Academics at Sandy Spring Friends School

As a complement to the "Inside/Outside" student-led art exhibition at the Sandy Spring Museum, Upper School students led two art workshops for kids: "Little Figures, Big Stories: A Workshop in Clay, Culture & Creativity" and  "Stamped Stories: A Printmaking Workshop." Students developed valuable skills in collaboration, leadership, and creative problem-solving—culminating in an exhibition and workshops that truly reflected the students' vision and voices

On Sun., Nov. 9, SSFS Quiz Bowl team members Justin C. ’26, Nate M. ‘26, and Ian D. ‘26, accompanied by their fearless coach Eduardo Polon, varsity teammates, and a host of SSFS supporters, won the opening round of WETA's It's Academic for the 11th time in 13 years! SSFS scored 575 points in defeating Whitman High School (495 points) and Landon School (445 points). On the heels of this success, the SSFS Quiz Bowl Team delivered its most commanding performance of the season on Nov. 13, completing a decisive 3–0–0 sweep in Round 3 of the Montgomery Academic Beltway League (MABL) with victories over Wheaton, Gaithersburg, and Sherwood high schools. The results propelled the ‘Beests to an impressive 17–2–0 overall record and 8–1–0 mark in the MABL. See below for details!

Students in the MS Design Thinking class designed car models incorporating safety features, then put their cars to the test with eggs inside to see if their features were effective!

The Upper School Writing Center has re-launched! The Writing Center provides peer tutoring and support for students' various academic writing projects. Selected by their teachers not only for their writing skills, but also for attributes such as patience, curiosity, empathy, kindness, and responsibility, the Upper School Writing Coaches have been trained to assist their peers and support writers at any stage of their writing process, from conferencing to polishing.

On Oct. 24, the 7th grade took a class trip to Calleva, where they participated in team-building activities and learned more about about the benefits of sustainable farming practices.

Of all the garden tasks, none bear more responsibility and consideration than the initial layout of a new garden design. Each set of beds, or blocks, needs an 8’ wide path for tractor or cart access. The crucial math game becomes how to most efficiently lay out as many beds and access paths as possible, while maintaining a workflow that makes sense and is conducive to a large group of people safely moving about at the same time. Enter the 6th Grade, who used math to create proposals for laying out as many beds as possible. Read more in Farmer Franny's latest blog post!   

Yuba's Upper School Multivariable Calculus class students combined their study of parametric and polar equations with aesthetic art concepts to create unique designs. 

As part of the MS annual fall trips and experiential learning, 8th graders visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C., and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

Fourth graders took part in team-building activities on our on-campus low ropes course, hiked to the Sandy Spring while cleaning up trash, journaled, and enjoyed a beautiful fall day.

SSFS 1st and 2nd graders have started their apple-themed cross-curricular unit, which incorporates history, geography, science, art, graphing, and math.

Francis Zell '00 recently took on the role of Farmer Educator at SSFS and has been working tirelessly with SSFS students to help tame the wild weed overgrowth and design and plant hilled beds on our community farm. Read the Farm Blog to see the tremendous progress they've already made!  

The Class of 2029 stayed at Bretton Woods for their three-day camping trip last week, where they hiked, canoed, zip-lined, and enjoyed games, laughter, and campfires together.

7th grade scientists have been learning about the layers of the Earth's atmosphere and are creating models to help them visualize and understand each layer.    

Lower School students (and Upper School Farming for Fitness students) have been visiting the farm regularly to learn more about soil health, help with weed control, and plant hilled beds.

Learning doesn't stop just because it's summer! SSFS students pursued their passions and interests throughout the summer months, participating in various academic, leadership training, language immersion, and arts programs here in the DMV region and around the world. As lifelong learners, our faculty and alumni shared accomplishments, too. 

