Information about bus routes can be found online here (or see PDF of 2020-2021 Bus Routes here). Families can enroll in Bus Transportation via MyBackPack > Program Registration. SSFS continues to accept bus registrations until August 1, or until routes are at capacity. Please note that some routes will fill to capacity before August 1, so be sure to register to ride the bus as soon as possible. Directions for bus registration may be found online here. For bus/transportation questions, please contact Cathryn Carnevale at cathryn.carnevale@ssfs.org or 301-774-7455 x177.

For aftercare, please register through the Kids After Hours website (details below). For before care, please register via your My BackPack account. For questions about Lower School extended care, please contact Pam Gilmer at pam.gilmer@ssfs.org or 301-774-7455 x112.

SSFS faculty and staff: please note that LS Aftercare sign-up and payment procedures are different for you; the information below is for non-SSFS employees only.  

Below are instructions for how to register for aftercare services via Kids After Hours. Please note that before school care registration is available via My BackPack.

• Go to the SSFS location on the Kids After Hours website (www.kidsafterhours.com > School Year Programs > Locations > Sandy Spring Friends School)
• Click the yellow "School Year REGISTER" button
• You will be prompted to Sign In. If you don't already have an account with Kids After Hours, you will need to Create an Account in order to register. 
• After you have signed in to your KAH account with your KAH username/password, you will be prompted to add students, register students, and checkout. 

Bob Sickels (240-687-6201) is the owner of the Kids After Hours program and is available to answer KAH specific questions. You can reach the KAH Main Office at 301-933-6888. Pam Gilmer, in the Lower School, is the SSFS point person for the KAH program and she can be reached at 301-774-7455 x112.

Family health and permission forms that you will need to fill out for your child are submitted using Magnus Health. Families are asked to submit all required health forms for the 2020-2021 academic year by July 15. Please contact health@ssfs.org with any questions or concerns.

Parents should log in to the Parent Portal Page with the login information provided by the Technology Dept, and click the Magnus Health link to access your family account and download any forms that require a doctor's signature. View online instructions and FAQs.

Class placements will be mailed out to all Lower School families in early August. Families can also see class information online via My BackPack. Please contact Pam Gilmer if you have questions.

SSFS provides all necessary school technology, such as iPads and Chromebooks, for Lower School students, as well as any apps the being used.

Website login information for new families is emailed approximately two weeks after you sign your enrollment contract. A description of Technology Services at SSFS is available in this letter from the IT Staff. You can also find the New Family Technology Setup Checklist here.

Website login information for families will be emailed in mid-July. The website login gives families single-sign-on access to My BackPack and online classrooms from the website, but you do not need a website login to access your My BackPack account; you can simply login directly to My BackPack.

Technology questions may be directed to the Technology Office at tech@ssfs.org. 

After enrolling, each family gets a dedicated My BackPack account with a unique username and password. If you have submitted your enrollment contract and have not yet received login information for (or need assistance accessing) your My BackPack account, please contact the Technology department at tech@ssfs.org or 301-774-7455 x111. (Click here for a document with details on how to log in to the website.) Your My BackPack account will give you access to a number of services including:

• Billing and student accounts
• Student class schedules and grades/comments
• School directory
• Family contact information
• Enrollment contracts

Please ensure that your contact information in your My BackPack account is accurate. As a part of our continuing efforts to act in environmentally sustainable ways, SSFS rarely sends information by paper mail. All communications about events, grades, billing account status, re-enrollment, and other information are sent electronically through My BackPack using the email addresses you have provided. An emergency notification service is also available via text message, so please also provide a cell phone number where you may reached.