Our Philosophy & History
Recognizing the unique worth of each person, the School strives to develop individual talents and foster caring and effective citizens of the world.
Our Mission Statement
Sandy Spring Friends School provides a welcoming and nurturing learning community with Friends testimonies and Meeting for Worship central to its life and vitality. A challenging academic curriculum, enriched arts program, inclusive athletics, and service opportunities promote intellectual excellence and strength of character. Recognizing the unique worth of each person, the School strives to develop individual talents and foster caring and effective citizens of the world.
Philosophy
The Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, cherishes the worth and dignity of each individual because we believe that there is that of God in every person. This basic belief inspires Sandy Spring Friends School to value the unique gifts of our students, faculty, and staff while also expecting each person to become a contributing and cooperative member of the community. Believing that personal and academic growth flourish in a setting which nurtures trust and respect, we expect all members of the school community to act with integrity and responsibility in every aspect of their lives. We are convinced that all features of school life should be strongly influenced by the practices and testimonies of the Society of Friends. We stress the Quaker values of service, simplicity, equality, honesty, stewardship of the environment, and the peaceful resolution of conflict, as part of our continual search for Truth.
Sandy Spring Friends School develops the trained mind, the skilled hand, and the healthy body within a nurturing community centered in the Life of the Spirit. We provide a challenging academic program combined with stimulating opportunities in the arts, athletics, and community service. Believing Quaker Meeting for Worship to be central to its life and vitality, the School creates opportunities for silent worship, reflection, and the sharing of insights.
Sandy Spring Friends School prepares its students for college, to enjoy learning throughout life, and to become useful, constructive, and caring citizens of the world. Our mission is most clearly stated in our motto, words taken from George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends: "Let Your Lives Speak."
--Approved by the Board of Trustees
Believing that personal and academic growth flourish in a setting which nurtures trust and respect, we expect all members of the school community to act with integrity and responsibility in every aspect of their lives.
Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Sandy Spring Friends School embraces diversity, equity, justice, and belonging as critical to the fulfillment of our mission. Our Quaker values compel us to practice integrity and to encourage each member of our school to “Let your lives speak.” We encourage an atmosphere of inquiry and reflection into the important and complex issues of human and civil rights. We stand against systemic oppression and discrimination and actively work to eradicate them on our campus and in our world. Our curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programming reflect this commitment from the experiences of our earliest learners through their time as our alums, to the on-going education and development of our administration, faculty, staff, parents, and trustees. From this foundation, all members of the school community actively foster a culture of inclusivity that values multiple perspectives and is supported by transformational dialogue and civic engagement.
Approved by the Board of Trustees, April 2021
SSFS History
It is my belief that this school gives its students opportunity for a fine education; it gives its teachers opportunity to do what they do best. But most important of all, it gives opportunities to nourish the soul, helping all those connected with it to grow in spirit and in truth. Mary Lil Moore
The history of Sandy Spring Friends School illustrates the path of self-discovery and individual experience that our students undertake on a daily basis: inquiry, reflection, cooperation, action, refinement and perpetual personal growth. Sandy Spring Friends School remains a close-knit community: innovative, optimistic, diverse, welcoming, and rooted in our Quaker heritage. SSFS is a dynamic institution, and we continue to grow and develop. Yet Mary Lil Moore’s words, spoken on the occasion of Sandy Spring’s 20th anniversary and seen above, were true at our founding, and are still true today.
Mary Lil and Brook Moore, who founded SSFS in 1961