During the 2024-2025 school year, students at SSFS worked with art teachers Shellie Marker and Michelle Puhl-Price to explore the theme of cultural and family traditions through art. Ashley Chih, Elvy Engdahl, Cecilia Gang, Emily Mauser, Fifa Houdje, and Sienna McGavern formed the “museum team,” curating and learning how to put together a public art exhibition, and starting Sep. 28, the works of SSFS students will be exhibited at the Sandy Spring Museum! Community members are invited to the opening reception on Sunday, Sept. 28, from 1-3 PM. Save the dates for two other special museum events:

• Sunday, October 12, 2-4pm: Little Figures, Big Stories: A Workshop in Clay, Culture & Creativity led by Ashley, Sienna, and Fifa (This workshop is designed for elementary-age children; please register in advance.)
• Sunday, November 9, 2-4pm: Stamped Stories: A Printmaking Workshop led by Cecilia and Emily (This workshop is designed for elementary-age children; please register in advance)

As part of a 9th Grade English project, each student selected a member of the SSFS community to interview, creating a short, curated vignette (similar to the Humans of New York project by Brandon Stanton). The project aimed to capture a glimpse of something important to the subject, or who the subject is. Students recorded the interview, asking specific, targeted questions to evoke the story, then transcribed the entire interview before curating it for presentation, with the goal of staying true to the story and maintaining the subject's unique voice. Presented together, the vignettes provide a snapshot of our community, capturing our uniqueness and our shared humanity.

Sixth graders recently conducted a water study in the stream behind our campus. After taking temperature readings, they collected various specimens in the stream. Good news: they found water pennies, which is an indicator of healthy water! 

Save the date of May 28, 6:30–8:45 PM, to watch students culminate their Senior Passion Project experience with a presentation about their chosen topics, sharing reflections about the process and what they learned with the SSFS community. In advance of the May 28 presentations, the SSFS community is also invited to the premiere of the film, Gifts from the Lived: A Documentary About the Music We Inherit, the Grief We Carry, and the Healing We Face, by two of the Senior Passion Project participants, Jalynn Smith and Jiya Taylor. The film premiere will take place on Saturday, May 17, in the PAC, with doors opening at 6:30 PM.

SSFS community members packed the bleachers at the 2025 Sheep and Wool Festival on May 4 to cheer on the five students in Heidi Brown's Weaving and Fibers class who participated in the "Sheep to Shawl" competition. The three competing teams managed to shear a sheep, card and spin the wool into yarn, and then weave it into a shawl in less than three hours—and our team's shawl was the first off the loom! Read more about student and staff participation in the Sheep and Wool Festival, including the Skein and Garment Competition.

The 8th Grade enjoyed white-water rafting and spending the night at Mar-Lu-Ridge Retreat Center, while the 6th Grade spent the night at Little Bennett Campground and got to spend time at the Adventure Park at SSFS. The 7th Grade trip is May 19-20.

The Quiz Bowl Team earned an impressive It’s Academic semifinal-round victory against GDS and BCC on Sat., Apr. 5. From an original field of 81 schools, the team advanced as one of the top three school teams in the Greater Washington DC Metropolitan Area Championship round. On Sun., Apr. 6, they finished their season in 2nd place overall. With an overall record of 32-7-0 across all interscholastic formats of play (including earning the bronze medal in the extremely competitive MABL league), SSFS once again finished fittingly among the top academic programs in the Metropolitan DC area.

After months of planning and anticipation, Upper School students, faculty, and staff embarked on Intersession Week from March 17-21. From groups that travelled internationally to those that immersed themselves locally in service, art, history, and experiential learning, it was a wonderful week of community, adventure, and hands-on learning for all. Read about their experiences on the 2025 Upper School Intersession blog page, which was updated throughout the week. 

Middle School Immersion Week was a great success, with students enjoying diverse workshop offerings from March 17-21. Students rotated between three workshops each day, from topics that ranged from geography and geocaching to STEM challenges, farming, and podcasting. It was a great opportunity to interact with students and teachers from different grades, learn more about topics of interest, and have fun! On Friday, before early dismissal, middle schoolers participated in an "Immersion Week Showcase," which included a fashion show from the "GnuFlix" fashion challenge!

In the Middle School Immersion Week "Busy Bags" workshop, students chose a favorite childhood book and made handmade bags with games and activities related to the book. Then they shared the bags with preschoolers. 

Second graders are learning about finances and starting a business. They planned their own businesses—from selling handmade pillows to painting fingernails—and students got "fun money" to spend at their classmates' shops! 

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!

Ten Upper School students participated in the annual GDS Student Summit on Sexual Assault & Consent, where high school students from the DMV region and beyond gather to raise awareness and promote change on a national level, helping to eradicate sexual assault and promote a culture of consent-based interaction. Recently, these students led peer-to-peer presentations to help educate and empower their classmates. 

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!

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.

