Welcome
At Sandy Spring Friends School we question, we reflect, and we act on knowledge learned both in and out of the classroom in ways that foster critical thinking and empower us to make the world a better place.
Welcome to Sandy Spring Friends School
Adventurous. Interactive. Loving. Joyous. Peaceful. Caring. Safe. Special. When we asked our students to describe Sandy Spring Friends School in just one word, these are the words they chose. If you spend time with us, you will see how much these words truly resonate. Our commitment to experiential learning and a transformative education can be witnessed on any given day. Walking across our beautiful campus, you hear the laughter and chatter of students as they move from building to building and room to room between classes. You feel the intense focus of students taking notes and grappling with robust essential questions, using what they know to build a bridge to what they have yet to discover. You catch teachers pouring over the creation of multi-modal assessments, and coaches getting ready for the team practice before the next big game. You hear the delighted squeals of kindergarteners discovering frogs and tadpoles by the pond, and the harmony of student performers practicing for the upcoming musical. And, on occasion, you can even smell pizza baking in the handmade oven near our active farm. Education at Sandy Spring Friends School here at our home on Norwood Road is a full sensory experience!
At SSFS, students and teachers lead and learn together. You’ll find that our students have a voice on important matters, on and off our campus. They cultivate their voices through a dynamic, rigorous curriculum that informs and calls them to action, and through trusted relationships with teachers who see the unique worth in every student. Our Quaker values compel us to work hard at creating a sense of belonging on our campus as we affirm and support the diversity of our students and faculty. And, as good as we are, we also remain open to the quiet moments of reflection that lead to continuing revelation, and new pathways forward.
We hope that you find your way to Sandy Spring Friends School one day soon. When you do, you’ll find that it is a place where “Way opens” and you can truly “Let your life speak.”
Meet Dr. Sean M. Hamer, SSFS’s New Head of School
Recently, we sat down with Dr. Sean Hamer, SSFS’s newly-appointed Head of School to chat. Read on 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.
SSFS Announces New Head of School, Dr. Sean M. Hamer
It is with great excitement that the Board of Trustees announces Dr. Sean M. Hamer as the next Head of School at Sandy Spring Friends School, beginning his tenure on July 1, 2025.
See the announcement sent to the SSFS community on Feb. 3, 2025.
SSFS Announces New Interim Head of School, Dr. Sue Groesbeck
SSFS Board of Trustees announces Sue Groesbeck as the new Interim Head of School for SY 24-25
Meet Dr. Sue Groesbeck, Sandy Spring Friend School’s New Interim Head of School
On November 4, Dr. Sue Groesbeck begins her tenure as SSFS's Interim Head of School for 2024-2025. She recently sat down with us to chat about her many career experiences as an educator, her expertise supporting schools as an interim head, and how she looks forward to partnering with SSFS over the next school year.