Weekly Newsletter Emailed Each Sunday During The School Year.
Sept. 8, 2019 First Week of School Students greeted each other with hugs and enthusiasm for the new school year on the first day of classes, Wednesday, Sept. 4. View a selection of "first day" photos on our online photo gallery here, or view and download many more from this Vidigami photo album. (Remember to log in to your portal page first, since this is a password-protected site!)
Dive Into This Week's News Read The Latest News Across Our Divisions On The SSFS Website.
News At Your Fingertips Your Mobile-Friendly Email Digest Of Our Weekly Must-Know Information And More. All-School "Must-Know" Info for Sept. 8, 2019
The calendar information below is for all-school, multi-divisional, and/or Parent Association events and activities in the coming weeks. Please see the Lower School, Middle School, or Upper School sections for division-specific "must-know" info, or visit the Calendar web page to see the full calendar.
And coming up soon/to keep on your radar...
Orientation Day - Links to Resources & Feedback Form Thanks to all our families who participated in our re-vamped Orientation Day 2019 on Tuesday, Sept. 3! See photos from the day here, and click here to access the Orientation Day Materials web page, with links to division presentations, the back-to-school packet download, FAQs from the Orientation Fair, and (very importantly) a Parent Feedback Form. Read more about the day here... SSFS Parents Association: Get Involved! The Parents Association is gearing up for a great year ahead! We’re always looking for people to help with fun events and community building. If you are interested in getting involved, please sign up here. Looking for one of the yellow shirts you saw around campus during Tuesday’s orientation? Volunteer here! Friends Day - Save the Date! Saturday, Sept. 14 Friends Day is a perfect opportunity for the whole SSFS community come together after the summer break to reconnect with old friends and get to know newcomers to SSFS! Sign up to volunteer and RSVP online. Read more... SSFS Community Art Show SSFS is hosting an art and craft show for the adults in our community: parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and alumni. This is a non-juried show intended to reveal the many talents in our community. Find out more here, and complete the online submission form if you are interested in submitting a work Vidigami Photo Albums Log in to your portal page and click the "Photos - Vidigami" icon to see some pictures from the week, including:
See more album links, review the guidelines for uploading photos, and find out the back-story on why we use VIdigami here. SSFS eNewsletter - Sent Each Sunday ICYMI: SSFS sends out a weekly e-Newsletter to all SSFS families each Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm with news and "must-know" information about the week ahead. Be sure to read the newsletter for important all-school and division-specific information. The newsletter is also available online here. See other ways to stay connected. Get Great SSFS Gear at the SSFS Cafe and Bookstore! ICYMI: The Beest Café & Bookstore are open and fully stocked with all the essentials your student needs to start the school year off on the right foot! Read more...
Lower School "Must-Know" Info for Sept. 8, 2019
Below is information about upcoming LS and all-school activities and events in the coming weeks. For questions or more information about an event, please contact Pam Gilmer, LS Administrative Assistant, at ext. 112 or pam.gilmer@ssfs.org, or visit the Calendar web page to see full calendar.
And coming up soon/to keep on your radar...
LS Photos – September 18th & 19th On Wednesday, September 18th, Preschool 3, Preschool 4, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade will be photographed, and on Thursday, September 19th, all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will be photographed. No photo forms are necessary. Read more... LS Back to School Night – Thursday, September 26 – 6:30 pm Our LS Back to School Night is scheduled for Thurs, Sept. 26 at 6:30 pm. The evening begins in the campus Meetinghouse at 6:30 pm with introductions from Liza Long, Lower School Head, and other Lower School faculty and administrators. Parents will then move on to their child's classroom for an overview by the classroom teacher(s). Read more here...
Middle School "Must-Know" Info for Sept. 8, 2019
Below is information about upcoming MS and all-school activities and events in the coming weeks. For questions or more information about an event, please contact Erin Ryan, MS Administrative Assistant, at ext. 160 or erin.ryan@ssfs.org, or visit the Calendar web page to see full calendar.
And coming up soon/to keep on your radar...
Middle School Back-to-School Night (Parents Only) on Tuesday, September 10th Be sure your calendar is marked to attend Middle School Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 10. Parents and guardians will have an opportunity to visit all of your child’s classrooms to meet their teachers and hear about some of the amazing things we have planned for this school year. Click here to see the schedule for the evening. Picture Day is Wednesday, September 11th Just a reminder that picture day for Middle School students is on Wednesday, September 11. All students will be photographed for the yearbook. If you would like to purchase photos, please send your child to school with the completed photo form and check made out to Stone Photography. (You can call Stone Photography at 301-654-3185 on Wednesday or Thursday if your child forgets to bring their form/check to school.) Upcoming 2019 Coffee and Conversations for Parents David Blake will host three Coffee and Conversations in the Scott House Collection Space at 8:15 am. Topics will include the fall overnight grade level trips and more.