In a recent lab, sixth-grade students used a diluted solution of hydrochloric acid to test the chemical composition of various minerals and help identify properties.  

Fifth graders had an opportunity to showcase their original novellas, hosting an open house book launch event with students, faculty/staff, and parents/guardians! 

On Friday, Feb. 7, Matthew B. '26 represented SSFS at DECA's State Career Development Conference on Friday. This is SSFS's first year to participate in this business competition. Matthew finished in first place in the Quick Serve Restaurant Management Individual Event. As a result, he will be representing Maryland at the International Career Development Conference this April in Florida. Congratulations, Matthew!

Thanks to all in our community who participated in the annual Lower School Wee Mail tradition from Feb. 8-13, when the Kindergarten class applied its study of the U.S. Postal Service to run their own local mail delivery service, collecting and distributing letters throughout the SSFS campus. The Kindergarten postal workers and their 5th Grade assistants delivered a grand total of 3,595 pieces of mail during Wee Mail week—despite a snow day! 

Fourteen members of the Speech Team competed at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Liberty Bell Classic Speech & Debate Invitational, where five SSFS students made it to quarter- and semifinals, and four qualified for the Tournament of Champions in KY. 

Students from Anthony Perdue's AP African American Studies class have been hosting "Lunch and Learn" sessions throughout February, presenting topics from their recent research projects. 

Every February, the Kindergarten class at SSFS runs an all-school post office called Wee Mail. Kindergarteners learn about the post office and how mail moves from one location to another. Then, they start their own postal service, designing and selling stamps, and collecting and delivering mail across the SSFS campus. Find out more and download a template or two so that you can send someone on the SSFS campus a special note this week!

The "Gnu Writers" sixth-grade literary magazine—a vibrant student-driven publication—came to life again this year at the conclusion of their engaging poetry unit. Each aspiring writer contributes an original poem along with a thoughtful literary analysis; photographers select images that complement the text; and clerks (selected via the Quaker decision-making process) ensure that the various departments stay in communication and maintain organization. 

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. 

After recently finishing the Montgomery Academic Beltway League (MABL)'s regular season in first place (!!), the SSFS Quiz Bowl team qualified for this season’s MABL Championship Round. Two days later, the team advanced to the semifinals for the seventh time in 11 years on It’s Academic.

Middle School 7th Grade Science students have culminated their study of the layers of the atmosphere by creating visual presentations; their projects are displayed in the MS's Smith Collection Space for everyone in the Middle School to view.

On Tue., Jan. 21, students and staff participated in classroom and advisory lessons focused on the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The lessons included discussions around Dr. King's work and the impact he had on the world and celebrated some of the lesser-known voices and unseen hands that advanced the work of the Civil Rights Movement. The lesson also connected the idea of "unseen hands" to our own community here at SSFS.  

Flower bulbs and seeds may currently be buried under snow, but MS students will be prepared to identify all the flower parts this spring, thanks to their recent flower dissection lesson in science!

The Upper School's Quiz Bowl, Speech, and Debate Teams have continued their successes this year, competing against teams from much larger schools and demonstrating that SSFS can stand toe-to-toe with top-rated programs! SSFS's Quiz Bowl Team has maintained an undefeated record (15-0-0) in the Montgomery Academic Beltway League (MABL), defeating much larger teams from MCPS, and five members of the Speech and Debate Team were named finalists, semifinalists, and quarterfinalists at the George Mason Patriot Games Speech & Debate Invitational. Read on for details!

As part of a wonderful tradition that Assistant Head of Lower School Joel Gunzburg brought to life in 2022, the Lower School again hosted a Gratitude Museum in Yarnall Library the week before Winter Break. PK-5th Grade students learned about gratitude in a variety of ways in November and December, investigating how gratitude influences emotions and impacts relationships. Each grade then worked together to design a physical display to demonstrate and celebrate their understanding and the benefits of feeling and practicing gratitude, culminating in a wonderful display of love and thankfulness. 

Always a popular auction offering, the "Head of School for a Day" experience auctioned off at the annual Friends Celebration: Supporting Financial Aid event sparks lots of friendly competition. The parents of Landon R. '30 ultimately secured the winning bid, and on Fri., Dec. 6, Landon got to live out his dream of becoming Head of School. After his first duty as Head of School—warmly welcoming a full room of SSFS student applicants who were on campus to attend classes as part of their admissions shadow day—Landon accompanied Interim Head of School Sue Groesbeck in a full day of activities, interviews, meetings, and lunch.

