Upper School Curriculum

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) credits of English, with English taken each semester.
• Successful completion of three (3) credits of History, including one year of U.S. History.
• Successful completion of three (3) credits of Mathematics in the Upper School, completing Algebra II at a minimum.
• Successful completion of three (3) credits of Science of which one year must be a biological science and one year a physical science.
• Successful completion of three (3) credits in any one Global Language during high school.
  Student placement is made by the Global Languages Department. Permission to advance to the next level of a foreign language is not normally granted to students achieving less than a C- (70%) average, unless proof of additional satisfactory work (e.g. summer school) is submitted for validation.
• Successful completion of three (3) credits of Arts, including the Arts and Ideas class, are required for graduation. Arts and Ideas to be taken in 11th or 12th grade.
• Successful completion of at least one (1) credits 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 (usually fulfilled through 9th Grade Advisory, World History I, World History II, AP World History, or AP US History).
• For 9th and 10th grades: Successful completion of at least two (2) physical activities - Physical Education or Athletics - each year, in the Upper School. For 11th and 12th grades: Successful completion of one (1) physical activity - Physical Education or Athletics - each year, in the Upper School.
• Participation in Intersession (a week-long experiential education program) each year in the Upper School, including one service Intersession.
• Community Service is also required for graduation, as described below.

Courses taken during Middle School can satisfy prerequisites but are not recognized for graduation credit.

Community Service Requirement

The purpose of the community service program at Sandy Spring Friends School is to respond to the needs of others, and to thereby enrich the School community and the lives of its members. Every Upper School student at Sandy Spring Friends School is expected to perform a combination of community service to those outside the school community and stewardship to the Sandy Spring Friends School community.

The graduation requirement is 100 hours including 80 hours of service to the school and organizations locally, nationally, and globally, as well as the completion of 20 hours on a designated service intersession.

Intersession Requirement

Intersession is a one- to two-week period in the spring when the School’s normal routine is interrupted so that all students and faculty can participate in on- or off-campus educational projects or experiences. All Upper School students are required to participate each year. 9th Grade students participate in a single, collective Intersession experience. 10th Grade students participate in one of a variety of service-intensive Intersession experiences. In the fall, students are given the opportunity to indicate various Intersessions in which they would prefer not to participate given their personal interests and circumstances. Cost for Intersession is not included in tuition and ranges depending on the type and destination of the trip. Trip costs are controlled based on a percentage of annual tuition. Families eligible for financial aid for tuition may be eligible for financial aid for Intersession.

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. (Students participating in a semester abroad are exempted from this limitation.) 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.