Oct. 5: Optional Weekend Trip for 7th/8th graders to Six Flags America Our first optional weekend trip is for 7th and 8th graders, and is Saturday, October 5 – Six Flags America, in Upper Marlboro, MD! The cost of the trip is $80, plus extra money to buy food in the park. Find out more here, and return this completed sign-up form to Kristin McCarthy by Sept. 12 to attend. Middle School Backpack Usage As a result of research showing that carrying heavy backpacks can harm student's health, and as a way to help students plan and prioritize, our new MS backpack policy requires students to keep their backpacks in their lockers. Read more here... Sign up for Parent (and Student!) - Advisor Conferences Parent-Advisor conferences will be held on Wednesday, September 18th from 2:50-5:30 pm in the Middle School. Students are encouraged to attend along with their parents. This conference is designed to be quick check-in with your child’s advisor as the school year gets underway. Parents may click here to sign up for an available time. Read more here... Middle School Aftercare - Letter from Lindsay Kellogg As an introduction to Middle School Aftercare, this letter from Lindsay Kellogg, MS Aftercare Director, gives an overview of the program, addresses questions and topics such as drop-in fees, aftercare hours, aftercare schedule, student expectations, activities, and more. Click here to see more! Eighth Grade to Receive a Guided Tour at the Phillips Collection ICYMI: As part of our studies on Immigration this fall, Grade 8 Humanities is thrilled to have secured a guided tour of "The Warmth of Other Suns: Stories of Global Displacement" at The Phillips Collection on Friday, September 13. Students will depart at 10:30 am and return to campus by 3:00 pm in order to participate as usual in sports and electives. Read more...
Upper School "Must-Know" Info for Sept. 8, 2019
Below is information about upcoming US and all-school activities and events in the coming weeks. For questions or more information about an event, please contact Kerry Foley, US Administrative Assistant, at ext. 109 or kerry.foley@ssfs.org, or visit the Calendar web page to see full calendar.
And coming up soon/to keep on your radar...
Upper School Orientation Week, Sept. 4-6 The Upper School started the 2019-2020 school year with three days of orientation, during which they were able to take care of logistics, get to know one another and their teachers/advisors, attend a diversity and inclusion workshop, and participate in Meeting for Worship and other community events. See more here... Asian Mid-Autumn Festival - Sept. 12 The SSFS boarding community will celebrate the Asian Mid-Autumn Festival with food and fun in Westview Dining Hall on Thursday, September 12 from 6 to 7:30 pm. We will have traditional Asian food, student performances, and of course, moon cakes! Dorm and host family students, as well as host families and SSFS community members are invited. If you are a host family or non-campus resident, please send an email with number of attendees to claire.donahue@ssfs.org so we can make sure we order enough food. Charles Lewis '20 Interviewed in the Greater Olney News Last spring, SSFS student Charles Lewis '20 was accepted to the prestigious National Security Language Initiative for Youth Program, where he planned to spend six weeks over the summer representing the United States as a citizen ambassador to China. The Greater Olney News recently interviewed Charles about his summer experience, which he describes as "simply incredible." See the full Greater Olney News article here... E-mail for Upper School Attendance ICYMI: If your child will be absent, arriving late, or leaving early from school, please e-mail us at usattendance@ssfs.org to let Upper School staff know. Please include your child’s first and last name, and reason for absence.
Be sure to check the Athletics Today page for up-to-date info about games! Friday - September 13, 2019 3:30 PM Monday - September 16, 2019 4:00 PM Spencerville Adventist Academy 4:30 PM Washington International School Tuesday - September 17, 2019 4:00 PM Kendall Demonstration School Wednesday - September 18, 2019 4:00 PM McLean School of Maryland 4:30 PM Spencerville Adventist Academy
Join the Adventure Park Staff - A Great Opportunity for SSFS Parents! The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends School is looking for several people to join our team of Park Hosts and Supervisors. Come to work after drop-off, leave in time for pick-up! Learn More... Historic Sandy Spring Bus Tours Sponsored by Friends House Friends House is sponsoring a series of three historic bus tours (as a fund raiser for Friends House) on Saturday, Sept 14 at 9 AM and at 1 PM; and also on Sunday, Sept 15 at 1 pm. Find out more, and order tickets online here. For more information, call Anne Derby at 301-924-7510. This is an optional, opt-in virtual bulletin board for all members of the SSFS community to share resources and announcements about topics not part of the traditional school day or school related events (think: finding babysitters, repair service recommendations, hiking groups, etc.) Please fill in this quick online form to opt in.
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