headed back to WETA's television studios in Arlington, VA to compete in the It’s Academic semifinals on Sat., Apr. 5.

Speech Team Trophy 2025

The SSFS Speech Team participated in the 85-school WACFL Speech League Metropolitan Championship (MetroFinal) on Sat., Mar. 1. After only the 4th year of competing, our team ended the 2024-25 season and MetroFinal as Co-Champions (SSFS and Our Lady of Good Counsel tied with 192 points)! SSFS students qualified for Nationals in six events, with seven other students selected as alternates. Huge congratulations go to the participants and coaches!

MS Experiential Learning

While Upper School Intersession Week has been a part of SSFS's curricular programming since the School's early days, Middle School Immersion Week is a more recent addition, beginning in 2015-2016. Similar to the Upper School's Intersession (and occurring during the same time period—next week), Immersion Week offers dedicated time for experiential and immersive learning. Students rotate between three workshops, selected based on their interests. It's a great opportunity for them to interact with new students/teachers, learn more about various topics of interest, and have fun!

OIEJB Update: Women's History Month 2025

Welcome to Women’s History Month! This year’s theme, according to The National Women’s History Alliance, celebrates “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.” At SSFS, we will celebrate with a variety of engagements for students intended to spark learning and discussion. Please join the School and the National Women's History Alliance this month in celebrating “the collective strength and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership. Through their efforts, they have served as an inspiration for all generations—both past and present.”

Spotlight on Sean Hamer

We recently sat down with Sean Hamer to find out what drew him to education (and away from an engineering career), what off-campus hobbies he enjoys pursuing, and what he’s most looking forward to as he relocates from West Coast to East this summer to join the SSFS community.

Experiential Learning - Preschool

See some of the many instances of curious, engaged students participating in hands-on learning activities around every corner and in every division, from the Preschool classroom's "Valentine's Science" experiments, to the Upper School's AP Environment Science class's "Value of a tree" project. 

Upcoming Events

Discover SSFS

pre- school

Research shows that play is a powerful tool for learning. That's why at Sandy Spring Friends School, play-based learning is woven into the preschool curriculum through fun hands-on activities both in the classroom and outside on our beautiful campus and natural playground.

Learn More

lower school

We believe students learn best when creative thinking, active listening, and positive interactions are reinforced in the classroom. Our students learn to shape questions about concepts and ideas, reflect upon their learning, and put their learning into action - developing initiative and self-advocacy skills in the process.

Learn More

middle school

Our Middle School offers a strong academic program that is taught by dynamic teachers and emphasizes critical thinking, global-mindedness, and problem solving. Through a combination of challenging academics and a welcoming environment for students to explore, our students are able to fully experience and take advantage of their Middle School years.

Learn More

upper school

Our Upper School develops confident, responsible, thoughtful people who understand the wider world and seek to make a difference in it. In partnership with an extraordinary faculty, our students gain intellectual and interpersonal skills that help them thrive in college and beyond.

Learn More

Get Connected