As part of their study of non-Newtonian fluids in science classes, sixth graders made Oobleck, which can behave like a solid or a liquid, depending on how much pressure is applied. 

The 5th Grade took a day trip to Washington, DC to visit the National Archives Museum. They saw the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, and visited national monuments.

The Upper School Quiz Bowl team remains undefeated and is in 1st place in the MABL conference, and the SSFS Speech team tied for first place in the recent WACF league's speech and debate competitions!  

Congratulations to our Upper School academic clubs, Quiz Bowl and Speech Team, for their successes this fall! The Upper School Quiz Bowl team remains undefeated and is in 1st place in the MABL conference, and the SSFS Speech team tied for first place in the recent WACF league's speech and debate competitions. Read on for more details.

On Oct. 29, 4th- and 6th-grade students joined a livestream "Author Study with Kwame Alexander and Jason Reynolds," where they participated in exercises to generate writing ideas and a Q&A session with the authors.

After weeks of observing very hungry caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies, our preschoolers took the butterflies to the campus pond on a beautiful, warm fall day to wish them safe travels and release them!

9th grade students and staff camped at Calleva for their 3-day class trip. They enjoyed hikes, games, ziplines, team-building activities, campfires, Meeting for Worship, and a special appearance by the Northern Lights!  

On Oct. 10-11, 8th grade students and teachers traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit the National Mall, Smithsonian Museums, and the Smithsonian National Zoo as enrichment for their history and science classes.

The 4th grade had a great time during their Outdoor Education day, which included low ropes course activities, a hike to the Sandy Spring, quiet reflection in nature, and a campfire with singing and marshmallow-roasting!

Sandy Spring Friends School is pleased to announce that four members of the Class of 2025 have been named Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program, and one senior has qualified as a Semifinalist. Congratulations to commended students Mars Caruso, Charlie Ambrose, Alexios Eleftheriou, and Nicholas Wakefield, and to semi-finalist Neil Diller! 

From arts to affinity groups; chess to change-makers; engineering to entomology, and so much more, the US Clubs Fair showcased the interests, passions, and talents of our students. 

On Saturday, September 28, the SSFS Quiz Bowl Team demonstrated continued academic excellence by advancing to the playoffs of It’s Academic for the 10th time in 12 years!

In celebration of passion and promise in language study, the Global Languages Department is proud to celebrate 12 outstanding Sandy Spring Friends School language learners whose respective results on the May 2024 AP French Language & Culture and AP Spanish Language & Culture exams qualify them for Global Seal of Biliteracy certification.

SSFS's 2024-2025 Intersession offerings have been presented to Upper School families! These annual spring trips have been an SSFS tradition since 1968 and offer a transformative opportunity for students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them through physical, cultural, intellectual, social, artistic, and community service experiences. This year's options include a range of educational experiences—locally, within the continental U.S., and abroad. 

Civic engagement is at the heart of a Sandy Spring Friends School education. Election years offer a unique opportunity not only to reiterate our commitment to civic engagement, but also to civil engagement, expressing our views with a respect for the views of others and an openness to understand rather than to judge. The Office of Institutional Equity, Justice, and Belonging (OIEJB), in partnership with the Head of School’s Office, division heads, deans, and teachers, have worked to create the “SSFS Guidelines on Civic Engagement and the School Environment” as a way to establish norms and skills at our school.

The 6th Grade spent Wed., Sep. 18 at Calleva, where they participated in team-building activities such as a low ropes challenge course and zipline.  

5th Graders had reservations at a classroom “book tasting,” where they sampled books from many different genres to explore their reading interests.

The Friday before the 2024-2025 school year began, student representatives from Torch (Upper School student government), dorm committee clerks, and OIEJB ambassadors gathered for a full-day leadership workshop. Led by US Dean of Students Candice Ashton, Director of Residential Life Josie Ross, and Director of OIEJB Hayes Davis, the day offered an opportunity for students to understand the principles of servant leadership, learn the basics of clerking a MFW with a Concern for Business, talk about goals and aspirations for the new year, discuss what the Quaker SPICES mean to them, and brainstorm ways to help foster a positive culture of belonging and support among students.

The campus was filled with smiles, hugs, and laughter as students greeted each other on the first day of classes.