Sandy Spring Friends School Launches Expanded Year-Round Preschool Program

New flexible scheduling options, extended care, and summer programming offer families more choices for early childhood education

Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) is launching an expanded Preschool at Sandy Spring program with new year-round offerings for 3- and 4-year-olds beginning in Fall 2026. Families will now have access to a variety of scheduling options, including full-day, half-day, extended care, partial-week, 10-month, and year-round enrollment.

The expanded preschool program is designed to meet the needs of today's families while providing young children with a nurturing, play-based learning environment rooted in outdoor exploration, discovery, and community. A nutritious hot lunch and healthy snacks are included as part of the program.

“We are excited to expand our preschool program in ways that provide greater flexibility for families while preserving the joyful, nature-based learning experience that has long been a hallmark of Sandy Spring Friends School,” said Sean Hamer, Head of School at Sandy Spring Friends School. “The new year-round options allow more children to benefit from an environment where curiosity, creativity, and a sense of belonging are nurtured every day. Our youngest learners thrive when they have the freedom to explore, play, and discover, and we look forward to welcoming even more families into our community.” 

Set on SSFS's 140-acre campus in Montgomery County, Preschool at Sandy Spring offers children daily opportunities to learn through nature. The campus features an on-site educational farm, raised garden beds, a pond, woods, streams, nature trails, and a dedicated preschool playground complete with a mud kitchen and climbing structures.

Throughout the year, preschoolers engage in seasonal, hands-on learning experiences led by experienced educators. Activities include planting and harvesting vegetables at the Friends Farm and in their preschool raised garden beds, observing insects and wildlife, studying the life cycle of frogs at the pond, exploring winter weather and ice formations, and collecting and identifying leaves and other natural materials.

In addition to outdoor exploration, the Preschool at Sandy Spring's inquiry-based curriculum fosters creativity, curiosity, and confidence through art, music, STEM experiences, Spanish language instruction, collaborative projects, and imaginative play. Children build social-emotional skills while developing foundational literacy and math concepts that prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.

As a Friends school, SSFS is guided by Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship. These principles help students develop empathy, respect for others, and a strong sense of belonging within a welcoming and inclusive community.

Preschool students also benefit from meaningful connections with older students across the K–12 school. Through programs such as Senior Buddies, preschoolers are paired with 12th-grade students and participate in shared activities, recess playdates, assemblies, and school-wide events throughout the year.

While SSFS expanded its preschool program to include 3-year-olds in 2016, Fall 2026 marks the first year the Preschool at Sandy Spring will operate on a year-round schedule for 3- and 4-year-olds. The preschool will operate on its own calendar, distinct from the school's K–12 academic calendar.

Families interested in learning more are invited to attend an Open House on Wednesday, August 12, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Sandy Spring Friends School, 16923 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860. Additional preschool information sessions and tours will be offered on Wednesdays throughout the summer. Visit the school website for details and RSVP information.