Several core values inform our work to compensate for the presence of the COVID-19 virus in our lives. The Quaker testimonies of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship, commonly known as the SPICES, continue to give life to all that we do. Amid this pandemic, our work to provide a high quality SSFS education is grounded in several guiding principles:

• The health and safety of the School community is paramount. 
• The School will address the current challenges in ways that remain true to our commitment to the worth and dignity of each person.
• Students learn best when they are in school in person, under the care and guidance of their teachers, and amid their peers. This environment best meets the social, emotional, and academic needs of children. 
• Scientific and medical expertise will guide our understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic, our protective measures, and our decisions.
• The School will act in compliance with all national, state, and local governmental  and public health directives. 
• SSFS will remain flexible in the face of increased knowledge and changing conditions, adapting our response to the circumstances that present themselves.
   

Since the declaration of the Coronavirus pandemic in the Spring of 2020, SSFS has closely monitored the progress of the pandemic and continually sought updated expert information to guide our decisions. This has been a shared responsibility among all staff and faculty at SSFS, particularly members of the Administrative Council. In preparation for the anticipated reopening of school for the fall, a COVID Response Team (CRT), a subset of the Administrative Council, was created in July 2020 in order to focus and optimize our preparations. The COVID Response Team reports to the Head of School and includes the Director of the Health Center, the Chief Operations Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Human Resources, the Director of Marketing and Communications, the Director of Residential Life, the Director of Institutional Equity, Justice, and Belonging, the Assistant Head of School, and the Head of School. 

The Covid Response Team (CRT) is responsible for determining policies and guidelines that meet the specific needs of the Sandy Spring Friends School Community. CRT  is informed by multiple sources including the CDC, Maryland Department of Health, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.. CRT follows  required guidelines from Maryland Department of Health and Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and recommendations provided by these departments are assessed by CRT. At times, CRT will call upon its advisory board, made up of experts in the medical field, as well as additional third-party medical, educational, and/or legal experts to review or suggest plans and preventative measures. 

Utilizing the polices and guidelines established by CRT, the Division Heads Group (the Heads of the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, along with the Assistant Head of School and the Head of School), coordinate the academic and programmatic elements of the COVID response plan for SSFS. 

At all times, CRT seeks broad input from the larger community, as well as ways to test their conclusions and plans in light of the sense of the larger community. However, in order to respond in a timely and effective manner, decisions about school operations remain the responsibility of the school administration, under the policies of its Board of Trustees. 

The government website called COVID.gov  is a one-stop shop for information and resources, including current transmission levels (according to new CDC guidelines), vaccine and test & treat locations, ordering free antigen tests, and more. Here you can type in your zip code and find what vaccines are available where (along with details about which vaccine you should get). 

Covid-19 Vaccination Requirements for 2023-2024

For the 2023-2024 school year, all employees and all eligible students are required to obtain a COVID vaccination and submit proof of vaccination to our Health Office (though Magnus Health). Those who are eligible are also required to receive a booster shot and submit it to the Health Center prior to the start of school.

Those seeking a medical exemption should provide the Health Office with a letter, signed by a medical practitioner, that states the reason for the medical exemption, and the Health Center will determine approval. As medical advances are made and guidance is updated, SSFS may require additional measures of all students and employees to ensure broad immunity, including additional Covid-19 booster shots.