Sandy Spring Friends School

 

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SSFS Weekly and Bi-Weekly Newsletters

Gnu Stories, the SSFS all-school newsletter, is sent bi-weekly on Mondays during the school year, and features stories that provide families with a snapshot of school life at SSFS and connects them to the wider community. 

Learn More: Weekly Division Newsletters

Wildebeest Statue

Passion & Perseverance

Gnu Stories: Highlights from the SSFS Community

Spring Crafts Fair at SSFS

Join us for the Sandy Spring Friends School Craft Fair — a fun-filled day for the whole community! Enjoy delicious eats from local food trucks while you shop from 70+ incredible vendors featuring handmade goods, art, jewelry, home décor, baked treats, wellness products, and so much more. SSFS Admissions will be on site, and Summer at Sandy Spring will be hosting their Camp Fair with bouncy houses and entertainment for kids. Bring your friends, bring your family, and come support local makers while enjoying a wonderful day at the Sandy Spring Friends School campus!

See More about Spring Crafts Fair at SSFS: March 7th
Quiz Bowl Team Champs 2026

For the first time in program history, Sandy Spring Friends School’s Quiz Bowl Team has been crowned champions of the Montgomery Academic Beltway League (MABL), finishing a remarkable Championship Round with a perfect 4–0 record against the region’s top academic teams. The championship match pitted SSFS against defending champions and top-seeded Montgomery Blair High School in a dramatic contest worthy of the occasion. Read details of the match below, and don't forget to watch the opening round of WETA's It's Academic on Sat., March 7 at 10 AM or 7 PM (also streaming on WETA’s YouTube channel after March 7). 

See More about Upper School Quiz Bowl Team: MABL Champions!
Winter Sports Highlights 2025-2026

SSFS had another fantastic sports season, delivering strong performances, team support and growth, community spirit, nail-biting wins in overtime, and good sportsmanship throughout each competition. Despite the smaller numbers of players on some teams, SSFS demonstrated its "small but mighty" ethos, showing grit, resilience, and determination. Congratulations to our student athletes, our coaches, and our supportive community!

See More about Winter Sports Season Highlights for 2025-2026
US Student Art Recognitions

We’re proud to celebrate three of our talented Upper School arts students whose work has recently been featured in the broader community. Zoe Lide and Nora Sadek were selected for All Hands on Deck at the 2026 Fashion Showcase hosted by Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and Caitlyn Widener’s work was featured in a calendar produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

See More about Upper School Student Art Recognitions
1990s Decade Reunion 2026

The inaugural 90s Decade Reunion on Sat., Feb. 21, was everything we hoped it would be: joyful, meaningful, and deeply rooted in connection. The morning began with yoga in the PAC studio, followed by coffee, conversation, and a discussion with Head of School Dr. Sean Hamer, Current Upper School students and  admission staff then hosted campus tours. The celebration continued that evening at Waredaca, hosted by Jessica (Staehle) Snyder ’91. 

See More about 1990s Alumni Decade Reunion
Class of 2026 - College Counseling Update

It's been a busy college app season for the Class of 2026 and our college counseling staff as students have submitted Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular and Rolling Decision applications throughout the fall and winter. Already, 54 of our 63 seniors have been admitted to a college or university of their choice… and we haven’t even entered the regular college acceptance season! Matriculations so far include Swarthmore College, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Carleton College, New York University, Mount Holyoke College, Maryland Institute of Art, Boston University, Lafayette College, and Lehigh University. We know our students will continue to "let their lives speak"! 

See More about Upper School College Counseling Updates
QQQ Web page

When we ask students, staff, alums, and families to share what makes SSFS unique, they overflow with enthusiastic reflection. In fact, the phrase, “delightfully quirky” comes up regularly! What does “quirky” mean, anyway? One definition is “unusual, especially in an interesting or appealing way.” Sounds like SSFS! We invite you to visit our "Quotes, Quirks, and Quakerisms" web page and see how our identity as a Friends school meaningfully shapes every aspect of school life, giving us shared purpose, a deep sense of belonging, and joy!

See More about "Quotes, Quirks, and Quakerisms" Web Page

Upcoming Dates: SSFS All-School Events

March 2

Book Fair Begins

Yarnall Library
March 2-6, 2026

March 4

Red Cross Blood Drive

10 AM - 5 PM
SSFS Athletic Center

March 7

Spring Crafts Fair

10 AM - 4 PM
SSFS Athletic Center

GnuStories: Previous Articles

Division-Specific Newsletters: The Week Ahead

Division-specific newsletters are emailed to SSFS families each Sunday afternoon during the school year and posted on the division-specific pages of the Parent Portal. These newsletters provide messages from division heads and "must-know" calendar information about upcoming events for the week. 

Parents and guardians must log in to the Parent Portal to access the division-specific pages where the newsletters are posted.

Please Note: Only SSFS parents have access to the links above. SSFS employees may access the division-specific newsletters via the Faculty/Staff Portal.